Enterprise in Society Awards 2014
A new Dawn for Social Enterprise in Lancashire
Lancashire has a new Champion of Social Enterprise in the form of recycling guru Dawn Welham.
The annual Selnet Enterprise In Society awards sees dozens of social enterprises from across the county competing in a host of categories and the highlight of the night is the announcement of our Social Enterprise Champion – the person who, in the judges view, has done the most to promote our sector in the last 12 months.
This year’s winner, Dawn, from Lancashire Community Recycling Network through her role at Leyland-based waste giants Global Renewables is able to link together a range of the county’s social enterprises that are involved in recycling.
The awards ceremony, staged at the impressive De Vere Hotel in Blackpool with more than 250 guests, was a good night for the community sector on the Fylde coast.
Blackpool-based rehabilitation centre, Spiral Health community interest company (cic) won Social Enterprise of the Year, a community initiative which involves Lancashire Police called Jobs, Friends and Houses cic won Start Up Social Enterprise of the Year and a new category this year, to highlight the role of business advisers, was scooped by Janet Fraser who is based in Lytham.
Social Enterprise – where the profits go back into the social good rather than to the directors – is thriving in Lancashire and its work is spearheaded by the Social Enterprise Lancashire Network, Selnet.
Chief executive, Liz Tapner, said:
“The Selnet Enterprise In Society awards are like no other. Every year, we see fantastic examples of ways in which social businesses are making a real difference to people’s lives in Lancashire.
Take the Enabling Ability award for example. Community Gateway Volunteer Drivers in Preston started with just one vehicle and now there is a fleet of cars out and about helping to break down people’s isolation.
We were also able to reward the excellent partnership between Lancashire County Council, the Care Foundation Trust and Advocacy Focus where the third sector is playing a key role in helping the public sector.
Other worthy winners on the night were Total Reuse from Skelmersdale, Diane Price and Integrate Preston and Chorley for their Woodhouse initiative.
This is now the fifth year of the awards, we had the highest amount of entries yet and the largest number of guests at the ceremony so I am very proud.”
The full list of winners and highly commended reads as follows:
Start Up Social Enterprise of the Year
Jobs, Friends and Houses CIC
Jobs, Friends and Houses CIC does what it says on tin! We provide meaningful employment with training and qualifications, stable accommodation and positive peer support for individuals who were once in drug addiction or alcohol dependency. We enable them to sustain abstinent recovery. We inspire current individuals in addiction to aspire to become abstinent.
Highly commended award presented to Dig In (NW) CIC
Small Social Enterprise of the Year
Total Reuse CIC
Total Reuse is a community interest company based in West Lancashire but operating throughout the North West. It exists to find alternative uses for the things people throw away by finding them a new home or repairing, restoring, refurbishing or remanufacturing them into new products. It’s about making a difference to the environment and improving the health and wellbeing of the individuals and communities with whom it comes into contact. It gives people a choice: be part of the solution, rather than the problem.
Highly commended award presented to Spring into Action CIC.
Enabling Ability Award
Community Gateway Volunteer Drivers
Community Gateway Association’s Gateway Tenants Committee decided a community minibus were a must for this new company. In 2006 staff were tasked with sourcing a vehicle that could be used for promotional purposes to transport our local residents including those with disabilities. The first vehicle was delivered to CGA in Aug 2007, after getting off to a very slow start, which saw the minibus being used mainly for company business. By the start of 2007 that had changed with lots of community use, which has only grown since this time.
Highly commended award presented to Peter Cousins (Jnr).
Unsung Hero Award
Diane Marie Price MBE
Diane’s vision is a society where all children and young people with disabilities are able to realise their goals and aspirations, with a right to community inclusive activities and services which supports them and their families.
Diane says “It is about working together; it takes a bit from everyone to make it work. Tiny steps BIG differences”
Highly commended award presented to Ben Mathew (UR Potential).
Business Adviser of the Year
Janet Fraser Fraser Consultancy
Janet’s business background in setting up and running two successful small businesses in the 80’s and 00’s and in management roles in the public sector responsible for business development and innovation led her to become a business adviser. She is a CMI qualified social enterprise business adviser.
Highly commended award presented to Tony Carr.
Most Effective Collaboration
Advocacy Focus, LCC & Lancs. Care Foundation Trust
Lead commissioners LCC and LCFT, together with Advocacy Focus has successfully led the establishment of an opt out system to maximise benefit for clients subject to the Mental Health Act. The partnership has been awarded an LGC Innovation in Commissioning Award in 2014 and is looking to develop a national toolkit to enable other authorities to replicate the service.
Highly commended award presented to Emmaus Preston.
Environmental Champion of the Year
The Woodhouse (Integrate Preston & Chorley Ltd)
The woodhouse is a social enterprise run and managed by Integrate (Preston & Chorley) Ltd. It offers a wood recycling service to the construction industry and has a wood resource centre from which sales are made, it is open to everyone.
Landfilling biodegradable waste contributes to the emission of greenhouse gasses, is environmentally, socially and economically unsustainable.
Highly commended award presented to Total Reuse CIC.
Social Enterprise Of The Year
Spiral Health CIC
Spiral Health provides the people of Lancashire and the Fylde Coast with two centres of excellence for rehabilitation, a stepping stone between hospital and home, where patients recover from accidents, illness or major surgery.
We help people ‘Get back upon their feet’
Lancashire’s Social Enterprise Champion 2014
Presented by 2013 Champion Elizabeth Taylor
Dawn Welham LCRN
Dawn has coordinated the Lancashire Community Recycling Network for 6 years. She facilitates essential bi-annual networking events for members, is a vital source of current and legislative information, marketing and publicity support, promotion online/via social media, fundraising and contract tendering expertise.
She works directly on projects that prevent resources being landfilled, provide training and employment for marginalised people and help secure sustainable revenue.
Selnet would like to thank everybody involved for making the 2014 Awards our best one yet!
A huge thank you to our sponsors
On behalf of all our members, Selnet Directors would like to thank the following organisations for supporting the Social Enterprise in Society Awards 2014!
For People | For Business | For Good
Related Articles
Related
20th Anniversary and Awards Celebration
As part of our 20 Years of Selnet celebrations, we are proud to open nominations for the Selnet Awards 2026.
There are 12 categories to recognise individuals, organisations and partnerships that create meaningful social and environmental impacts across Lancashire.
Read more and apply now!
Selnet Awards Booking Portal
Selnet’s 20th Anniversary and Awards Celebration Booking PortalJoin us Book your tickets!Join us on Friday 24th April at Ribby Hall in Preston as we celebrate 20 years of Selnet and the incredible difference social enterprises have made – and continue to make – in...
Selnet Awards 2022 and the winners are!
Lancashire social enterprises celebrated and promoted for their phenomenal impacts and achievements at the 2022 Selnet Awards in Blackpool #selnetawards
