sustainable energy consumption. A commitment which has been recognised with the awarding of the Queens' Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development. (see box)
“Fuel poverty is a very real issue for many in our community and we have responded to that through the Bryson Energy business which provides advice, support and installation of energy saving measures in homes across Northern Ireland.”
Competing and winning
This is a good example of how the social enterprise model works in action. The Government's Fuel Poverty Strategy included a contract for delivering their Warm Homes initiative to improve domestic energy efficiency. The contract was put to tender and Bryson Energy entered the tendering process on equal footing with private contractors. Having proven their business case, Bryson was awarded one of the contract areas and has now built a network of small, local installers who installed insulation in over 4700 homes and upgraded 500 heating systems last year. A prime example of how social and private enterprise can work together. In fact social enterprises are committed to working with both the private and public sectors as active partners in the success of an enterprising Northern Ireland. The example of Bryson Recycling is very appropriate. Bryson Recycling is probably the Group's most visible service. The yellow trucks are gradually being replaced by their own bespoke vehicles, but the result is the same with Bryson processing recyclables from 60 per cent of domestic properties in Northern Ireland. With a belief that Northern Ireland can exceed the stated recycling targets, John explains where the partnership with business can benefit the community.
“Of the 52,000 tonnes of recyclable material we collect each year, 34 per cent goes to local companies like Huhtamaki, Quinn Glass and Cherry Polymers for re‑manufacturing. Products are as varied as egg boxes, plastic ducting, and bottles for Bushmills and Magners. But the point is that many other recycling bodies will simply send materials to the Far East for further sorting, while our focus is on finding local re‑processors to maximise the impact of the materials we
collect. These materials go back into our local economy and are used in both the local and export markets helping to increase Northern Irelandʼs competitiveness”.
But while Bryson's is a real success story, John believes there is a lot yet to be achieved within the social enterprise sector “Operating on a business footing, social enterprises are making a major impact on Northern Ireland's economy,” he said. “And it's an impact that will continue to grow as more charities realise that living in the world of grant aid is precarious and a sustainable future can only be achieved through the social enterprise model.”
A reality that has been recognised at the highest levels of the Executive when the first and deputy first ministers both signed off on the foreward to the Bryson Charitable Group Annual Report stating, 'Stimulating entrepreneurship remains an important challenge especially given the current economic downturn, and we firmly believe that creating a supportive and enabling environment for social enterprises to thrive will play an important role in regenerating communities and helping to create a balanced economy.'
Hugh Crossey has recently taken up the role as chairman for the Bryson Charitable Group. He has recently retired from his role as Partner at PricewaterhouseCoppers.
Hugh said, “I was delighted to be offered the opportunity to get involved with and Chair an organisation like Bryson, with over 100 years experience and track record in making a real difference to peoplesʼ lives in Northern Ireland. Initially I was concerned whether I could provide added value moving into the third sector, given the cultural and operational differences to my own experience. However, to my surprise and delight there are many more similarities with Brysonʼs commitment to quality of service, staff empowerment and desire to enhance local communities.
“I have visited Brysonʼs seven subsidiary social business companies which cover key areas from caring for the most vulnerable in our community to helping young people find their career path through training. The staff I have met also demonstrated their focus on costs, competitiveness and value for money while having a client service orientation which I would say is second to none”.
Bryson gets Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development
Bryson Charitable Group, the leading Northern Ireland social enterprise, has been awarded with the Queenʼs Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development. This is the first time a sustainable development award has been given to a Northern Ireland organisation.
The prestigious award given out during the Queenʼs birthday is in recognition of the significant contribution that Bryson has made to the social and environmental improvement of Northern Ireland. Hugh Crossey, chairman of Bryson Charitable Group said: “I am delighted that Bryson has been awarded this highly prestigious honour. This award recognises the commitment of Bryson and its staff and volunteers to sustainable development. Bryson has been delivering services across Northern Ireland for over 100 years and is constantly changing and developing its services to meet changing social need”. John McMullan, chief executive of Bryson Charitable Group said, “Sustainable development is at the very heart of what we do at Bryson. This can be easily demonstrated by our recent launch of two new exciting services.
The first service is a new free energy advice line for householders. Managed by Bryson Energy, it is designed to help people find out about the latest energy grants and offers plus advice on how they can make their home more energy efficient. The second service is a new shop managed by Bryson Recycling called “Arc Direct”. The shop offers customers a wide range of low cost electrical appliances for the home. The appliances have been refurbished by Bryson to a very high standard and given a new lease of life. These appliances not only provide customers with a fantastic value for money quality product but also reduce the amount of electrical waste that ends up in landfill sites”.
These are just two examples of the wide range of sustainable work carried out by the Bryson Group. The Group now employs over 650 staff and provides 22,000 individual services to households each day, making a significant contribution to the lives of people right across Northern Ireland.
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