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23 October 2009

Schools across England whose pupils are using their talent in business to make a positive difference have just a few days left to apply for the Social Enterprise Awards, a nationwide competition to find and reward Britain's best social enterprises.

Amongst the prizes is an award for the Best Social Enterprise in Schools which is open to all social enterprises operating in schools in England during the academic year 2008/09.

Social enterprises are businesses run for social and environmental purposes - there are approximately 62,000 in the UK with a combined turnover of at least £27 billion, and they contribute £8.4 billion per year to the UK economy.

Schools have until midnight Monday 26th October to submit their applications and be in with a chance of winning the £1,000 prize.  A panel of judges will announce the three finalists on Social Enterprise Day, which this year takes place on 19th November.  At this point, the public will be given one week to vote online for the overall winner. Finalists will be invited to attend an evening reception in London in December where the winner will be announced.

The Awards are sponsored by The Office of the Third Sector; the Department for Children, Schools and Families; the Department of Communities and Local Government; Partnerships UK; Unity Trust Bank and the Wates Family Enterprise Trust.

Jonathan Bland, CEO of the Social Enterprise Coalition said: "We are delighted to be launching the inaugural year of the Social Enterprise Awards. We are working with incredible partners and sponsors across the UK to deliver these new national awards that we believe will have a far reach and a big impact in celebrating and promoting social enterprise.

"I am particularly pleased that the awards will include a prize specifically for social enterprises run by students who are using business skills to achieve their social and environmental goals. We'd like to see a social enterprise in every school in the UK."

Baroness Delyth Morgan, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families said: "We are very pleased to be supporting the Best Social Enterprise in Schools category of the new Social Enterprise Awards.  We believe this award represents a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the entrepreneurial talent and community spirit displayed by so many young people across the UK. 

"Young people are increasingly engaged with social and environmental issues and are using the vehicle of social enterprise within their schools to tackle some of the challenges faced by their communities.  This award will recognise and reward their success."

More information about applications, rules and a complete timeline for all the awards can be found at: http://www.socialenterpriseawards.org.uk/

 

Notes to editors:

 

 

  • The Social Enterprise Coalition is the UK's national body for social enterprise. As the voice for the sector, the Coalition provides a platform for showcasing the benefits of social enterprise while supporting and representing the work of its varied members, influencing national policy and promoting best practice. www.socialenterprise.org.uk

 

  • Partnerships UK works across the UK public sector contributing to a strong public services industry. They support Government, public and third sector bodies to improve public services so that they meet people's needs. They do this by helping to create a well-balanced market of public, third and private sector providers so that they can supply high-quality, cost-effective services. For more information please visit www.partnershipsuk.org.uk

 

  • Unity Trust Bank is a specialist bank for social enterprises, charities and trade unions. Since their formation in 1984, their vision has been to deliver a range of banking services that sets them apart from mainstream banks. Today, that vision continues to become reality as we lead the way in development of new initiatives which are changing the face of banking for the better. www.unity.uk.com

 

  • The family owners of the Wates Group invest significantly in local community projects via the Wates Giving programme which is funded by the Wates Family Enterprise Trust. Wates Giving specifically supports community projects proposed by Wates employees and to date has invested over £1.5m in schemes across the UK. Wates is one of the UK's largest family owned construction services and development companies. Established in 1897, it remains privately owned by the Wates family and employs more than 2,200 people. www.wates.co.uk

 

 

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