Two NESEP members win women’s enterprise awards
Two north east social enterprises have won prestigious awards at a ceremony at the Hilton Newcastle Gateshead Hotel.
The winners of the 12th Annual North East Woman Entrepreneur of the Year Awards were revealed in November.
Dorothy Craw of Recyke y’Bike won the ‘Best Social Enterprise’ award. The business, which was founded five years ago by Dorothy, is a community project that recycles and refurbishes bikes from the community. The bikes are then sold at an affordable price either to raise funds for running the project or to assist bicycle related projects in Africa.
Dorothy said: “The aims of Recyke y’Bike are to get people cycling again, get people thinking about recycling and recycling bikes especially, enabling people to get volunteering experience to build up skills that they might not have had and getting bikes to Africa.”
The social enterprise is run by seven part time employees and 45 active volunteers who clock in an average of 460 volunteer hours a month.
Amanda Galbraith, director of Allendale Creative Artists CIC, earned the award for Best Rural Business.
The award celebrated the great determination and strength needed to create or develop a successful rural enterprise, overcoming significant barriers, and creating sustained local employment.
Amanda was responsible for setting up, raising funds and managing the Allendale Forge Studios Art and Media Centre - a purpose built space, developed on the site of old Allendale blacksmiths’ forge on Allendale Market Place. The studio has gallery space, a recording studio, meeting rooms, a digital hub and many other creative spaces.
Amanda, said: "Winning the Best Rural Business Award is an honour for myself and our team. To be counted amongst the other nominees and outstanding business women in our region is a privilege and truly humbling, I still can’t quite believe it.
"Winning an award like this really does make you stop and look at the company in a new light and spurs us all on to the next stage."
The aim of ACA CIC is to facilitate and aid the establishment and development of creative professionals and musicians, promote art, music, education, and creative businesses and also encourage sensitive tourist development.
- For more information on Recyke y’Bike visit: http://www.recyke-y-bike.org/
- And to find out more about Allendale Creative Artists CIC: http://www.allendaleforgestudios.co.uk/