Social Enterprises you can visit in north There are plenty of brilliant social enterprises in north Wales. Add them to your summer activity list and don’t forget to let us know you’re visiting using the #SocialSummerCym hashtag.

Thank you for downloading our Social So, have a brilliant summer holiday and together Summer 2019 activity guide. let’s spread the word about all of the great work social enterprises do. You can also share this PDF If you’re wondering how to keep the kids with friends and family. entertained over the next six weeks, the Wales Co-operative Centre is here to help. The Wales Co-operative Centre has been helping social enterprises thrive since 1984 to create a We’ve put together a summer shortlist of better, fairer, more co-operative Wales and if activities and destinations you can visit when you want to let us know that you’re visiting or you’re looking for things to do with the supporting a social enterprise over the summer family, which are fun, local and accessible. holiday, make sure you tag us on social media We’ve got nature reserves, zoos, bowling using the #SocialSummerCym hashtag or find us alleys, art galleries, bike hire facilities, @socialbizwales Let’s spread the word about all of watersports activities, leisure centres and the great work social enterprises do. cafés in our list.

There’s plenty to do and see.

Social enterprises operate like private businesses, but with one big difference, all profits are invested back into good causes and the local community.

So when you take your kids to visit a social enterprise, not only will you have a brilliant day out, but your money will be going towards projects that benefit local people and the environment. Your trip to the zoo could help save animals, the bikes you hire could help disabled people join in the family cycling trip and the coffee you drink to get you through the day could help somebody get back into the world of work. Welsh Mountain Zoo ()

Have you ever fancied feeding fish to a By visiting the Welsh Mountain Zoo you’ll be penguin, making mischief with a meerkat helping to support local nature projects and or having lunch with a big cat? Then animal conservation and breeding programmes, make your way to the Welsh Mountain which protect endangered animal species, around Zoo this summer. This social enterprise is the world. the oldest zoo in Wales and attracts over If you’re looking to add some wildlife to your 160,000 visitors each year. summer, make sure the Welsh Mountain Zoo is on There’s something for everyone to enjoy, your summer holiday bucket list. including a children’s adventure play area, a ‘summer birds of prey’ display, a sea lion pool with aquatic displays, and you can also go hang out with the lemurs in their walkthrough enclosure.

Directions Colwyn Bay Watersports (Colwyn Bay)

From sailing to windsurfing, from power The multi-activity ‘summer holidays club’ is the boating to kayaking, take the plunge perfect way for young people to get involved this summer and head to Colwyn Bay in watersports for the first time and make new Watersports’ exciting new facilities at friends in a fun and safe environment. There are Porth Eirias. also taster sessions if you’re looking to get on the water for the first time or try a new sport, Whether you are looking for an adrenaline and most equipment can be hired without any rush or a relaxed evening sail in calm previous experience. conditions, Colwyn Bay Watersports has something to offer everyone. Whether you are an experienced watersport enthusiast, looking for a different activity Opening in 2012, Colwyn Bay Watersports is to get up to, or just keen to enjoy the a social enterprise that encourages people beautiful north Wales coastline, Colwyn to get out in the water safely and enjoy the Bay Watersports is a great summer day benefit of watersports. out for the family.

Directions Antur Stiniog (Snowdonia)

If you’re looking for guaranteed Antur Stiniog also has a centre in the excitement with family this summer, why middle of Blaenau Ffestiniog which houses not give mountain biking a go? Based a café (making the best coffee in town), shop, in the heart of the Snowdonia national and provides tourist information and the local park, Antur Stiniog, offers eight fantastic historical society exhibition. mountain bike trails. The centre’s goal is to develop a healthy kind With trails for all abilities, anyone who can of tourism which at the same time encourages ride a bike can get involved and give it a try. confidence and pride in the local community. They also offer bike hire services, where you can pick up all of the equipment you need to enjoy the experience safely.

Because Antur Stiniog is a social enterprise, all profits are invested back into developing the outdoor sector in the Ffestiniog area.

Directions Aura Leisure and Libraries (Flintshire)

Aura manages leisure centres and libraries In addition to the ice rink, Deeside also has a in the Flintshire area. Employing 260 skate park that was the first indoor extreme sports people, Aura’s goal is to benefit the arena in Wales, and one of the largest of its type in community by providing culture, sport Europe. and leisure opportunities that improve If you’re a parent wishing to restore some calm to mental health and physical well-being. your holiday break, Deeside Leisure Centre’s Spa Aura has a whole host of family activities on provides the perfect destination for you to escape offer over the summer holidays through its stress and discover tranquillity. Aura also manages four leisure centres in Buckley, Deeside, Flint seven libraries across Flintshire, which together and Mold. Each of them cater to all ages, provide reading resources, learning spaces and abilities and fitness levels, including disabled heritage displays. So, if you’re looking for peace customers. and quiet or a space to read and learn, why not visit your nearest Aura library this summer? Deeside Leisure Centre is also a national centre for ice sports in Wales and boasts an There are a whole host of activities available Olympic-sized ice pad, catering for a variety through Aura Leisure and Libraries and by of sports and activities such as ice hockey, visiting their facilities across Flintshire curling and disco nights. If you’re looking to you’ll be supporting a wide community stay cool in the summer heat, this is a great network that helps people of all ages way to do it. and backgrounds.

Directions Antur Waunfawr (Caernarfon)

What could be better this summer With so much natural beauty surrounding than hiring a bike and exploring the Caernarfon, there’s no better way to explore the spectacular countryside and coasts of sights than by bicycle. north Wales? Beics Antur Bikes is part Antur Waunfawr is a leading social enterprise of the social enterprise Antur Waunfawr providing employment and training opportunities and offers the perfect opportunity for for adults with learning disabilities in the families to combine cycling, nature and community. The social enterprise now employs exploration together. more than 100 staff and supports 67 adults with They offer a wide selection of bikes to hire learning difficulties and intertwines its community alongside a fleet of adaptive bikes, to ensure projects with a sustainable focus to protect the an inclusive experience for everyone to enjoy. natural environment. Conveniently located close to Caernarfon Castle, there are plenty of picturesque sites If you want to see Caernarfon in style, pay a visit to discover for families visiting the area. to Antur Waunfawr and hire yourself a bike.

Families can follow the Lôn Las Menai cycle path which takes you along the idyllic Menai Straits and you can also explore the countryside around Caernarfon using the Lôn Gwyrfai cycle routes.

Directions Karma Wellbeing (Denbigh)

Karma Wellbeing is a social enterprise Soundwave therapy, is an ancient natural, energy- with sensory rooms based in Denbigh, based approach that uses sound to produce Mold and Wrexham, that caters perfectly vibrations that flow directly through the body, to those looking for a little relaxation over massaging every cell, resulting in a wide variety of the summer holidays. Founded in 2017, physical and mental benefits for people. Karma Wellbeing delivers accessible and Trained in sound, sleep and relaxation therapies and affordable alternative therapy within the members of the International Alliance of Holistic community to assist in improving health Therapists, the Karma Wellbeing team also work with and wellbeing. Their dedicated team children and adults of all ages. is also dementia, autism and disability aware. If you’re looking for something a little different to do For parents wanting to unwind and this summer, make sure you add Karma Wellbeing teenagers who have just finished their exams, to your summer holiday activity list. Karma Wellbeing is a great place to remove stress, anxiety and fatigue.

With their vibro-acoustic soundwave therapy, is a natural, energy-based approach that uses sound to produce vibrations that flow directly through the body, resulting in a wide variety of physical and mental benefits for people.

Directions Canolfan Beaumaris ()

Situated in the beautiful town of Families can be entertained with a number of Beaumaris on Anglesey, Canolfan events running across the summer holidays, from Beaumaris is a community centre that has regular film night screenings to live music and a plenty to offer families over the summer food festival at the end of August. holiday. If you’re visiting Anglesey over the summer The centre includes a 370-seat theatre and holiday, make sure you pay a visit to Canolfan concert hall, sports facilities and a fantastic Beaumaris. bike hire service, where you can explore the surrounding areas and take in the breathtaking views of the Anglesey coast.

The social enterprise was saved by the community in 2013 following local council cutbacks, with a group of staff, volunteers and businesspeople stepping forward to manage the centre.

Directions Porter’s Coffee Shops (Rhyl & Colwyn Bay)

Porter’s Coffee Shops serves tasty treats Porter’s five branches span across the whole and freshly made coffee at its five of Wales, from the Station Road and Parc Eirias locations across Wales, and each order cafés in Colwyn Bay, to the Rhyl Library and One comes with a generous side of social Stop Shop café, all the way to the Ely and Caerau benefit. Porter’s Coffee Shops are part of and Llandaff North and Gabalfa cafés in . the award-winning CAIS social enterprises So, wherever you are in Wales this summer, why and are one of the few organisations not pop into a Porter’s and grab a drink or have across the country that have been a tasty bite to eat! recognised by Social Enterprise UK for The cafés serve sumptuous cakes, speciality teas, commitments to community work. and a range of home cooked meals, using locally Any profit generated by the five coffee shops sourced ingredients and suppliers wherever is reinvested in the valuable work of CAIS; possible. a registered charity and third sector service provider which helps people with addiction, They regularly pick up five-star reviews for adverse mental health, unemployment, their outstanding food and service, so offending and other life challenges to make don’t just take our word for it - head to a positive lifestyle changes. Porter’s Coffee Shop this summer and try it for yourself.

Directions Holywell Leisure Centre (Flintshire)

Holywell Leisure Centre is a social Alongside activities for the kids, parents can also enterprise that has one simple goal - to keep themselves active, whether they decide to provide affordable health and leisure visit the gym or enjoy a slightly more relaxed facilities for the local community. session in the sauna.

If you’re a parent looking to keep the kids Holywell Leisure Centre was run by the local entertained, there are swimming pools, a council until 2017, when it was marked for sports hall, gym, community studio, a soft closure. A group of volunteers worked together play area, squash courts, a café and even a to take over the centre and now all profits library on site. are reinvested to ensure facilities are not just maintained, but also improved. Over the summer, the centre also has a programme of events planned and will be By visiting the centre over the summer extending its opening times to offer more holidays, not only will you be able to public swimming across its three different stay active and keep fit, you will also pools. be supporting a wider community project that brings local people together.

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