Social Business Wales Awards 2026

5 hours ago

2 min read

By Philippa, CEO of Physical Empowerment

Guess what?!

We are finalists!

“I am delighted to inform you that you have been shortlisted as a finalist in the Social Enterprise of the Year Award category of the Social Business Wales Awards 2026!”

An exciting email to get! The Social Enterprise of the Year Award is awarded to an established social enterprise demonstrating overall excellence and actively promoting the sector to the wider public.

Have a read below to see who we are shortlisted with:

Myddfai is a Carmarthenshire-based social enterprise creating luxury Welsh toiletries, home fragrances and gifts inspired by local heritage. Through sustainable, cruelty-free products, every sale supports meaningful employment and work experience opportunities for people with autism, learning disabilities and additional support needs, showing how business can drive lasting social impact.

Physical Empowerment CIC is a Welsh social enterprise helping women recover from domestic abuse through trauma-informed rehabilitation programmes that build physical, emotional and mental resilience. Founded from lived experience, it empowers survivors to rebuild confidence and independence while creating pathways into volunteering, leadership and long-term community participation across South and West Wales.

Benthyg Cymru is a community-led social enterprise promoting borrowing over buying through a growing network of Libraries of Things across Wales. By helping people access affordable tools and household items, it saves money, reduces waste and strengthens communities, supporting a more sustainable, circular economy while fostering local collaboration and innovation.

All fantastic causes and we are very proud to be listed alongside them.

It feels like a long way away from the end of 2020, writing the original plan for the first Physical Empowerment course (at that stage still tentatively called High Impact Empowerment, later changed as my Chief Coach said that made it sound like hardcore aerobics!) in my garden, wondering if there would be a place for it, whether women would respond to it (I kind of knew they would) and how on earth I would ever make it work. I remember feeling in my belly that it wasn’t a choice, it was a calling. I was right!

Physical Empowerment CIC was incorporated with Companies House on the 10th March 2021 and I’ve never looked back. We now have an awesome staff and volunteer team, our own home in Port Talbot, a community gym in Carmarthen and a safe space in Pembrokeshire.

Our work makes a difference every day. The women and children we support make a difference every day. We are proud of who we are and where we have come from and we are looking forward to a positive and strong future.

Deb (our Volunteer Admin Manager) and Philippa (our CEO / Coach) are looking forward to attending the Awards ceremony and representing PE on the 7th October in PontyPridd.

Thank you to Social Business Wales for believing in us and recognising what we do.