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Lancashire Business Leader Honoured At Lancashire Awards

Social Enterprise Solutions’ chairman Clive Hirst has received a top award at the annual social enterprise awards in Lancashire for his vision and achievements.

Clive was named the Social Enterprise Champion 2011 at the plush event, staged at the Dunkenhalgh Hotel in Blackburn with more than 250 social businesses filling the room.

Social enterprise – a cross between private business and charity – sees good work done in the community and profits re-invested back in the business rather than for the benefit of shareholders.

Clive’s company has helped to set up and mentor dozens of new social enterprises in Blackpool and is now involved in a range of projects that creates jobs and advises public bodies on social enterprise, which is top of the government agenda at the moment.

He also sits on the Social Enterprise UK council – on the national body which represents the sector – is current chair of Blackpool Carers Centre and is a member at N-Vision.

The former Blackpool teacher said: “It is a genuine honour to have my work recognised by my peers and I will do my best to continue to raise the profile of social enterprise across Blackpool and Lancashire.”

Awards organiser, Liz Tapner from the Social Enterprise Lancashire Network, Selnet, added: “Clive has a strong vision of business working ethically and for the benefit of society and his work really captured the eye of the judges.”

Clive was presented with the award by the outgoing Social Enterprise Champion, Maureen Fazal, from Exsel in Skelmersdale.

Social Enterprise Solutions CIC Recognised In Top 100: Report

Social Enterprise Solutions CIC is celebrating after being named in the top 100 companies in the UK by the Royal Bank of Scotland. SES is one of only four Lancashire companies to be listed in the RBS SE 100 report.

Social enterprise is a rapidly growing sector where companies work for the benefit of society rather than their directors and is instrumental in the coalition government’s Big Society agenda.

The team at Social Enterprise Solutions help entrepreneurs to start up their business and mentor them through the process. Over the last two years they have also found dozens of local young people permanent jobs as part of the Future Jobs programme.

The RBS SE 100 attracts nominations from across the country from social enterprises working in sectors like health, social care,recycling, employment and training. Overall the report showed a massive growth in the social enterprise sector. While FTSE 100 companies grew by 5% last year, in comparison the companies in the RBS SE 100 reported a combined growth of 51%.

Tony Carr, manager at Social Enterprise Solutions CIC, said: “This is excellent recognition for the work of the team. Blackpool has a thriving social enterprise sector delivering real benefits to some of the most
vulnerable people in society.

“We have recently seen a lot of interest from public bodies like the NHS and local authorities who recognise that some of their services could be run more efficiently if they were to become social
enterprises. This process of de-centralising departments, known as ‘spinning out’, fits in with the government thinking on opening up public services.”

Nick Hurd, the government minister for civil society at the Cabinet Office, said: “The outstanding growth reported on this year’s index and an increase in the number of organisations who monitor their impact demonstrates the excellent, positive contribution that social enterprises make and will help boost private finance into the sector.”