Mr Sears – whose organisation has a turnover of 22 million and last year acquired community recyclers in Bristol – told the audience of the benefits of the community sector which “acts in the interests of local communities rather than shareholders”.
Hosted by the Minister for Social Enterprise, Nigel Griffiths, the Upstarts Awards highlight the achievements made by the UK’s growing number of social enterprises – organisations that combine both business thinking and social values.
Guiding light
The award recognised Mr Sears work as “the guiding light” at ECT since 1980, when the organisation ran one community transport service in West London. ECT, which dominates the community recycling sector, now provides kerbside recycling to “more than two million people” across the UK, as well as public and community transport services.
Commenting on the award ceremony, Mr Sears said:
“This is a tribute to our team who have worked hard to mix the best of the business world with the values of the public sector to produce services that work.
“Local communities deserve efficient services but they also need to know that the organisations that run them are acting in their interests and not those of shareholders.”
Entrepreneurs
Mr Griffiths, who presented the awards, said the awards shone “a spotlight on the strong social purpose and entrepreneurial drive of successful social entrepreneurs across the UK. By developing innovative solutions to the challenges faced by many communities across the nation, social entrepreneurs are a powerful driving force behind the achievements of the growing social enterprise sector.
“Social enterprises are an integral and dynamic part of the economy, creating new goods, services and jobs, as well as encouraging the growth of entrepreneurship and empowerment in disadvantaged areas. As Minister with special responsibility for Social Enterprise, I want to ensure that we do all we can to encourage, grow and sustain the sector.”
Register for free to comment