A number of social enterprises from Flintshire and Wrexham are on the shortlist for national awards celebrating growing social businesses.

The firms help make up a shortlist of 21 social enterprise finalists taking part in the annual 2022 Social Business Wales Awards, which highlights the different ways in which social enterprises and social entrepreneurs have made a difference to lives and communities in Wales in the last 12 months.

The Awards are part of the Social Business Wales programme delivered by Cwmpas, a development agency for economic and social change, and funded by the European Regional Development Fund through Welsh Government.

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Two Flintshire enterprises have been shortlisted; not-for-profit community catering company Well-Fed (Services) Ltd in the Social Enterprise of the Year category and public space improvement coalition Enbarr Foundation CIC in the new Diversity, Inclusion, Equality and Social Justice category.

Deeside leisure centre and library service Aura Leisure Limited has been shortlisted for the Transforming Community and Place award for its work helping to keep the community fit and healthy. The organisation was one of the first employee-owned community benefit societies operating in the UK.

In Wrexham, Groundwork North Wales has been shortlisted in four categories – Social Enterprise of the Year, Prove It, Environmental Social Enterprise and the new category of Women in Social Enterprise for Chief Executive Karen Balmer.

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Glenn Bowen, Director of Enterprise at Cwmpas, said: “The standard of applications to the Social Business Wales Awards, gets better and better each year and this year is no exception. We have had applications from social enterprises from all corners of Wales.

“Social enterprises embedded within their communities providing much-needed support, services and jobs. 

“It’s great to see so many high-quality applications again this year, making it a difficult task for our judges. Good luck to all our wonderful finalists.”

The event will take place Monday October 10 and the winners will go on to represent Wales at the Social Enterprise UK Awards in held in London in December.