Partner Article

Stars of social enterprise celebrate regional impact

Commitment to the local community, investment in potential and promoting generational change were the hallmarks of a packed event celebrating the ongoing impact of social enterprise.

The annual Social Enterprise Yorkshire and Humber (SEYH) Awards pulled together forward-thinking game changers from across a region rooted in innovation, resilience and ambition.

More than 9,000 social enterprises generate in excess of £4bn and sustain 56,000 jobs across the region — with 48% of social enterprise businesses female-led.

Ali Ward, SEYH General Manager and the lead organiser of the fast-growing annual event, said: “We love to celebrate the hard work and impact of some truly brilliant people who, through their businesses, have done so much for their local communities here in the Yorkshire and Humber region.

“We take the event around the region — last year it was in Doncaster and this year we headed to Leeds. It’s important that we reach out to everyone and continue to build a supportive community.

“This year, we’ve been working with Printworks Kitchen and Bar — part of Leeds City College — as it fits the SEYH ethos in terms of supporting trainees. We try to keep the money that we generate within our region so that it benefits the local economy and the social enterprise economy.”

SEYH has been championing social enterprise for more than 15 years and continues to impact positively across the Yorkshire and Humber region — despite limited funding and an increasingly volatile economy.

Its support network inspires like-minded business leaders and their teams to invest in local communities and look outside of the box. And Rory Mason, SEYH Awards judge and managing director of 21 Degrees Digital, added: “These awards are about celebrating incredible social enterprises and the people who make them work.

“We’re talking about some of the nicest, most inspiring people you will ever meet because they're not driven by profit — they're driven by the social good and wellbeing that they provide to everybody in their community.

“What these awards highlight is just how much Yorkshire and Humber is a leading region in the UK when it comes to social enterprise. Despite all the hurdles confronting businesses during the last 12 months, 66% of regional social enterprises grew turnover in the last year, outpacing many traditional sectors. There is a real drive, passion and purpose here that is something we just had to celebrate at this year’s SEYH Awards in Leeds.”   

This year’s winners included: Elders With Roots CIC (Start Up award), Lisa Bell from Soundproofbox CIC (Social Entrepreneur), Getting Clean and Postcode Innovation Trust (Social Investment), Bevan Community Benefit Society (Social Impact), The Green Estate CIC (Large Social Enterprise), Umbrella Yoga CIC (Small Social Enterprise), Participate Projects (Innovative Use Of Technology), Thread Republic (Environment).

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Rushworth .