Cardiff to host 'Voice' - the UK's landmark event for social enterprise in 2010

Voice, the largest annual conference for social enterprise in the UK, will mark its sixth anniversary in Wales on 1st and 2nd February 2010 at the Cardiff International Arena.

Social enterprises are businesses run for social and environmental purposes. Voice10 is run by the Social Enterprise Coalition, the national body for social enterprise, and is supported by the Welsh Assembly Government, the principal sponsors of the conference.

For the past five years Voice has brought together thousands of people from the UK and abroad, including leaders from the worlds of social enterprise, government, politics and business. High profile speakers, debates about pressing issues and a large and interactive exhibition have increased the profile and popularity of Voice over the years – last year over 1,000 delegates attended the conference.

Leighton Andrews, Deputy Minister for Regeneration in the Welsh Assembly Government said:

“I am delighted that the Voice conference is coming to Wales.

It is fitting that Wales will be hosting this prestigious event in the social enterprise calendar in 2010. Wales has been at the forefront of delivering social enterprise solutions since the early nineteenth century and I am sure that organisations the length and breadth of the country welcome this opportunity to showcase their creativity.

2010 marks the 50th anniversary of the death of the chief architect of the NHS, Aneurin Bevan and so it is fitting that an event which will showcase co-operative and social enterprise models of doing business should be held in the country of his birth.”

According to research carried out by the Welsh Assembly Government, there are over 3,000 social enterprises in Wales with an estimated turnover of over £2billion – 8% of the total turnover of UK social enterprises. Social enterprises in Wales employ close to 50,000 people in full-time or part-time work.

UK wide, there are approximately 62,000 social enterprises with a combined turnover of £27billion. They operate in a wide variety of sectors including health, education, retail, technology, renewable energy, the arts, and employment.