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UnLtd & Social Firms Wales launch Ecwiti, new support for social entrepreneurs in Wales

UnLtd & Social Firms Wales launch Ecwiti, new support for social entrepreneurs in Wales

Written by

Jane Ryall

Social Entrepreneur Support Manager

UnLtd and Social Firms Wales have partnered to find, fund and deliver support to social entrepreneurs in Wales, with a focus on those from marginalised backgrounds.

Recognising that the Covid-19 pandemic has entrenched already pronounced inequalities in Wales, Ecwiti aims to help those most affected. It is funded by the Welsh Government. It will work towards the outcomes set out in Transforming Wales through Social Enterprise, a 10 year vision to see social enterprise adopted as a business model of choice.

Between them the partners will offer around £120,000 in funding and support to a range of impactful social ventures to start, sustain and/or scale their businesses, on top of their existing offer of support.

In Wales, disabled people, Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, and people living in poverty (rural and urban) are all disproportionally affected by the pandemic. Between December 2021 and March 2023 UnLtd & Social Firms Wales will be looking to fund social entrepreneurs in Wales who:

  • live or work in areas with high poverty rates
  • are Black, Asian and/or from a minority ethnic background
  • are disabled
  • have direct lived experience of the social issues they are setting out to solve

It will look to find more social entrepreneurs tackling important social issues such as:

  • Reducing inequalities, like Donna Ali, founder of BExcellence, who are dedicated to increasing social mobility for the black and ethnic community in South Wales, including within the business and education sector.
  • Levelling up education, like Ben Morgan-Jones, founder of Up-Grade Ltd based in Wrexham, who has his own lived experience of being disabled. His venture aims to reduce the number of young people who drop out of further education due to lack of dedicated support.
  • Improving opportunities for disabled people, like Rachel Pedley, based in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales, the founder of UK Breakin and has a disability. Her venture gives opportunities for all young people from across the UK to take part in inclusive Hip Hop dance, with the ambition to be part of Olympics 2028.

Denise Ramsey, Director of Awards at UnLtd, commented:

""This is a great boost to our offer in Wales that will allow us to find, fund and support social entrepreneurs tackling some of the most important social issues of our time. The Covid-19 pandemic has really demonstrated the depths of inequality in our society, and this is felt by so many communities in Wales. Yet we know in every place labelled as 'left behind' there are already people with solutions, ideas to help and the lived experienced to know what is needed. We're here to back these leaders so they and their communities can recover.""

Dr Martin Price, Chair of Social Firms Wales said: ""Social Firms Wales has been working successfully helping those most disadvantaged in the labour market to get into meaningful work. This is a great opportunity to support the next generation of social entrepreneurs in Wales to change Wales for the better.""

Social entrepreneurs can find out more about the support on offer and apply at from the UnLtd Portal and application forms in Welsh can be requested by emailing [email protected].

Mae UnLtd a Cwmnïau Cymdeithasol Cymru wedi partneru er mwyn dod o hyd i, ariannu a darparu cefnogaeth i entrepreneuriaid cymdeithasol yng Nghymru, gan ganolbwyntio ar y rheini o gefndiroedd sydd wedi'u hymyleiddio.

Gan gydnabod bod pandemig Covid-19 wedi dwysáu'r anghyfartaledd sydd eisoes yn bodoli yng Nghymru, nod Ecwiti yw cynorthwyo'r rheini sydd wedi'u heffeithio waethaf. Caiff ei ariannu gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Bydd yn gweithio i'r deilliannau a nodir yn Trawsnewid Cymru trwy Fentrau Cymdeithasol, gweledigaeth 10 mlynedd i weld mentrau cymdeithasol yn ddewis cyntaf i'w mabwysiadu yn fodel busnes.

Rhyngddynt bydd y partneriaid yn cynnig oddeutu £120,000 mewn nawdd a chefnogaeth i amrediad o fentrau cymdeithasol fedru cychwyn, cynnal a/neu dyfu eu busnesau, ac yn ychwanegol i'r cynnig arferol o gefnogaeth.

Yng Nghymru, mae pobl anabl, Du, Asaidd a chymunedau lleiafrifol ethnig, a phobl sy'n byw mewn tlodi (gwledig a threfol) yn cael eu heffeithio'n anghymesur gan y pandemig. Rhwng Rhagfyr 2021 a Mawrth 2023 bydd UnLtd a Cwmnïau Cymdeithasol Cymru yn chwilio i ariannu entrepreneuriaid cymdeithasol yng Nghymru sy'n:

  • byw neu'n gweithio mewn ardaloedd â chyfraddau uchel o dlodi
  • Du, Asaidd a/neu o gefndiroedd lleiafrifol ethnig
  • anabl
  • meddu ar brofiad byw o'r elfennau cymdeithasol y maent yn ceisio eu datrys

Bydd yn chwilio i geisio canfod mwy o entrepreneuriaid cymdeithasol er mwyn mynd i'r afael â materion cymdeithasol megis:

  • Lleihau anghydraddoldeb, fel Donna Ali, sylfaenydd BExcellence, sy'n ymroddedig i wella symudedd cymdeithasol i'r gymuned ddu ac ethnig yn ne Cymru, gan gynnwys oddi fewn i'r sector busnes ac addysg.
  • Codi'r gwastad mewn addysg, fel Ben Morgan-Jones, sylfaenydd Up-Grade Ltd a leolir yn Wrecsam, ac sydd â phrofiad byw o fod yn anabl. Nod ei fenter ef yw lleihau nifer y bobl ifanc sy'n gadael addysg bellach o ganlyniad i ddiffyg cymorth wedi'i neilltuo.
  • Gwella cyfleoedd i'r anabl, fel Rachel Pedley, a leolir yng Nghwm Rhondda, de Cymru, sylfaenydd UK Breakin ac mae ganddi anabledd. Mae ei menter yn rhoi cyfleoedd i bobl ifanc ar draws y DU i gymryd rhan mewn dawns Hip Hop gynhwysol, gyda'r uchelgais i fod yn rhan o Gemau Olympaidd 2028.

Dyma sydd gan Denise Ramsey, Cyfarwyddwr Dyfarniadau UnLtd, i'w ddweud:

""Mae hwn yn hwb gwych i'r hyn sydd gennym i'w gynnig yng Nghymru a bydd yn caniatáu i ni ddod o hyd i, ariannu a chefnogi entrepreneuriaid cymdeithasol sy'n mynd i'r afael â rhai o faterion cymdeithasol pwysicaf ein hamser. Mae pandemig Covid-19 wedi tynnu sylw at ddyfnder yr anghydraddoldeb mewn cymdeithas, a deimlir gan gymaint o gymunedau Cymru. Ac eto rydym yn gwybod ym mhob lle sydd wedi'i labelu fel un a 'adawyd ar ôl' mae yno bobl sydd â datrysiadau, syniadau i helpu ac â'r profiad byw ac yn gwybod yr hyn sydd angen ei wneud. Rydym ni yma i estyn cefnogaeth i'r arweinwyr hynny er mwyn iddynt hwy a'u cymunedau fedru gwella.""

Dyma sydd gan Dr Martin Price, Cadeirydd Cwmnïau Cymdeithasol Cymru i'w ddweud: ""Mae Cwmnïau Cymdeithasol Cymru wedi bod yn llwyddiannus yn gweithio i gynorthwyo'r rhai mwyaf difreintiedig yn y farchnad lafur i ddod o hyd i waith ystyrlon. Dyma gyfle gwych i gefnogi'r genhedlaeth nesaf o entrepreneuriaid cymdeithasol yng Nghymru i newid Cymru er gwell.""

Gall entrepreneuriaid cymdeithasol gael gwybod mwy am y gefnogaeth sydd ar gael ar UnLtd Portal a gellir gofyn am ffurflenni cais yn Gymraeg trwy e-bostio [email protected].