Building the
next generation
of Young Social
Entrepreneurs
We established Young Social Entrepreneurs (YSE) following an enlightening trip to Ghana as part of the Chief Rabbi’s Ben Azzai Programme. During our visit we observed various interventions tackling social issues. We returned to the UK inspired to educate young students about the social challenges faced both globally and locally, emphasizing the vital role of social enterprises in addressing these issues. Through our programmes, we equip students with the practical knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to drive positive change.
YSE Founders,
YSE
Programmes
LEARN
LAUNCH
LEAD
YSE partners with different charities and other organisations to deliver a series of bespoke and interactive educational LEARN workshops. Students are empowered to gain a deep understanding of a range of local and global social challenges.
Through the flagship LAUNCH competition, students devise their own social enterprise in response to a local social challenge. The top groups pitch their idea to a panel of judges for a chance to win up to £3,000 in seed funding.
Through LEAD, students connect with leaders in the field of social entrepreneurship and explore the diverse pathways available for becoming social entrepreneurs across different environments, be it in a social enterprise or within a corporate setting.
YSE
Impact
"Whatever path you choose, the ideas, skills and confidence you've developed at YSE will stay with you. They will shape the way you approach challenges and opportunities for years to come. "
Back in 2022, we were crowned the winners of YSE LAUNCH with our social enterprise idea: the Seed to Feed Foundation. Our project created seeded paper that could be used as an educational resource in schools and then planted at home to grow food. Our hope was to support students facing both food insecurity and limited access to educational resources.
When YSE was first introduced to us, we were inspired not only by their vision but by the way they were already creating tangible change in the world around them. From that moment, we knew we wanted to remain part of the YSE community.
YSE is something that stays with you – if you let it. To all future participants: your journey as a social entrepreneur is only just beginning.
Having the opportunity from a young age to explore some of the most significant social challenges facing our communities has been genuinely transformative. It has given me a mindset of looking for ways to make a difference wherever I am and helped me realise that every one of us has the ability to contribute meaningfully to causes we care about.
Through the YSE LEAD programme, I gained first-hand experience of social enterprises operating in real-world contexts, which sparked my interest in corporate social responsibility. That experience inspired me to join the sustainability and business development group during my internship, where I was able to contribute in small but meaningful ways. It showed me that there are so many different pathways to creating positive impact.
Whatever path you choose, the ideas, skills and confidence you’ve developed here will stay with you. They will shape the way you approach challenges and opportunities for years to come. This way of seeing a problem and choosing to act is what we call the YSE Mindset.
