Last week, the Queen’s Awards Office had the fantastic opportunity to visit and network with a number of small businesses, and businesses that support small business. This was inevitably a perfect opportunity for the team to encourage potential entrants to consider future Award rounds.
Entrepreneurial spirit in the UK is definitely thriving and this was clearly evident on my visit to UnLtd. UnLtd is the leading provider of support to social entrepreneurs in the UK, and operates a unique model by investing directly in individuals and offering a complete package of resources; from Awards of funding, to ongoing advice, networking and practical support.
UnLtd supports individuals who have their ventures firmly rooted in delivering positive social change and as such I had the privilege of meeting three inspirational and innovative entrepreneurs who are having an immensely positive impact on the community at large with their unique social ventures: Active Minds, Latimer, and Student@Home. The Queen’s Awards team are certainly hoping that these entrepreneurial masterminds will be considering applying for a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category.
The social ventures at a glance
Active Minds
Active Minds develops activities and his is finding new ways to improve the quality of dementia care through interaction and entertainment. Such activities include: re-usable aqua paints, jigsaw puzzles, reminiscence books and exercise activities.
Latimer
Latimer Creative Media is an award winning, youth oriented social enterprise committed to affecting social change through co-created media and film production.
Student@Home
Student@Home connects computer users in need of support with computer students in need of income and work experience.
It was a pleasure to meet the UnLtd team and to learn more about the extensive support they are providing to social entrepreneurs. It is this support that is ensuring that innovative and entrepreneurial thinkers are utilizing their skills for the greater good, and I for one am very excited about observing the progress and positive impact of UnLtd’s current and future entrepreneurs.
The Queen’s Awards Office is looking forward to an exciting year meeting more small businesses across the UK. If you are a small business and you are interested in entering or learning more about the benefits of a Queen’s Award to your business, then please do not hesitate to contact us and we will try our very best to accommodate a visit.
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