UK – Women Like Us: the Best New Social Enterprise Award

Women Like Us was named as the Best New Social Enterprise as part of the Enterprising Solutions Awards which took place in London on 17 October 2007. The award ceremony is run annually by the Social Enterprise Coalition – on behalf of Royal Bank of Scotland, Natwest Bank and the Cabinet Office – to recognise and celebrate the UK?s most innovative social enterprises.

Women Like Us, which was also given a cash prize of £5,000 (7,180 euro), exists to help women with children find flexible work and help employers source experienced part-time staff. It also aims to help women who want to return to work after a break or make some kind of transition in their working life or even start a new business.

The social enterprise has four core areas of activity:
?Outreach work through which it promotes its services via local schools.
?Coaching services that offer advice and support to prepare women that wish to return to work.
?Recruitment services that locate suitable vacancies for women. The enterprise also provides recruitment services for organisations and businesses by finding high calibre, suitable candidates for employment.
?Wokring in partnership with local authorities and regional agencies to help women get back to work.

Emma Stewart, co-founder and Director of Partnerships at Women Like Us, said ?Behind school gates there are 500,000 talented women across the UK who want to work but cannot find flexible work to fit around their family lifestyles.
We provide the coaching, CV development and interview skills advice to help them regain their confidence and self-belief about returning to work. We then help recruit them into part-time, often local, jobs with employers who recognise the benefits of skilled, reliable part-time employees?.

Since Women Like Us was established by two working mums in 2004, its services have helped over 3,000 women.

www.socialenterprise.org.uk
www.womenlikeus.org.uk