Scottish pupils receive national social enterprise award from Deputy First Minister, John Swinney MSP
-The 12th annual Social Enterprise in Education Awards, sponsored by Kibble and Big Issue Invest, took place today (19 June 2019) at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh
-Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, John Swinney MSP, presented 40 schools from the central belt with their awards
-Pupils created their social enterprises as part of the Social Enterprise in Education programme, delivered by the Social Enterprise Academy
This year, innovative young people across Scotland have been setting up businesses to tackle the social and environmental issues that matter to them. Forty schools received a Social Enterprise in Education Award from Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education & Skills, John Swinney MSP to recognise the success and sustainability of their social enterprises.
Social enterprise examples from this year include; creating a range of mindfulness products to promote positive mental health, teaching computer programming to the local community to tackle unemployment, and running a weekly community café to reduce isolation and loneliness among the elderly.
Pupils created their social enterprises as part of the Social Enterprise in Education programme, which was created as a partnership between the Social Enterprise Academy and the Scottish Government in 2007. The programme empowers Scotland’s young people to affect social change in their communities while developing key core employability and entrepreneurial skills for the future.
Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, John Swinney MSP
In March 2019, 14 schools from across Scotland, who all received a Social Enterprise in Education Award, also took part in creating and selling a special edition of The Big Issue magazine, sharing their social enterprise journey with readers across the country.
Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, John Swinney MSP said:
“These young people have been bringing the Curriculum for Excellence to life in an excellent way, developing essential skills for the future by setting up their own social enterprises and having a positive impact in their schools and communities at the same time.
“It was a pleasure to present at the awards and my congratulations go out to all of the successful schools that took part in this innovative initiative that is empowering our young people to change society.”
Emily Mnyayi, Head of Social Enterprise in Education at the Social Enterprise Academy, said:
“We would like to say a huge thank you to all the young people who have worked so hard over the last year, and the teachers and schools who support them.
The Social Enterprise Academy are excited to work with even more schools next year as we work towards our target of offering this opportunity to every school in Scotland and begin pilots in other countries around the globe. We look forward to seeing more ripples of positive change started by young people in every community.”
The following schools received a Social Enterprise in Education Award:
Clackmannanshire:
Lornshill Academy
East Renfrewshire:
St John’s Primary School
St Luke’s High School
Edinburgh:
Broughton High School
St Mary’s RC Primary School
Falkirk:
Bo’ness Academy
Fife:
Beath High School
Blairhall Primary School
Capshard Primary School
Caskieberran Primary School
Dairsie Primary School
Inverkeithing High School
Kelty Primary School
Ladybank Primary School
Masterton Primary School
Pitcoudie Primary School
St Margaret’s RC Primary School
Torbain Primary School
Tulliallan Primary School
Glasgow:
Abercorn Secondary School
Bellahouston Academy
Hollybrook Academy
Notre Dame Primary School
Pirie Park Primary School
St Albert’s Primary School
St Bernard’s Primary School
St Denis’ Primary School
St Joseph’s Primary School
St Paul’s (Shettleston) Primary School
Inverclyde:
Hillend Children’s Centre
St Michael’s Primary School
Perth & Kinross:
Logierait Primary School
Renfrewshire:
Abi Coyle – Kirklandneuk Primary School
Bargarran Primary School
Mary Russell School
South Ayrshire
Marr College
South Lanarkshire:
Crosshouse Primary School
Stirling:
Callander Primary School
West Dunbartonshire:
Kilpatrick School
West Lothian:
West Calder High School
For more information on how to get involved in the Social Enterprise in Education programme, please visit: https://www.socialenterprise.academy/scot/young-people