Social enterprise

The Peninsula Dental Social Enterprise (PDSE) was named as the winner of the Social and Community Impact category at the 2015 Guardian University Awards. It beat fellow finalists the University of Manchester and the University of Nottingham to claim its second national honour, after winning a Green Gown Award for Enterprise in November of last year.

Wendy Smith, community engagement lead for the PDSE, received the award from Ronni Ancona, who was the celebrity host for the event.

PDSE runs four Dental Education Facilities across the South West where dental profession students from Plymouth University treat NHS patients as part of their training, under the supervision of qualified dental care professionals. It also carries out a wide range of social and community engagement projects, some involving students, which aim to improve oral health, awareness and access to dental care – especially for those in the community who need it most.

Robert Witton, director of the PDSE and a qualified dentist, based in the Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, said: “This is a phenomenal endorsement of our work and my congratulations go not just to the team for this wonderful achievement, but also to the dental profession students at Plymouth University and the many community organisations that work with us – without whom we would not be able to deliver our successful projects.