Creative thought and sustainable action recognised at Social Enterprise awards ceremony

North Wales Development Trust and Arts Centre, Galeri Caernarfon Cyf, takes top prize at Social Enterprise Awards Wales 2013

• Galeri Caernarfon Cyf wins ‘Wales Social Enterprise of the Year’
• ‘One to Watch’ category won by Gofal Enterprises
• ‘Social Enterprise Market Builder’ won by social landlord United Welsh
• Cris Tomos of Cymdeithas Cwm Arian and 4CG is recognised as ‘Social Enterprise Champion’

The Social Enterprise Awards Wales are designed to recognise outstanding Welsh social enterprises which demonstrate innovation, imagination and passion for social change. The awards celebrate businesses which have a clear social or environmental mission, which benefit a specific community and trade commercially whilst fulfilling their social aims.

The winners were announced at a packed awards ceremony in the SWALEC Stadium in Cardiff tonight (Tuesday 15th October). The awards were compered by IWA Director Lee Waters.

Wales Social Enterprise of the Year – Galeri Caernarfon Cyf

The title of ‘Wales Social Enterprise of the Year’ was awarded to Galeri Caernarfon Cyf.

Galeri Caernarfon Cyf is a development trust set up to improve Caernarfon Town by buying derelict buildings and refurbishing and developing them. It also runs a £7.5m community arts centre which offers initiatives and activities designed to attract young people.

Galeri was recognised for its innovative approach to generating employment and business growth in Caernarfon. It offers properties for retail and business development use. It employs nearly 50 staff directly and 80 people are employed by companies resident within its facilities. The organisation runs a gallery and performance space which is used daily by the local community. It is estimated that Galeri’s activities account for an economic impact equal to £1.3million per year for the area.

Galeri looks to realise the cultural, economic and environmental potential of local communities. Its vision is "anything is possible…through creative thought and sustainable action". Galeri has been in operation for over 21 years and has had a major economic and cultural impact on Caernarfon and the surrounding area.

Galeri beat off strong competition from Tennis365, a community run tennis facility in Swansea, and Gwynedd-based social enterprise Menter Fachwen, which provides opportunities for adults with learning difficulties to gain working lifestyles and independence.

One to Watch – Gofal Enterprises

The new ‘One to Watch’ category celebrates new social enterprises with growth potential. This year it has been won by Gofal Enterprises Ltd, a social enterprise working on behalf of mental health charity Gofal. Gofal Enterprises runs a cleaning and grounds maintenance business, PS Services. The business was established to provide supportive employment to vulnerable individuals seeking to return to the labour market. Gofal Enterprises beat fellow shortlisted nominees iSmooth, an Ammanford based community café, and Trinity Child and Family Centre in Aberfan near Merthyr Tydfil.

Social Enterprise Market Builder – United Welsh

The ‘Social Enterprise Market Builder’ Award is aimed at any social enterprise, public sector body or private sector organisation that has demonstrably tried to create more opportunities to buy from social enterprises.

This year’s winner is South Wales social landlord United Welsh. The organisation has proactively chosen to work with social enterprises to ensure that local benefits can be accrued within the communities they operate in. United Welsh have appointed a social enterprise champion and actively addressed their processes and procedures to ensure that social enterprises have access to opportunities on both the supply and demand side.

United Welsh beat another housing provider, Hafod Housing Association, and Caerphilly-based workplace services provider PHS Group.

Social Enterprise Champion – Cris Tomos

The ‘Social Enterprise Champions’ Award recognizes individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the development of their social enterprise or to the sector in general. This year’s winner is Cris Tomos, Director of Cardigan Castle and a social entrepreneur who has been heavily involved in community enterprise for many years. He has held positions as Treasurer of Credcer Credit Union and Board Member of the 4CG Co-operative, a community owned retail and craft centre which in 2012 also bought the old police station and court house in Cardigan. He led a campaign to save a local school threatened with closure and when that failed, led a second campaign to buy the building and develop a community co-operative - the Hermon Community Resource Co-operative is now a £500,000 eco venue centre. He also assisted the community in Cwm Arian to submit a Low Carbon Community Bid to the Department of Energy and Climate Change. The other shortlisted candidates for this award were Barry Shiers of Vision 21 and Tony Crocker of Track 2000, both based in Cardiff, and Lis Mclean of Canolfan a Menter Cygraeg in Merthyr Tydfil.

Cris Tomos said,

"It's a great honour and a truly humbling experience to recieve this award. Its down to the group of people in the communities in were I live and I accept the award on behalf of a great team of local social entrepreneurs".

Wales Co-operative Centre Chief Executive Derek Walker commented:

“The quality of nominations this year demonstrated not only the breadth and versatility of the sector but the importance the sector has to the economy of Wales and the communities that benefit from the products and services that social enterprises offer. “The judges this year had a tough task deciding between a number of very dedicated people and a number of extremely deserving nominees. The winners chosen demonstrate an impressive commitment to their area of expertise and an outstanding level of service. “We congratulate Galeri Caernarfon, Gofal Enterprise / PS Services, United Welsh and Cris Tomos as well as all of the other excellent social enterprises who were shortlisted.”

The Social Enterprise Support Project is tasked with promoting and developing social enterprise in Wales. The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund and Welsh Government.

The awards were sponsored by Building Enterprise, the Institute of Welsh Affairs, Unity Trust Bank and Social Firms Wales.

Building Enterprise, a Community Housing Cymru project funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and CHC members, are sponsoring theawards and subsequent social enterprise conference.  

Their Director of Policy and Regeneration Sioned Hughes, said:

“We are delighted to be supporting these events. As the membership body for Housing Associations in Wales, our  members are well placed to support communities in using their skills and assets to support new and exciting social enterprises. With combined annual spending of over £1 billion, Welsh housing associations are amongst the largest and most influential social enterprises in Wales. Building Enterprise will maximise the community benefit from this spend and ensure the vast majority of this wealth remains locked into Welsh communities". 

Syniadau creadigol a gweithredu cynaliadwy’n cael cydnabyddiaeth yn seremoni’r Gwobrau Mentrau Cymdeithasol

Ymddiriedolaeth Ddatblygu a Chanolfan Gelfyddydol yng Ngogledd Cymru, Galeri Caernarfon Cyf, yn ennill y brif wobr yng Ngwobrau Mentrau Cymdeithasol Cymru 2013

• Galeri Caernarfon Cyf yn ennill ‘Menter Gymdeithasol y Flwyddyn yng Nghymru’
• Gofal Enterprises yn ennill y categori ‘Un i’w Gwylio’
• Y landlord cymdeithasol Cymdeithas Tai Unedig Cymru yn ennill y categori ‘Datblygwr Marchnad Mentrau Cymdeithasol’
• Cris Tomos o Gymdeithas Cwm Arian a 4CG yn cael ei gydnabod yn ‘Hyrwyddwr Mentrau  Cymdeithasol’

Mae Gwobrau Mentrau Cymdeithasol Cymru wedi’u bwriadu i adnabod mentrau cymdeithasol neilltuol yng Nghymru sy’n dangos arfer arloesol, dychymyg ac awch am newid cymdeithasol. Mae’r gwobrau’n dathlu busnesau a chanddynt genhadaeth gymdeithasol neu amgylcheddol amlwg, sy’n dwyn budd i gymuned benodol ac yn gweithredu’n fasnachol gan gyrraedd eu nodau cymdeithasol.

Cyhoeddwyd enwau’r enillwyr mewn seremoni wobrwyo orlawn yn Stadiwm SWALEC yng Nghaerdydd heno (nos Fawrth 15 Hydref). Llywydd y noson oedd Cyfarwyddwr y Sefydliad Materion Cymreig Lee Waters

Menter Gymdeithasol y Flwyddyn yng Nghymru – Galeri Caernarfon Cyf

Dyfarnwyd teitl ‘Menter Gymdeithasol y Flwyddyn yng Nghymru’ i Galeri Caernarfon Cyf.

Ymddiriedolaeth ddatblygu yw Galeri Caernarfon Cyf a sefydlwyd i wella tref Caernarfon trwy brynu adeiladau adfeiliedig a’u hadnewyddu a’u datblygu. Mae hefyd yn rhedeg canolfan gelfyddydol gymunedol £7.5m sy’n cynnig mentrau a gweithgareddau sydd wedi’u bwriadu i ddenu pobl ifanc.

Cafodd Galeri ei chydnabod am ei dull arloesol o greu cyflogaeth a thwf busnes yng Nghaernarfon. Mae’n cynnig adeiladau i’w defnyddio ar gyfer adwerthu a datblygu busnesau. Mae’n cyflogi bron i 50 o staff yn uniongyrchol ac mae 80 o bobl yn cael eu cyflogi gan gwmnïau a gartrefir o fewn ei chyfleusterau. Mae’r sefydliad yn rhedeg oriel a man perfformio a ddefnyddir yn ddyddiol gan y gymuned leol. Amcangyfrifir bod gweithgareddau Galeri yn gyfrifol am effaith economaidd sy’n gyfwerth ag £1.3 miliwn y flwyddyn ar yr ardal.

Mae Galeri yn ceisio gwireddu potensial diwylliannol, economaidd ac amgylcheddol cymunedau lleol. Ei gweledigaeth yw “mae unrhyw beth yn bosib...trwy syniadau creadigol a gweithredu cynaliadwy”.
Mae Galeri wedi bod yn weithredol am dros 21 mlynedd ac wedi cael effaith economaidd a diwylliannol fawr ar Gaernarfon a’r cyffiniau. Daeth Galeri i’r brig mewn cystadleuaeth gref a oedd hefyd yn cynnwys Tennis365, cyfleuster tenis sy’n cael ei redeg gan y gymuned yn Abertawe, a Menter Fachwen, menter gymdeithasol yng Ngwynedd sy’n darparu cyfleoedd i oedolion ag anawsterau dysgu ddechrau gweithio a bod yn annibynnol.

Un i’w Gwylio – Gofal Enterprises

Mae’r categori newydd ‘Un i’w Gwylio’ yn dathlu mentrau cymdeithasol newydd â photensial i dyfu. Eleni fe’i henillwyd gan Gofal Enterprises Ltd, menter gymdeithasol sy’n gweithio ar ran yr elusen
iechyd meddwl Gofal. Mae Gofal Enterprises yn rhedeg busnes glanhau a chynnal a chadw tiroedd, PS Services. Sefydlwyd y busnes i ddarparu cyflogaeth gefnogol ar gyfer unigolion agored i niwed sy’n ceisio dychwelyd i’r farchnad waith.

Roedd Gofal Enterprises yn drech na’r enwebeion eraill a gyrhaeddodd y rhestr fer, sef iSmooth, caffi cymunedol yn Rhydaman, a Chanolfan Plant a Theuluoedd Trinity yn Aberfan ger Merthyr Tudful.

Datblygwr Marchnad Mentrau Cymdeithasol – Cymdeithas Tai Unedig Cymru

Mae’r Wobr ‘Datblygwr Marchnad Mentrau Cymdeithasol’ wedi’i bwriadu ar gyfer unrhyw fenter gymdeithasol, corff yn y sector cyhoeddus neu sefydliad yn y sector preifat sydd yn amlwg wedi ceisio creu mwy o gyfleoedd i brynu gan fentrau cymdeithasol.

Enillydd eleni yw’r landlord cymdeithasol o Dde Cymru, Cymdeithas Tai Unedig Cymru. Mae’r sefydliad wedi gwneud dewis rhagweithiol i weithio gyda mentrau cymdeithasol i sicrhau y gellir cronni
manteision lleol o fewn y cymunedau y maent yn gweithio ynddynt. Mae Cymdeithas Tai Unedig Cymru wedi penodi hyrwyddwr mentrau cymdeithasol ac wedi ymdrin mewn ffordd weithredol â’u prosesau a’u gweithdrefnau i sicrhau bod gan fentrau cymdeithasol fynediad at y cyfleoedd o safbwynt y cyflenwad a’r galw.

Daeth Cymdeithas Tai Unedig Cymru i’r brig yn erbyn darparwr tai arall, Cymdeithas Tai Hafod, a’r darparwr gwasanaethau gweithleoedd yng Nghaerffili, PHS Group.

Hyrwyddwr Mentrau Cymdeithasol – Cris Tomos

Mae’r Wobr ‘Hyrwyddwr Mentrau Cymdeithasol’ yn cydnabod unigolion sydd wedi gwneud cyfraniad neilltuol at ddatblygiad eu menter gymdeithasol neu i’r sector yn gyffredinol. Enillydd eleni yw Cris Tomos, Cyfarwyddwr Castell Aberteifi ac entrepreneur cymdeithasol sydd wedi chwarae rhan fawr mewn mentrau cymunedol am nifer o flynyddoedd. Mae wedi dal swyddi fel Trysorydd Undeb Credyd Credcer ac Aelod o Fwrdd Cwmni Cydweithredol 4CG, canolfan adwerthu a chrefftau gymunedol a wnaeth hefyd brynu’r hen orsaf heddlu a llys yn Aberteifi . Arweiniodd ymgyrch i achub ysgol leol yr oedd bygythiad i’w chau a phan fethodd hynny, arweiniodd ail ymgyrch i brynu’r adeilad i ddatblygu cwmni cydweithredol cymunedol – mae Cwmni Cydweithredol Adnoddau Cymunedol Hermon bellach yn lleoliad a chanolfan ecogyfeillgar gwerth £500,000. Fe wnaeth hefyd gynorthwyo’r gymuned yng Nghwm Arian i gyflwyno cynnig dan y Rhaglen Cymunedau Carbon Isel i’r Adran Ynni a Newid Hinsawdd. Yr ymgeiswyr eraill a gyrhaeddodd y rhestr fer ar gyfer y wobr hon oedd Barry Shiers o Vision 21 a Tony Crocker o Track 2000, dwy fenter sydd wedi’u lleoli yng Nghaerdydd, a Lis Mclean o Ganolfan a Menter Gymraeg Merthyr Tudful. Meddai Prif Weithredwr Canolfan

Cydweithredol Cymru Derek Walker:

“Roedd ansawdd yr enwebiadau eleni’n dangos nid dim ond ehangder a hyblygrwydd y sector ond pwysigrwydd y sector i economi Cymru a’r cymunedau sy’n elwa o’r cynhyrchion a’r gwasanaethau y mae mentrau cymdeithasol yn eu cynnig.

“Roedd gorchwyl anodd gan y beirniaid eleni i benderfynu rhwng nifer o bobl ymroddedig iawn a nifer o enwebeion teilwng tu hwnt. Mae’r enillwyr a ddewiswyd yn dangos ymrwymiad nodedig i’w maes arbenigol a lefel eithriadol o wasanaeth. “Rydym yn llongyfarch Galeri Caernarfon, Gofal Enterprise / PS Services, Cymdeithas Tai Unedig Cymru a Cris Tomos yn ogystal â’r holl fentrau ardderchog eraill a gyrhaeddodd y rhestr fer.”

Mae'r prosiect Cymorth i Fentrau Cymdeithasol, â’r dasg o hyrwyddo a datblygu mentrau cymdeithasol yng Nghymru. Ariannir y prosiect gan y Gronfa Datblygu Ranbarthol Ewrop a Llywodraeth Cymru.  

Noddwyd y gwobrau gan Adeiladu Menter, Y Sefydliad Materion Cymreig, Unity Trust Bank a Cwmnïau Cymdeithasol Cymru.

Mae Adeiladu Menter, prosiect gan Cartrefi Cymunedol Cymru a ariennir â chyllid o Gronfa Datblygu Rhanbarthol Ewrop (ERDF) a chan aelodau CCC, yn noddi’r gwobrau a’r gynhadledd mentrau  cymdeithasol a gynhaliwyd wedyn. 

Meddai ei Gyfarwyddwr Polisi ac Adfywio, Sioned Hughes:

“Rydym wrth ein bodd ein bod yn noddi’r digwyddiadau hyn. Fel y corff aelodaeth ar gyfer Cymdeithasau Tai yng Nghymru, mae ein haelodau mewn sefyllfa dda i roi cymorth i gymunedau ddefnyddio’u sgiliau a’u hasedau i gefnogi mentrau cymdeithasol newydd a chyffrous. Gyda gwariant blynyddol cyfunol o fwy nag £1 biliwn, mae cymdeithasau tai yng Nghymru ymhlith y mentrau cymdeithasol mwyaf yng Nghymru o ran eu maint a’u dylanwad. Bydd Adeiladu Menter yn cynyddu i’r eithaf y budd i gymunedau o ganlyniad i’r gwariant hwn ac yn sicrhau bod y mwyafrif llethol o’r cyfoeth hwn yn cael ei gadw mewn cymunedau yng Nghymru".