2003

Stephen Timms, Minister for Social Enterprise, presented the 2003 awards.

The judges found that the winners "clearly demonstrate creative solutions to challenges in their communities in very different and innovative ways but with a similar attitude, sense of purpose, energy and self-belief".

The winners were. . .

Social Enterprise of the Year Award

McSence Group, the winner of the Social Enterprise of the Year Award, is an impressive example of a very successful social enterprise built from scratch. Initiated with £7,500 start-up capital raised from local people in 1998, the company today has a turnover in excess of £1.5 million, with annual profits of more than £250,000. McSence now employs over 50 local people. McSence was awarded £3,000.
www.mcsence.co.uk

Upstarts Achievement Award

The Upstarts Achievement Award winner was Tim Smit of the Eden Project. The Eden Project has just topped the UK visitor attractions league table after only two years in operation. Led by Smit, Cornwall's Eden Project is also breaking new ground in social enterprise, environmental education and regional economic regeneration. The project employs 600 local full-time staff and contributes an estimated £300 million incrementally to the Cornish economy. The Eden Project is expected to accumulate £2 billion in its first decade.
www.edenproject.com

Best Elected Advocate for Social Enterprise Award

The Best Elected Advocate for Social Enterprise Award was won by Councillor Sally Powell. Councillor Powell is Deputy for Regeneration at Hammersmith & Fulham Council and she is recognised for her work in promoting social enterprise both in her borough and across London.
www.lbhf.gov.uk

Most Likely to Succeed as a Social Entrepreneur Award

The winners of the Most Likely to Succeed as a Social Entrepreneur Award were Peter Gibbs, founder of Sea-Change, and Yusupha Kujabi, founder of Partners for Help to Self Help in the Gambia. Both are students at the School for Social Entrepreneurs, www.sse.org.uk/groups/uk2002. Each has created new organisations to meet particular challenges confronting communities. Peter and Yusupha received £4,000.
Yusupha was unable to attend so his award was presented to Rowena Young (left), chief executive of the School for Social Entrepreneurs.

Best Revenue Model of the Year Award

The Best Revenue Model of the Year Award winner was the Ethical Property Company, recognised for its very innovative approach to the issuing of shares to expand their growing portfolio of commercial property.
www.ethicalproperty.co.uk

2001

The four Upstarts Awards 2001 winners were:

Hywel Davies, the Asylum Project, Haverfordwest, West Wales

Hywel Davies is the key person in the ambitious development called the Asylum Project in Haverfordwest, West Wales. The site is a former Victorian mental hospital, hence the name.

The project aims to redevelop the site into a major social enterprise hub for the area and region. Within the physical structure, plans are advanced to develop a Cyber Café and Asylum Gallery which will house the art of cartoonist and political satirist, Ralph Steadman.

Voluntary organisations from the region will move into the building to create a fertile base allowing them to focus their expertise and energies to create entirely new initiatives. Hywel Davies received £15,000.

Paul Harrod and Mark Richardson of Aspire, London

Aspire is an expanding social business that creates full time employment for homeless and other excluded people. Aspire seeks innovative solutions to ingrained social problems.

The business delivers Fair Trade catalogues to over 1 million UK homes. Employees deliver and collect orders for which they are paid over £150 per week. Started in 1999 by Paul and Mark, Aspire has employed over 100 homeless people and is now based in nine cities throughout the UK.

In the longer term, Aspire aims to become a fully self supporting business through the establishment of new 'branches' in other major UK cities. Other projects being planned are the development of market stalls, cafes, shops and interactive TV. Paul Harrod and Mark Richardson received £15,000.

Merlin Matthews of Re~Cycle, West Mersea, Essex

Merlin, aka Dr Bike, plans to develop Re~Cycle, his bicycle recycling business. He takes bikes from organisations such as the Post Office, services them and then ships them to countries where they are in short supply and where large sections of the population have no option but to walk long distances. Re~Cycle also trains local people to service their own bikes.

The aim is to develop a small existing business into a medium sized one over the next 18 months. A Board of Trustees has been appointed recently to see this plan through. Merlin is currently studying at the School for Social Entrepreneurs.

Merlin Matthews received £15,000.

Suzanne Iuppa of Roots 'n Boots Local Food Initiative Ltd, Ellesmere Port.

Based in the Ellesmere Port area, Suzanne has developed a local food initiative through into a thriving social enterprise with plans for a retail café outlet.

The project grows and sells food locally on allotments using volunteers and horticultural students. NVQ training is provided to volunteers.

Aimed at local youth, the cafe will retail the locally produced food. Research has been conducted into what type of healthy foods will appeal to this age group.

Suzanne Iuppa received £5,000 toward further research and development.