[Nettime-bold] First Upstarts Awards, for social entrepreneurs, winners announced in London.

[James Cully <james@newstatesman.co.uk>]

15 November, 2001
Upstarts Awards www.upstarts.org.uk winners take £50,000 for their social
businesses.

The first New Statesman-Centrica Upstarts Awards for UK Social Entrepreneurs
winners were announced in London today by Douglas Alexander MP, Minister of
State at the DTI. The Minister presented three winners with cheques worth
£15,000 and the fourth with £5,000 towards research and development. The
winners come from Ellesmere Port, West Mersea, Essex, London and Haverford
West, West Wales.

In the opinion of the Judges, the  winners clearly demonstrated creative
solutions to challenges in their communities, in very different but
innovative ways but with the similar attitude, sense of purpose, energy and
self-belief. The Judges also believe that all the winning ideas could and
should be rolled out regionally and nationally.

The four Upstarts Awards winners are:

1. Hywel Davies, the Asylum Project, Haverfordwest, West Wales.

Hywel Davies is the key person in the ambitious  development called the
Asylum Project in Haverfordwest, West Wales. The site is a former Victorian
mental hospital, hence the name.

The project aims to redevelop the site into a major social enterprise hub
for the area and region. Within the physical structure, plans are advanced
to develop a Cyber Café and Asylum Gallery which will house the art of
cartoonist and political satirist, Ralph Steadman.

Voluntary organisations from the region will move into the building to
create a fertile base allowing them to focus their expertise and energies to
create entirely new initiatives.
Hywel Davies receives £15,000.
01437 769266 or 01558 824012 (Office) 0787 089 0642 (Mobile)

2. Paul Harrod and Mark Richardson of Aspire, London

Aspire is an expanding social business that creates full time employment for
homeless and other excluded people. Aspire seeks innovative solutions to
ingrained social problems.

The business delivers Fair Trade catalogues to over 1 million UK homes.
Employees deliver and collect orders for which they are paid over £150 per
week. Started in 1998 by Paul and Mark, within its first trading year Aspire
had achieved sales worth over £100,000 and had created  jobs for 16 people.

In the longer term, Aspire aims to become a fully self supporting business
through the establishment of new  'branches' in other major UK cities. Other
projects being planned are the development of an e-commerce website to sell
goods from UK community groups.
Paul Harrod and Mark Richardson receive £15,000.
Office (020 7261 9797) Mobile (0771 3231414)

3. Merlin Matthews of Re~Cycle, West Mersea, Essex

Merlin, aka Dr Bike, plans to develop Re~Cycle, his bicycle recycling
business. He takes bikes from organisations such as the Post Office,
services them and then ships them to countries where they are in short
supply and where large sections of the population have no option but to walk
long distances. Re~Cycle also trains local people to service their own
bikes.

The aim is to develop  a small existing business into a medium sized one
over the next 18 months. A Board of Trustees has been appointed recently to
see this plan through.
Merlin is currently studying at the School for Social Entrepreneurs.
01206 382207 (Home) 0797 0731530 (Mobile)
Merlin Matthews receives £15,000.

4. Suzanne Iuppa of Roots 'n Boots Local Food Initiative Ltd, Ellesmere
Port.

Based in the Ellesmere Port area, Suzanne has developed a local food
initiative through into a thriving social enterprise with plans for a retail
café outlet.

The project grows and sells food locally on allotments using volunteers and
horticultural students. NVQ training is provided to volunteers.

Aimed at local youth, the cafe will retail the locally produced food.
Research has been conducted into what type of healthy foods will appeal to
this age group.

Suzanne Iuppa receives £5,000 toward further research and development.
0151 3734333 or 07944 530285 (Office)

The four winners are outstanding examples of innovative, dedicated social
entrepreneurship selected from the nearly 200 detailed entries read by the
Upstarts  Judges who included Andrew Mawson OBE, Director of CAN; Paul
Boateng MP, David Willetts MP; Vincent Cable MP and Charlie Leadbeater.

The Upstarts Awards are sponsored by Centrica and hosted by New Statesman.
More background including Judges details, rules and judging criteria
available here: www.upstarts.org.uk
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Notes to editors:

Winners available for interview noon on the 15th.
Jpegs available at the same time.

Launched last November by Lord Falconer, the Upstarts Awards are the first
national awards to focus exclusively on social entrepreneurs and social
enterprise.

Almost 200 entries were received through the website from all parts of the
UK. Ideas ranged from credit unions; emergency childcare services; street
signposting for the blind; translation and consultancy services for ethnic
minorities; wood recycling businesses and community TV services.

The Upstarts Awards illustrate that the UK is rich in creative approaches to
solving engrained social exclusion challenges.
-ends-

Contact:
James Cully
New Statesman
020 7592 3605





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