Press release

Sweet Project wins Prime Minister’s Big Society Award

The Sweet Project, a social enterprise that develops and trains student social workers while supporting families in deprived areas, is the latest winner of the Prime Minister's Big Society Award.

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

The not-for-profit organisation supports families in communities across Birmingham. It works with more than 100 students every year and in its first twelve months has supported more than 150 families and 300 children.

Congratulating The Sweet Project, the Prime Minister said:

The Sweet Project has made a real difference to people’s lives in Birmingham, delivering a tremendous support service to families while at the same time giving social work students the opportunity to enhance their skills.

The Project’s valuable contribution to helping families in need of extra support is an excellent example of the Big Society in action. So I am very pleased to be awarding everyone involved, this Big Society Award.

My wholehearted congratulations to everyone involved in the scheme, for their hard work and for making The Sweet Project such an inspiring success.

Jayne Hulbert, Project Director of The Sweet Project said:

Everyone involved in The Sweet Project has put in enormous amounts of hard work and it’s fantastic this is being recognised with a Big Society Award.

Our project is unique and forms the basis of an empowering and enabling ethos not only for service delivery but for the very people we serve. Our students learn, train and deliver a highly professional service to children, young people, families and adults. I am proud of the contribution they and the staff who support them have made and pleased that the Prime Minister has recognised it with this award.

The Sweet Project

The Sweet Project (Social Work Education, Experience and Training) was launched by Jayne Hulbert in March 2010. It works with disadvantaged children, young people, adults and families in south Birmingham, providing them with social work support.

Jayne Hulbert is a qualified senior social worker with 34 years experience in children and family case work. She set up The Sweet Project as a sustainable social enterprise that trains social work students to become better social workers by giving them real cases to work on - delivering early intervention support. Students are given a high level of support from a team of qualified social workers.

The Project is currently funded by contracts with six universities for student placements, two UnLtd awards, contracts from schools to deliver intervention services in the community, Be Birmingham Successful Neighbourhood fund, Community Chest funds and an Access to Volunteering fund. In its first 12 months of trading the project has employed 9 people and trained 79 student social workers. The Project has also recently launched an adult division so that it can extend its support services to include vulnerable adults who do not have children.

Read more: The Sweet Project

Nominate someone for a Big Society Award

Published 10 March 2011