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The winners of the UK Social Enterprise Awards 2025
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 The organisation challenges outdated systems and leads by example, showing that real impact can be achieved through integrity, action, and a refusal to accept the status quo.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 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 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
