What is Social Enterprise?: Recent Episodes
Social Enterprise Northern Ireland
Welcome to the #WISE Business Podcast sponsored by Idverde. Tune in to hear from Social Enterprise businesses from across Northern Ireland.
The future of business is social, we can be both commercial and have social impact.
WheelWorks is a youth arts organisation working with children and young people aged 4 – 25 who may not otherwise have access to high quality artistic activity.
They work in partnership with all types of communities throughout Northern Ireland to provide taster workshops and issue based programmes which help young people learn new skills and express themselves through traditional and digital art.
A warm South Armagh welcome awaits you at Tí Chulainn Cultural Activity centre, An Mullach Bán, in the picturesque ring of Gullion (AONB).
The Centre is the jewel in the crown of South Armagh tourism and specialize in enabling the visitor to experience and participate in the rich cultural heritage of the region.The centre is an excellent venue for groups and individuals who wish to get away from it all in one of Ireland’s most beautiful and culturally rich regions.
At Thrive Academy we want young people’s wellbeing to flourish online. We strongly believe that to do this, education is needed to increase their digital resilience. Thrive Academy has been set up as a social enterprise, relying on donations, sponsorship, and funding from businesses large and small to pay for the education programmes for those unable to afford our services.
Positive Steps Outdoors is a social enterprise born out of the vision that connecting people to the natural environment, and each other, helps individuals and teams manage life’s pressures, build sustainable networks, strengthen future resilience and deepen their affinity with the environment.
They help you take preventative steps, promoting positive mental and physical wellbeing.
Playing for the Future exists to benefit communities and bring people together provides. They strongly believe in the power of football to help make the future positive, prosperous and fulfilling.
The PFTF academy in Belfast and Lurgan, provides high quality football coaching and games for young players aged 7-15.
"It's more than football, it's about bringing people together."
Greenhill YMCA is an outdoor learning and residential centre set in a beautiful 17 acre site on the slopes of the Slieve Donard Mountain.
YMCA has been delivering outdoor programs on the Greenhill site for over 100 years. Their dedicated team of local and international staff make Greenhill YMCA the ideal place for any young person to reach their full potential.
Sara McCracken is the founder and CEO of Empatheyes, the first social enterprise of its kind to offer immersive Virtual Reality technology for live, virtual, visual impairment awareness training courses.
One of the first systems of its kind, and the only VR based VI training tool, it allows for a unified instructor-led training session to take place in a VR environment with a large number of participants.
Access Employment Limited (AEL) is a social enterprise that enables people with learning disabilities/difficulties, autism, aspergers or health related conditions, to access work experience and gain recognised qualifications, therefore enhancing their lifestyle, and allowing them to operate more effectively in the community.
Belfast 89FM is a local radio station providing music, quizzes, and craic plus all the information on traffic and travel news.
The combination of new volunteers and familiar voices of presenters ensures that Belfast 89FM has a truly genuine, engaging and distinctive sound.
www.belfast89.com
Open House Festival is an annual summer event that takes place in the beautiful seaside city of Bangor, County Down, curated and run by Open House. The non-profit festival has entertained visitors for over 20 years, brilliantly building upon each successive outing with great music, film and theatre.www.openhousefestival.com
Sew Ready is an award winning social enterprise bridging the current skills gap in garment making by educating young children and adults in sewing skills.
They re-invest profits back into the local community.
www.sewready.org
The Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) is a trade association for credit unions in Ireland. It operates in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Providing membership for over 258 credit unions across the island.
www.creditunion.ie
East Belfast Mission works across all communities offering a range of services to meet the needs of everyone. With over 100 staff currently employed and approximately 200 volunteers, the range of social projects include:
· A worshipping congregation at the church
· Church and Community outreach services
· Hosford homeless support service
· Stepping Stone- employability programme
www.ebm.org.uk
Share Discovery Village is Northern Ireland's Largest Residential Outdoor Activity Centre offering a wide range of arts, land and water activities based in Fermanagh.
Accessible to disabled and non-disabled people.
www.sharevillage.org
Naturally North Coast & Glens is a Social enterprise delivering Artisan Markets, trader support, urban revitalisation & making a difference across Northern Ireland.
They offer a supportive platform for artisan produce, arts, craft & new businesses.
www.naturallynorthcoastandglens.co.uk
Harp and Crown Credit Union is a non-profit making, self help financial co-operative formed and run by people who have a common bond.
They provide safe, secure, flexible financial services to the wider policing family in Northern Ireland.
https://harpandcrown.co.uk/
Crowned as the winner of Social Enterprise of the Year 2023, Radius provides housing, care and support to over 33,000 homes in Northern Ireland.
https://www.radiushousing.org/
AuSome GrowSome is an inclusive hydroponics-based centre that grow high quality green produce using innovative sustainable technology. They also continue to make a difference in the autism community through providing training opportunities for marginalised individuals in Northern Ireland.
https://ausomegrowsome.org.uk/
Healthy Kidz began its journey in 2014 as a coaching organisation delivering fun and engaging physical activity sessions in primary schools throughout Northern Ireland. In 2023, we are the country’s leading outsourced coaching provider.
A holistic health and wellbeing programme such as ours couldn’t be any more pertinent for children and young people across Northern Ireland. Growing obesity rates, physical inactivity and increasing screen times has only been compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. To combat this, they currently have 50 Physical Activity Leaders that deliver 400 sessions a week across NI to 20,000 children, all striving to meet their aim:
Thousands of children each day go through our PE programme based on the NI PE curriculum. PE sessions are non-sport specific, all-inclusive, and designed and delivered by highly qualified coaches and professionals.
They also run an extensive afterschool programme including Gymnastics, Dance, Karate and Golf as well as all the mainstream sports. The most popular programmes, Sports Club and Fun, Fitness & Games, encapsulates all that they do well at Healthy Kidz; fun, engaging and educational sessions for all who take part.
To help every child achieve their best possible state of health and wellbeing.Paul is a keen sportsman who has played soccer to professional level in England, and represented his country at all youth levels. Also from a strongGAA background, playing for his club and county, both to senior level. Founder of Healthy Kidz CIC in 2014, has led the organisation from 1 school to 150, as well being the market leader in NI in terms of providers of School Holiday Camps. During this time Healthy Kidz have been awarded over £1 million of funding to deliver Health and Wellbeing services across a number of sectors, from a range of stakeholders. There are 60 staff currently working for the company.
Antrim Enterprise is a leading enterprise centre in the borough of Antrim and Newtownabbey established in 1991. A company limited by guarantee with charitable status they are your go to business advice centre supporting businesses every step of the way. They believe that every client that comes through their doors are helped, encouraged and supported on their entrepreneurial journey.
Fundamental to the success in achieving their vision and mission, is the fact that quality underpins everything they do, and it's done with pride whichencompasses core values:
Passion: Their staff are emotionally committed employees, passionateabout their work and the organization they work for
Respect: They are about treating all people [directors, staff,customers, clients, suppliers and stakeholders] with dignity and value thecollective power of teamwork.
Integrity: Antrim Enterprise is about being honest and having strongmoral principles in all our day-to-day dealings with customers, clients andsuppliers
Dedication: Antrim Enterprise fosters strong teamwork and encouragespersonal initiative and growth within the workplace
Excellence: They strive to excel in every aspect of their business anddeal with every task with a determination to succeed
Passionate about the health and well-being of entrepreneurs all their support encompasses advice, guidance and top tips for personal and business health including physical, mental, emotional, environmental and financial.. Antrim Enterprise has been at the forefront of providing co-working space for entrepreneurs along with innovative ways of connecting and encouraging collaboration including a range of networking groups such as NETWalking and OpenCoffee Club.
In 2009 a number of experienced community workers, academic researchers, trade unionists and Irish language activists formed the CAIRDE social enterprise based in Armagh City, N.E. Ireland.
CAIRDE is the Irish language translation of ‘friends’; it is also an acronym for ‘Communities in Armagh Investing in Regeneration, Diversity and Enterprise’. (Teo is Irish for ‘Ltd’).
This third sector company focuses on micro-business incubation; employment, training and learning opportunities and action research projects. CAIRDE Teo also works in partnership with a number of institutions and organisations in Armagh City and throughout the island to promote and develop the use of the Irish language both locally and nationally.
CAIRDE’s latest collaborative social enterprise – Aonach Mhacha – will build and manage a cultural centre in the historic heart of Armagh City. The complex will sustain 15 jobs in the Irish language and cultural sector in Armagh and help generate a further 6 full-time posts. Facilities in the new ‘cultúrlann’ will include: social enterprise incubation hubs, office accommodation, classrooms, meeting rooms, a black box performance area, a media suite, a café, a dance studio, a gift shop, an art gallery and exhibition area. Services will include minority language classes, social enterprise training, cultural tourism events, art & cultural heritage exhibitions, concerts, festivals, musical and dance performances, workshops, seminars and community development initiatives.
Centred Soul is the brain child of a Social Worker who wanted to marry conventional & alternative approaches to support women. Centred Soul started in 2011- back then it was just Rosemary, as a Complementary Therapist, taking on the feet of the world, one Reflexology treatment at a time! She was fed up with the role of Social Worker & wanted work to be something she really enjoyed.The support system in Northern Ireland, for women & families is minimal! In fact, NI only has one perinatal team in the Belfast Health & Social Care Trust & if you fall outside of that area, there is very little else. Thankfully new support networks, created by women who have experienced perinatal mental health are emerging, but there were no supports in the Newry & Mourne area, or Southern Health & Social Care Trust.
Centred Soul has changed this.Centred Soul started as an idea & it has developed into a beautiful community of women, who supported me through tough times & now this continues for others. This isn't a space where you'll find them holding hands & singing kum-by-ya, but you'll find down-to-earth people, plenty of laughs, tears, expletives & it's guaranteed that genuine friendships are made. So, whether you come along to a monthly BTAPS (Birth Trauma & Perinatal Support) Meetup or call in for a cup of coffee, this space is for you.
ArtsEkta is a multi-award winning cultural organisation that works to develop intercultural relationships at the heart of the community and is home to the Belfast Mela - the largest celebration of cultural diversity on the island of Ireland.
The brainchild of Indian-native Nisha Tandon, ArtsEkta was founded in 2006 on the principles of inclusivity, creativity and openness in all aspects of society – Ekta means ‘uniting’ in the Indian language.
Bringing together communities of Belfast and beyond, we create projects that inspire audiences to engage with the diversity, tastes, rhythms and sights that make up the multicultural life of Northern Ireland.
Over the last decade they have grown dramatically in size and scope and are now recognised as one of the region’s leading arts charities and a pioneer in the development of intercultural arts for Northern Ireland.
Providing innovative childcare solutions to organisations and families ensuring they have access to affordable options with a strong focus on positive mental health – enabling them to build stronger minds, for a healthier future.
Their vision is that every child should grow up active, healthier and happier.
Working in collaboration with other organisations, their mission is to break down the barriers of childcare. Empowering parents and children, providing high quality, affordable childcare services with a focus on positive mental health and support.
Thus enabling us to build strong minds, for a healthier future!
Kith and Kin established as a Social Enterprise in 2015. Since then, they've been working across communities in the United Kingdom to provide accessible Financial Advice and Support to a range of stakeholders.
Providing employers with an outsourced solution to improve workplace Financial Wellbeing. They create bespoke wellbeing sessions, helping people get Fiscally Fit, and develop financial resilience. Working with your HR Function or Senior Management, they review the composition of your workforce, shaping service delivery around the financial priorities of your different employee groups.
Thereafter, non-commission based Financial Advisors work to create solutions to your biggest Financial Wellbeing challenges. Delivering services across 4 main areas – membership, webinars, online modular training & 1-to-1 Financial Clinics.
In addition, they've established a new project Housing Matters. The 1st Social Enterprise Estate agency in N.I, part funded by Belfast City Council.
A Multi-Award winning social enterprise. Recognised as one of the top 100 Social Enterprises in the Uk in 2021 by Natwest and Pioneers Post & NatWest Top 100, having previously won a Trailblazer award in 2020.
Check out this video explainer, for more information - https://youtu.be/5FEV8vaHoRc
Fermanagh Fun Farm is a very busy social enterprise. The farm is a leisure attraction open to the public, providing a fun, engaging, hands on experience. They also cater for school visits, group visits and birthday parties. The farm is home to over 150 animals (20+ species) including 2 meerkats! All animals are treated as pets and the majority of animals are rescued / adopted. There are a wide range of farm animals living onsite and pet animals too. Check out their attractions page to see the range of animals on on offer.
Activities / Facilities
Cuddle Time in Pets Corner,
Donkey (or) Pony Walking & Grooming,
Feeding Animals,
Trailer and Quad Ride to Cow Patch,
Indoor and Outdoor Playareas (New softplayframe for 2023)
Picnic Area / Tearoom / Gift Shop
Cups and Saucers Ride on
Pedal Boats
Driven by the vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity works beside families to build, renovate or repair their home in 70 countries. In a world where one in four people don’t have a safe place to live, vulnerable people face huge challenges, exacerbated by climate change, to escaping poverty and improving their health and living conditions Habitat has helped more than 46 million people build their lives on the solid foundation of decent, affordable homes.
In Ireland, Habitat for Humanity directly tackles poverty through its network of Habitat ReStores. As they build sustainable communities, ReStores provide access to low-cost home improvement materials, employability training for people of all abilities and divert tons of material from landfill which helps build sustainable communities. Habitat also raises funds to support long-term partner programmes in some of our world’s poorest communities.
Learn more: www.habitatni.co.uk/donate
Today it is the fastest growing social finance provider across the island of Ireland but there is always more to do.
He and his team are driven by their overall mission to ensure that Social Impact is Felt not just Dreamt. He has over 23 years working with charities and social enterprises as well as with stakeholder and government influencers across the island, helping find social finance solutions that supports both ambition and sustainability.
Dónal holds a degree in Economics & Geography from UCD, Grad. Dip. in Business Studies from UL, an MBS in Co-operative and Social Enterprise from UCC, and is QFA accredited from the Institute of Banking.
A charity, a social enterprise, an all-island of Ireland business – with a mission. To create a world-class community finance system that works tirelessly towards ensuring that positive social impact is felt – not just dreamt. And we’re getting there.
In Camphill Holywood, as in all Camphill communities, work in the community has purpose and meaning. Each member of the community participates and contributes in whatever capacity they are able to. Work can be in the houses and social spaces, helping to cook, homemaking, preparing for festivals or gardening and community members can also help in a variety of different roles in the workshops (the bakery, cafe and shop). Contributing to the community gives each individual the opportunity to feel a sense of responsibility, belonging and value, which in turn promotes confidence and self-esteem.
Stendhal Festival was originally formed in 2008 by Ross Parkhill & John Cartwright, to showcase local music across 3 days in Limavady, Northern Ireland.
The festival reformed as Stendhal Festival of Art in 2011 by the founders Ross Parkhill, John Cartwright and Colm O'Donnell, as a platform for local artists to perform alongside acts such as Turin Brakes at Ballymully Cottage Farm in Limavady. The festival was named after Stendhal Syndrome.
Attendance numbers of the festival have increased year on year, with the festival winning Best Small Festival in 2013–2015, Best Family Friendly Festival 2014 in Ireland and nominated for the UK Festival Awards in 2016. The festival is built and run by volunteers from the local area.
David Boyd - Belfast Child CIC
Belfast Child C.I.C provides free mentored health & well-being sports related training as a means of an 'Off the Streets Programme' for young people in Belfast.
Through sports academies aiming to build, stronger, safer and healthier communities that offer our young people, regardless of background and ability the opportunity to participate in healthy activities.
Sports programmes will not only offer health and fitness benefits but also focus on raising aspirations, building self esteem and developing team working skills.
Belfast Child CIC funds its own charity (Creating Help In Local Districts T/A C.H.I.L.D Trainiing Academy) which has a fully functional gym in Belfast City Centre.
Bremar’s is an education and training company who's vision is a society where the provision of education, training and support is accessible to all in a safe, respectful and supportive environment.
They offer a wide variety of training programmes, counselling and consultancy services
www.bremartraining.com
ArtSpace is a community interest company offering multisensory environment hire to children/young adults/adults with additional support needs led by Nurse specialists. The organisation's day opportunities support people with learning, physical and sensory disabilities to develop their skills and independence in a supportive, nurturing environment.
Hear more from Founder & Managing Director, Martina Bell who gets us up to speed on this wonderful community led organsaiton.
The Bridge Vocational Training Unit has been operational in Antrim town since 1988 and moved into new, purpose built premises in 2004. The Unit is committed to providing high quality vocational training opportunities to adults with learning disabilities aged 18+ years and currently offers accredited courses which are tailored to suit the ability and needs of each individual trainee in 3 key areas encompassing Catering; Retail and Horticulture/Propagation.
Jacqui joins Cate on the podcast to share more about the ongoing work they do to support adults with additional needs.
WOMEN'STEC are Northern Ireland's largest quality provider of training for women in non-traditional skills. Their mission is to allow women the time and space to develop their confidence, their self-efficacy and their wellbeing so that they can take on new challenges, in their personal lives, their education and their careers.
The Rink is home to Northern Ireland's largest roller arena and is operated by local social enterprise, Powered by Sport. Stephen Lynch, CEO tell us more about their activities and ongoing mission to bring people from all backgrounds, religions and ethnicity together through the sport.
Find out more.
Waymaker is a Community Interest Company passionate about providing high-quality therapeutic play and creative arts therapy for children, specialised support for parents, and professional training. They believe all childrenhave the right to access highly trained therapy services regardless of their circumstances. Waymaker offer a tiered approach to their service's cost to ensure all families can access vital support for their children.
Eileen Russell, founder of Waymaker joins Cate on the #WISE Podcast to tell us more about the power of play to transform the mental health and well-being of children and families with emotional, social and behavioural issues.
Find out more about Waymaker here.
Triangle's vision is to live better lives together. Triangle Housing Association is a registered Housing Association with the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland. They provide supported accommodation, family housing and specialised care and support services and supported employment programmes for tenants across Northern Ireland. Triangle is a progressive service provider, promoting social inclusion through a range of strategic partnerships. Brendan Clarke, Enterprise Coordinator joins Cate to tell us more about the organisation and their initiatives.
Find out more.
Parent Action is a human rights based organisation, which enables and empowers parent carers of children and adults with disabilities/lifelong health conditions, to advocate for their child’s rights in vital public services. They have created a peer advocacy service to help parents express their views on behalf of their child, who often has difficulty communicating, because of his/her additional needs. These views reflect the lived experience of parent carers and give voice to children and adults with additional needs, who are at significant risk of being ignored.
Founder of Parent Action, Orla Fitzsimons joins SENI Ambassador Cate to tell us more about this vital initiative.
Hear from Kerry McWilliams, Founder of Lightwork NI, a social enterprise on a mission to give everyone the knowledge, tools and skills to develop resilience and cope with the emotions which arise from difficult life circumstances. At Lightwork NI, they teach emotional regulation strategies alongside techniques from positive psychology and life coaching. They aim to give people the practical tools which can help them feel better, so they make better choices.
Have a listen and find out more about Lightwork NI here.
Engage Executive Talent is a specialised executive recruitment service comprising three strands: Permanent Executive Recruitment, Interim Executive Recruitment and Board Recruitment. It was developed by CO3 and launched in September 2019 and is now one of the top recruitment agencies within the third sector in Northern Ireland for appointments to Chief Executive, Senior Management, as well as Board positions. Their Director, Patrick Minne tell us more in episode 4 of the #WISE Podcast Season 4.
More about Engage Executive Talent
CO3 is Northern Ireland’s leadership organisation for Chief Officers in the Third Sector, and its Engage Executive Talent offer has been borne out of the demand from third sector boards and executive teams for services that were more responsive to the needs of the non profit sector than existing mainstream providers.
They engage with the best executive candidates, across public, private and third sectors, recruiting leaders with integrity, who are driven by principle and motivated to contribute to the common good. Their services have evolved over years, honed by the feedback and proactive suggestions of clients, and CO3’s members.
Engage form long term relationships with members, candidates and clients, relationships that extend well beyond the interactions associated with the recruitment and appointment phase. They don’t walk away once they've completed the onboarding. Complimentary membership of CO3 for all our recruited executives and trustees ensures that they have a support network and a personal development roadmap to help them get the most out of their new relationships with the teams they are joining. Support networks include ‘New to Post CEO’, ‘Health’, ‘Marketing and Communications’, ‘HR Management’, ‘Finance Management’, and services include mentoring and training.
East Belfast Mission is working on the "transformation of the East Belfast community." They run a number of projects to help everyone in the community including Hosford - a homelessness support service, Stepping Stone - an employability project and many others. Their Funraising Regulator, Lianne Mulholland shares more about what they do within the social economy in N. Ireland.
Other social enterprise arms of the organisation includes: refresh cafe and meals on wheels service at Skainos Square; Bright Sparks xhild Care nursery; Restore charity shops in Ards, Larne, Antrim and Belfast Vintage and Bridal on Royal Avenue Belfast, Refurb - the restoration of furniture items which are sold through restore. Read more about East Belfast Mission here.
Jonathan McAlpin, Managing Director of East Belfast Enterprises joins the podcast to tell us more about their Local Enterprise Agency for East Belfast and how it is the starting point for anyone wishing to start a business or improve and grow their current business.
The mission of EBE is to “To inspire and nurture entrepreneurs to make a positive difference in East Belfast”. They do this by providing Office Accommodation Premises in their City East Building designed with small businesses in mind, Workshop Premises at their Albertbridge Road location on the edge of Belfast City and by delivering cutting edge, innovative and “best in the field” Business Start-Up Training, Business Growth Advice and Business Assistance from our specialised Business Advisors.
Find out more here.
Season 4 | Episode 1
Hear from Rachel Doherty, Managing Director from 4C UR Future who chats about the work they do to help young people make more empowered career choices.
About 4C UR Future
4C UR Future is an industry-led social enterprise. They exist to involve, inform, and inspire young people to help them make more empowered education and career choices. They deliver 4C UR Future LIVE careers inspiration events across Northern Ireland for Year 9 pupils and have created Northern Ireland's first digital careers platform, the 4C UR Future CAREERS PORTAL.
Fine out more at: www.4curfuture.com
Boom Studios is a creative hub, a social enterprise that provides 25 vibrant workspaces for local creatives, a year round creative programme and a range of artistic outreach services for the local community, local businesses and events.
It was inspired by and established by 3 local creatives and their individual experience at Project 24, Bangor. Boom! Studios was established in December 2014. A small group of local creative practitioners wished to create a vibrant workspace where they could develop their individual enterprises.
Boom! took over a vacant town centre building, in Bangor, Northern Ireland. The “Old Clinton Cards” building was….a “blank canvas” and has since created 24 then centre workspaces, housing artists, designers, makers, writers, photographers, arts facilitators… at any stage of their career. It supports, nurtures and helps them develop their work, whatever that looks like.
By placing creativity bang in the centre of town, Boom! makes a positive contribution to the regeneration of Bangor Town Centre, creating opportunities to link traditional local business’s with the local creative industry.
Northern Ireland’s creative industry is thriving, however the next few years will pose many challenges for the arts and creative sector, forcing organisations to become inventive in the way in which they develop and fund their work.
Boom! Studios hopes to present an innovative business model for sustainable arts and creative activity.
'To enable Women and Children to grow to ensure their voices are heard and that they take their rightful place in a just and equal society.' We have evolved from a strong self-help ethos and operate within a Community Development context. Our Centre has been acknowledged as a valuable asset within the community and has developed a diverse range of services within the Colin Neighbourhood. We wish to continue to provide these services to women and children for many many years to come.
Services:
- Drop in
- Training and Events
- Crisis Intervention
- Women's support and development
- Advice and advocacy
- Health and well-being
- Peer support groups
Contact Footprints Womens Centre:
reception@footprintswomenscentre.com
02890 923444
At Connswater Homes we believe that a home is a building block to a better life; it impacts on health, education and sustains relationships and families. We want to keep people in their homes by offering choice, affordability and desirability.
The office phone number is 028 9065 6155 and text phone 07569 155199 (remember if you are texting to give us your name and address so that we know who we are dealing with). If you wish to email, our email address is housing@connswater.org.uk
AMH Works provides workplace mental and emotional well-being consultancy supported by a range of specialised employee programmes, proven to improve workplace well-being across organisations. Action Mental Health have been providing mental health recovery, resilience, counselling and employment services across Northern Ireland since 1963.
The AMH Works team are specialists in mental health and emotional well-being training and consultancy, working with some of NI’s and the UK’s leading employers for more than ten years. The service provided through AMH Works supports employers to develop employee awareness and skills to effectively promote and manage employee mental and emotional well-being in the workplace.
AMH Works also work with employers to design bespoke training programmes tailored to cover relevant issues and to meet identified needs for their organisation.
To find out more about how AMH Works can support your organisation to improve the mental and emotional well-being of your employees please contact rpower@amh.org.uk or by phone on 07540124083.
TIDAL, is a successful Community group based in Toome. Over the last 20 years we have provided much needed amenities and services for the local community, including the creation of employment opportunities. We have successfully connected a diverse community not only from Catholic and Protestant backgrounds, but, also residents from the Indian, Polish and Lithuanian nationalities and brought generations together and well as connecting our detached youth with those living within Toome.
At The Hummingbird Project we are a bit unusual, a bit quirky, a bit different from the norm. We are disruptors, boundary pushers, challenging the norms in traditional mental health service provision and leading the charge for doing things differently.
Our lived experience of having suffered mental ill health in addition to our professional training means we are trauma informed, passionate and authentic. There is no them and us. We leave the stigma at the door and work alongside our clients to develop a plan tailor made to them.
As a much-needed addition to existing services, our vision is to provide a new model for mental health services rooted in the community that moves beyond traditional medical interventions.
Our 3U-Model© makes us unique. It stands for Understand, Unlock and Uplift and has been designed to empower people to determine their own mental health. Together we focus on their goals, work to unlock their strengths, build support networks, remove barriers and help them move forward in their lives.
Our role is to support people, no matter the setting or where they appear on the emotional health spectrum, by sharing our personal and professional knowledge and expertise to help them determine their own emotional health and wellbeing outcomes.
The NOW Group provide a range of services that support people with learning difficulties and autism to realise their full potential
"Our services
We provide a range of services that support people with learning difficulties and autism to realise their full potential and change their lives for the better. Our services focus on supporting people into employment, training, transition and volunteering. We also offer a family service to support new and expectant parents with a learning difficulty or autism.
Our participants
The people we support have barriers to employment and learning, including all levels of learning difficulty and learning disability, autism and Autistic Spectrum Condition. They help us shape our work to meet their needs and keep us focused on making a difference.
Their futures
We prepare people with the tools they need to make informed decisions about their future. We provide quality, accredited training which helps our clients to prepare for independence and the world of work. We provide them with the support they need to identify their unique career path, find the job they want and keep it."
Orchardville, a registered charity and social enterprise, is committed to changing the lives of people with learning disability and autism.
They believe that with the right support, any individual with a learning disability or autism can reach their full potential and achieve their employment aspirations.
Providing services in the Belfast, South Eastern and Western Health & Social Care Trust areas, they support people with learning disability and/or autism aged 16-65 through a range of individualised services and programmes.
Social enterprises form a key part of their provision, allowing participants to experience work in a real business environment with on site support from vocational mentors.
The Ortus Group is a Belfast based Enterprise Agency providing unique business support programmes, affordable, high-quality commercial property and a wide range of complementary services to a diverse range of businesses. We specialise in working with all entrepreneurs from start-ups to long-established enterprises across all business sectors throughout Northern Ireland.
Ortus has a strong social ethos focused on social regeneration showcased through the work they do locally. The Ortus Group is a charity and a social enterprise.
Their key areas include:
Property Services – Over 360,000 sq ft of high quality and affordable business premise rental in Belfast.
Business Services – Quality business training, mentoring and consultancy.
Language Services – Professional translation, interpretation and language tuition services.
Usel is Northern Ireland’s largest supporter of people with disabilities or health conditions into employment and operates a social enterprise business model. They exist solely to help people with disabilities and health-related conditions move into and sustain employment. Every year they employ, support and train over 1200 people with disabilities or health conditions across Northern Ireland. Their social enterprises are:
- Ability Cafe
- U Shred NI
- USEL Recycling Solutions
- Smartpac
- Manufacturing Services
VIable Corporate Services provide back-office services in Bookkeeping, HR, and Marketing. We exist to change business, and change lives, with 100% of our profits supporting young people in care and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Across our 3 functional departments, we work in collaboration with your people to provide high-quality professional services. We’re people-focused, and we like to maintain an equal balance of approachability and professionalism in all that we do. We pride ourselves on our established relationships with longstanding partners, a tribute to the quality experience that our team offers.
Changing Business, Changing Lives.
At VIable, we provide professional and approachable business solutions. However, we also are constantly making a Social Impact in all that we do. As a Social Enterprise, 100% of our profits support our Social Mission, trying to create real change in society.
At Inspire we work together with people living with mental ill health, intellectual disability, autism and addictions to ensure they live with dignity and realise their full potential. To achieve this we want to develop a culture of compassion, creating a society free from stigma that focuses on people and their abilities.
We deliver mental health, learning/intellectual disability, autism, addiction, workplace and student wellbeing services across the island of Ireland.
We are Inclusive: we put the people who use our services first
We are Passionate: we believe in what we do
We are Determined: we find a way
We are Kind: we care about each other
We are Honest: we act with integrity
We are Innovative: we nurture new ideas
To find out more - https://www.inspirewellbeing.org/
We are a charity and social enterprise that offers practical support for individuals and families, helping them to get through and get ahead.
Our Family Support Service provides practical and therapeutic support and a range of training programmes for parents and children. As coordinator of the Newry and Mourne Family Support Hub, we help find solutions for families facing physical and mental health problems, family breakdown, parenting difficulties, financial problems and social and rural isolation.
Our Ability services are dedicated to connecting children and young adults of mixed ability to reach for the stars. We are especially proud of our Social Enterprise and online gift shop, a safe place for our volunteers to feel connected, valued and purposeful. Our Social Enterprise products are lovingly handcrafted and all profits go back into supporting our vital work.
Signposting and practical support to older members of the community are delivered through our Seniors services. Comfort Zone is a social group bringing seniors together to make new friends and enjoy some company. Home2Hospital, a driver service for those over 60 that live in rural Mournes and Slieve Gullion, is a lifeline to many.
What We Did In 2020:
1,859 hours of support was provided for children and adults with disability
24,000
Engagements with participants
£39,000 in Financial Support to benefit 366 families, older people and homeless
To find out more - https://bolstercommunity.org/
After four years of operating in the private tuition industry, we had grown increasingly uncomfortable with the disparity that exists between children of different socioeconomic backgrounds in their access to educational support.
One in five children in Northern Ireland lives in poverty, and less than 50% of children entitled to free school meals leave school with at least five good GCSE grades. We realised that operating as a private business did not align with our social values or research backgrounds and so, in 2017, we became a social enterprise.
- We've been around for a while
- We're on a social mission
- We work with inspiring people
- We are a women-led company
- We love research
To find out more - https://www.studyseed.co.uk/
Ever think you can’t make a difference by yourself? That one person can’t change the world? Well, you CAN!
“Enhancing Lives…Creating Change”
Every single one of our projects was born from the idea of just one person, and have flourished from there to how we deliver them now. We want people with learning disabilities, Autism and mental health issues to be able to realise their potential in work, social and community activities – in every aspect of their lives.
This aim keeps us grounded and focused on being accessible, inclusive and supportive. We always strive to do the alongside, and for the people we serve.
Our vision influences everything we do: the services we deliver, the projects we develop, the ideas we share, the activities, organisations and campaigns we get involved in. This vision ensures we are always improving and developing ways to better deliver our projects.
To find out more - https://compasspeople.org/
MUGSHOTS is an award winning business like no other - specialising in breaking the re-offending cycle Mugshots equips young offenders with the skills, support and resources to compete more effectively for employment. Mugshots has a proven record of rehabilitation that offers an innovative solution to integrate a target group often considered furthest from the labour market.
For five years Mugshots has provided a unique, hands-on employment experience based inside Hydebank Young Offenders Prison in Northern Ireland, where 24 young offenders each year complete Employability Skills training and gain formal Work Experience in our social enterprise workshop.
As a social enterprise 100% of our profits are reinvested to support young offenders who have completed our training and then been released from custody access help to break the re-offending cycle.
Place an order. Change a life.
Established in 2019, we are a social enterprise looking to champion creativity in all its forms. We work with local artists to sell their products, and we also run classes with these local artists to pass on their skills to you!
We believe in people. That's kinda it in a nutshell. Contagious kindness would be a fantastic thing, and we'd love to be responsible for an epidemic of kindness spreading across the land. We invest in every person we engage with, and we want you to come away from here knowing you have empowered a local artist, or feeling great from having learned a new skill and made new friends, and that you helped us grow too. We promise to do only good things with our profits, making this bigger & better each time.
Everyone is welcome to be part of this. This is for You, for Us, for All of Us. And so say all of us.
create #gather #empower
To find out more - https://thefoxandbean.com/
Madlug was founded in 2015 by Dave Linton. A man whose only experience in the luggage industry was bags of enthusiasm. This 40-something Youth Worker was heartbroken to learn that most children in care transport their worldly belongings in a bin bag. In that moment, Dave set out to do something about it. With just £480, he started Madlug and came up with our ‘Buy one Give one’ approach: with every bag you purchase, one will be given to a child in care.
The Reality There are over 90,000 children in care in the UK and Ireland. One child enters the UK care system every 15 minutes. What’s more, over half are victims of neglect or abuse. Because children in care aren’t given a voice, the public don’t know about the problems they face every day. Which is why it’s so important that their story is heard.
How We Help The cost of every bag in our shop covers: a free bag for a child in care and the item you choose. We worked with Care experienced young people and Health Trusts / Local Authorities to develop a giving bag that is centred around the needs of children in care.
The bag itself is unbranded to avoid stigma. It folds away to fit neatly into a sock drawer or a Social Worker’s car boot without wasting storage space. And each bag has a label that says “You are incredible” to remind every child that they have value, worth and dignity.
They are redefining the boundaries between the justice system and the wider community.
Some of us have been through that system, some of us haven’t. But working together, they help people who are serving sentences to turn around their futures, and they engage the wider community in supporting them on that journey. Their transitional employment opportunities help reduce barriers to employment. Their coaching model helps people plan their new futures. And their volunteering programme is building shared, supportive communities.
Working together, they are pursuing our vision of an inclusive community where everyone has hope and opportunity.
To find out more - https://www.theturnaroundproject.org/
They are a multi-disciplined production house operating across the island of Ireland and the United Kingdom. Producing digital production services across all mediums, we work at broadcast quality for budget friendly prices.
Find out more - https://www.slackpress.co.uk
The Resurgam Trust employs a Social Enterprise Manager, supported through an Innovation Programme with partners including Department for Communities, Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council and The Resurgam Trust. This programme delivers outcomes on social enterprise and innovation which will have an impact upon the social, economic and physical regeneration of communities and ultimately the local economy.
They have 7 social enterprises:
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Laganside Enterprise Centre
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Highway Inn
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Lisburn Community Self Build
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Laganside Business Services
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Premier Taxi Company
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Laganside Community Gym
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New Horizons Credit Union
Refuge Chocolate is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Refuge exists to help give people a brighter future through our support of Flourish NI (a Northern Ireland based anti human trafficking charity). Refuge donates proceeds to Flourish.
Refuge Hot Chocolate (now Refuge Chocolate) has been fully operational since 2017 led by Chief Potion Maker Tara Mullan.
'Not being a tea or coffee drinker I spent many years sampling the hot chocolate drinks throughout Ireland and beyond, never quite getting one that hit the taste buds of how I thought a hot chocolate should taste. Until a few years ago I went skiing in Andora and tasted something that hit the spot. It was strong, thick and had so much taste. More like melted chocolate than the expensive dish water I was often served in cafes.
This awakening must have been filed away in the depths of my brain and came to the fore when I was trying to come up with a solution to financially support a local anti human trafficking charity I volunteer for. I briefly tested several ideas of projects to raise finance for the charity. Until one day the name Refuge and hot chocolate literally dropped into my head. This is when I started experimenting with recipes I read about and ones I made up.
Once I got closer to what I thought was a good tasting drink I asked friends to test some and give me feedback. After this I had the recipe for the original chocolate. It's still the same recipe we use today.'
The award winning ARC Healthy Living Centre, Irvinestown aims to improve the well-being of local people by bringing together a partnership of community health activities and services.
ARC has been nationally recognised as benefitting people and planet.
Consistently since 2009 ARC has been successful in satisfying key criteria to be awarded the Social Enterprise Mark, which identifies us a trading centre for social and environmental purposes.
ARC provides shared space, basing a range of health and well being services within the Centre. The ARC actively promotes community participation and volunteering – services are run for local people, by local people.
To find out more - https://www.archlc.com/
SENsations is an award winning community interest company that provides educational psychology assessment for pupils in order to help identify or eliminate any kind of learning difficulty. This can include intelligence testing and academic attainment testing which helps identify conditions such as Dyslexia and Dyscalculia. In addition observations and screening tools can form part of a multi-disciplinary assessment for conditions such as Autistic Spectrum Disorder and ADHD. Part of the core purpose of a psychological assessment is to provide practical advice and strategies which help the pupil use their strengths and target areas for improvement in their learning.
GLL is a not for profit charitable social enterprise committed to delivering a better quality of fitness and leisure, libraries and performing arts facilities for everyone. We’re committed to providing access to quality community facilities - and more - at a price everyone can afford. They already manage over 258 facilities, and they're adding more all the time operating under our 'Better' brand.
They aim to get more people, more active, more often. They promote healthy and active lifestyles, giving communities access to facilities that help improve their health and happiness through participation in activities. It could be gyms, libraries, playgrounds or world-class venues such as those on the Olympic Park, we have it all right here.
However, they do provide more than access. As a charitable social enterprise, they invest in their communities as they are a not for profit organisation but it’s not just about money: they also invest time and effort in encouraging everyone to take advantage of their services.
They will ENGAGE and welcome new participants, introducing them to activities that reflect their needs.
They will SUPPORT our communities to make lifestyle changes through targeted programmes.
They will ADAPT our approach and offers to ensure everyone can participate in our services.
They will SUSTAIN participation by offering varied programmes, facilities and memberships.
Science Starz CIC is an award-winning mobile science lab that delivers hands-on, fun, interactive science programmes in primary schools, community groups, youth clubs, at corporate events and more in order to ignite an interest in STEM from an early age and to increase access into the STEM sector.
Developed by teachers, Science Starz has been delivering programmes for over 5 years so we know how to engage children in STEM and ignite an interest in STEM topics.
Science Starz also creates outreach programmes for STEM industries for delivery in primary schools, matching desired employee skills, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Goals and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in order to bridge the gap between the STEM industry and the education sector.
Want to hear from one of our 'Social Enterprise Leaders of the Year'? Tune in to hear about the AMAZING work incredABLE do from Nigel.
incredABLE is a voluntary organisation creating meaningful social, recreational, and educational opportunities for people with a learning/intellectual disability and/or autism.
incredABLE individuals are empowered to make choices, discover talents, realise passions, and participate in a community on their own terms. incredABLE deliver projects and services in the Southern Health and Social Care Trust Area.
They are about Respect and the dignity of every person.
They are about Sustainability and stewardship of all our resources.
They are about Creativity and making things happen.
They are about Responsiveness through listening to all those who work with us.
To find out more and visit one of their cafes visit - https://incredable.org.uk/
Tune in to hear from GLOW as they chat about how they use the profits from their SE 'You Glow Girl' to create amazing social impact by providing an opportunity for women and girls to discover their true selves.
As an inter-generational, cross community organisation, GLOW challenges the status quo in order to break the vicious cycle of these issues by equipping women and young girls with tools and techniques to build their confidence, self-esteem, resilience and life skills. This will help them set positive, realistic steps in achieving their goals, enabling them to live happy fulfilled lives.
GLOW believes that all women and girls have purpose and so our unique programmes create a positive atmosphere and allow the opportunity for women and girls to discover their true selves. This has a knock on effect as participants can positively impact on their family and community, especially in setting young female family members up with confidence and life skills to have a successful future.
To find out more visit https://glowni.com/
Listen in to hear from our most recent Social Enterprise of the Year winner, Employers for Childcare.
Employers For Childcare comprises a Social Enterprise and a registered charity. 100% of the profits from our Social Enterprise businesses – a Childcare Voucher company, a recruitment service for childcare providers and High Rise (an indoor family adventure centre) are invested into our charity. As a charity, our aim is to make it easier for parents with dependent children to get into work and to stay in work. We address childcare as a labour market and economic issues, as well as a social one.
Our charity’s work includes providing a Freephone helpline and outreach service through our Family Benefits Advice Service alongside carrying out research and lobbying work on behalf of parents.
To find out more visit https://www.employersforchildcare.org/
idverde is the UK & Europe’s leading provider of ground maintenance services and landscape creation projects.
idverde offers a holistic range of services to support the creation, maintenance, and management of landscapes throughout the UK. They have extensive experience working with both public and private sector clients to deliver bespoke solutions for each project’s unique challenges.
As the UK’s leading grounds maintenance and landscape creation provider, they have extremely talented colleagues throughout the business that is able to provide a broad range of services.
Their values; Collaboration, Integrity, Innovation, Respect, Responsibility and Focus, are at the heart of everything they do.
Which is why idverde are proud to sponsor the #WISE Podcast - listen in to find out more.
If you are wanting to be introduced to idverde please contact amanda@socialenterpriseni.org.
To find out more about idverde - https://www.idverde.co.uk/about-us/