SSE Cornwall named as finalist in the Cornwall Business Awards

Vote for SSE Cornwall in the Cornwall Business Awards

The School for Social Entrepreneurs Cornwall (SSE Cornwall) has been named as a finalist in the Cornwall Business Awards, as Ambassador of the Year. SSE Cornwall has supported hundreds of social entrepreneurs, but it’s also a small social enterprise itself. CEO Sally Heard explains why it’s always worth taking a chance on awards. 

Over the past few years, I have been fortunate enough to attend the Cornwall Business Awards, a prestigious event held annually to celebrate all that is brilliant about doing business in Cornwall. I have invariably been there as a guest of one of the event sponsors, Lloyds Bank or our lovely friends at the Eden project. Over this time, I have seen numerous organisations presented with awards for their entrepreneurship and ardour – a great night of celebration!

Generally, for me, the deadline for applications comes and goes, I am busy with the business of running a small dynamic social enterprise – who needs awards to validate great work? However, this year was slightly different…this year I was laid low for a couple of weeks with the most horrendous dose of flu and it was during my convalescence that I decided to take a peek at the categories…before I knew it I had registered! Once I started to write, I couldn’t stop, getting it all onto a page, editing and re-editing, to my surprise, I found the process remarkably cathartic!

Once submitted, normal life resumed and again any thoughts of awards took a back seat. Then, a few days ago, the email dropped into my ‘inbox’… we were one of three finalists in the ‘Ambassador of the Year’ category – good grief!

I was catapulted from bystander and observer to one of the 14 businesses across Cornwall being announced as a finalist – I am secretly thrilled.

There is still some way to go, a ‘showdown day’ is planned to give me the opportunity to promote SSE Cornwall to the judges. This, of course, is where it may all fall down, but I am up for the challenge, the actual winners of the category will be announced on the night.

So, it turns out, awards do matter! Right now, I am feeling a mix of huge excitement, with bucket loads of trepidation. SSE Cornwall, a small social enterprise, started from a ‘seed of an idea’. And now it has been acknowledged for its work and selected as a finalist for one of Cornwall’s most prestigious awards.

Wish me luck!