Scotland’s Locavore wins Social Enterprise of the Year at SEUK awards 2021

Social Enterprise UK announced Locavore as the UK Social Enterprise of the Year at the 2021 UK Social Enterprise awards ceremony last night. Held at London’s Guildhall, the awards celebrated the leading social enterprises of the movement. 

Locavore (pictured top) is the first social enterprise supermarket in Scotland which aims to make grocery shopping affordable at the same time as sourcing from local suppliers. The enterprise has also set up three zero-waste supermarkets. The Social Enterprise of the Year award recognises a business that has a clear vision, excellence in impact and has demonstrated and promoted social enterprise beyond the sector. 

The judges pointed out that "passion and commitment shone through" Locavore's application. 

• Read about Locavore's recent £850k social investment

To recognise the incredible contribution made by staff at social enterprises during the Covid-19 pandemic, a new category was created in the awards this year – the Social Enterprise Team of the Year Award. The social enterprise which won this award was P3. P3 (which stands for People, Potential, Possibilities) delivers services for socially excluded and vulnerable people across the UK, and supported 28,500 people in the last year.

In 2020, P3's CEO Mark Simms was named Leadership Champion at the SE100 awards run by Pioneers Post and NatWest. 

In what has been an incredibly challenging year, social enterprises have given us a real sense of hope

A new award for a Social Enterprise Building Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Justice was also added this year. This award was won by Commons Law. Based in Lambeth in London, Commons Law works nationally and internationally to provide legal defence and support to people with complex needs who are involved  in the criminal justice system. 

“In what has been an incredibly challenging year, social enterprises have given us a real sense of hope,” said Peter Holbrook, CEO of Social Enterprise UK. “They’ve shown us what it means to put people and communities first, showing real resilience and strength without compromising on their values, integrity and impact.”

Full list of the 2021 Social Enterprise UK Award winners

UK Social Enterprise of the Year - Locavore

One to Watch - Fink Street Food

Prove It: Social Impact - Community Shop

Buy Social Market Builder - John Sisk and Sons

Social Investment Deal of the Year - Social Investment Business and Big Society Capital 

Health and Social Care Social Enterprise - Community Dental Services

Consumer Facing Social Enterprise - Change Please

Education and Training Social Enterprise - Radiant Cleaners

Environmental Social Enterprise - Nemi Teas

Social Enterprise Building Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Justice - Commons Law

Women in Social Enterprise - Yvonne Farquharson, Breathe Arts Health Research

International Impact - Auticon

Transformative Community Business - Glyn Wylfa

Social Enterprise Team of the Year - P3

Tech for Good - Beam