Last month, Kenny Waste Management launched Driving Change, our social enterprise programme. We’ve actually been running the scheme since late 2017; however, now we’re launching Driving Change as a stand-alone social enterprise.
VIDEO OF THE LAUNCH EVENT
We invited customers and key organisations along to the Worsley Park Marriott Hotel & Country Club for an afternoon of talks, discussions and knowledge sharing. It was also a celebration, as Kenny Waste Management’s initiative approaches its first anniversary. In that short time, we’ve created almost £660,000 worth of social value.
September’s event was hosted by Paul Eagleton, who leads the Driving Change programme for Kenny Waste Management. He opened the launch by explaining what we’ve been doing, how we’re now expanding the programme as a stand-alone operation, and how a similar approach can benefit all businesses.
We’ve been working in partnership with ANTZ Group, a body that brings businesses and third sector organisations together to deliver social change in their local community. Jen Pemberton, the Chief Executive of Antz, addressed the group to share her experience of how schemes like ours benefit their communities.
Peter Schofield, Procurement Programme Manager for the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (AGMA) spoke next, looking at the employment picture for Greater Manchester, and how positive procurement approaches can make a difference to how the private sector can make an impact.
InWork GM helps people who need extra support to find the right job. Naomi Ilagoswa, Partnership & Integration Manager at InWork GM, discussed the impact that social enterprise schemes have on individuals’ lives, helping making job opportunities more accessible to all.
As Paul said, we launched this programme “because it helps people”. Many of the Kenny Waste Management team grew up around here, and are aware of the challenges in our local communities. By trusting those individuals who are often excluded from opportunities, we can make a difference to the dynamic within those communities.
This also benefits local businesses. Paul explained at the launch that Kenny Waste Management is always looking for the “next generation of drivers”. To do this, we need to cast the net widely when we’re seeking team members. Skills and commitment can be found in all walks of life; and it’s a wise business that actively reaches out to these pools of potential talent. As Paul said in his address:
“We’re working with long-term unemployed people, we’re working with ex-offenders, and apprentices. We want local young people to work for us.”
Finally, and with incredible impact, we heard from Kenny Waste Management colleagues who came to us via the Driving Change programme. They spoke eloquently and honestly about how being given this chance has changed their lives.
It was a moving end to a thought-provoking day. It brought it home that social enterprise is not about ticking boxes or positive PR: it’s about the impact it has on individuals, their families, and their wider communities.
Can a Driving Change approach to recruitment benefit you or your company? Find out more by contacting us at drivingchange@kennywastemanagement.co.uk.
We’d like to thank our speakers, our own team members who helped with the event, and all the local businesses who took time out to listen to us. Many thanks!
