Cardiff is preparing to host the UK’s largest social enterprise conference which will take place at the Cardiff International Arena on February 1st and 2nd.
With support from the Welsh Assembly Government, the Voice 10 conference, organised by the Social Enterprise Coalition UK, will be held outside England for the first time in its history.
First Minister Carwyn Jones and Minister for Social Justice, Carl Sargeant will both address the conference. Mr Sargeant will deliver a speech to the afternoon plenary session, while the First Minister will formally welcome the delegates to Wales at the conference reception.
Mr Jones said:
“I am looking forward to the conference and to welcoming the social enterprise community to Cardiff and Wales. We have a thriving social enterprise sector and I am proud to be part of showcasing it to the rest of the UK.”
Mr Sargeant added:
“The conference will be an opportunity for Wales to demonstrate how we punch above our weight in the Social Enterprise sector and for the Welsh Assembly Government, as Voice 10’s principal sponsor, to demonstrate the innovative policies and initiatives we have to support them. We have a long and successful history of social enterprise in Wales and I am delighted to have the chance to show that the future is just as bright”.
Other speakers at the event include: Claire Dove, Chair and Peter Holbrook, Chief Executive of the Social Enterprise Coalition; Nigel Annett, Managing Director of Wales’s biggest social enterprise, Welsh Water; Sanjay Dighe, Chair of the Big Lottery Fund England; and Angela Smith MP, Minister for the Third Sector in the Cabinet Office.
Chief Executive of the SEC Peter Holbrook said:
“I’m really thrilled that Voice is going to be taking place in Wales for the very first time. Some of the most inspiring social enterprises in the UK can be found there, including Welsh Water and Social Enterprise Award winners Pack-IT. The commitment within the Welsh Assembly Government to supporting the continued growth of the movement makes Wales the perfect place for social enterprise to come together, debate the issues and prepare for the future.”
