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Happy World Social Enterprise Day!

Social Enterprise Day is a global movement which celebrates and acknowledges the importance of social impact entrepreneurship.

What is a Social Enterprise?

A social enterprise is essentially a business for good. It is a commercial business that has a strong purpose and reinvests its profits into its purpose. In the case of Cultivate Food and Beverage, they create employment opportunities for people who have faced barriers due to disability, life experience or background.

In 2023, Bedford Group launched its portfolio of social enterprises in response to a lack of meaningful job opportunities in the community. These enterprises can provide pathways for people with disability to transition from supported employment into open employment and earn an award wage.

Cultivate Food & Beverage's Purpose

Our purpose is to deliver quality food and beverage products while scaling social impact. We achieve this by providing open employment opportunities for people of all abilities.

Every time an individual has the opportunity to gain employment or transition to work in an open employment setting, there is a cascade of social, financial and health benefits for them and the community.

Supplying our employees with the ingredients for change means we're great on the plate and in the community. At the same time, we're helping our customers fulfil their appetite for social good.

Kira's Story

Kira has been employed as an Apprentice Chef at Cultivate Food and Beverage for the past 18 months. 

Her inspirational journey began when she developed Tourette's Syndrome part way through her studies. 

Read how Cultivate has opened doors and ignited a newfound passion for Kira here.

More Bedford-backed social enterprises

GreenInc landscape construction delivers large scale custom landscape design and implementation, community recreation space establishment and maintenance and green waste management.

Dovetail Advanced manufacturing specialises in the manufacture of quality timber products and furniture such as wardrobes, kitchen cabinetry and office fit-outs for consumers and businesses.

Beacon Laundry is a commercial laundry that gives a sheet. It creates local jobs who are shut out of the mainstream jobs market by offering a premium laundry and linen service to the healthcare, aged care, hospitality and accommodation sectors. Beacon Laundry is currently transitioning to an open employment social enterprise.

Listen to Myron Mann, Bedford CEO, discuss Bedford-backed Social Enterprises on World Social Enterprise Day - 21 November, 2024! (Click through to 27min 48sec mark of the interview.

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