Social Firms UK

Finding a job at the moment is hard enough and if you’re disabled or have a mental health problem it’s even more difficult. Making the leap from relying on benefits to getting a full time job is often simply unrealistic. But part-time work can help to build up skills, confidence and a work record to show to future employers. It also raises the self esteem that comes with earning a wage.

 The government is calling on Social Firms to help it get hundreds of thousands of vulnerable people into work. Our CEO, Sally Reynolds, is featured in Social Enterprise Magazine (online edition) discussing work with the government to create employment for the most vulnerable people in the labour market. Sally is the only social enterprise representative in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Social Inclusion Advisory group and is therefore ideally placed to ensure the Social Firm sector is well positioned in the move to job creation, rather than job placement.

The European Social Firms of the Year Awards, which took place during the Social Firms UK and Social Firms Europe CEFEC annual conference, celebrated some of the fantastic work taking place across Europe was showcased and celebrated in style.  Those winners in full:- Best Overall winner 2010: Oxford Wood Recycling Ltd, UK

The Equality Bill, which passed through parliament last Tuesday, will impact on all of us in some way – as individuals, employers, consumers of public services, and bidders for public sector contracts. The Bill is wide-ranging but here are some highlights that Social Firms may be particularly interested in.