Celebrating Community Impact Across the West Midlands
The Social Economy Awards 2025 brought together people and organisations whose day to day work improves lives, supports neighbourhoods and keeps the region moving forward. This year’s awards sat at the heart of a week-long programme delivered in partnership with the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) as part of Social Economy Drive. A celebration of businesses and leaders who make community wellbeing part of their mission.
Every winner and finalist represents something meaningful: thousands of volunteer hours, support for families, creative projects, technical innovation and local jobs. Their achievements show the steady growth of the sector, with the West Midlands now home to one of the UK’s largest social enterprise communities.
Below, we highlight the winners across all categories, alongside the sponsors who helped make this year possible.
Excellence in Community Impact
Sponsor: Big Issue Invest
Winner: YCA Let’s Talk Hope Cancer Support Group
YCA Let’s Talk Hope Cancer Support Group earned this year’s award for their steady, long-standing commitment to supporting families across Sandwell. As part of the Yemeni Community Association, founded in 1997, their work reaches people who often face language barriers, limited access to services or uncertainty when navigating health challenges. Through culturally sensitive guidance, wellbeing support and trusted community connections, YCA creates a place where people feel understood and able to ask for help. Their work extends far beyond cancer support alone…linking residents to education, housing advice, digital inclusion programmes, youth activities and spiritual spaces that bring people together.
Excellence in Creative Impact
Sponsor: Ownership Hub
Winner: Open Lens Media
Open Lens Media received this year’s award for their commitment to giving young people a voice through creative expression and digital storytelling. Their work reaches children, teenagers and young adults who often struggle to access creative opportunities due to financial or social barriers. Through film, radio, podcasting and media production programmes, they create spaces where young people can build confidence, develop communication and teamwork skills and explore ideas that matter to them. Beyond creative training, Open Lens Media also delivers engagement projects that help communities express their experiences and highlight the issues they face.
Excellence in Tech Impact
Sponsor: Atkins Realis
Winner: Redihomes
Redihomes has built technology that responds to real world needs…providing people with better access to housing information and improving the systems that support families. Finalists in this category showed how thoughtful tech can make essential services easier to access.
Excellence in Health Impact
Sponsor: LivingWell
Winner: Ordinary Magic
Ordinary Magic earned this year’s award for their commitment to supporting children and families at moments when early help makes the greatest difference. Their team works directly in schools and community settings across Solihull, offering mental health and wellbeing support that reaches children who often struggle to access traditional services. With long waiting lists and limited provision leaving many young people without the help they need, Ordinary Magic steps in to fill a crucial gap…providing a safe, welcoming place where children can share their worries, build resilience and feel understood.
Excellence in Green Impact
Sponsor: ESB Energy
Winner: Acocks Greener
Acocks Greener works closely with residents to improve local spaces, encourage greener living and create community-led environmental action. This year’s finalists collectively delivered tree planting, waste-reduction projects and climate workshops across the region.
Excellence in Youth Impact
Sponsor: Pathway Group
Winner: Creative Active Lives
Creative Active Lives CIC provides young people with activities that bring joy, friendships and new interests. From inclusive sessions to creative programmes, their work helps young people feel welcome, supported and valued.
Start-up Enterprise of the Year
Sponsor: Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce
Winner: Retrofit Balsall Heath
Retrofit Balsall Heath, under two years old, is already creating local jobs while helping homes become warmer and more energy efficient. Their early impact shows how new enterprises can grow quickly when rooted in community needs.
Community Business of the Year
Sponsor: Power to Change
Winner: The Jericho Foundation
The Jericho Foundation continues to offer employment, training and community-led business activity that changes day to day life for local people. As one of the region’s most recognised community businesses, their work has supported countless individuals into stable opportunities.
Co-op of the Year
Sponsor: Ownership Hub
Winner: The Developer Society
The Developer Society earned this award for their dedication to using digital skills in a way that genuinely supports communities and the organisations that serve them. As a not for profit co-operative, their team works side by side with charities and social organisations to create tools that help people access information, understand key issues and take part in life changing support.
Social Enterprise of the Year
Sponsor: BSSEC
Winner: Purple Mind Community Service CIC
Purple Mind Community Service CIC delivers vital mental health and community support, creating spaces where people feel listened to and respected. Their programmes have grown in reach this year, touching individuals from all backgrounds.
Public Sector Organisation of the Year
Sponsor: iSE
Winner: Coventry City Council
Coventry City Council received this award for their steady commitment to working alongside social enterprises and community organisations in a way that strengthens local services and creates real opportunities for residents. Through their procurement approach, they continue to prioritise suppliers who bring community benefit, ensuring public spending reaches organisations that support employment, training, wellbeing and neighbourhood development.
Corporate Organisation of the Year
Sponsor: iSE
Winner: Lyreco
Lyreco stood out this year for their active commitment to embedding social value into the way they work across the West Midlands. Their efforts go beyond responsible supply chains; they have consistently opened their doors to social enterprises through purchasing, partnerships and community based initiatives. By choosing to work with organisations that support employment, equality and environmental responsibility, Lyreco has demonstrated how a corporate business can make thoughtful decisions that benefit people as well as the local economy.
Overall Contribution to the Social Economy (Organisation)
Sponsor: WMCA
Winner: Co-operatives West Midlands
Co-operatives West Midlands received this award for their consistent dedication to supporting co-operative organisations across the region and helping new groups find their footing. Their guidance, training and advocacy have enabled co-operatives of all sizes to connect with each other, share knowledge and access the support needed to grow sustainably. By championing shared ownership models and providing clear routes for organisations to learn, develop and collaborate, they have played a vital role in strengthening the region’s social economy.
Overall Contribution to the Social Economy (Individual)
Sponsor: WMCA
Winner: Birgit Kehrer – CEO, ChangeKitchen CIC
Dr Birgit Kehrer received this award in recognition of her many years of dedication to supporting communities through climate-friendly catering, meaningful employment and dignified food provision. As the founder of ChangeKitchen CIC, she has helped thousands of local people through free meals, emergency food parcels and work placements, while building a team that reflects the values she stands for. Her commitment to fairness, collaboration and community wellbeing has left a lasting mark on the region and this recognition honours both her leadership and the lives uplifted through her work.
Honouring Our Finalists
This year’s finalists showed commitment across every category…from health and youth programmes to environmental projects, tech innovation and creative initiatives. Even without taking home an award, their work continues to support families, neighbourhoods and local economies. We celebrate every one of them.
A Final Thank You
A heartfelt thank you to our sponsors and to the West Midlands Combined Authority for their partnership throughout the week-long Social Economy Drive. Their continued support allows organisations across the region to grow, collaborate and be recognised.
Join Us: Lunch With the Winners
Wednesday 28th January 2026, 12:00pm – 3:00pm
Location: TBC
We’re inviting you to a relaxed, friendly afternoon where you can reconnect with our winners, hear their stories and enjoy an uplifting close to the Social Economy Drive season. If you’ve ever wanted to meet the people behind this year’s achievements, this is your chance.
A Final Thought From iSE
“Every step forward begins with someone choosing to care and acting on it.”