Guinness looks for social entrepreneurs

Malaysia - Following the partnership between the Arthur Guinness Fund and British Council Malaysia this August, the two have launched a search for Malaysia's ‘Entrepreneurs for Good'.The initiative has opened applications for the Arthur Guinness Fund-British Council (AGF-BC) Social Enterprise Award, which will include funding of up to RM40,000 granted to up to six individuals who come up with a creative business plan that addresses social issues and delivers change to communities in the country.The Award looks to support individuals and organisations that are leading or starting innovative projects to change Malaysia for the better.Each shortlisted candidate will receive mentoring from established social and business entrepreneurs and will receive valuable insight and guidance on their business models."Guinness has invested more than RM200,000 into the Arthur Guinness Fund as it continues in the footsteps of Arthur Guinness, who was one of the pioneers in the field of philanthropy. With the overwhelming number of social issues present in the local community, it is up to us to lend a hand to the community we operate in," said Yap Swee Leng, marketing director of Guinness Anchor."There are people out there who have great idea and want to do more for the community but do not have the resources to put their ideas into action. We are looking for individuals like this who have the ideas and boldness to create waves of change in our local communities," added Yap.British Council Malaysia brings on board a wealth of UK expertise and experience in social enterprise work and is also making a substantial financial investment into the programme.The British Council currently runs social enterprise projects in several countries in East Asia and China.Clare Walker (pictured left), deputy director of programmes for British Council Malaysia, said with the increase in attention given to the field of social entrepreneurship, it is looking to support the talent that the field brings to enable them to drive positive social change beneficial to their communities.The AGF-BC Social Enterprise Award will be making its way around Malaysia through roadshows in Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Johor in reaching out to the public.Potential participants will learn about the social enterprise while given the opportunity to present their project as well.