Enterprising Young Brits 2009 finalists: Social and Community category

Read on to find out more about our Social and Community category finalists…

Kenneth Cheung (24)

BEEcycle

More than six million tonnes of food waste is thrown away each year in the UK, left in landfills to produce carbon dioxide and methane. Kenneth has come up with a range of innovative products to help people recycle their food, from bins for food and garden waste to microbial products that speed up composting rates. The company also runs education projects in schools that teach children about food waste recycling; their miniature eco-system, the ‘OvO’, uses composting worms to break down waste into highly nutritious compost for a young plant. With incubation support from the Lancaster Environment Centre and funding from the EU, the company aims to help people care for and improve their environment.

Visit the BEEcycle website: www.BEEcycle.co.uk

Charlotte and Ben Hollins

Highly Commended!

Charlotte (26) and Ben Hollins (24)

Fordhall Community Land Initiative

Fordhall Farm is the first community owned organic farm in north Shropshire. The farm had been running for 65 years when it was threatened by a development project in 2006. Brother and sister team Charlotte and Ben led a fundraising initiative to raise the £800,000 needed to buy the site for the community. The farm was saved, and the initiative was born! The farm now is now led by the community for community benefit, providing skills, experience and educational visits. It also promotes locally-grown food and links residents and visitors with the environment. Fordhall Farm is supported by not-for-profit shares bought by the community, subscriptions and some grants, and a tea room is planned to create a new source of revenue.

Visit Fordhall Farm’s website: www.fordhallfarm.com

Kerry Kolbe

Winner!

Kerry Kolbe (30)

Signal Films

Signal Films provides free creative opportunities for aspiring and practicing filmmakers, writers and artists working with film and digital technologies. Working closely with local, regional and national partners the social enterprise contributes to the development of a vibrant and sustainable film and media culture in Cumbria. Signal’s ‘Film Insider’s Talent Festival’ in February provided free training courses to 70 local people and three days of masterclasses and events for a further 200; since May, Kerry and her business partner have held training workshops, made films with 150 disadvantaged young people and held free creative business training events for 300 people.

Visit the Signal Films website: www.signalfilms.co.uk

Jane Burston (27) and Dan Lewer (26)

Carbon Retirement

Carbon offsetting can be controversial as people debate the value of projects being funded; Carbon Retirement offers a new way of offsetting by allowing people to buy and cancel (or ‘retire’) allowances from the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. Each allowance is a permit for a polluting company to release one tonne of carbon dioxide. When an allowance is retired before it even reaches industry, this reduces the total volume of emissions. Jane and business partner Dan have found setting up in business a steep but exhilarating learning curve. They really want to use the business to improve public awareness of emission trading and environmental policy.