Anwar Ali receives honorary fellowship from Social Enterprise UK

CEO of Oldham-based social enterprise Upturn Enterprise Anwar Ali has received an honorary fellowship from Social Enterprise UK.

The accolade recognises Anwar’s contribution to supporting the social enterprise movement.

Anwar has been recognised for his outstanding work in shaping, guiding and championing the UK’s social enterprise sector by being awarded an honorary fellowship from Social Enterprise UK, the trade body for the sector.

Social enterprises are businesses which trade for a social or environmental purpose, reinvesting the majority of their profits to further their social mission. There are 100,000 of these businesses in the UK, contributing £60 billion to the UK economy and employing 2 million people. They are found in nearly every sector tackling issues from homelessness and gender equality to the climate emergency.

The fellowship is awarded to those individuals who have not only taken their own organisations from strength to strength but who have also played a part in championing the wider social enterprise movement.

Current fellows include microfinance pioneer Professor Muhammad Yunus, CEO of Divine Chocolate, Sophie Tranchell, CEO of Blackburne House and VCSE Crown Representative, Claire Dove and the founder of Crowdfunder, Phil Geraghty.

Anwar will be joining five other social enterprise pioneers in being awarded the fellowship this year.

Commenting on the announcement of this year’s fellows Peter Holbrook, Chief Executive of Social Enterprise UK said: “Faced with a climate emergency, increasing inequalities of health, wealth, income and opportunity as well as stagnating economy – it has never been a more important time to rethink the purpose of business. Social enterprises are a hidden revolution, re-defining how we do business both in the UK and around the world, and our new fellows are at the forefront of this movement.

It is a great honour to welcome the 2019 fellows to our social enterprise hall of fame. This year’s fellows have been promoting sustainable ways of living whilst protecting our woodlands, taking on the prohibitive costs of childcare, driving the growth of social enterprises across cities and towns, promoting more responsible models of finance and setting up pioneering businesses dedicated to promoting social and environmental goals. They are a fantastic reflection of the strength, diversity and sheer talent of the social enterprise community.”

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