Cycle Training Wales Wins National Social Enterprise Award

CARDIFF, Wales, December 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Cycle Training Wales, a social enterprise based in Cardiff has won the Education, Training and Jobs award at the UK Social Enterprise Awards, held last night at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London [28 November 2016].

The national competition recognises excellence and outstanding achievements by social enterprises - businesses that reinvest their profits for good, benefiting people and planet. There are now more than 70,000 social enterprises in the UK, contributing £24 billion to the economy each year.

Cycle Training Wales aims to remove the barriers to cycling - through the provision of training services, educational activities, recycling bicycles and repair services. Created in 2007 Cycle Training Wales provides courses and activities through Wales and England. In 2014 CTW moved to new premises in Gabalfa, Cardiff and established Wales first dedicated Bicycle Maintenance Training Centre.

Andrew Burns, Development Manager said, "We are absolutely delighted to have won this award and cannot say thank you enough to our staff and volunteers that have made it possible. We were chuffed to have won the Wales award and now to have won the UK award as well is simply fantastic"

The annual celebration of British social enterprises was hosted by two time Edinburgh Comedy Awards Finalist, Nish Kumar. The ceremony was attended by leading UK social enterprises, representatives from large corporates and the Minister for Civil Society, Rob Wilson MP.

Social enterprise supply chain 

Cycle Training Wales and the other winners were presented with bespoke trophies made by the social enterprise, Designs in Mind, which employs people with mental health problems. Social enterprises also supplied all the goods and services on the night, including the catering, rigging, drinks, flower displays and goody bags.

The Awards are organised by Social Enterprise UK, the national trade body for social enterprise.

Peter Holbrook CBE, Social Enterprise UK's Chief Executive, said: 

"Year on year the UK Social Enterprise Awards get bigger and better. This year the competition was particularly fierce, so a big congratulations to Cycle Training Wales for taking home a trophy.

In a year that's been dominated by political uncertainty, divisions and inequalities, hearing the stories behind the winners and all the finalists has been a breath of fresh air. Social enterprises show that another way of doing business is possible, one that puts people and the planet first. Because they're free of shareholders they're able to reinvest their profits for good."

Social enterprise facts and figures* 

• There are 70,000 social enterprises in the UK, contributing 24 billion to the UK economy and employing one million people.
• Social enterprises are experiencing a start-up boom - 35% are three years old or less, three times the proportion of SME start-ups.
• Social enterprises are much more likely to be led by women than mainstream businesses - 40% of social enterprises have a female leader, compared with 18% of SMEs and 5% of FTSE 100 companies.

Sponsors of the Awards are the British Council, Big Society Capital, CAN, GLL, Johnson & Johnson, Landmarc, Mutual Ventures, Natwest, PwC, P3, Santander and Wates Group. The Big Issue is media partner to the Awards.

Ends 

* Leading the world in social enterprise, a report published by Social Enterprise UK, 2015 - http://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/advice-services/publications/state-social-enterprise-report-2015

Notes to Editors 

For more information, please contact Cycle Training Wales or the Social Enterprise UK press office on 020 3589 4950.
Jon Howes
+44 (0)7808987798
CTW, Unit 9 Gablfa Workshops, Clos Menter, Cardiff. CF14 3AY
029 2061 6783, 07971 706454, info@cycletrainingwales.org.uk

Social Enterprise UK
Social Enterprise UK is the national body for social enterprise. Social enterprises are businesses that exist for a social or environmental purpose. When they profit, society profits. Together with our members we are the voice for social enterprise in the UK. Our members are local grass-roots organisations and multi-million pound businesses that operate internationally. What unites them is their commitment to changing the world through business. For more information, visit http://www.socialenterprise.org.uk or follow @SocialEnt_UK

Download images of the ceremony from the below links:
Images
CTW Flikr; https://www.flickr.com/photos/87847725@N00/albums/72157675662408841
Social Enterprise UK; https://www.flickr.com/photos/social_enterprise_coalition/albums