Rethink Ireland has awarded €530,000 to 28 social enterprises as part of two of its funds, the development fund and the startup fund.
Eight enterprises will receive awards under the Social Enterprise Development Fund and 20 others will benefit from the Social Enterprise StartUp Fund, both of which aim to support and develop social enterprises that work primarily to improve the lives of people and communities.
The Social Enterprise Development Fund has a total of €4.4m and was created by Rethink Ireland in partnership with Local Authorities Ireland, and funded by IPB Insurance and the Department of Rural and Community Development through the dormant accounts fund.
To date, it has helped more than 500 people gain employment through 112 social enterprises and has mobilised almost 17,000 volunteers.
The Social Enterprise StartUp Fund, now in its second year, is an €800,000 fund to support social enterprises at the startup and early stage of existence, with organisations from ten counties throughout Ireland recognised as awardees.
The aim is to embed strong business principles and, in turn, deliver social impact, create jobs and inspire the next generation of social enterprises.
Rethink Ireland chief executive Deirdre Mortell said: “ From a toy library that offers rental toys to families to reduce waste, to a therapeutic adventure group focused on tackling youth mental health difficulties, or a heart-warming community centre that is integrating and including immigrants and refugees into Irish society, social enterprises show a deep level of care for everyone in a community across Ireland."
In Association with
The grant beneficiaries include An Mheitheal Rothar, which focuses on providing bicycles to those who do not have access to cycling, particularly those who are unable to participate in the Bike to Work programme, while also boosting employment and sustainability.
Their approach combines recycling and waste reduction with delivering affordable bikes, as well as personalised information sharing and problem solutions for each user.
Another is Common Ground Community-Led Housing, which has been working in response to the housing crisis since 2018.
The project says it’s a win-win solution for state bodies, households and the wider community for developing a new housing sector, using a “replicable and internationally proven model to make housing more attainable, community-focused and sustainable, for the benefit of everyone”.
A pilot scheme in north Wicklow will be the first of its kind in Ireland and will offer a template for other groups to achieve similar goals, it says.
IPB Insurance chief executive Michael Garvey added: “Our collaboration with Rethink Ireland and the department has proven hugely successful in attracting and supporting social enterprises that are making a real difference in addressing social needs in their communities.
"The social enterprise sector in Ireland is going from strength to strength and is playing an increasing role in strengthening the sustainability and resilience of communities across the country.
“It is important that social enterprises continue to be nurtured by recognising the importance of the sector and providing assistance through financial and business supports.”
The full list of those awarded today, and details of each, are available from the Rethink Ireland website .
