Finalists revealed: NatWest SE100 Social Business Awards 2020

The NatWest SE100 celebrates the growth, impact and resilience of social ventures in the UK – by naming the most impressive 100 social enterprises of the year in a top 100 Index, and giving eight SE100 Social Business Awards for the most outstanding achievers. Today we reveal this year's finalists.

A community owned fish and chip shop in Solihull, a crowdfunding platform to support homeless people into work, and a £3m investment to an organisation offering domestic abuse support in Hull were just three of the social business ideas which inspired the judges when selecting this year’s NatWest SE100 Social Business Awards finalists.

More than 40 finalists have been named this year, all of whom will also appear in this year's SE100 Index listing the UK's Top 100 social businesess.

Hubbub Enterprise is a finalist in three different categories this year. Pictured: commercial lead Rebecca Wetten, showcasing the organisation's Ballot Bin initiative to reduce cigarette butt waste

Alison Glossop, associate at NatWest Social & Community Capital, said: “It was an amazing experience to read about the incredible work being done by this year’s SE100 applicants – from the organisations who are bringing opportunities to the UK’s most deprived areas, to those who are collaborating to create change, or thriving in the face of adversity. We look forward to welcoming the winners and guests to our awards celebration on 26 March.”

Laurie Ashcroft, supervisor at specialist accountancy firm Buzzacott, said choosing the finalists “was a real challenge due to the variety of fantastically impactful and innovative enterprises to consider. It was exciting to see that new solutions continue to be found to help tackle wide ranging issues including mental health, employment and the environment.”

Chelmund's Community Enterprises, the creators of a community owned fish and chip shop in the Midlands, is a finalist in the Trailblazing Newcomer category

All award winners will receive a special trophy made by a group of social enterprise artists, receive a free annual subscription to Pioneers Post, and will benefit from further coverage in Pioneers Post throughout the year.

For all applicants who have not been named as a finalist, there is still a chance that they have been selected for the NatWest SE100 Index naming the top 100 UK social enterprises from this year's applicants.

The full SE100 list plus the eight award-winners were due to be revealed at a special celebration event on 26 March 2020, in central London. However, the event had to be cancelled due to concerns around the Coronavirus-outbreak. The SE100 Index as well as the SE100 award winners will be announced over the course of May 2020, in our special SE100 Collection. 

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The judges for 2020's NatWest SE100 were: Megan Peat and Alison Glossop from NatWest Social & Community Capital; Eddie Finch, Laurie Ashcroft and Stephen Elsworth from Buzzacott accountants; Ben Carpenter and Rebecca Harvey from Social Value UK; Neil Berry from Access The Foundation for Social Investment; Colin Jess from Social Enterprise Northern Ireland; Cemal Ezel from Change Please (who judged the Trailblazing Newcomer category only); Pat Armstrong from ACOSVO; Tara Anderson from Locality; Melanie Mills from Big Society Capital; Phil Higham from Real Worth; Tim West from Fable Bureau / Pioneers Post; Antonia Orr and Angela Schlenkhoff-Hus from Coalition for Efficiency.

And the finalists are...

Environmental Champion

• Belu
• Communities for Renewables
• Community Wood Recycling
• Hubbub Enterprise
• Point and Sandwick Trust