Thought Leadership

Dr Birgit Kehrer, founder of award-winning ChangeKitchen CIC based in Balsall Heath, Birmingham, has been recognised as one of the UK’s 100 most inspiring female entrepreneurs. Birgit, who founded her business in 2010, will be featured alongside leading female founders from across the country as part of Small Business Britain’s f:Entrepreneur #IAlso100 campaign, which celebrates the multi-achievements of women running businesses in the UK. The campaign celebrates 100 exceptional women across the UK who are driving innovation, growth, and positive impact in their communities, while running successful businesses. Birgit is being profiled for her achievements as a leading social entrepreneur committed to tackling food injustice one climate-friendly meal at a time, and providing volunteering, training and work experience opportunities to those marginalised from recognised, more mainstream, employment routes into the hospitality sector. On being featured in this year’s #IAlso100 lineup, Birgit said: “I am genuinely humbled, and delighted, to be named in this prestigious national list of female entrepreneurs. Looking at those who feature in the 2026 list, there are many female leaders who are incredible role models and whom I find equally inspiring.” “Being recognised through awards such as this f:Entrepreneur 100 is so much more than just a ‘nice badge’ – it helps give people, particularly women, a voice and an aspiration to achieve more. I’m privileged to have collaborated with, and supported, some wonderful people through ChangeKitchen CIC and our work as a professional, sustainable catering service and Kindness Café specialising in plant-based menus.” Launched in 2017 by Small Business Britain, the f:Entrepreneur campaign aims to raise greater awareness of the impact of incredible female business owners across the country, and help provide inspiration and role models to the wider small business community.  “It is brilliant to feature Birgit in this year’s #IAlso100 campaign. All of the female entrepreneurs in this year’s line-up are inspirational and remarkable role models,” said Michelle Ovens CBE, CEO and Founder of Small Business Britain. “Their creativity, leadership, and community impact show exactly why supporting female founders is so important, not only for the UK’s economic growth but for the positive difference they make to wider society.” The #IAlso100 campaign offers a host of events, training, and networking opportunities to boost skills, capability, and confidence.  Female entrepreneurship continues to make a powerful economic impact, with estimates suggesting up to £250 billion could be added to the UK economy if women started and scaled new businesses at the same rate as men.1 To view the full list of the 100 female business owners featured in this year’s f:Entrepreneur #IAlso100 campaign, visit https://f-entrepreneur.com/ialso-100-2026/. About ChangeKitchen CIC A pioneer of climate-friendly, socially-driven catering ChangeKitchen CIC is widely recognised as the Midlands’ only fully climate-friendly catering social enterprise, delivering high-end corporate, private and third-sector catering while creating deep, measurable social impact. Over the past fifteen years, ChangeKitchen CIC has become a quiet powerhouse in Birmingham’s social economy, using food as a bridge into opportunity, dignity and community. Their work includes: 95,000 free meals cooked and distributed since March 2020, with 200 to 400 meals still provided weekly. Nearly 10,000 bespoke emergency food parcels delivered to people in crisis. 20 to 50 supported work placements offered every year to people furthest from the labour market. Growth from 2.5 staff to 12, many of whom joined following supported placements. Employment of survivors of modern slavery through partnership with the Jericho Foundation’s Equiano Programme. 50 to 100 tonnes of surplus food saved from landfill annually. A fully climate-friendly kitchen powered by low-carbon energy, composting, recycling and zero-waste principles. changekitchen.co.uk

During International Homelessness Week, social enterprise Connection Crew brought together over 70 leaders from social enterprises, homelessness charities, event partners and impact-driven organisations to celebrate 20 years of delivering employment pathways for people affected by homelessness. Since 2005, Connection Crew has: Provided work to 499 people affected by homelessness Delivered almost 300,000 hours of living wage work for people affected by homelessness Built long-term partnerships across the events, charity and social enterprise sectors Demonstrated that commercial purchasing decisions - such as booking crew - can be powerful tools for social change Connection Crew released its 20 Year Impact Report at the event which featured three speakers: Lord John Bird, Founder of The Big Issue Praised employment-led interventions as essential to breaking cycles of disadvantage. “Connection Crew is one of those rare organisations that doesn’t just give people a handout but a hand up.” Camilla Marcus-Dew, Head of Ventures, Connection Crew Founder of Amplify Goods and previously founder of SoapCo and Beco, Camilla challenged the sector to seize the opportunity presented by the events industry’s huge procurement power. “The power is in procurement choices, staffing an event with people that live up the road, working with SMEs, putting money in the hands of diverse businesses, and yes - getting purchase orders for the greatest events of 2026 into the inboxes of social enterprises like ours.” Warren Rogers, Director, Connection Crew Reflected on the collective potential of the UK’s over 100,000 social enterprises. “One choice. One action. One shift in how we turn up. When those small changes multiply across a sector, they become transformation.” Guests included representatives from St Mungo’s, Beam, Social Enterprise UK, Big Issue, Design Council, Deborah Hale MBE and a network of events companies whose bookings have generated Connection Crew’s impact. Photography enclosed here: 20th Anniversary Press Images, impact data and interviews with the speakers are available on request. About Connection Crew Connection Crew is a social enterprise working to fight homelessness through employment and living wage work by providing skilled crew to the events sector. Its model creates paid jobs, training and next steps for people rebuilding their lives after homelessness. connectioncrew.co.uk

Charlie Wigglesworth, Managing Director of Telos, reflects on this year's Social Enterprise World Forum in Tapei, the UK's status as a leader in social procurement, and the lessons that can be learnt from dynamic initiatives in East Asia. I’ve been lucky enough to sit on the board of the Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) for the past six years. Whilst a combination of Covid and being a new parent has limited my attendance to just two events in this time, the event in Taipei was a timely reminder of the incredible convening power of SEWF and the extent to which social enterprise is a truly global movement, with over 1000 participants from more than 65 countries. Discussions on social procurement have become increasingly prevalent at social enterprise events in the past 5-6 years. As someone who has been heavily involved in this space for the past ten years it’s been great to watch it grow in the consciousness of the social enterprise sector at large as something of interest and importance. I often felt leaving these conversations however that our work in the UK was well ahead of most of our international peers and that the topic was being talked about rather than done in practice. This is resolutely no longer the case. My big feeling upon leaving Taipei was that not only is social procurement now happening in all parts of the world (something we’d already identified in our State of Social Procurement report for World Economic Forum) but indeed the best practice, growth and ambition now rests elsewhere. To take our hosts in Taiwan as an example, there is a coordinated approach from government, the private sector and social enterprise to drive social procurement activity. Driven from government through the Small and Medium Enterprise and Startup Administration (SMESA) under the Ministry of Economic Affairs, there is the Buying Power Procurement Award, which recognises buyers and suppliers through awards and public acknowledgment, encouraging collaboration and public-private partnerships. The impact is clear: cumulative procurement has reached NT$11.8 billion (c. £289m), with a record NT$4.1 billion (c. £100m) in 2025 alone. This growth curve is far faster than we’ve been able to achieve in the UK or Europe. Perhaps the most impressive single example came from SK Group, South Korea’s second largest conglomerate (behind Samsung Group). SK have a Double Bottom Line (DBL) management framework to create simultaneous growth through economic and social value, and see social enterprise engagement at the heart of this endeavour. Through their corporate foundation the Center for Social Value Enhancement Studies (CSES) they are investing in social enterprises, creating their own, and finding ways to integrate them back into their wider supply chain. What lessons can we learn in the UK and Europe? I think it’s clear that other markets are leapfrogging us in terms of the pace with which they’re developing social procurement. A critical factor in this is the ability to align ecosystem approaches around the central idea of buying from social enterprises. Rather than looking at this in isolation, places like Taiwan and South Korea are looking at the whole system, and how they can align government procurement (both policy and practice), investment, and private sector procurement to drive social enterprise growth. Whilst all these pieces exist in the UK, for example, they remain more disparate – there is much work to be done and much to learn. Charlie is Managing Director of Telos a social enterprise set up by Social Enterprise UK to help global corporations drive social, economic and environmental value through core business activity. He also sits on the board of the Social Enterprise World Forum.

Profits reinvested into refugee training and employment through Changing Journeys programme. Award-winning social enterprise NEMI Teas has unveiled TRAMPOLINE Teas, a new range of Fairtrade and Rainforest-Alliance certified blends created for schools, offices, hotels and caterers who want quality, value and social impact — all in the same cup. Designed for high-volume foodservice, TRAMPOLINE Teas delivers consistent, great-tasting blends at competitive prices, while reinvesting profits into refugee training and employment through the Changing Journeys programme run at TRAMPOLINE Cafes across London. Participants gain confidence, hospitality skills and real work experience to help them take their next step into meaningful employment “TRAMPOLINE Teas is our answer to a clear market need for accessible, ethical tea in high-volume hospitality,” said Pranav Chopra, Founder of NEMI Teas. “Operators no longer need to choose between value, quality and social impact.” “This range proves that everyday doesn’t mean average,” added David Ryan, Growth Director. “TRAMPOLINE Teas brings taste, consistency and purpose together — a small switch that helps businesses create big impact through everyday choices.” The Line-Up: Familiar Favourites A feel-good family of eight blends — crafted for every mood, moment and menu: English Breakfast Earl Grey Green Tea Peppermint Tea Lemongrass & Ginger Decaf English Breakfast Red Berry Chamomile Available in enveloped tea bags (250s) and bulk catering packs (1100s). Certified, sustainable and built for volume TRAMPOLINE Teas is designed specifically for high-volume hospitality environments, offering operational simplicity alongside strong ethical credentials: Registered social enterprise Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance certified teas Industrially compostable teabags & envelopes Blended and packed in a UK facility powered by renewable energy Following successful pilots with leading UK caterers earlier this year, the range received strong feedback on taste, consistency and ease of service. TRAMPOLINE Teas is now available to order across the UK. For more information or to request samples, visit trampolineteas.com or email bounce@trampolineteas.com. People-Powered Impact Every box purchased supports refugee training and employment opportunities through TRAMPOLINE Cafes located in Angel and at the Royal College of Nursing. Each brew helps someone bounce forward into work. Every sip supports a new start. About NEMI Teas NEMI Teas is a King’s Award-winning, certified social enterprise based in London. We craft high-quality, Organic and Fairtrade teas while supporting refugees into meaningful work.Our profits are reinvested into our TRAMPOLINE Cafes, which provide structured hospitality training and living-wage work experience for refugees through the Changing Journeys programme. Impact Snapshot In the 12 months to 31 October 2025 12 individuals supported through training and employment pathways 3,500+ hours of paid work experience delivered Partnerships with leading hospitality organisations, including The Hotel School, ThomasFranks, and Houston & Hawkes

Social Enterprise UK’s Director of Research and Policy, Emily Darko reflects on a trip to Plymouth, a Social Enterprise City, where she took part in a panel discussion on how and if social enterprises can play a part in the city's plans for defence-driven growth. The Ministry of Defence is investing £4.4 billion over 10 years to upgrade Plymouth's naval base, a transformative sum for a city where defence comprises 14% of the economy. The city is also set to gain a share of £250 million announced in the Defence Industry Strategy. The investment promises jobs, skills development, housing, regeneration, and broader social value. In theory, this defence-driven growth will create jobs, skills, and growth – and will contribute to regeneration, housing, skills development, transport infrastructure and wider social value. But in a world where violent conflicts claim an increasing number of lives, should the social enterprise movement be contributing to socially impactful defence solutions? Can it? A coop making socially impactful bombs – made from repurposed materials, embedded with flower seeds to rewild land they fall on? Probably not. But when government announces long-term, multi-billion pound defence investment, social enterprise must have a role to play to ensure the investment is spent as impactfully as possible. On Social Enterprise Day, I joined stakeholders in Plymouth to address this question. In a global context where people are increasingly likely to die as a result of violent conflicts, it makes sense to question investment which includes actors active in production of weapons. Personal and professional stances may vary. There is a spectrum of potential: ignore – avoid/boycott – engage – influence – change. For those who opt to actively participate, what to do? The collective experience of social enterprises offers answers. Making Engagement Count For those who choose to participate, good intentions aren't enough. History shows that promised social benefits often become secondary to primary objectives unless mandated and monitored. Collaboration, co-creation, partnership and fostering mutual respect are core components of progressive commissioning and procurement. Big business, government, civil society, social enterprises speaking different languages and bringing different value. Pulling this all together isn’t easy – but is powerful. And when done well, worth the bother. Most businesses, like government, and indeed most humans, are driven by fundamental pressures – understanding and using these to shape change is key. Big business will, broadly, comply with legal and regulatory requirements, react to competitor behaviour and market conditions, and respond to pressure from consumers and stakeholders, particularly where it influences one of the other conditions – or of course financial performance. This is why policy matters. Promises of jobs, skills development, housing, and regeneration risk being secondary to delivering primary goals of upgrading the naval fleet unless they are a mandated requirement, and providers held to account on delivery – not upfront plans. So what does meaningful engagement look like in practice? Early and sustained dialogue: Team Plymouth's plans for pre-delivery engagement on regeneration and skills development provide a foundation. Local infrastructure organisations like Plymouth Social Enterprise Network can translate deep community expertise to government and business stakeholders, building partnerships that demonstrate the value social enterprises deliver. Dialogue with substance, hearts and minds won through evidence of the solutions social enterprises provide, derisking use of those solutions through partnerships. Addressing process and regulatory barriers: Standardised measurement tools can exclude impactful actors. Procurement processes that favour economies of scale don't necessarily deliver impacts of scale. Complex requirements, slow payments, and perverse incentives risk sidelining better providers. These structural issues need tackling at both local and national levels. Strengthening regulation: This means pushing for regulatory support – nationally, through strengthening Social Value and Procurement legislation, in line with proposals raised earlier this year through the Procurement Act consultation. And locally, through Plymouth’s social enterprise strategy and economic growth plan. Ongoing monitoring: As investment flows, maintaining constructive dialogue matters. Plymouth has seen both successful regeneration and entrenched deprivation. Social enterprises understand the barriers and complexity of solutions and these insights can and should inform delivery throughout the decade ahead. A Vision for 2035 In 2035, Plymouth could be a city with an upgraded naval base alongside a thriving economy, with most of the £4.4 billion invested locally. Skilled locals with transferable skills employed across engineering, marine conservation, manufacturing, and construction. Sustainably-built affordable housing that is changing health outcomes for communities facing intergenerational poverty. A strengthened cultural sector and creative industries contributing to the 'Ocean City' identity. Local SMEs and social enterprises embedded throughout supply chains, providing community services that outlast the construction phase. This vision is achievable but only with intentional design, accountability, and sustained engagement from diverse stakeholders. Does achieving this offset concerns about engaging with companies exporting arms to conflict zones? This doesn’t need to be binary. It is possible to engage with the practicalities of potentially positive investment, and still maintain that a world without violent conflict and without greedy profit maximisation is the ultimate goal. Plymouth has a deep heritage as a defence city. It is also a thriving Social Enterprise City. And that gives us reason for hope.

The winners of the UK Social Enterprise Awards were announced at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on London's Southbank on 26 November. The evening saw the venue transformed into a Festival of Hope celebrating the makers, the community builders, the job creators, the radicals, and the dreamers who make up the social enterprise movement.  Across 15 categories the Awards showcased the strength, breadth and dynamism of social enterprises across the UK UK Social Enterprise of the Year Sponsored by Keegan & Pennykid The overall award for a social enterprise that has a clear vision, excellence in impact, and that has demonstrated and promoted social enterprise beyond the sector. Change Please Change Please is an award-winning UK social enterprise that turns great coffee into a route out of homelessness. Founded in 2015, the organisation trains people experiencing homelessness as specialty-level baristas, pays them a Living Wage from day one, and provides housing, mental-health support and onward job placement. Profits from its cafés, wholesale supply to brands such as Google, Delta Air Lines and David Lloyd Clubs, and a global partnership with Nespresso fully fund the programme. Operating in fifteen countries, Change Please supports nearly 2,000 people a year, offsets its carbon footprint, and reinvests every surplus to expand impact worldwide. HIGHLY COMMENDED: BRAG Enterprises One to Watch Award Sponsored by PwC The One to Watch Award is for a start-up social enterprise. Key to winning this award is an ability to clearly articulate their future vision and how they are going to achieve it. EcoCoach CIC EcoCoach CIC is a mission-led social enterprise redefining how physical activity, inclusion, and wellbeing are delivered in schools and communities. Founded in 2024 by Matt Nelson, it provides trauma-informed PE, wraparound care, alternative provision, and inclusive sport programmes grounded in child-first coaching principles. With no reliance on grants, EcoCoach has grown through ethical trading and values-driven practice. Every session prioritises emotional safety, inclusion, and consistency — reaching children who are often excluded or overlooked. The organisation challenges outdated systems and leads by example, showing that real impact can be achieved through integrity, action, and a refusal to accept the status quo. HIGHLY COMMENDED: Forests with Impact Prove It: Social Impact Award Sponsored by Linklaters For a social enterprise that can truly demonstrate and communicate their impact with their stakeholders. Waste to Wonder Worldwide Waste to Wonder Worldwide is a UK-based social enterprise turning surplus office furniture into life-changing resources for schools and communities around the world. Operating the largest ethical reuse programme of its kind, the organisation has equipped over 1,500 schools in 44 countries while saving more than 1 million items from landfill. With a carbon-negative model and a mission rooted in dignity, opportunity, and sustainability, Waste to Wonder Worldwide empowers businesses to reduce waste, deliver ESG outcomes, and create real social impact, proving that when reuse is done right, it can change lives, communities and our shared future. HIGHLY COMMENDED: Turning Point ‘Buy Social’ Market Builder Award Sponsored by Corps Security For a social enterprise, public sector body or private sector organisation that has demonstrably made efforts within its own organisation and remit to create more opportunities to buy from social enterprises. CBRE Global Workplace Solutions CBRE Global Workplace Solutions supports clients through facilities and project management, advisory, and transaction services. Committed to advancing supplier diversity, CBRE has pledged to spend $3B globally with diverse and small businesses by 2025. In the UK, CBRE is a partner of the Buy Social Corporate Challenge, working in close partnership with Social Enterprise UK to increase spend with social enterprises, embed them into procurement categories, and promote their visibility through events and campaigns. Driving a 428% increase in spend with social enterprises in the last 5 years, CBRE is using its market influence to build a more inclusive, values-driven supply chain. Social Investment Deal of the Year Sponsored by Good Finance For an organisation that has been part of a great investment deal in the last 12 months that has helped the social enterprise to grow or the movement as a whole to develop and flourish. Wales Council for Voluntary Action – The Community Impact Initiative CIC and Tai Heulwen CIC WCVA as lender, brought together two social enterprises to reduce the barriers to starting a new childcare social business requiring property purchase, improvement works and capacity building revenue funding. The need for consents made property purchase high risk for childcare organisation (Tai Heulwen) alone, but was straightforward for the building enterprise (Community Impact Initiative). Bringing them together significantly reduced risk for both and for the lender who funded property purchase and improvement for Community Impact Initiative and revenue costs for Tai Heulwen. Public Services Social Enterprise of the Year Sponsored by GLL For a social enterprise for whom the majority of their income comes from the public sector and which delivers public services (for central or local government, NHS, criminal justice or other statutory body). Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise is committed to improving oral health in the South West through provision of treatment, education and engagement. Working alongside the University of Plymouth Peninsula Dental school, treatment is provided by a combination of students, qualified dental professionals and a dedicated team of support staff. The clinics were established to tackle oral health inequalities, with a view of training dentists who may stay in the region once qualified, treating patients in the teaching clinics who may not otherwise have access to care, and providing and promoting oral health education in the communities served. HIGHLY COMMENDED: FCMS (NW) Consumer Facing Social Enterprise of the Year Sponsored by Expert Impact Speakers For a social enterprise that delivers a retail product or service to the general public. Zaytoun Zaytoun CIC is a social enterprise inspired by a love of Palestinian culture, communities and cuisine and a passion for sharing it with people in the UK. For twenty-one years the company has supported the resilience of Palestinian communities through fair trade – 100% of profits being reinvested into delivering this mission. Palestinian farmers have been cultivating their lands for thousands of years and continue to do so despite the challenges of farming under occupation in the West Bank. Zaytoun’s aim is to ensure this agricultural heritage continues as a viable and sustainable source of income now and for future generations. Education, Training & Jobs Social Enterprise of the Year Sponsored by Amazon Business For a social enterprise in the education, training or employment sectors that can demonstrate excellence in vision and strategic direction, and clearly evidence their social, environmental and community impact. Social Enterprise Kent CIC Social Enterprise Kent (SEK) is a dynamic community interest company transforming lives across Kent and Medway. Since 1985, SEK has empowered individuals, strengthened communities, and supported social enterprises to thrive. From innovative employability programmes and accredited training to health and wellbeing services, sector leadership, and pioneering initiatives like the AI Skills Accelerator and Social Impact Gateway, SEK creates measurable, lasting impact. Generating over £3 million annually, with profits reinvested into local communities and charities, SEK is a catalyst for social change. Every day, SEK shapes a better tomorrow through empowerment, opportunity, and collective action. Environmental Social Enterprise of the Year Sponsored by Landmarc For a social enterprise in the green and environmental sector with a clear evidenced environmental impact. The Skill Mill The Skill Mill is a social enterprise committed to creating life-changing opportunities for young people involved in the criminal justice system. It provides real-wage jobs in local environmental projects, alongside accredited training and personalised support. Focused on enabling young people to gain practical skills, confidence, and access to future employment, The Skill Mill delivers tangible community and environmental benefits. Operating across England, it partners with local authorities, employers, and youth justice services to ensure its work is locally responsive and nationally impactful. The organisation reinvests its income to support social inclusion, sustainability, and safer, stronger communities. HIGHLY COMMENDED: Seagulls Re-Use Ltd Social Enterprise Building Diversity, Inclusion, Equity & Justice Award Sponsored by Diversity Forum Social justice is fundamental to the social enterprise movement. This category is open to all social enterprises who are addressing issues around diversity, inclusion and equity. The Tax Academy CIC The Tax Academy provides tax support and tax education to those that lack the knowledge and expertise within prison to deal with their tax affairs including, but not exclusively, those with mental illness, learning difficulties, and post-traumatic stress disorder(‘PTSD’) including anxiety and depression as a result of drug and alcohol addictions. TTA is currently working with prisoners in all Welsh prisons and in particular running Tax Justice Hubs in HMP Prescoed and HMP Berwyn. HIGHLY COMMENDED: Signalise Co-op Social Enterprise Women’s Champion of the Year Sponsored by David Gold For a woman working in the senior leadership team of a social enterprise who represents excellence in her field of work. Hannah Oyewole – Young Ladies Club Hannah Oyewole is the founder and CEO of Young Ladies Club, and is a powerful advocate for Black and global majority women and girls. A survivor of abuse and adversity herself, Hannah leads with authenticity, offering mentoring, education, and emotional support to young women facing similar challenges. Her work tackles domestic abuse, inequality, and underrepresentation through practical programmes and national advocacy. Hannah’s leadership is changing lives and challenging systems, making her a trailblazer in social enterprise and women’s empowerment. International Impact Award Sponsored by Social Partnership Portal For a social enterprise working internationally, and which are having a big impact in their field. This award is open to UK-based organisations only with existing international operations. The Centre for Information Resilience CIC The Centre for Information Resilience (CIR) is an independent, non-profit social enterprise dedicated to exposing human rights abuses and war crimes, defending democracy from disinformation, and combating online harms, particularly those affecting women and minority communities. It delivers this through open-source and digital investigations (OSINT), media collaborations, strategic communications and skills-sharing and capacity-building programmes. CIR works in partnership with host country organisations and experts and provides a platform for at-risk organisations to publish their work through its Resilience Network. Headquartered in the UK, CIR operates a subsidiary office in Ukraine and delivers projects worldwide. HIGHLY COMMENDED: Change Please Community-Based Social Enterprise of the Year Sponsored by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation This award is for a social enterprise that trades for the benefit of their community, making a real local impact. Tap Social Movement Tap Social Movement is an Oxford-based social enterprise brewery, bakery, and hospitality organisation that offers training and employment for people from prison. To date, it has created more than 100,000 hours of fairly paid employment for leavers, and today approximately one-third of its team across the company has lived experience with the UK’s criminal justice system. Tap Social was named “Consumer Facing Social Enterprise of the Year” at the UK Social Enterprise Awards 2024. HIGHLY COMMENDED: Social adVentures Social Enterprise Innovation of the Year Sponsored by Fusion21 An award recognising a social enterprise that has brought something truly innovative to market in the past year. City Health Care Partnership CIC City Health Care Partnership CIC (CHCP) is a co-owned public service mutual delivering high-quality healthcare services across Hull, the East Riding of Yorkshire, and Merseyside. Operating independently within the NHS, CHCP reinvests profits into enhancing services, workforce and communities. With compassion and respect at its core, CHCP boasts a 93% patient satisfaction rate and 78% employee recommendation rate. Offering over 50 diverse services, CHCP also supports community groups through its charity, the City Health Foundation. Guided by its values of service, excellence, equality, diversity, inclusion, creativity, innovation, and cooperation, CHCP is dedicated to improving outcomes for local communities and people. Tech for Good: Technology Social Enterprise of the Year Sponsored by Mitie For a social enterprise that uses technology to achieve social impact. Nimbus Disability Nimbus is a UK-based social enterprise, founded and led by disabled people, on a mission to transform how society understands and delivers accessibility. Through innovative technology, consultancy, and lived-experience expertise, Nimbus helps organisations become more inclusive while empowering disabled people to navigate the world with greater confidence and independence. Its flagship product, the Queen’s Award for Enterprise-winning Access Card, translates an individual’s access requirements into a set of easy-to-understand icons. Integrated with major venues and ticketing platforms, the Access Card enables businesses to instantly recognise and meet access needs - making inclusion smarter, simpler, and more consistent for everyone Awards Sponsors Southbank image courtesy of India Roper-Evans, others courtesy of the winning social enterprises

On Thursday 20 November leading social enterprise business GLL hosted an event in Woolwich, South East London to celebrate Social Enterprise Day 2025. Entitled ‘How to Start and Grow a Resilient Business’ a highlight of the day was an expert panel discussion, with panellists drawn from the Social Enterprise sector including: Peter Bundey, GLL CEO, Peter Holbrook, Social Enterprise UK CEO, Sophi Tranchell, Founder Divine Chocolate, Cemal Ezel Co-CEO Change Please and Timi Jibogu, Founder Endz Group.  The panellists shared their knowledge and insights on issues such as how to set up a social business, how to build resilience in uncertain times and how to grow impact and reach while staying true to a founding purpose and community roots. Sophi Tranchell, Founder Divine Chocolate offered three pieces of advice for people looking to start their own social enterprise: Articulate your mission so that everyone knows what you’re doing and what you’re not doing.  Pick your partners carefully – they need to share your mission and your successes and decide where your money goes before you’ve got it. The free event was aimed at small businesses, start-ups, entrepreneurs and sector representatives, with attendees able to meet with GLL’s procurement team and take part in a networking lunch. GLL also took the opportunity to launch its new Social Enterprise Accelerator Programme. The Programme has been established as a resource to support the growth of social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations across the UK. It brings together GLL’s support for social businesses, comprising procurement partnerships, start-up support and service delivery, under one clear banner. Underpinning the Programme is an online Accelerator Hub where, in addition to information on how to partner with GLL as a business supplier or service partner, there is practical advice and inspiring small business case-studies, along with tools, resources and signposting. Commenting on the event, Peter Bundey GLL CEO said: “As one of the UK’s largest and most successful Social Enterprise businesses we have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with the sector and are committed helping small and growing social businesses succeed.  “Our panellists shared some fascinating insights and learnings, which I’m sure will be of huge benefit to the small firms and entrepreneurs who joined our event today.  While our new online Accelerator Programme hub, provides an essential resource for anyone wishing to establish a social business.” Peter Holbrook, CEO of Social Enterprise UK concluded: "Social businesses are often the ideal partners for public service delivery given their social purpose, staff ownership and accountability.  Unlike companies with shareholders to pay, social enterprises exist to reinvest surpluses in local communities.” For more information on GLL’s new Accelerator Programme visit: https://www.gll.org/services-and-impact/business-support

Social Enterprise Day 2025 is coming up on 20 November! It's a global day created to raise the profile of the social enterprise movement and show the transformative impact it is having across the world. It's a great chance for you to share your stories, learn more about your fellow social enterprises, and feel part of this community, which is changing lives on pretty much every continent!  Take part in our campaign We know that social enterprises are changing the way business is done, but not enough people do! This needs to change, and this year we've come up with a fun, creative social media campaign to give you the chance to showcase what it is that makes social enterprises so special, and how they are vital to building a more inclusive and sustainable economy.  How to get involved on 20 November We've created an editable social media video graphic on Canva, which not only sets out the definition of a social enterprise (in emoji form!) but also gives you space to talk about what you do in a creative and engaging way. CLICK HERE TO EDIT AND DOWNLOAD YOUR CAMPAIGN GRAPHIC All you need to do is click on the above link and edit the final text block to talk about what you do and your impact! Just enter a short bit of text into the last box on the image to explain what impact your social enterprise creates. You can then download it as a video.For the body of your post, you could say something along the lines of:We're a proud social enterprise and today is #SocialEnterpriseDay - a moment to raise awareness and celebrate the amazing work carried out by these businesses around the world, including [insert company name]. But what is a social enterprise?...If you've not yet got a Business Canva account, and don't want to pay for one, you can use a personal email address to access the editable file for free.Alternatively, you can use this image instead, which isn't editable but sets out what a social enterprise is! (you can of course talk about your impact in the body of your post.)It's a simple action, but if we get enough organisations posting, we'll show the huge diversity of social enterprises in the UK, the problems they're tackling, and the solutions they are bringing! When to post  What's crucial to make this campaign as impactful as possible is that we all post at the same time on Social Enterprise Day. Share your post at 10am on your social media channels such as LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebookand be sure to like and comment on those of friends and colleagues in the sector! Do let us know if you've any Social Enterprise Day plans. Use #SocialEnterpriseDay and let's take over social media with our positive stories of impact, community, and a better way of doing business.If you've any questions about getting involved, please email internalcommunications@socialenterprise.org.uk.We can't wait to see your posts!