Leading Belfast Charity wins UK Social Enterprise of the Year
Award- UK Social Enterprise - East Belfast Mission
Sue Perkins, Neil Morris, Finance Director, Anne Walsh, Director of Business Development and Kate Markey, Managing Director, from CAN (sponsor of the award)
East Belfast Mission has won the highest award at the prestigious annual UK Social Enterprise Awards in London.
It received the prize of UK Social Enterprise of the Year for its work in providing vital jobs and community services through Skainos, its flagship social economy village in the Ballymacarrett area of Belfast.
It was a night of double celebration for the Northern Ireland Social Economy sector as the Belfast-based Music Theatre 4 Youth won the award for Best Youth Led Social Enterprise.
Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster said: “I am delighted that, for the second year in a row, the calibre of Northern Ireland social enterprises has been recognised at a national level. Both East Belfast Mission and Music Theatre 4 Youth are examples of social enterprises making a real difference in supporting local communities and growing our economy. I offer my warmest congratulations to both award winners.”
Both social enterprises received their awards at a glittering ceremony at Lord’s Cricket Ground in Marylebone from comedienne and presenter Sue Perkins, star of the Great British Bake Off. Paul Roberts, Chief Executive of Ashton Community Trust was runner-up in the Social Enterprise Leader category.
Winners of 2012 Belfast Business Awards
The cream of the Belfast business world was recognised and rewarded at the highly anticipated and hotly contested Belfast Business Awards held on 8 November 2012.
The awards took place in Belfast City Hall, with Tim Campbell as keynote speaker, winner of the first series of BBC One's The Apprentice programme and founder of the Bright Ideas Trust and hosted by the BBC's Sarah Travers. Awards were presented across the 11 award categories with the Best Social Economy Business award going to joint winners Ortus and East Belfast Mission. In addition another social enterprise, the MAC, won the Best Creative Business award making it a very successful evening for the sector.
Social Economy Work Programme
DETI has appointed Social Enterprise NI to deliver a three year Social Economy Work Programme (SEWP) in direct response to the findings of an independent evaluation of the Northern Ireland Social Economy Sector. The main objective of the SEWP is to develop and implement an agreed three year programme of initiatives to enable the continued growth of a sustainable social economy sector.
Social Enterprise NI is a consortium of social enterprises and social entrepreneurs which have come together to design, manage and deliver a programme of initiatives to support the continued development of a sustainable Northern Ireland social economy sector and to develop an environment where society profits and social enterprises excel at meeting community need.
Further details on the SEWP will be published when available.
Third Sector mapping exercise
DETI and DSD have appointed PWC through a public procurement competition to undertake a scoping exercise on the size and scale of the Third Sector and to assess the potential of community and voluntary organisations to make the transition to the social enterprise model. The final report is expected by May/June 2013.
Northern Ireland - Social Enterprise Awards 2012 - The Winners Are...
The Winners of the Northern Ireland heat of the Social Enterprise Awards 2012 were presented at a prestigious celebration dinner hosted by the Social Enterprise Awards NI Committee on Thursday, 11 October at Belfast Castle.
Social Enterprise Leader of the Year, Northern ireland - sponsored by DETI
Winner: Paul Roberts (Chief Executive of the Ashton Community trust based in North Belfast)
Social Enterprise Start Up of the Year, Northern Ireland - sponsored by Invest NI
Winner: Chocolate Memories (Autism Work Ventures)
Social Enterprise of the Year, Northern Ireland - sponsored by DETI
Winner: East Belfast Mission
Social Enterprise Supporter of the Year, Northern Ireland-sponsored by Charity Bank
Winner: Lloyds TSB Foundation for Northern Ireland (based in Belfast)
Youth-led Social Enterprise, Northern Ireland-sponsored by Invest NI
Winner: Music Theatre 4 Youth (Ireland) based Belfast
Best New Product or Service, Northern Ireland - sponsored by UCIT
Winner: Extra Care (based in Antrim)
Rural Social Enterprise of the Year - sponsored by DARD
Winner: Chain HR Ltd, based Larne
Social Enterprise Regeneration Award- sponsored by the Department of Social Development (DSD) and PwC
Winner: Ashton Community Trust
Social Economy Evaluation Report Findings 2011
Social Economy Initiatives
For details of programmes on Social Enterprise and the community and Voluntary sector click on the link below.
www.investni.com/social_enterprise_financial_support_oct-11_rbt.pdf
www.investni.com/social_enterprise_mentoring_support_oct-11_rbt.pdf
www.investni.com/social_enterprise_networking_support_oct-11_rbt.pdf
