THE cream of community businesses in the North-East have been recognised for their achievements.

The first Social Enterprise Awards organised by the North-East Social Enterprise Partnership (NESEP) and funded by One NorthEast were held at Durham County Cricket Club.

Finalists ranging from non-profit making companies and co-operatives to development trusts and social firms were awarded for their outstanding contributions to social and community issues.

The best of the best award, presented by One NorthEast chairman Margaret Fay, went to Sunderland Homecare Associates, (SHCA) - an employee-owned company that delivers 3,800 hours per week of domiciliary homecare.

It also won the participation award for most effective involvement of workers.

SHCA founder member and general manager Margaret Elliot said: "The awards are for everybody who has helped build up the business over the past ten years and their hard work."

Other winners included the Amble Development Trust and Glendale Gateway Trust, which jointly scooped the award for commitment to regeneration.

Keith Richardson, director of Economic Partnerships and a member of NESEP, said: "Over 90 applications were received from 49 different organisations and this is just a handful of the outstanding talent that exists in the social enterprise community within the North-East.

Other sponsors of the awards included North-East representative of Unity Trust Bank, North Eastern and Cumbrian Co-op, Cleveland Cooperative Development Agency, Social Enterprise Sunderland and Business Link County Durham.