Twelve years ago, Community Housing Cymru set up an Award scheme to recognise housing innovation in memory of a special person - Pat Chown. Pat gave a big part of her life to helping others and spent much of her working life in helping to meet people's housing needs in Wales.
Gwynedd-based horticulture, catering and joinery social enterprise tells us what makes the business a success, and about its plans to grow the organisation further.
DOVE Workshop Ltd, Neath
Date: 04.11.2010
Chilcare services, catering facility and adult learning courses under one roof
DOVE Workshop Ltd is primarily a childcare facility for children under five, based in Neath, south Wales, but it offers lots more, including courses for adults in areas including IT, Tai Chi and childcare.
The business started life 22 years ago and over time has added an after-school club as well as a drop off and pick up facility for busy parents or those without transport, making it an important and well-loved local service.
The company now also runs a catering arm, which includes a cafe on-site for 60 people. It provides food for in-house conferences, as well as for off-site events and produces its own brand of chutneys, preserves and jams.
DOVE turns over around £140,000 a year and 92% of that is from trading income – a great advert for sustainable social enterprise in Wales!
Find out more at http://www.doveworkshopuk.org or catch the team on Twitter: @doveworkshop.
