European Social Firm of the Year Award 2010
Presented at the Social Firms Europe CEFEC Conference in Cambridge, UK on the 1st July 2010
Generously sponsored by last years overall winner:
www.di-hako.de
Best Overall winner 2010:
Oxford Wood Recycling Ltd, UK
www.oxfordwoodrecycling.org.uk
Photo l-r: Peter Speckhahn-Hass of di.hako Group, Richard Snow & Kim Styles from OWR and Sally Reynolds, Chief Exec of Social Firms UK. Photo by Lippy People CIC.
As a Social Firm, OWR creates jobs and training opportunities for people in Oxfordshire, particularly people with disabilities and those who find it difficult to find work. It aims to reduce, reuse and recycle wood and timber, thereby helping to reduce the amount of ‘waste’ wood currently sent to landfill
Started 5 years ago, OWR meet an environmental and social bottom line and have almost tripled their turnover in 3 years without any subsidies, Though small, there are highly effective.
Best Large Social Firm 2010:
Arcobaleno, Italy
www.cooparcobaleno.net
Photo l-r: Peter Speckhahn-Hass of di.hako Group, Anna Desanso from Arcobaleno, Sally Reynolds from Social Firms UK and Giacomo Giargia from Arcobaleno. Photo by Lippy People CIC.
Started with just 5 employees, Arcobaleno now have 261 full time employees of whom 78 are disabled or disadvantaged and 21 part time employees of whom 6 are disabled or disadvantaged. Founded in 1992 Arcebaleno create new activities, designed to offer job opportunities to people from the area of social disadvantage.
Best Small Social Firm 2010:
Brighter Future Workshop, UK
www.bfworkshop.co.uk
Photo l-r: Jackie Tittle & Peter Cousins MBE from Brighter Future Workshop, Peter Speckhahn-Hass of di.hako Group and Sally Reynolds from Social Firms UK. Photo by Lippy People CIC.
BFW has 5 full time employees all of whom are disabled and 4 part time employees of whom 1 is disabled. Their project provides equality for people with various types of disabilities and those who have previously suffered from exclusion; they address these barriers to social integration, by offering recycled equipment and training to otherwise isolated individuals.
Best Social Firm creating sustainable jobs specifically for people with mental health problems 2010:
Daisies Café, Northern Ireland
www.daisiescafe.co.uk
Photo l-r: Peter Speckhahn-Hass of di.hako Group, Sally Reynolds from Social Firms UK and Derek McClure, Director Daisies Café. Photo by Lippy People CIC.
Daisies Café provides an alternative form of day care for people with learning disabilities and mental illness through training and employment opportunities in a commercial environment. It was the first Social Firm in Northern Ireland to mix both mental health and learning disabilities and has doubled it’s turnover in 3 years with no subsidies.