Key Points
- Social Business Awards Wales 2026 saw 21 finalists gathered at The Muni, Pontypridd, to celebrate social enterprises that have made a difference socially, environmentally, and economically.
- The ceremony took place on 7 October and was hosted by Cwmpas.
- Stori Brymbo received the Community-Based Social Enterprise Award as recognition of its achievements at the old Brymbo Steelworks.
- This heritage site in Wrexham will now move forward to compete in the UK-wide awards.
- From inclusive employment, community transport through to environmental activity, mental well-being, dementia care, and reusing, the finalists covered a broad range of work.
- Glenn Bowen, Director of Enterprise at Cwmpas, said the entries showed the “breadth, depth, and diversity” of the social enterprise sector in Wales.
Wales (Wales Times) October 12, 2026 — Twenty-one social enterprises from across Wales were recognised at the Social Business Awards Wales 2026, held at The Muni in Pontypridd on 7 October. Among the organisations honoured was Stori Brymbo, which won the Community-based Social Enterprise Award for its work transforming the former Brymbo Steelworks into a heritage destination and community asset.
The ceremony, organised by Cwmpas, brought together finalists whose work spans employment, transport access, environmental sustainability, inclusion, wellbeing and local regeneration. The awards recognise social enterprises for combining business activity with social, environmental or economic benefit in the communities they serve.
Carmarthenshire News Online reported that the event celebrated leading social enterprises from across Wales. Its published report is credited to “Editor”; no individual byline was available. Business News Wales’s announcement of the finalists, published on 1 September, was also unbylined.
Why did Stori Brymbo win the community award?
Stori Brymbo received the Community-based Social Enterprise Award, sponsored by Cynon Taf Housing Group. The award recognises established social enterprises that help shape and support the places in which they operate.
As reported by The Leader, Stori Brymbo is based at the former Brymbo Steelworks in uk/local/wrexham/">Wrexham. The community-led heritage attraction works to preserve the area’s industrial history while creating opportunities for residents and visitors. Its facilities include a restored Machine Shop with a visitor centre, coffee shop, exhibition space and areas for local businesses and community activity.
The site also includes the Brymbo Fossil Forest, where fossilised remains dating back more than 300 million years were discovered in 2003. The wider regeneration project has received £8.3 million from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, supporting the reuse of historic buildings and opportunities for education, training and volunteering.
In a social media post reported by The Leader, Stori Brymbo announced: “WE WON!” The organisation also thanked its trustees, volunteers and staff, saying it was proud of the work that had helped make the site “a place that the community is proud to be a part of”.
The organisation will now advance to the UK-wide awards, where it will compete with social enterprises from across the country.
Which organisations were shortlisted?
The awards covered eight categories, with finalists selected for work addressing different needs across Wales. The shortlist included organisations supporting families, improving employment access, reducing isolation and promoting sustainable use of resources.
- One to Watch Award: PAN Cymru, Redberth Croft CIC and Hubbub. Their work includes support for families involved in the child protection system, inclusive community and wellbeing opportunities, and employment pathways for young people with additional learning needs.
- Social Enterprise Innovation Award: Invisible Walls, PACTO and Wales Weightlifting Federation CIC. Their activities include family support linked to the criminal justice system, accessible community transport and inclusive sporting programmes.
- Prove it: the Social Impact Award: Boss & Brew Academy, With Music in Mind and People Speak Up. The finalists focus on young people’s skills and employment, older adults’ wellbeing, and arts-based mental health and community work.
- Environmental Social Enterprise Award: Welcome to Our Woods, Too Good to Waste and Benthyg Cymru. Their work includes woodland stewardship, reuse of furniture and appliances, and community Libraries of Things.
- Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Justice Award: NeuroBusiness CIC, Ffair Jobs and More Than Flags and Rainbows CIC. Their work addresses neurodivergent people’s inclusion, fair access to jobs and efforts to reduce discrimination and bullying.
- Social Enterprise Women’s Champion Award: Emma Williams, Katy Thomas, Danielle John and Sarah Miles were recognised as finalists for leadership in dementia care, perinatal mental health, support for women facing disadvantage and older people’s wellbeing.
- Community-based Social Enterprise Award: Welcome to Our Woods, Stori Brymbo, PACTO and GLL.
- Social Enterprise of the Year Award: Myddfai, Physical Empowerment CIC and Benthyg Cymru.
The organisers’ descriptions show the range of approaches represented. PACTO, the Pembrokeshire Association of Community Transport Organisations, works to reduce transport inequality and help people reach healthcare, education, employment and community life. Benthyg Cymru supports Libraries of Things, allowing people to borrow items such as tools and kitchen appliances rather than buying them.
Other finalists focused on employment and participation. Penarth-based Hubbub provides supported work experience for young people with additional learning needs, while Cardiff’s Boss & Brew Academy combines barista training and work placements with a youth-led café. Myddfai, based in Carmarthenshire, makes Welsh toiletries, home fragrances and gifts, with sales supporting employment and work experience for people with autism, learning disabilities and additional support needs.
What did Cwmpas say about the finalists?
Before the ceremony, Cwmpas Director of Enterprise Glenn Bowen said the quality and number of entries reflected the “depth, breadth and diversity” of social enterprise in Wales. He added that he was “optimistic and excited about the future of our communities”.
Cwmpas’s finalist announcement said the entries made for a highly competitive judging process. The organisation presented the awards as recognition of excellence, innovation and social impact across the sector.
Business News Wales reported that the winners would be revealed at the 7 October event at Y Muni. Its September announcement listed the eight award categories and the finalists, while The Leader subsequently reported Stori Brymbo’s community award win.
Background: What are the Social Business Wales Awards?
The Social Business Wales Awards recognise social enterprises operating in Wales. The 2026 programme included categories for emerging organisations, innovation, social impact, environmental work, equality and inclusion, female leadership, community-based activity and overall enterprise achievement. The shortlist covered organisations at different stages and working across a range of sectors.
The awards are organised by Cwmpas, a development organisation whose finalist announcement described the programme as a way of celebrating the sector’s strength and impact. In 2026, the ceremony took place at The Muni in Pontypridd on 7 October.
Stori Brymbo’s award links heritage conservation with community activity and regeneration. The former steelworks site’s visitor facilities, educational opportunities and volunteering programme are part of a project that aims to preserve industrial history while bringing the site into community use.
Prediction: What could the award mean for Welsh communities?
Stori Brymbo’s win gives the organisation recognition beyond its local area and a place in the UK-wide awards, but the available reporting does not establish what additional funding, visitor numbers or services will result. The practical effect will depend on how the organisation uses the recognition and on the resources available to sustain its work.
For residents and visitors, the project’s stated focus on heritage, learning, volunteering and tourism points to potential routes for engagement with the site. Across Wales, the awards have also placed attention on finalists working on transport access, inclusive employment, environmental projects and community wellbeing. The awards themselves do not guarantee that these services will expand, but they highlight organisations whose work is intended to deliver benefits locally.
