Sep 23, 2013 12:45 BST social entrepreneur shortlisted for prestigious Social Enterprise Award.

Cris Tomos, Chairman of Cymdeithas Cwm Arian in Pembrokeshire has been shortlisted for a new category in the prestigious Social Enterprise Awards which will be held in Cardiff this October.

The ‘Social Enterprise Champions’ Award recognises individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the development of their social enterprise or to the sector in general Cymdeithas Cwm Arian Association is a Local Forum that covers the three north Pembrokeshire villages of Hermon, and . The association meets regularly to review the progress of working groups that cover the various categories of the Association’s Action Plan which includes a Community Resource Centre and a renewable energy project.

Cris Tomos joins representatives of other social enterprises on the shortlist, Barry Shiers of Vision 21 and Tony Crocker of Track 2000, both in Cardiff, and Lis Mclean of Canolfan a Menter Cygraeg in Merthyr Tydfil.

The Social Enterprise Wales Awards are designed to recognise the outstanding Welsh social enterprises which demonstrate innovation, imagination and passion for social change. The awards celebrate businesses which have a clear social or environmental mission, benefit a specific community and trade commercially whilst fulfilling their social aims. The awards will be held in a ceremony at the SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff on the evening of Tuesday 15th October.

This year there are four catgories, which are: ‘One to Watch’, which celebrates new social enterprises with potential for growth, ‘Market Builder’, which celebrates businesses that have actively chosen to commission goods or services from social enterprises and categories for ‘Social Enterprise Champion’ and ‘Social Enterprise of the Year’.

Cris Tomos commented,

"It was wonderful to have the news of being shortlisted but I do wish to acknowledge the numerous other people who have been involved with the social enterprises that I have been supporting and helping to establish and develop. It is all about team work and mutual joint efforts for the good of the community and society."

Derek Walker, Chief Executive of the Wales Co-operative Centre was delighted with the quality of entries,

“Congratulations to Cris on reaching the shortlist. Social Enterprises are usually successful because of the combined efforts of a team but every team needs a leader and this award celebrates those ‘social enterprise champions’ who have made a positive impact on one or several social enterprises over their career.

We have had a fabulous response to these awards this year. Not only have the number of entries increased, but the quality keeps on improving year by year. Social Enterprises and co-operatives are viable and successful business models that can support viable communities, create jobs and growth and it is great to see some of the best examples of this recognised in this shortlist. It’s also heartening to see the type of businesses which were nominated for the new market builder award – which suggests that businesses in Wales are considering how they procure and how to best use their procurement budgets to benefit the communities in which they are based.”

The following day the SWALEC stadium will play host to the Social Enterprise Conference which will see representatives of social enterprises from across Wales gather to discuss its themes of Innovation, Collaborative Entrepreneurship and Finance and Social Investment.

Free tickets for the Social Enterprise Wales Awards are available online via www.walescooperative.org

Tickets for the Conference are also available online priced at £70+VAT. The Social Enterprise Support Project is tasked with promoting and developing social enterprise in Wales. The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Welsh Government.

Wales Co-operative Centre

The Wales Co-operative Centre was set up thirty years ago and ever since has been helping businesses grow, people to find work and communities to tackle the issues that matter to them. Its advisors work co-operatively across Wales, providing expert, flexible and reliable support to develop sustainable businesses and strong, inclusive communities. www.walescooperative.org

Contacts

David Madge Press Contact Marketing, Press & Public Affairs Officer Press and Public Affairs. Marketing (primarily Succession and Consortia Project). [email protected] 01792484005 07900167906

Catherine Evans Press Contact Marketing Manager Overall responsibility for marketing and communications at the Wales Co-operative Centre [email protected] 01443 743943 0300 111 5050 Mark Smith Press Contact Marketing Officer Social Media, Case Studies and Communities 2.0 [email protected] 029 2055 6163 0300 111 5050