We are delighted to have won Social Investment Deal of the Year award alongside Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA), and Tai Heulwen at the UK Social Enterprise Awards.
Social enterprises like ours reinvest profits into creating social or environmental impact. With more than 100,000 across the UK, each works to support people and strengthen communities. Out of hundreds of entries across 15 categories, it’s a real honour to be recognised among the very best in the sector.
Hosted by Social Enterprise UK at London’s Southbank Centre, the awards celebrated organisations driving practical, people-focused change. In a time of rising inequality, social division, and environmental pressures, social enterprises are offering hope and solutions where they are most needed.
Social Investment Deal of the Year - What it Means for Our Communities
We’ve always asked ourselves a simple question: how can we reach more communities and create change that lasts beyond a single project?
That question led us to join forces with WCVA and Tai Heulwen and explore how social investment could create a solid base for scaling community regeneration.
Today, we’re transforming a long-empty property in Merthyr Tydfil into a safe, stable, and nurturing home for children in care, while simultaneously creating opportunities for local people to get involved and develop new skills.
This partnership perfectly demonstrates what social investment can achieve when it is rooted in community involvement:
Children in care gain a secure home designed with love and care
Local volunteers improve their confidence, wellbeing and future prospects
The community benefits from stronger networks and shared achievement
A safe, supportive space helps children feel grounded, connected, and able to build positive relationships for the future.
Contributing their time and skills gives people a chance to learn, grow, and make a tangible difference in their community.
Collaborating to create a safe home builds connections, reduces isolation, and encourages a sense of belonging.
What makes this award particularly meaningful is that it recognises the impact of partnership, and the innovative and sustainable financial model that underpins this work. And when communities are part of that model, the benefits extend beyond a single project.
“Winning Social Investment Deal of the Year alongside our partners at WCVA and Tai Heulwen is an incredible recognition of what can be achieved when communities, volunteers, and organisations come together with a shared purpose.
This project isn’t just regenerating a property, it’s even more than that. It’s about giving children in care a stable home while creating opportunities for local people to improve their wellbeing, learn practical skills, and create something meaningful in their community.
This award is a huge boost of encouragement, and validates that our approach is effective and helping to reshape how community regeneration can be funded and scaled.
Grateful to our partners, funders, team and communities who make this possible.”
— Trystan Jones, CEO
Progress Rarely Happens in Silo, There’s Power in Partnership
A key part of driving collective change is ensuring work is financially secure. Since The Cii was established in 2016, we have been committed to reducing reliance on short-term funding and building a sustainable base. Central to that effort has been our strong connections with communities, partners, and funders.
This project demonstrates how collaboration and social investment can unlock long-term impact. In this case, it delivers safe homes and opportunities now, while creating a model that can be replicated elsewhere.
Further to financial sustainability, partnerships bring together expertise, resources, and local knowledge, enabling projects to reach further, address needs holistically, and deliver meaningful outcomes. While working with communities ensures those most affected have a voice in shaping change, while creating opportunities to learn, contribute, and succeed.
These connections also strengthen networks within the Third Sector, encourage shared learning and a sense of collective purpose. They create a foundation where social investment helps sustain lasting, scalable change.
The Future is Bright, We Just Need to Collaborate
This is just the beginning.
We’re proud of this achievement and excited to continue our work with WCVA and Tai Heulwen to create lasting change that benefits communities and future generations.
Across the UK, thousands of organisations are showing what’s possible when collaboration, social investment, and community connections come together. By working together, pooling expertise and resources, and involving communities directly in shaping projects, the impact of any initiative extends far beyond a single property or programme.
We hope this recognition inspires more organisations to explore the power of partnership, to invest not only financially but figuratively. In the relationships, connections, and trust that make community-led change possible.
A huge thank you to WCVA for facilitating and supporting this partnership, and to Social Enterprise UK for hosting such a brilliant celebration. And congratulations to all the finalists and winners, through their work the future is bright for our communities.
You can view a full list of all winners here.
“Every year brings its challenges for businesses, but 2025 saw a difficult economic trading environment alongside a sometimes unsettling national conversation on what it means to be British that dominated the political landscape.
“It was therefore truly heartening to celebrate businesses built on care and compassion that support the most vulnerable members of our communities, representing Britain at its best. The spirit of togetherness demonstrated by all the nominated social enterprises was the foundation for a fantastic night of well-deserved celebration.”
Peter Holbrook CBE, chief executive of Social Enterprise UK
