The social businesses competing for the top honours at this year’s Social Business Wales Awards have been announced.
Running since 2010, the Awards are a high-profile celebration of the Welsh social enterprise movement and demonstrate the strength of social business activity across the length and breadth of Wales. Entrants come from a range of industries, but all demonstrate a dynamic, entrepreneurial, and ambitious attitude that is helping the social business sector to grow despite the pandemic.
This year there are two headline categories – Wales Social Enterprise of the Year, which looks for excellent vision and strategic direction as well as a clearly evidenced social, environmental and community impact, and Wales One to Watch, which looks for new and innovative social enterprises trading under two years with an impressive initial impact and strong vision for the future. Social businesses also had the opportunity to enter the following categories: Tech for Good; Community Impact; and Social Enterprise Team of the Year.
The Social Business Wales Awards are being held virtually for the first time on Tuesday 5th October. The Awards are part of the Social Business Wales project which is funded by Welsh Government and the European Regional Development Fund.
Derek Walker, Chief Executive of the Wales Co-operative Centre and delivery lead for the Social Business Wales project, said:
“Trading conditions have been significantly disrupted for a lot of businesses over the last 18 months, so for this year’s Awards we are looking to celebrate the resilience and the entrepreneurial spirit of the social business sector.
“The 2021 Awards will also be a moment to celebrate the incredible contributions made by social businesses in Wales, recognising those organisations which have pivoted, grown and thrived in these most challenging conditions.
“We wish all the businesses shortlisted the best of luck at the Awards. We hope that, whatever the outcome, their success will inspire a generation of future social entrepreneurs.”
Full list of categories and shortlisted finalists for the Social Business Wales Awards 2021 can be found below or viewed at: https://wales.coop
- Social Enterprise of the Year: open to social enterprises which have been trading for more than 2 years, in any business sector.
- Creating Enterprise
- The Community Impact Initiative
- Therapeutic Activities Group CIC
- One to Watch: open to social enterprises which have been trading for less than 2 years, in any business sector
- Amathanon CIC (Carmarthen Food)
- Drosi Bikes
- Prom Ally
- Tech for Good: Technology Social Enterprise: open to social enterprises that have been operating for more 2 years and use technology to achieve social impact.
- Cardiff Cleaning Services (APP UK)
- Empower – Be the Change
- Denbighshire Music Co-operative
- Community Impact: open to social enterprises that have been operating for more than 2 years and trading for the benefit of the local community.
- PTAWA Enterprises Ltd
- Green Willow Funerals Ltd
- Iorwerth Arms
- Glyn Wylfa
- Social Enterprise Team of the Year: This category acknowledges those teams which, over the course of an extremely challenging year, have demonstrated the strength, passion and resilience which is so characteristic of the social enterprise sector.
- Creating Enterprise
- Empower Be The Change
- Llangefni Town Football Club
As well as running in Wales, the Awards also run in parallel in other UK nations. Scotland, Northern Ireland and England partners use the same categories, time scales, application forms and criteria. Winners from each nation are announced in early autumn and go through to compete in a UK final which is held in December.
