Social enterprise awards shortlist announced

Among those in the running for the £10,000 cash prize are Social Enterprise World Forum organiser CEiS, based in Edinburgh, and LIVE Futures, which runs Live magazine for young people in London.

The winner will be announced on Monday 20 October 2008. Three finalists and the winner of the new social enterprise award will also receive £5,000, and the winner of a separate, new category - the social enterprise in schools award - will get £1,000.

In its ten years, ESA has showcased a range of social enterprises and promoted the impact these businesses can have on a community.

The awards are run by the Social Enterprise Coalition (SEC) on behalf of NatWest & The Royal Bank of Scotland and the Cabinet Office, with a range of sponsors including the Department of Children and Family Services, Department of Communities and Local Government.

In the past decade, winning organisations have included transport companies, recycling businesses and regeneration projects. Last year's winner was fair trade company Divine Chocolate.

CEO of the Social Enterprise Coalition, Jonathan Bland, said: ‘These awards are instrumental in showcasing and rewarding the impact of social enterprise in the UK.

‘In our tenth year, the range and strength of the shortlist is particularly strong and we are really pleased that this year includes the social enterprise in schools award, which we hope will inspire the next generation of socially conscious entrepreneurs.

‘Social enterprise is about sustainable businesses harnessing the power of the market for the benefit of communities and individuals, and each of these businesses demonstrates the vital work being carried out by social enterprises across the UK.'

The shortlisted nominees are:

Acumen Community Enterprise Development Trust - County Durham

Acumen plays a vital role in bridging the gap between public service provision and communities. By delivering a range of services to disadvantaged communities, it aims to address entrenched issues of low levels of employment, enterprise and skills.

BioRegional Charcoal Company Ltd - Wallington, Surrey

BioRegional Charcoal Company Ltd (BRCC) provides locally sourced charcoal products to major retailers in order to both encourage sustainable forestry and reduce the environmental impact of charcoal production.

CEiS - Govan, Scotland

CEiS is a leading enterprise support agency that, for the past two decades, has been providing business support, advice and financing for social enterprises in Scotland as well as delivering a range of regeneration and development services.

Disability Action Yorkshire - Harrogate, Yorkshire

Disability Action Yorkshire aims to empower disabled people to live the lifestyle of their choosing through the provision of services including employment and training. In addition, it also supplies residential care and support for adults with physical disabilities.

Emmaus Village Carlton - Village Carlton, Yorkshire

Emmaus Village Carlton is one of a number of Emmaus communities offering homeless people a home, employment and the opportunity to rebuild their lives in a supportive environment. The residents at Emmaus work full time in order to gain skills, confidence and to help them get to where they want to be.

LIVE Futures - London

LIVE Futures' multiple ventures include LIVE Magazine, which targets a readership of hard-to-reach young people between the ages of 12 to 21. Written and edited by young people, it is published quarterly in south London and aims to deliver positive social messages and information.

Mid Devon Community Recycling Ltd - Exeter

Mid Devon Community Recycling Ltd makes kerbside collections of recyclable materials from 32,875 households across 93 towns and villages and provides work experience training for learning-disabled adults.

NMC Design+Print - Winsford, Cheshire

NMC Design+Print was established by the Neuromuscular Centre (NMC) to tackle the problems of social exclusion and insufficient employment opportunities for people with neuromuscular conditions. Eighty per cent percent of employees and 75 per cent of company directors have a neuromuscular condition.

The Phone Co-op - Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire

The Phone Co-op is the UK's only telecommunications co-operative and supplies a full range of services to over 15,000 customers, all of whom have the option to become owner-members by investing a minimum of £1 in the co-operative.

The Wise Group - Glasgow, Scotland

The Wise Group provide a range of support, training and work experience programmes to help the long-term unemployed return to work. It has grown to employ 420 staff supporting people from across Scotland and the north east of England.

Training for Life - London

Training for Life has returned over 9,000 people previously long-term unemployed, homeless or from prison back to full-time education or employment and created more than 120 new jobs. Its aim is to foster enterprising behaviour by creating practical learning environments in social enterprises.

Women Like Us - London

Women Like Us trains and connects women looking for flexible work with employers who are looking for skilled, reliable part-time employees. Women Like Us was last year's winner for Best New Social Enterprise.

Shortlist for Best New Social Enterprise Award 2008:

Central Surrey Health - East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey

Central Surrey Health Ltd is a care provider co-owned and run by the nursing and therapy teams it employs. It provides community nursing and therapy services to the people of central Surrey.

Make Believe Arts - London

Make Believe Arts believes that all children are entitled to a high-quality artistic education. A theatre and education company, its activities are programmed to pursue artistic, social and educational aims.

Mow and Grow - Waveney, Suffolk

Mow and Grow is a gardening, support and training service that aims to help vulnerable people reduce accidents in the home, improve their wellbeing and reduce the likelihood of being a target of crime. At the same time they provide skills and work experience and have helped 30 per cent of its volunteers find full time work.

Sunlight Social Enterprise CIC - Gillingham, Kent

Sunlight Social Enterprise CIC manages six different social enterprise businesses all with the common aim of serving the local community. Its services include a community radio station and a professional recording studio offering workshops to local people.

Shortlist for Best Social Enterprise in Schools Award 2008:

Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College - Bradford, Yorkshire

Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College runs a student-led social enterprise called Go Aqua, offering scuba diving in the on-site swimming pool at a reduced cost to the local community. The business provides pupils with the chance to develop key skills while the reduced cost on the diving has made it accessible to a wider community.

Dunbog PS - Fife, Scotland

Dunbog PS runs a social enterprise called SEED (Social Effective Enterprise@Dunbog). SEED's various business activities have successfully raised over £6,200 much of which was sent to Doroba PS in Malawi with which Dunbog PS is linked.

Fyndoune Community College - Durham

Water Works was set up by pupils at Fyndoune Community College to raise money to fund a well in Ghana through the sale of bottled water. Originally the brainchild of ten pupils, Water Works has expanded to ensure its continued activity and now involves all 420 of its pupils.

Stonelaw High School - Glasgow, Scotland

Stonelaw High School has successfully established a social enterprise business dealing in fair trade products. The efforts have been highly successful with sales in excess of £63,000 in four and a half years. Profits are sent to KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, to sponsor the education of Aids orphans.

Thriftwood School - Chelmsford

Year 11 students at Thriftwood School for children with moderate leaning difficulties run the company Butterfly Bunch, where they design and make products as well as offer a selection of fair trade products for sale to the local community.

Find out more about ESA at www.enterprisingsolutions.org