Data Orchard named in top 100 UK social enterprises

We are delighted to have been featured in the NatWest SE100 2023 list of the UK's top 100 social enterprises.

This year’s SE100 Top 100 includes businesses and trading charities from across the UK delivering a diverse range of goods and services, from mental wellbeing and music, jobs and training to books, bread, period products, cycling and clean energy.

The list was selected according to a number of different criteria to reflect both business and impact issues – including financial performance, how thoroughly organisations are measuring and managing their impact, and their commitment to both climate issues and to taking positive action on equality and diversity.

Our Co Chief Executive Madeleine Spinks went along to a celebration event on 10 July to meet other social enterprises in the list.

She said:

"It was great to chat with other socially-minded organisations doing inspirational work. It's been a tough year for all social enterprises I think, but the positivity and resilience in the room was amazing, and reminds me that it's a very particular group of people that work in this sector - business minded but not in it for the profits, just for the positive change we're all working towards."

This ethos was summed up by Tim West, founding editor of Pioneers Post, who created the SE100 Index in partnership with NatWest Social and Community Capital, who said:

“Like all businesses, social enterprises are dealing with the continued pressures and uncertainties of the cost of living crisis and other challenges that won’t go away any time soon – whether it’s about key contracts being renewed or the continued fallout from Brexit and its impact on staffing. Running a social business is perhaps more challenging than ever before, and we know that a number of social investors, for example, have been bracing themselves for more of their investees to fail.

“But if we know anything about social entrepreneurs, it is that they are dedicated, resilient and full of positivity. What they seem to be telling us in this year’s SE100 survey is that they will use every ounce of their energy, skill and creativity to find solutions in the face of the hardest challenges, in service of their communities and their social mission.”

Tim West speaks at the launch event