Impact of social enterprises takes centre stage at Asian Business patrons dinner

Patrons of the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) experienced firsthand the impact of social enterprises at an exclusive dinner yesterday.

The dinner, held at Malmaison with the attendance of over 50 Patrons and guests, was hosted by president Omar Rashid.

Rosie Ginday, the founder of Miss Macaroon spoke about how they are giving an opportunity to young people from deprived backgrounds in the city through their premium, hand made French macaroons.

Miss Macaroon is a community interest company that reinvests 100 per cent of their profits into helping unemployed young people gain skills that will help to change their lives.

The kitchen that was set up in 2011 with only one team member has now made over 5 million macaroons.  

Rosie Ginday said: “My inspiration comes from my family. I wanted to create meaningful opportunities for young people and help shape their future.

“There are so many people on the verge of homelessness. As a business community, it is our responsibility to drive change and give them a fair chance.”

In 2016, Miss Macaroon opened their first retail store after securing funding and converted their original site to a training kitchen in 2017. In 2021, they opened their second retail store in Resorts Word Birmingham.

They also launched the Miss Macaroon’s MacsMAD training course, enabling long-term unemployed young people to build their confidence and skills to become work ready.

Rosie continued: “We offer in-depth training in small groups of just 6 to 8 participants per session.

“The program is divided into two key phases: training and hands-on work experience, followed by personalized one-on-one sessions. This approach makes a significant difference in their development.

“We have also introduced in-house psychotherapy support to ensure the well-being of our employees.”

The course has now helped 254 young people with Autism, mental health issues, learning difficulties, lone parents, Care leavers and ex-offenders to complete the MacsMAD programme and get into work.​

Speaking about the future of social enterprises, Rosie said: “Social enterprises have proven their success in the market. Statistics show that consumers are more likely to support businesses that create a positive impact.”
“Our growth is driven by strong partnerships and the invaluable support of large organizations that believe in our mission.”

During the event, Money Chopra, cluster sales manager of Malmaison and Hotel Du Vin outlined the opportunities available at the hotels and how businesses can benefit from their offerings.