The Swindon Social Enterprise Network is a voluntary community initiative and its current steering group membership possesses a wide range of experience and skills with one common denominator: A strong belief that the growth of social enterprises within Swindon will bring many benefits to the community including employment opportunities for those who may struggle to find a job elsewhere. We are always keen to hear from people who share the passion of the steering group members who believe that their experience and skills would bring value to the team. So if that’s you get in touch!
Andrew Hill – Social Inclusion & Enterprise Manager, Swindon Borough Council
Andrew has had a wide and varied business management career having worked in the pharmaceutical and IT industries, ran his own company, been a commercial photographer and before his current position was the Swindon Foodbank Project Manager.
He has previously started a judo club, been a secondary school governor, ran an action group for better school’s provision and is a co-opted director of the Wiltshire & Swindon Credit Union.
Andrew started working for Swindon Borough Council Easter 2016 with responsibility for the borough’s financial inclusion policy and latterly is tasked to assist the SSEN.
He has lived in Swindon since 1989 and raised two children along with his wife, whom he met at the University of Leeds.
Marilyn Fitzgerald - Production Director, Create Studios
Marilyn loves the arts and enabling young people to progress and is delighted to be co-director at Create Studios as she gets to enjoy both things on a daily basis.
She has worked for Create “forever and a day” and is a natural multi-tasker: Once buying a car whilst at the photocopier. She likes to write, mostly comedy, and used to run her own comedy club in Swindon.
Create Studios are a social enterprise so it was an easy decision for Marilyn to make to become a member of the SSEN steering group.
Barnaby Rich – Partnership Manager, Greenwich Leisure Ltd, Swindon
Barnaby Rich is responsible for the management, facilities and implementation of GLL’s/Swindon Borough Council’s leisure, health, business and sports strategies.
GLL operate 7 facilities in Swindon. Nationally GLL (BETTER) manage more than 250 public sport and leisure centres, 57 libraries in partnership with more than 30 local councils, public agencies and sporting organisations.
GLL are a charitable social enterprise, working for the benefit of everyone: The public, the environment, their staff and partners. GLL were the first leisure operator in the UK to be awarded both the Social Enterprise Mark and the Prime Minister’s Big Society Award.
GLL has invested over £3million improving facilities in Swindon and has supported over 100 local athletes through the Greenwich Sports Foundation.
GLL launched the GLL Community Foundation in 2017 which has delivered many projects around the UK. Projects have included a sports tournament, improving a community library, creating a new sports league and revamping a children’s playground.
Joe McGowan - Local Director, Metro Bank, Swindon
Joe had worked in banking for 10 years before joining Metro Bank in December 2016 working in a number of different stores and was a part of the Swindon store Grand Opening in December 2017 before joining the team as the Local Director.
Joe believes that the SSEN has a philosophy similar to Metro banks’ which is why he became a steering group member. Joe comments “Metro has a strong focus on people to people banking, ensuring that we build strong, open relationships with our customers and the businesses we support. We strive to offer traditional banking ensuring customers are able to speak directly with their own relationship manager.”
Joe grew up in the Newbury area but since starting work has worked a lot in Swindon and Wiltshire. He is married and a father to 2 young boys, the eldest having recently started school. Joe is a keen sports fan: “In my spare time I regularly “try to play” golf!”
Dave Battrick - Swindon Initiative Manager, Business West
I have many years’ experience in business & membership organisations. My first retail business was a record shop I bought with my brother, which we subsequently sold.
I also set up and ran a retail art gallery as well as an art distribution business that traded for 15 years importing limited edition art from America which was sold to a network of UK & European galleries. I also started a publishing department and amongst many others, produced a limited edition print featuring David Bowie, 100 of which he personally hand-signed!
Having then spent 12 years working with the Federation of Small Businesses, across a number of roles, I gained wide experience of looking after the needs of those who own and run businesses. At Business West, I manage the Swindon and Wiltshire Initiative, working to bring businesses of all sizes and sectors together to help keep them informed, provide access to a range of interesting and diverse events, and help them to have an input into how Swindon is shaped for the future.
As an organisation, Business West is not-for-profit and actively pursuing B Corp status. This means that we will meet the highest standards of verified social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. B Corps form a community of leaders and drive a global movement of people using business as a force for good.
Craig Duff - Managing Director, Nanogreen Cleaning LTD
After a challenging childhood, growing up in Glasgow, at just 16 Craig Duff decided to leave and ended up in Devizes! Craig counts himself very fortunate to have been taken under the wing of a local businessman who gave him an opportunity to learn a trade and get himself grounded.
Craig has taken his underprivileged child hood, drive and determination to create a company that he believes challenges the status quo, by doing things differently.
The way in which Nanogreen is challenging the status quo, was by first crating a company that valued the environment, that took services traditionally based on harsh chemicals and pushed the limit to finding cleaner, less impactful and more environmentally friendly to provide the same quality services expected by any home or business owner. Testing suppliers to go the extra mile to provide 100% recyclable and biodegradable products such as “sugar cane” containers, or recyclable multi use cloths.
The other way in which we challenge the status quo is to help others within our community. Working with local charities and mental health organisations, to give those deemed “furthest from employment” the chance they deserve…like we all do!
Offering work experience, to give those people with the most severe conditions the opportunity to experience working again, to ensure they feel ready to face the workplace with humility and in.
Nanogreen just happens to be a cleaning company, serving the Wiltshire, Somerset, Cotswold and Avon area. A company that provides commercial cleaning services to all sizes of organisation.
Joining the SSEN Steering Group, allows Craig and Nanogreen, to continue in the journey of corporate social responsibility, proving that the size of your organisation doesn’t limit your participation in creating a better place for us to live and provide employment. We can work closely with other like minded individuals and organisations, to provide ideas, challenge ourselves and mentor new companies who want to increase their corporate social responsibility impact within their “social enterprises”.
Andrew was born in Malmesbury and moved to Swindon when he was just nine months old back in 1968. Andrew always wanted to play sport: He represented the county at football and chess and still plays chess to a high level although his footballing skills are now a distant memory. Andrew is married and has a son.
In his work life Andrew loves to mix fun with professionalism. As a wills and trusts planner he gets to interact with a wide mix of people from all walks of life. Andrew says “it’s great to be able to put people’s minds at rest. Using trusts within wills enables people to ensure that their estate passes to the right people at the right time in the most tax-efficient manner.”
By joining the steering group Andrew adds his wide business experience with the intent to assist the group to flourish and help organisations in and around Swindon to develop ways of delivering local social and environmental impact.
