Win an exclusive one on one session with one of the 28 UK Social Enterprise Ambassadors!

Social Enterprise Ambassadors become prizes for entrepreneurs

The Social Enterprise Ambassador programme has launched its first-ever mentoring competition, offering exclusive access to all 28 ambassadors' offices, insights and experience as prizes.

In order to win, entrants must explain in 150 words or less why they think they should win the session with their ambassador of choice, via the entry form on the ambassadors' website.

The competition is open to both individuals and organisations. Current or aspiring social entrepreneurs as well as social enterprises and organisations interested in using business to create social and environmental change.

Each ambassador will give two hours of intensive business advice and mentoring to the competition winners, as well as a tour of their social enterprise to get the inside story on how it works.

The Social Enterprise Ambassadors are dynamic business leaders of this thriving new sector, and include Penny Newman, Chief Exec of Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen Foundation and Big Issue Founder John Bird.

A social enterprise is a business driven by social and environmental objectives. There are approximately 62,000 social enterprises contributing £24 billion GVA (Gross Value Added) to the UK economy.

The competition is being promoted across a wide range of social and business groups to raise awareness and encourage involvement in social enterprise.

Pauline Milligan, Programme Manager comments: "The Ambassadors want to inspire and help budding social entrepreneurs by sharing their considerable knowledge and experience, their lessons learned and useful tips and tricks to build a successful social enterprise."

Tim Campbell, Alan Sugar’s first ‘Apprentice’ and Social Enterprise Ambassador will be one of the prizes, he comments: “Increasingly I see start ups being founded as social enterprises, which is fantastic. But these businesses face the same challenges as all start ups in surviving their first year and beyond - as well as the additional challenges of meeting social and environmental goals!

“Advice from someone who has gone through the process can be critical and as ambassadors, we have a lot of useful experience – good and bad - to share. I hope that this competition will be a way to give practical advice, as well as promoting everything that is great about social enterprise to a wide range of people."

Claudine Reid MBE, and a Social Enterprise Ambassador who sees mentoring as central to her success comments: "Mentoring made all the difference to me. Without it, my social enterprise, PJ's, wouldn't be where it is today. I want to be able to share what I've learned to help the next generation of social entrepreneurs".

The competition launches on February 1st and runs until March 31st 2010

The Social Enterprise Coalition is the UK’s national body for social enterprise. Acting as the voice for the sector, it supports and represents the work of its members, influences national policy and promotes best practice. www.socialenterprise.org.uk