MBCC ASPIRE Magazine July 2025

BYRON TAYLOR: THE FIRST EVER THAT’S BENTASTIC! AWARDS WINNER

As the inaugural recipient of the That’s BENtastic! Award, Byron Taylor has witnessed firsthand the programme’s transformative power—not just for ndividuals, but for entire communities.

“When I won the first award, I knew it would bring significant attention,” he recalls. “We didn’t underestimate the impact of the publicity and networking opportunities that followed. I hoped it would help us gain additional support to grow—and I’m proud to say that prediction has come true.

Since then, Settlement Support CIC has benefitted tremendously from the exposure the award brought. It elevated our organisation’s credibility, enabling us to build strategic partnerships and launch impactful community initiatives.

Our Donations Project began with pallets sourced from my site in Coventry, providing essential supplies to vulnerable migrants. This was followed by a Digital Inclusion Programme, highlighted by Coventry City Council, which supports individuals in gaining access to devices and basic digital skills. We also launched ESOL and Digital Skills Training to empower migrants from non-English-speaking backgrounds.

To promote health and physical activity among migrants, we introduced the Community Walks and Cycling Project. In partnership with the City Council’s Public Health Team, we also implemented the Health Alert for Migrants project, spreading vital health messages to migrant communities.

“THE BENTASTIC AWARDS ELEVATED OUR ORGANISATION’S CREDIBILITY, WHICH WE HAVE USED POSITIVELY TO BUILD STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AND LAUNCH IMPACTFUL COMMUNITY INITIATIVES.”

“The BENtastic Awards and Amazon’s DEI culture can be identified as making the greatest impact in the birth and growth of the SSCIC and how it is impacting the community.”

“The £1,000 prize proved invaluable during a pivotal time in the organisation’s growth.”