Manchester based social entrepreneur of Reform Radio has been announced as third place runner-up of the Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2017 and took home a prize of £4,000.
Following a public vote, Rachel was announced as the runner-up of the award at a ceremony at Old Broad Street last night presented by Nick Hewer, former business adviser to Lord Sugar on BBC’s The Apprentice and presenter of Channel 4’s Countdown.
Rachel was one of five finalists shortlisted for the national Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award from the 2016/2017 cohort of the Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneurs programme, in partnership with School for Social Entrepreneurs and jointly funded by Big Lottery Fund, and has received the third prize of £4,000 to help develop Reform Radio even further.
Cemal Ezel of Change Please in London took home the first prize of £10,000 and Nikki Markham of Battling On in Cornwall was awarded £6,000 in second place. The event was catered by social entrepreneurs who have been supported by the programme and the Social Enterprise ‘Marketplace’ provided an opportunity for social entrepreneurs to showcase the work of their social businesses; which included canapes from local artisanal food surplus, healthy natural smoothies and juices and socks which will help the homeless in the UK.
Rachel, aged 30, is the founder and director of Reform Radio, a social enterprise which delivers skills-development opportunities for 18-30 year olds through its industry standard online radio station. Opportunities include traineeships, creative outreach programmes, pastoral support and volunteering to support young people into employment.
On being named runner-up, Rachel said, “I am extremely proud to have been shortlisted as a finalist for the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2017 and be named runner-up. The £4,000 prize will help us to continue to increase the social impact of Reform Radio. The support of the Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneurs Programme over the past year has been fantastic, and I’ve learnt a lot from my Lloyds Bank mentor and fellow social entrepreneurs on the programme”.
Nick Hewer, presenter of the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award said, “Tonight has been such an inspirational evening presenting the Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2017 and it has been a privilege to meet so many individuals using enterprise to solve social issues within their communities. Rachel is a worthy runner-up and I look forward to seeing how Reform Radio continues to help people in the community”.
Paula Rogers, Head of Social Enterprise at Lloyds Banking Group said, “I’d like to offer my congratulations to Rachel on being named runner-up of the Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2017 and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for her. The calibre of this year’s finalists has been extremely high and they have made significant progress with the support of the Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneurs Programme, which sits at the heart of our commitment to help Britain prosper. I look forward to seeing how these inspirational individuals continue to create positive social change in their local communities”.
Alastair Wilson, CEO of School for Social Entrepreneurs said, “Rachel has made considerable progression over the past year with the support of the Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneurs Programme, in partnership with School for Social Entrepreneurs and jointly funded by Big Lottery Fund and she is deserving runner-up of the Social Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2017. I look forward to seeing how the Award will help her to develop Reform Radio and continue to scale their fantastic social impact across Manchester”.
The Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneurs Programme, in partnership with School for Social Entrepreneurs, sits at the heart of Lloyds Banking Group’s commitment to help Britain prosper and will support 2,350 entrepreneurs to start and scale social businesses by 2020.
