Andrea Wayman joins the Social Enterprise Stakeholder Group as our independent Chair

The Social Enterprise Stakeholder Group is delighted to announce that Andrea Wayman will be joining as the group’s new independent Chair.

The SESG believes that social enterprise must play a key role in building a fairer, more inclusive and more sustainable economy. Our high-profile and influential member organisations provide specialist support to social enterprises across Wales and in a range of different sectors, playing a key role in supporting them to transform Wales’ economy and communities.

We are working together to deliver on our Transforming Wales through Social Enterprise report, a co-produced vision and action plan to make social enterprise the business model of choice in Wales. Our members are Development Trusts Association Wales, Social Firms Wales, UnLtd, Cwmpas and WCVA.

Welcome to Andrea

We are very excited to have Andrea on board as a passionate, well-known advocate for the social enterprise sector and the potential of the model in Welsh communities. She has worked in the employment, training and equalities sector since 1989 and is passionate about social enterprise and creating jobs through social enterprise procurement, understanding that good, inclusive employment aids the development of thriving and healthy communities.

Andrea has led Elite Supported Employment Agency Ltd, which has been assisting people with disabilities to obtain and maintain paid employment opportunities, within the community, via one to one support since 1994.

Relying on joint working with local businesses to provide vocational opportunities, they recognised the need to set up their own sustainable business, with the aim of creating paid employment or work opportunities for our candidates – ELITE Paper Solutions then launched in 2015.

They now have 3 additional social enterprises to the main employment Charity, including ELITE Training Solutions, created in 2016; and ELITE Clothing Solutions in 2019.

The nature of the business ensures that there is a job that will meet every need, irrespective of the person’s disability, making it a fully inclusive workplace. Their staff are of varying age, ability and equality of opportunity is a strong ethical focus.

Get involved with the SESG

The SESG is passionate about representing the interests of the social enterprise sector and achieving our ambition of making Wales the best place in the world to be a social entrepreneur.

To stay engaged with our work, sign up to our newsletter and learn more about news, events and opportunities in the social enterprise sector: https://cwmpas.coop/social-enterprise-sector-newsletter/