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New Cabinet Office Minister, Dawn Butler launches ‘One Big Idea’ competition

CAB/100/09
18 November 2009

Dawn Butler, Minister for Young Citizens and Youth Engagement will celebrate Social Enterprise Day, on Thursday 19 November, by helping to launch the ‘One Big Idea’ competition at St Matthews Academy in Blackheath, London. This visit will be Dawn Butler’s fist official visit in her new role as Cabinet Office Minister for Young Citizens and Youth Engagement.

‘One Big Idea’ is run by Enterprise UK, the competition challenges young people to develop a new product for the brand ‘One’. One is owned by the social enterprise, Global Ethics, producers of ‘One water’ - a sustainably sourced bottle of water sold in the UK, with the profits going to Africa to provide clean water for local people.

Young people will have until February to design a similar product that will be sold in selected Co-op shops in the UK, the profit from these sales will then be used to address a social or environmental problem in Malawi. Just like ‘One Water’, the idea for the product must be directly related to the issue that needs addressing.

The Government has invested well over £100 million in promoting social enterprise, developing the skills of young social entrepreneurs and supporting social enterprises to access appropriate investment.

Dawn Butler, Minister for Young Citizens and Youth Engagement, said

“One Big Idea’ is a really great concept. There is a lot of untapped energy, enthusiasm and creativity out there and I am confident that there will not just be one, but several great ideas that come out of this competition, the challenge will be to pick the best one.

“Initiatives like this help to shine a spotlight on the young people who are full of bright ideas about how to make the world a better place; from tackling climate change to reducing crime and helping people living in developing countries. I am looking forward to meeting these young social entrepreneurs.”

Dawn Butler will be attending the ‘One Big Idea’ competition launch between 8.30 – 9.30am on Social Enterprise Day, Thursday 19 November 2009.

For more information about the competition please visit: www.onebigidea.org.uk [External website]

Ends

Notes to editors

The Prime Minister appointed Dawn Butler MP as the Minister for Young Citizens and Youth Engagement, on 30 October 2009.

The Minister will continue with her duties as an assistant whip, but will also work with ministers in relevant Government departments – particularly with DCSF and MoJ - and other relevant bodies in order to:

• lead the Government's response to the Youth Citizenship Commission, to be published before the end of the year;
• take forward appropriate action arising from the recommendations of the Youth Citizenship Commission report published in June 2009;
• seek ways to help increase young people’s participation in their local communities as well as in local and national politics;
• develop citizenship among disadvantaged groups of young people and promote active citizenship through volunteering and community engagement; and
• engage with a wide range of organisations representing or dealing with young people to pursue these aims.

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