Celebrating social value: Winners of the Social Business Wales Awards 2025
Twenty six fantastic social enterprises gathered at Maesteg Town Hall in the south Wales Llynfi valley on Thursday 9 October to highlight their work tackling some of society’s most pressing problems – and eight fantastic social enterprises from across Wales took home the prestigious awards.
The annual Social Business Wales awards recognise excellence, innovation, and impact in the social enterprise sector, celebrating social businesses which are improving lives, strengthening communities, and driving inclusive economic growth across Wales.
The day-long conference and awards brought together nearly two hundred guests from across Wales’s public, private, and third sectors to hear top social value speakers, and honour the remarkable contribution of social enterprises to the nation’s economy and wellbeing.
This year’s winners were chosen from more than one hundred entries across eight categories, and represent the very best of social enterprise in Wales.
Winner of the headline Social Enterprise of the Year award was Swansea-based social business Down to Earth.
Mark McKenna, co-founder and CEO, said:
“Down to Earth is tackling some of the biggest environmental challenges of our time through co-designing and co-creating homes, schools, and hospitals using only nature-centred design and materials.
“Over the last 12 months we’ve worked with over 1800 participants from at risk and marginalised backgrounds to deliver health care and education programmes, and to create remarkable changes in their lives and the communities around them.
“We were over the moon to be shortlisted for the Social Business Wales awards – and we’re incredibly proud to win Social Enterprise of the Year. Hopefully, this recognition will enable us to do more work and have even greater impact in the future.
“Thank you very much for recognising the work we’re doing.”
Winner of the award for One to Watch is Our Voice Our Journey CIC, based in Caerphilly, which supports young people aged 11–25, especially those navigating violence, inequality, or marginalisation.
Founder Anne-Marie Lawrence said:
“At Our Voice Our Journey, we don’t speak for young people – we stand beside them to help find solutions. We exist to amplify their voices, champion their leadership, and co-create safer, more equitable communities where everyone can thrive.
“Since our launch in April 2025, we’ve already engaged over 1,500 young people and professionals through transformative workshops, training, events, and campaigns. Our approach is rooted in prevention before harm, lived experience, breaking cycles, creating spaces for healing and growth, and youth led innovation.”
The winner of the Social Enterprise Innovation of the Year award sponsored by Atkins Realis, Cardiff-based Holistic Hoarding CIC, was founded in response to a critical gap in support services for individuals struggling with hoarding behaviours – particularly those facing eviction and social isolation due to complex mental health and trauma-related issues.
Head of Sustainability Celeste Lewis said:
“Our support focuses on developing skills like decision-making and problem-solving, and creating a safer, more manageable living space.
“We deliver CPD accredited trauma-informed training to organisations like the Chartered institute of Housing (CIH) as well as direct trauma-informed therapeutic support for individuals who hoard across Wales. Our support focuses on developing skills like decision-making, problem-solving, and creating a safer, more manageable living space.
“Winning this award is incredibly exciting, and shows us how necessary this support is. We’ll move forward invigorated and empowered.”
The winner of Prove it: the Social Impact award is The Baxter Project, part of Therapeutic Activities Group CIC. The Baxter Project pairs practitioners with dogs to create safe, trusted spaces for vulnerable children, many of whom are struggling with trauma, emotional dysregulation, or simply need someone to notice that they’re not okay. Its social mission is early intervention, meeting the needs of young people before they escalate, and before trauma calcifies into long-term disengagement.
Founder Dave O’Driscoll said:
“Baxter and his four legged friends create calm, build trust, and help children feel safe enough to talk. They act as a bridge between the young people we support and our specialist practitioners, helping us reach children who’ve withdrawn, shut down, or feel the world isn’t for them.
“This year has been our most impactful yet. We’ve delivered over 9000 hours of one to one support in schools up and down the country. Every session is trauma informed and built on safety, connection, and consistency, because for many of our children, that’s what’s been missing. But the impact goes beyond individual pupils. We’ve seen entire classrooms become calmer. Staff feel more confident, families reconnected. Communities benefit when their children re-engage, not just with education, but with themselves and their futures. One teacher told us – just seeing the dog in the corridor can change a child’s whole day.
“Being nominated for this award was a huge honour – a recognition of our team, our partner schools, and most importantly for the children who show up every week and keep trying. This work changes lives quietly, powerfully, and one paw at a time. Thank you.”
The winner of the Environmental Social Enterprise award is Datblygiadau Egni Gwledig (DEG), based in Caernarfon. DEG focuses on community-driven energy projects that reduce energy use and costs, and decrease reliance on fossil fuels, supporting communities to use energy more efficiently and reinvest profits back into their communities.
Founding Director Grant Peisley said:
“DEG is deeply committed to environmental issues and social justice. All our work is alongside communities. We work with communities to help them save money by using less energy, or to make money by generating their own energy.
“We’re a community-based climate action movement. We’ve supported local community renewable energy projects predicted to generate enough electricity to power 585 homes, and to use energy more efficiently, decrease reliance on fossil fuels, and reduce energy use and costs. Every £1 invested in DEG generates £3.58 in social value.
“Being nominated for this award means the world. It’s a great way for other people to see what’s possible for them to do, too.”
The winner of Social Enterprise building Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Justice, sponsored by the Co-op, is The Tax Academy CIC. Founder Paul Retout, a former Chartered Accountant, went to prison in October 2013 for four months, and realised that individuals entering prison can find tax problems escalating, often followed by bankruptcy, which contributes to the cycle of reoffending.
Paul Retout said:
“We provide tax support and education to prisoners that lack the knowledge to deal with their tax affairs. We believe that leaving prison with tax affairs in order and a better understanding of the taxation system means that the prisoner has a better chance of integration into society, and one less thing to worry about on release.
“Over the last 10 years, we’ve dealt with more than 8,000 tax cases. We’re currently working with prisoners in all Welsh prisons, and in particular running tax justice hubs in HMP Prescoed and HMP Berwyn. With resources already stretched, there’s little or no help for prisoners to fulfil their tax responsibilities. We want to help prisoners get their tax affairs in order so they can re-enter society without being burdened by tax debt.”
The winner of the Social Enterprise Women’s Champion of the Year is Helen Davies, founder and Director of Sunflower Lounge in Neath, which nurtures care experienced young people, care leavers, and young people estranged from their families.
“The right understanding and unique support is often missing for care experienced young people. Sunflower Lounge is built around their needs. When many other organisations are stepping back due to the age of the young people, we step up, supporting them for as long as they need.
“The young people that we work with are very often alone, without the traditional support mechanisms that we’d take for granted – and that’s where we come in, offering support with no judgement. We make sure they know that when they’re part of the tribe, they’re never alone.
“This award is really special to me and the young people. It makes them feel valued and seen. Our young people are incredible, and I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to work with them. To win this award shows just how important the work we’re doing is, and how amazing our young people are.”
The winner of the Community-based Social Enterprise award is the Fern Partnership, which runs six childcare facilities located in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the Rhondda and Cynon Valleys.
Michelle Coburn-Hughes, CEO and founding Director of the Fern Partnership, said:
“The Fern Partnership is rooted in the belief that every child, every family, and every community deserves the chance to thrive. From our grassroots beginnings to the vibrant network we are today, our journey has been driven by determination, passion, and a deep love for the people and places we serve.
“Here, children are given the very best start in life, not just through education and play, but by creating a safe, nurturing space where confidence blooms. Our childcare also supports parents, helping them return to work, training, or education with the reassurance their children are in excellent hands.
“Being finalists is incredibly meaningful. It recognises the dedication of staff and our volunteers, and it celebrates the resilience, creativity, and determination of our communities. This win will motivate us to keep being bold, and being change-makers. It reminds us why we do what we do, even when the times are tough.”
Funded by Welsh Government, Social Business Wales delivers advice and support to new and existing social enterprises all over Wales through a consortium of providers that includes Cwmpas, Development Trusts Association Wales, Social Firms Wales, UnLtd and the WCVA, helping businesses to thrive in a challenging economy.
Glenn Bowen, Director of Enterprise at Cwmpas, said:
“Across Wales, we’re seeing a quiet transformation in the way organisations are prioritising value. Value today is about impact – the positive change created by people, places, and the planet. That is the promise at the heart of social business – and tonight’s winners deliver untold social and business impact.
“This year’s winners are co-designing and co-creating homes, schools, and hospitals with disadvantaged communities. They are contributing massively to renewable energy projects; supporting the wellbeing of young people who are navigating violence, inequality and marginalisation; addressing a critical gap in support for individuals struggling with hoarding behaviours; pairing practitioners with dogs to deliver trauma-informed sessions in schools; supporting prisoners to get their tax affairs in order; and helping care experienced young people and care leavers who are at risk of homelessness to ‘find their tribe.’
“Congratulations to all of our winners and entries. It has been incredibly exciting to see the quality of the 101 amazing social businesses which stepped up to enter the 2025 Social Business Awards.
“You should all feel very proud.”
The Social Business Wales Awards 2025 were sponsored by Atkins Realis, The Co-op, Transport for Wales, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, and Valleys 2 Coast.
