Social enterprises make impact on communities

Fermoy's Garden Centre and Farm Shop is a local independent garden centre with a big heart!

The store is committed to value, service and quality and tries to give all of its customers an enjoyable shopping experience in both the store and the popular café and farm shop.

Committed to promoting local suppliers and baking and cooking as much as possible, Fermoy's offers its customers a first class menu and a well- stocked deli and farm shop.

Working within the local community, Fermoy's staff enjoy helping children to discover a love of gardening and learning how to grow and cook their own fresh produce. Each year the company works together with larger suppliers to provide local schools with gardening equipment and seeds to encourage them to develop a passion for gardening.

The annual Abbfest Food and Beer Festival, held at Fermoy's each September, raises over £20,000 for local charities and groups and is a great way for Fermoy's to get involved with the local community.

Dartington is a pioneering charity employing over 300 staff – it is a place of experiment, education and enterprise, where the arts, social justice and sustainability come together.

In their charitable activities, they work to create social change in collaboration with pioneering thinkers, artists, entrepreneurs and activists in the UK and around the world.

Social enterprise activities include the shops at Dartington, a conference centre with accommodation and award-winning White Hart restaurant and bar.

The Estate is a place of great beauty that attracts over one million visitors annually to the gardens, Great Hall, cinema, enterprises and the huge range of events.

Youth Recruit helps boost young people's confidence, well-being and careers through youth programmes and by offering employment, education and training.

What's more, Youth Recruit offers all sorts of positive initiatives and is designed to encourage and inspire people to take responsibility for their health and change their lives for the better.

Their income is generated entirely from selling magazines that they design and distribute by hand.

They strive on flexibility and will go the extra length to accommodate individuals needs when it comes to employment, training and education.

This means they are able to offer support to people from all walks of life.

In 2012:

They provided 36 full time jobs

They provided 114 part time jobs

They helped find 203 young people aged between 16-25 full time jobs within the community

They donated 142 items of clothing to local charities collected by them and donated by the community

They donated 59 items of food to local charities and food banks

They provided support in other areas to 89 young people aged between 16-25

They created 11 volunteer positions

They wrote 353 feedback reports for young people to help support their future in the employment world.

A registered charity supporting adults with a learning disability in Devon and Cornwall for 22 years ROC supports more than 500 people, offering skills training on the pathway to employment and independent living skills to ensure community integration and involvement.

In Torbay since 1995, ROC has supported

approximately 180 people in the Bay.

ROC employs 345 people, primarily Devon and Torbay.

ROC is a leading example of making services truly personalised to each individual.

ROC has grown in 22 years to give support to more than 500 people with a learning disability.

A demonstration of dedication and determination by a team of committed and passionate staff, ROC continues to grow and thrive even in these difficult economic times.