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The winners of the Enterprising Solutions 07 awards were announced at a ceremony at the V & A Museum in London in October.

The awards salute social enterprises - businesses in which social justice is just as important as a successful trading profit.  The following enterprises won awards:

Divine Chocolate - Best Social Enterprise Award
Divine Chocolate Ltd, an ethical Fairtrade company, provides a variety of chocolate products to large supermarket chains and specialist shops. This year they turned over £10 million – benefiting the 45,000 shareholders of the Kuapa Kokoo co-operative in Ghana who own 45 per cent of Divine’s shares.

Women Like Us - New Social Enterprise Award
Three years ago, Karen Mattison and Emma Stewart founded Women Like Us, a recruitment consultancy for women with young children. They now provide a range of employers with a flexible workforce of high quality staff. In the film, Annette, a front of house receptionist for a London legal firm, explains how she now has a satisfying job and can still balance the needs of her family.

Goodwin Development Trust - Finalist and Award winner
In 1997 The Goodwin Development Trust in Hull turned over £17,000 and employed one person.  Today it employs over 350 people and has a turnover of £12m a year. It is responsible for a network of local services ranging from healthcare for children, a community cafe and a local transport service. We meet some of Goodwin’s employees and local residents who have benefited from these services.

McSence Group - Finalist and Award winner
The McSence Group, based in Midlothian and set up by ex-miner Brian Tannerhill, grew out of the devastation created by the pit closures of the 1980s.  His vision and determination created five community businesses that now employ and provide training for local residents.

Haven Products - Finalist and Award winner
Originally established in 1946 to provide work for people wounded in the Second World War, Haven Products is today a social enterprise whose mission is to train and provide meaningful work for those who are furthest from the job market.  Some 87% percent of its employees are disabled, all receive training and are part of a development programme to place them in jobs with local businesses. Jo Colvin, placed by Haven at IBM, is one employee who has benefited from the company’s innovative’ Working Out‘ Programme.

For more information go to the Enterprising Solutions 07 website. The awards are organised by the Social Enterprise Coalition.