Head of Corporate Resources at Suffolk social enterprise Realise Futures, Adrian Scarratt, has received recognition for his 25 years’ service with the growing company.

After moving to Suffolk in 1999, he worked for Suffolk County Council in employment services and enterprise development, and he remained with Realise Futures when it was divested from the council two years ago.

Adrian, who lives in Ipswich, is credited with securing more than £2 million worth of European Social Fund money for Suffolk which resulted in six social enterprise businesses being set up – giving jobs and therapeutic placements to hundreds of people who are disabled and disadvantaged.

Social enterprises are businesses that exist for a social and/or environmental purpose, reinvesting all their profits back into the organisation. All the profits generated by Realise Futures’ six social enterprises – based in Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds, Woodbridge and Felixstowe - get ploughed back into the business to create more jobs and learning opportunities.

Before moving south, Adrian worked for NatWest bank in Sheffield for 13 years and he left the bank to join an employment company which specialised in finding jobs for redundant steel industry workers.

Receiving his award and long-service certificate from Realise Futures Chief Executive Sarah Sharlott, Adrian said: “I think after 25 years I have found something I really like and enjoy.

“At Realise Futures we do not look at people’s limits but look at their skills and potential. There are a vast array of different things out there for people to do – either full time or just accessing the services and training opportunities.”

Chief Executive Sarah Sharlott said: “Adrian is a quiet and unassuming person but he has achieved so much in securing funding for the social enterprises that have been set up in Suffolk. On behalf of Realise Futures and the many people he has helped, I would like to say thank you to him for everything he has done.”

Realise Futures is a leading social enterprise in the East of England helping people by creating jobs, providing careers advice and training. 40% of its workforce at disabled or disadvantaged.

It scooped a prestigious national award for excellence recently - coming at the end of its second year of trading last month. It won the Trailblazing Newcomer Award run by the RBS SE100 Index - an online listing of social ventures ranked and scored according to their growth and social impact. It was chosen from 1,365 social ventures listed on the RBS SE100 Index in the UK.

It is one of roughly 70,000 social enterprises in the UK and, since its formation two years ago, the company has created eight jobs per month of 16 hours a week or more for people with disabilities, or who are disadvantaged. Last year it created 128 new jobs within its business.