Aura Leisure and Libraries named finalist in UK Social Enterprise Awards!

Aura Leisure and Libraries – a charitable, not-for-profit, organisation which took over the majority of leisure centres and libraries in Flintshire – has been named a finalist in the
‘Consumer Facing Social Enterprise’ category at the UK Social Enterprise Awards! ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The UK Social Enterprise Awards run by Social Enterprise UK, the national membership body for social enterprises, recognise the nation’s most pioneering social enterprises. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Aura will be joining other shortlisted organisations at the prestigious awards ceremony held at London’s iconic Guildhall on 4 December. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Aura is owned by its employees and operates for the benefit of local communities; in the last year it has invested £2.4 million in its leisure centres in Mold and Flint with over 1.5 million customer visits recorded across the company’s portfolio. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

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Commenting on being shortlisted, Paul Jones, Aura’s Business Improvement & Performance Manager, said: ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

“Aura is thrilled to be shortlisted in the category of Best Consumer Facing Social Enterprise at the upcoming UK Social Enterprise Awards.  ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The company has only been trading since September 2017 so to be recognised on a national scale for the work we do in sustaining and improving leisure, library and heritage services in Flintshire is fantastic and gives us huge encouragement for the future.’’ ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

There are 100,000 social enterprises in the UK contributing £60 billion to the UK economy, each one being set up to tackle some of the biggest challenges we face from homelessness to climate change. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Previous winners have included a coffee company set up to create jobs for people who are homeless, an employee-owned community health care provider and a company set up to tackle funeral poverty. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

Commenting on the Awards, Chief Executive of Social Enterprise UK, Peter Holbrook, said: ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

“Every year the standard of applications for the UK Social Enterprise Awards gets higher and higher. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

At a time when public confidence in business is at a low and when we are facing crises – both political and environmental – this year’s shortlist shows how business can be used to build a better world.” ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

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