The Editor's Post: Why social enterprise awards – and the stories behind them – matter

This week marked the 16th edition of the NatWest SE100 Awards, in which we name the top 100 social enterprises of the year across the UK and give special recognition to those who have shown the greatest impact, drive and business ingenuity in pioneering solutions to some of our hardest social and environmental challenges.

After so many years of running these awards (and almost 25 years reporting on social enterprise and investment), you might suspect that we would have run out of new things to say or organisations to celebrate.

But I have to tell you that the SE100 programme continues to be both one of the high points of our year at Pioneers Post and one of the most affirming aspects of our work.

This year also marked a couple of firsts – following suggestions from our friends in the charity and not-for-profit team at Buzzacott accountants, who have been supporting the SE100 for many years, we introduced an award for Public Sector Pioneer, recognising social enterprises’ key role in developing alternative models for delivering excellence in public services, and the ‘bold commissioners’ in public sector organisations who must have the faith and understanding to see their potential.

It was also a first for the Pioneers100 ‘Leaders List’, which salutes the individual founders and CEOs whose steeliness, passion for positive change, inability to accept no for an answer – and sometimes complete disregard for self-preservation – is the reason that teams are inspired, investors commit, and the business keeps its wheels on the road. The importance of inspired leadership was also recognised with three awards, which were assessed by a team of judges from NatWest and its independent social investment charity Social & Community Capital, who have been our steadfast sponsors and partners since the SE100 began.

At our most simple level we are storytellers. It’s our role at Pioneers Post to find the stories that matter and share them. By sharing stories, organisations can learn from each other’s mistakes and innovations, build skills and confidence, and make connections with organisations who can provide support.

And when you hear the stories of these organisations, the people behind them, of those they are supporting and the difference this work has made, it seems even more important to take a moment to celebrate and say thank you.

As Brendan Hegarty, from NatWest Social & Community Capital, reflects in his recent LinkedIn post: “In sectors like social enterprise, people spend so much time fighting fires, solving problems and pushing forward that we don’t always stop to acknowledge how much good is actually being done. Nights like this matter because they give us the chance to pause, celebrate success and recognise the people and organisations creating impact every single day.”

So congratulations and thank you to all – we look forward to more SE100s and to sharing many more of your stories.

This week's top stories:

'We are mighty’: SE100 2026 award winners revealed

Podcast: Georgina Wilson, BUD Leaders founder: ‘The best leaders create leaders’

Feature: How is Bratislavan experimental music helping farmers in Kenya?  
 

Top image: on stage at the SE100 awards 2026.