Ireland

Campaign to boost social enterprise sector in Ireland

Business Spirit News reporting — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 10:43:18 +0000

Campaign to boost social enterprise sector in Ireland

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social enterprise

social entrepreneurs

Ireland

Topic

Social Enterprise

Ireland

Ireland’s first nationwide campaign calls on businesses and the public to support Irish social entreprises by purchasing from them.

The first #BuySocialIRL Week in Ireland aims to inspire businesses and the public to purchase from social enterprises while raising awareness about this sector from the 14th until the 21st of November.

The campaign was launched in Dublin, and there are events planned nationwide with special ‘meet&greet’ sessions in Cork and Galway where participants can network and learn more about social enterprises.

The Irish Social Enterprise Network (ISEN) coordinates the event with support from the Irish Government, highlighting the various benefits of integrating social enterprises into the supply chain, including invigorating local communities.

“If you purchase from a social enterprise, you are helping employ people that might not have had a job otherwise, you are supporting local community initiatives and directly impacting people's lives,”

said Chris MM Gordon, CEO of ISEN, at the launch event.

He explained further that ‘social enterprises are businesses for good’ and selling products and services means they can reinvest their profits into communities.

Chris MM Gordon, CEO of Irish Social Enterprise Network opened a 'Meet&Greet' event in Cork as part of the #BuySocialIRL Week campaign. Image: BuySocial.ie

The slogan of the campaign ‘Do Good. Spend Well. Buy Social.’ also reflects on the main goal of this initiative.

Gordon added:

“Through this #BuySocialIRL week, all we ask is that you consider buying something from a social enterprise.”

Besides the one-week campaign, the public and business leaders are invited to visit the BuySocial.ie online directory that lists Irish social enterprises providing products and services.

Siel Bleu is one of the Irish social enterprises joining the #BuySocialIRL Week. Image: BuySocial.ie

The website features a wide range of options for anyone interested in supporting organisations such as Mug Shot Coffee, creating jobs for people with prison or probation experience or Siel Bleu, which helps the elderly and people living with disabilities to transform lives through exercise.

Visitors can browse and find authentic offers, including Ireland's first social enterprise design store, We Make Good or Brigit’s Garden, a place where people of all ages can connect with nature, among others.

The #BuySocialIRL is supported by the Department of Rural and Community Development, the Dormant Accounts Fund and Pobal, which works on behalf of the Government to support communities and local agencies toward achieving social inclusion and development.

The event’s main organiser is the Irish Social Enterprise Network, the National Body for Social Enterprise in Ireland, active in advocacy, education and facilitating networking.

Headline Image: BuySocial.ie

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November 2022

Celebrating social and circular enterprises in Dublin

Business Spirit News reporting — Sun, 02 Oct 2022 12:15:49 +0000

Celebrating social and circular enterprises in Dublin

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Social Entrepreneurship

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A new initiative led by Dublin City Council aims to shine a light on social enterprises and circular economy players.

The SoCircular event will take place in Dublin on 5th October to bring together social and circular enterprises and other stakeholders to connect, learn and build connections.

This new initiative is driven by Dublin City Council in collaboration with strategic partners from various sectors and will be hosted at a prime venue, The Mansion House.

The event aims to facilitate the transformation of Dublin's economic ecosystem to become more resilient and competitive by better integrating enterprises and innovators with strong sustainability and social values.

Organisers will provide a forum for discussions, exchanging ideas and gaining insights while showcasing exhibitors and cultural programs.

Besides networking and learning, the goal is to encourage businesses, organisations and government departments to buy from these organisations to empower this sector's growth.

“This event will raise awareness of these innovative enterprises.

Buying from them will bring about many benefits, such as shorter supply chains, creating resilient local employment, improving social and environmental impacts, and supporting fairer, greener and thriving communities,”

says Mary MacSweeney, Deputy Head of Economic Development and Enterprise.

Mary MacSweeney, Deputy Head of Economic Development and Enterprise highlights the importance of integrating social and circular enterprises into supply chains.

Pointing out the role of businesses and government in strengthening social and circular enterprises is one of the core messages of the event.

Buying from these companies could add to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and department strategies while helping them raise their profile by walking the talk and filling slogans with actions.

At the event, participants can meet with innovative entrepreneurs embracing sustainability and circular economy in their business model and join panel discussions to learn more insights about available supports and key players.

Attendees can find the detailed program and register online free of charge.

Cultural performances and a trade expo with more than 50 local social and circular enterprises will allow people to connect and network.

Lord Mayor of Dublin, Caroline Conroy, expressed how much social and circular enterprises can help counteract the impact of environmental and economic crises.

Another element of the program is to raise awareness about how socially driven businesses can address environmental challenges and, the other way around, how environmentally focused projects can easily solve social problems.

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Caroline Conroy, emphasised the importance of this sector in helping the city fight upcoming challenges associated with the impacts of climate change and economic crises.

The event is being hosted as part Dublin's involvement in the European Social Economy Regions project of the European Commission.

Various stakeholders and organisations have rallied behind this initiative, including the Department of Rural and Community Development, CRNI, EMWR, Dublin Place Brand, Social Enterprise Dublin, and Dublin Regional Skills Forum, among others.

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October 2022

First Impact Syndicate in Ireland to invest €10M in sustainability start-ups

Business Spirit News reporting — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 20:46:37 +0000

First Impact Syndicate in Ireland to invest €10M in sustainability start-ups

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Angel invetsors in Ireland will provide funding and supports to enterprises building on environmental, social and governance factors.

The Halo Business Angel Network (HBAN) is launching a new Impact Syndicate aiming to collectively invest €10M in Irish enterprises focusing on ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) factors besides traditional financial returns.

The Impact Syndicate will be officially launched at the online All-Island Conference on 2 February 2022.

Over the next three years, the syndicate will consider pitches from start-ups located in Ireland focusing on climate, agri-tech and food supply chain, energy, blue economy, health and cleantech.

L-Faye Walsh Drouillard, co-chair of HBAN Impact Syndicate; R-Julian Seymour, Syndicates Manager, HBAN

“Investors and entrepreneurs alike want to make a meaningful impact.

The global focus on ESG has created a market with almost boundless opportunities for growth, and we want to help Irish businesses to be a part of that story,” Julian Seymour, Syndicates Manager, HBAN, said about the launch. Seymour added that HBAN Impact Syndicate aims to support ground-breaking innovations that integrate ESG factors into their core business.

Based on the International Finance Corporation (IFC) estimations in 2020, the global market for Impact Investing reached up to $2.1 trillion in assets under management and that continues to grow.

Faye Walsh Drouillard, impact investor and co-founder of WakeUp Capital, will co-chair the syndicate and become the first female chair of a HBAN syndicate.

“Impact investing provides exciting financial potential for investors, while also enabling them to make a difference in the community and even the planet,”

says Walsh about the importance of this step.

“I am passionate about supporting entrepreneurs to drive real social and environmental change, and impact investing is central to this.”

Walsh has been involved with impact investing throughout her entire carrier and feels that by co-chairing the Impact Syndicate with highly experienced WakeUp Capital co-founder Mark Peters, they can facilitate growth in this area in Ireland. Besides helping sustainability start-ups scale, the syndicate also encourages angel investors to get involved.

At the All-Island conference, HBAN will host sessions focusing on impact investing and demystifying angel investment, which they hope will encourage existing and first-time angel investors to join their network and consider its Impact Syndicate.

Speakers at the conference include Marcia Dawood, chair of the Angel Capital Association in the US; serial entrepreneur Norman Crowley, founder of Crowley Carbon; and Loretta McCarthy, whose investor consortium Golden Seeds backs early-stage female-led businesses in the US.

HBAN (Halo Business Angel Network) is responsible for promoting business angel investment on the island of Ireland and a joint initiative of Enterprise Ireland, InterTradeIreland and Invest Northern Ireland.

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January 2022

Irish charity and community sector calls for action in pandemic recovery

Business Spirit News reporting — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 16:17:38 +0000

Irish charity and community sector calls for action in pandemic recovery

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A public awareness campaign was launched to promote the value and impact of the charity and community sector in Ireland.

Charities and community groups in Ireland have come together to launch the We Act national campaign to put community recovery in the spotlight for the Covid-19 aftermath and promote the value and impact of this sector nationwide.

The public awareness campaign was launched on 27th October, revealing the results of a survey conducted in March 2021 amongst 1000 people aiming to gain insights on the perceptions, experience and understanding of the charity and community sector.

“The Covid-19 crisis brought a renewed public focus on the work of our sector. From support lines for older people to laptops for children in emergency accommodation, when we saw a need in our communities, we responded to it.

The pandemic demonstrated that – in times of real need – charities and community groups are at the forefront of our national response,”

said Sarah Monaghan, We Act spokesperson and Campaigns Manager at The Wheel, Ireland’s national association of community and voluntary organisations, charities and social enterprises.

Launch of the We Act campaign in Ireland to promote the value and impact of the charity and community sector. Image: Naoise Culhane

There are 34,000 organisations in this sector, employing almost 165,000 people and further 1 million volunteers.

Considering the sector's weight, organisers hope to bridge the gap between some of the views raised in the research and create awareness of the value and impact of charities and community groups in Ireland.

Some of the key findings of the public survey:

70% of people believe the lives of people in their communities would be impacted if charities disappeared overnight. Still, just 8% believe they interacted with a charity or community group in the past year.
62% think charities are more likely to be responsive in their services than the public sector, but only 54% think the staff in the charity sector should be paid similarly to those in the public sector.
70% believe an organisation dealing with homelessness is a charity, while only 8% think an arts organisation is a charity. In reality, both can be charities.
Over 40% believe those who serve on charity boards are paid a salary. But, in fact, charity board members are unpaid volunteers, and the Charities Regulator stipulates explicitly that board members cannot accept a salary for their role.

The report also found that the public very highly trusts charities and community groups as they were the third most trusted institution in Ireland after schools and An Garda Síochána.

While 73% of the public trust charities and community groups in general, this drops to just 60% for large organisations compared to 78% for small organisations.

The We Act campaign will run over the next three years. Image: Naoise Culhane

Monaghan adds to the survey results: “We saw a shift in values towards equality, justice and supports for the most vulnerable in our communities and across the globe. Now, there needs to be a concentrated effort to ensure the innovation, goodwill and community cohesion continues as we recover from the pandemic.”

The We Act campaign will run over the next three years to address the challenges uncovered in the research.

The main focus in these years will be to support the growth of vibrant and sustainable community life and strengthen the charity and community sector while encouraging more members of the public to engage and participate by volunteering, working, and donating.

The campaign is funded through a grant from RTÉ Does Comic Relief that is distributed by The Community Foundation for Ireland.

Denise Charlton, Chief Executive of The Community Foundation for Ireland, said, “The Community Foundation for Ireland works with and supports more than 5,000 voluntary, community and charitable organisations.

There are a million stories of the positive impact they have on families, homes and individuals across Ireland, often out of public view.

We want to see more people working and staying in the sector, more people volunteering and engaging at a community level, more people knowing what services are out there should they need them, and more people feeling part of something positive and bigger than themselves.”

A coalition of charities and community groups, led by Boardmatch, Charities Institute Ireland, the Disability Federation of Ireland, Dóchas, The Wheel and Volunteer Ireland, manages the We Act campaign.

Headline image: Naoise Culhane, Photographer

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October 2021

€800,000 Social Enterprise Start-up Fund is open for innovative projects in Ireland

Business Spirit News reporting — Mon, 19 Jul 2021 15:55:27 +0000

€800,000 Social Enterprise Start-up Fund is open for innovative projects in Ireland

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social enterprise

Social Innovation

Social Entrepreneurship

Topic

A new support package with grants and training is available for early-stage social enterprises with a clear ambition to address a critical social issue in Ireland.

Minister for Rural and Community Development in Ireland, Heather Humphreys, TD, announced the launch of the €800,000 Social Enterprise Start-up Fund on July 15th 2021.

The purpose of this specific support package is to offer cash and training programmes for social enterprises to realise their potential, expand their businesses and create jobs.

Minister Humphreys said at the launch that the Fund would have a two-year lifespan to provide small grants and other business supports tailored to help early-stage social enterprises overcome challenges when they are starting their projects.

“Twenty-five social enterprises from across Ireland will receive cash grants of between €9,500 and €12,000, as well as access to a six-month tailored training programme.”

“The programme itself comes under the Dormant Accounts Fund in my Department. It will be delivered by Rethink Ireland, who have a great track record in administering supports to social enterprises.”

Deirdre Mortell, CEO of Rethink Ireland, a national organisation supporting Ireland’s best social innovations through various financial and business supports, welcomed the announcement.

Deirdre Mortell, CEO of Rethink Ireland; Image: Rethink Ireland

''At Rethink Ireland we believe that social enterprises can play a pivotal role in supporting the transition to a more inclusive, sustainable and green economy.

We're delighted to be partnering with the Department of Rural and Community Development to provide much-needed start-up funding and supports as part of today's commitment to the Social Enterprise sector in Ireland,” adds Mortell.

Up to 25 social enterprises will receive cash grants of €9,000 each in 2021, and all successful applicants will win a place on the National Accelerator Programme managed by Rethink Ireland.

The programme will empower the most innovative and impactful start-up social enterprises across Ireland to design a competitive business plan, expand their network, increase financial sustainability and communicate their vision and mission to a broader audience.

Applicants must address a critical social issue with an innovative solution in an Irish context and have the potential and a desire to scale or replicate in Ireland.

Ideally, projects should be beyond the idea phase, presenting some market research, at least a prototype, and a minimum amount of sales activity.

Applications are open from July 15th until August 3rd 2021, to not-for-profit nature organisations based in Ireland.

Applicants are invited to complete a short online application form.

An application webinar clinic is held to support potential applicants with any questions they may have on Tuesday, July 20th, from 11 am to 12 pm.

Awardees will be selected from the shortlist of projects which have met the required criteria.

Rethink Ireland created the Fund in partnership with the Department of Rural and Community Development via the Dormant Accounts Fund.

According to Rethink Ireland’s research, this type of funding and support is critical to ensuring social enterprises have the best chance of reaching sustainability and maximising impact in their communities.

Headline image: Annie Spratt on Unsplash

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July 2021