When did you develop a social view of society?

In my late 20s - I suddenly realised that some people, often through circumstances beyond their control, just didn't seem to have a fair deal in terms of life chances and opportunities.

I did a bit of volunteering in a homeless day/night shelter and this led to me getting a job in an ex-offenders’ hostel and then into working across heath, social care and criminal justice.

How does your enterprise work?

We provide services on a contracted basis, these are targeted at socially excluded groups and aim to provide for un-met needs. We are outcomes focused - as an organisation we are conscious of 'what we do, why we do it and what good it does'. We aim to provide excellent services and are keen to fully involve our service users in the further development of the organisation.

What are your ambitions for the future?

We want to continue to grow the organisation and continue to provide more excellent services for more people whilst positively influencing policy. Examples of policy areas we have influenced are ex-forces Post Traumatic Stress Disorder provision and services for chronically excluded adults. We have helped to put both of these issues on the national agenda.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a sportsman. I was addicted to racket sports and became a table tennis professional: I won open tournaments in England, Ireland and Scotland.

What kind of person makes a good social entrepreneur?

Someone who makes things happen and has ideas and ways of working outside of the normal run of things. The person has to be not easily diverted from their current 'mission'.

What other social entrepreneurs/businesses do you admire and why?

I admire the Fifteen Foundation. It’s one of those things that secretly we all wished we had done, as is what Reed Paget has achieved through Belu - they’re both great ideas. I also admire what Craig Dearden-Philips has done in the world of advocacy services at Speaking Up and I think Ken Orchard has a great angle on recycling.

Why did you become an ambassador?

I want more service funders and commissioners to support social enterprise and I want a whole new tranche of social entrepreneurs of all ages and styles to emerge. I'd also like the public to understand the benefits of buying from or using the services of social enterprises.