013-015_QAEPs16_Queen's Awards 24/06/2016 09:33 Page 14
2 016 Dorothy Francis earns the Lifetime Achievement Award for Enterprise Promotion for over 30 years of supporting social businesses to establish and grow, primarily through her service at the Leicester based Co-operative and Social Enterprise Agency – known as CASE – where she has been the Chief Executive since 2000, having joined the company in the mid 1980’s. Dorothy was introduced to social businesses shortly after university when friends approached her to join a co- operative that they were setting up and she realised that this participative, democratic business model was her ideal way of working. Dorothy and colleagues received help from a local co-operative support organisation to develop skills to research, establish and run their business.
HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN has been graciously pleased to confer Her Award for Achievement in Enterprise Promotion upon the following:
L i f e t i m e A c h i e v e m e n t A w a r d Dorothy Francis
Dr Darrin Disley
Jane Avery, a colleague at CASE, commented “Dorothy’s reputation amongst our clients is legendary. Her commitment to helping people to bring their business ideas and dreams to reality is second to none; she is skilled in nurturing entrepreneurship and is valued enormously by the people that she works with. She works tirelessly for CASE yet goes home and does more of the same, volunteering at her local church, sitting on the boards of community groups and mentoring young people to achieve.” Sarah Pollard, a founder member of Shepshed Carers Co-operative, a domiciliary care business that operates across a wide area of Leicestershire said, “This Award is so well-deserved. Dorothy helped us to set up our business, spending many patient hours with us to build our enterprise skills and confidence. Twenty three years on we employ
Chief Executive Office and President, Horizon Discovery, Cambridge
Dr Darrin M. Disley, has devoted a significant amount of his career and personal wealth both to building companies, and to encouraging and supporting others to start their own. Darrin’s passion for entrepreneurship began 25 years ago when he arrived in Cambridge to study for a PhD under Professor Christopher R Lowe O.B.E, an entrepreneurial scientist who became a pivotal influence. Darrin’s key focus since 2007 has been building Horizon Discovery Group plc, a Cambridge-based gene-editing company supplying products, services and research programs to the global healthcare industry. Under Darrin’s leadership, Horizon has grown from a start-up to a publicly- listed, multinational life sciences business. In parallel to his career, Darrin has always found time to mentor and support those at the start of their own entrepreneurial journeys. He has injected cash into a 10-year endowment of the Christopher R Lowe Carpe Diem Enterprise Fund, which for the past five years has offered bursaries to study bioscience enterprise. He has also sponsored numerous student enterprise societies and offered non-dilutive funding and mentorship to several new ventures. A recent example of his support for start-ups is Footprint Cafés, the brainchild of a Cambridge Judge Business School alumnus, Georgina Hemmingway. With Darrin’s support (he has committed $175,000 charitable donation and become a trustee), Footprint Cafés, from a base in Cambodia, aims to become the brand of choice for ethically-motivated tourists, providing an authentic local experience with world class standards, ploughing 100% of profits back into local communities via enterprise grants. Darrin’s story is an improbable one, he was born into a poor family in the East End of London, leaving school at 16 with no formal qualifications and initially pursued a career in professional football. After moderate success in football, he went back for further education, gaining a PhD in Biotechnology at Cambridge University which eventually opened up a more rewarding career as a serial entrepreneur and enterprise champion. “I know from first-hand experience that there are so many bright, talented young people who don’t get the chances they need due to lack of early support,”Darrin said. “I am passionate about helping to help give them the leg-up that could help them establish their careers.”
Chief Executive Officer, CASE, Leicester
over 100 people and deliver services to more than 640 people, but without her support we would never have started in business – she had faith in us, saw our capabilities from day one and helped us to achieve our dream.” Dorothy concludes, “It is an honour to receive this award and I consider myself fortunate to be awarded for doing a job that I love. It is a pleasure to work with CASE to support passionate, enthusiastic people who run businesses that bring positive change to local communities. When I started working in co-operatives I had no idea that it would be a lifetime’s work, but I am happy that this has been the case – I have enjoyed every moment and I am privileged to have been a part of this movement for so many years.”
Dorothy was so impressed by the support offered that when some years later a job became available at CASE she jumped at the chance to apply for a role that allowed her to pass on her skills, knowledge and passion for social business. CASE specialises in delivering advice, training and business growth for co-operatives and social enterprises in the East Midlands and has been described as ‘exemplar’ in practice. Dorothy has directly supported over 200 enterprises to start and develop and has worked with many more to realise and grow their potential. Some of these businesses are approaching 30 years of trading, many have won national and local awards and between them they provide numerous jobs and valuable services.
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Helping Soft Touch Arts grow and prosper...
Dorothy was nominated for The Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion by her colleagues because since joining CASE 30 years ago she has always taken her commitment to promoting co-operatives and social enterprises into her leisure time as well. A perfect example of this is her involvement with Soft Touch Arts which was the first business that Dorothy registered in October 1986. Since that time Dorothy has used her job role at CASE to help Soft Touch grow and develop through providing mentoring and advice. Soft Touch works to turn around the lives of young people by engaging them through arts; Dorothy is a passionate supporter and advocate of Soft Touch’s mission and has demonstrated this commitment by donating countless unpaid voluntary hours to the company from inception to date. Soft Touch holds many events, often outside office hours, and Dorothy is an unfailing pillar of support. Whether it is helping to run an event or simply turning up to support, she is always there. Dorothy served in a voluntary capacity on the Soft Touch board for 28 years before resigning in 2014. However she missed the involvement and has since returned in the capacity of a Business Ambassador, promoting Soft Touch’s work to the private sector. Sally Norman, a Director of Soft Touch and one of the founder members said, “In a business life-cycle there are peaks and troughs. We’ve faced tough trading conditions, had difficult issues to deal with and awkward contracts to negotiate and we’ve also celebrated the successes, growth and the triumphs of our company and of the young people that we work with. Throughout it all Dorothy has been the go-to person for advice, support and encouragement and Soft Touch Arts has benefited enormously from her commitment and dedication.”
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