About George
“There’s not much George Ruddock doesn’t know about social enterprise. He has been involved since the 1960s – long before the words entered the lexicon.”
Business to Business magazine, May 2008
Roots in community
Anyone who has worked with George Ruddock will know the depth of his passion for community and social enterprise. He has 40 years’ experience in the social enterprise sector. He trained as a youth worker in 1968, having previously spent 10 years working in Youth Service and ending up as an Area Community Liaison Officer in Liverpool. He moved into the social enterprise sector in 1979 and spent 16 years as managing director of a charity in the Elephant & Castle area of London. The charity ran government-funded (national and local) training schemes for unemployed people, providing a variety of activities such as construction, pottery, silk screen and paper printing.
Ongoing success
George then co-founded Recycle-IT!. Within 10 years it became the largest not-for-profit social enterprise in Europe recycling computer equipment, and it won a host of social enterprise and conventional business awards. In 2006 George became a social enterprise consultant within the social enterprise sector. His first client was the Social Enterprise Loan Fund (TSELF), where he managed a £2m Social Enterprise Loan Fund on their behalf for London Objective2 Wards, helping social enterprises expand and develop.
Spreading the word
In July 2006, George was asked to set up the Bedfordshire & Luton Social Enterprise Network (BSEN) as a company limited by guarantee. BSEN aimed to help social enterprises within Bedfordshire to network more professionally and access much-needed support. George is tough-talking yet easy to approach and personable. His jovial nature instantly puts you at ease. Applying all his know-how and experience, he is now SFEDI Accredited, and he delivers a powerful message outside the sector about the value of social enterprise in the UK today.