This year’s Social Enterprise Day was a celebration of collaboration, innovation, and impact. Hosted at The Atrium, Wigan Town Hall, it brought together an incredible mix of social enterprises, private sector partners, and representatives of Wigan Council, creating the perfect space to share updates, ideas and celebrate the amazing work happening across our borough.
Highlights from the Day
The event was beautifully captured through an illustration by Lisa Michelle Johnson, which summed up the day’s energy. Thank you, Lisa, for such a stunning piece!
We kicked off the day with updates and opportunities for the sector, including:
- State of the Sector insights shared by Emily Darko from Social Enterprise UK.
- The Impact Report from GMCVO, reflecting on the first two years of the Proper Good programme.
- Discussions around the future role of the Our Business GM platform and its importance for the sector.
Celebrating Success and Giving Thanks
A big thank you to Caeryn Collins for recognising the inspiring ways our local businesses are “giving back,” including an update from ATTAIN’s Sue France and Jackie Salt, who offered free marketing training to support social enterprises.
Special thanks to Michelle and Rebecca from Wigan Council for hosting us in such a fantastic space!
We also celebrated the achievements of our Pitch and Pie entrants and overall winners:
- CraftHive CIC, MissPlaces CIC, More Than Words Advocacy, and Wigan Workshop CIC, who formed the Made in Wigan consortium, and were presented with their plaque and cheque as Leigh winners.
- Wigan Autistic Theatre Company, recognised as the Wigan winners, received their plaque and cheque.
Workshops and Inspiring Presentations
The day featured several impactful sessions, including:
- The Room for Dreaming workshop, led by Jess Fernhart and Derri Burdon, which explored the Wigan Borough Creative Industry Strategy.
- Presentations from:
- Stuart Green and Philip Clarke on the Routes app, a digital CV tool to support our sector.
- Melissa Taylor, sharing updates on Community Health Building work.
- Stephen Wild from Mind Body Health, highlighting the positive changes his work is creating.
- Dee Baybutt from Wigan Council’s Communities Team, providing updates on the Match My Project scheme.
This day wouldn’t have been possible without the contributions and collaboration of so many. From the sponsors like DMR Training and Standish Energy, who supported our Pitch and Pie events, to the incredible social enterprises that are shaping our community, it was truly inspiring to see the collective impact.
As we reflect on the discussions, partnerships, and opportunities shared, it’s clear that the future of social enterprise in Wigan and Leigh is bright. Whether through platforms like Our Business GM or innovative tools like the Routes app, the day emphasised the importance of collaboration in driving meaningful change.
To everyone who joined us, thank you for making Social Enterprise Day 2024 such a memorable event. Let’s keep the momentum going and continue to support each other in building a stronger, more impactful social enterprise community!
