Community services, affordable counselling and sustainability education providers are among the eight social enterprises receiving €30,000 awards from Rethink Ireland.

Awardees will receive a combination of cash grants and business supports, including a cash injection of €22,500 each and access to a non-financial support package worth €7,500.

Rethink Ireland is making the awards from the Social Enterprise Development Fund, a €4.4m fund being delivered from 2018 to 2023, supported by IPB Insurance, together with Local Authorities Ireland and the Department of Rural and Community Development, via the Dormant Accounts Fund.

The awardees are:
• ACM Community Development Society, a cooperative society that runs a community services hub in Castleconnell.
• Accelerating Change Together, a social enterprise comprising of architects, urbanists and policy specialists established to accelerate the Green Transition across Ireland.
• Anam Music Therapy, a community-based musical therapy group that provides accessible music therapy services to those most in need, while increasing awareness of the profession in Ireland.
• Education for Sustainability, a sustainable education social enterprise who provide a 10-week packaged climate literacy course for schools that includes teacher training, resources, lesson plans and an online student interactive workbook.
• Kinship Care Ireland, an organisation created to promote the recognition, rights and entitlements of children, young people, and carers in kinship families.
• Living Life Counselling, is a donation-based business for adults, couples and children aimed at giving access to private counselling services for people who cannot afford it.
• Lough Ree Access for All, a licenced passenger boat service for people with disabilities on the island of Ireland or in the UK.
• Self Organised Architecture, an organisation that supports community-led groups in the delivery of housing schemes by helping them negotiate with developers, financial institutions, local/national government and approved housing bodies.

Joe O’Brien, Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, commented: “Since the beginning of this fund six years ago, awardee organisations supported through the Social Enterprise Development Fund have made a significant impact in their local communities.

Community services, affordable counselling and sustainability education providers are among the eight social enterprises receiving €30,000 awards from Rethink Ireland.

Awardees will receive a combination of cash grants and business supports, including a cash injection of €22,500 each and access to a non-financial support package worth €7,500.

Rethink Ireland is making the awards from the Social Enterprise Development Fund, a €4.4m fund being delivered from 2018 to 2023, supported by IPB Insurance, together with Local Authorities Ireland and the Department of Rural and Community Development, via the Dormant Accounts Fund.

The awardees are:
• ACM Community Development Society, a cooperative society that runs a community services hub in Castleconnell.
• Accelerating Change Together, a social enterprise comprising of architects, urbanists and policy specialists established to accelerate the Green Transition across Ireland.
• Anam Music Therapy, a community-based musical therapy group that provides accessible music therapy services to those most in need, while increasing awareness of the profession in Ireland.
• Education for Sustainability, a sustainable education social enterprise who provide a 10-week packaged climate literacy course for schools that includes teacher training, resources, lesson plans and an online student interactive workbook.
• Kinship Care Ireland, an organisation created to promote the recognition, rights and entitlements of children, young people, and carers in kinship families.
• Living Life Counselling, is a donation-based business for adults, couples and children aimed at giving access to private counselling services for people who cannot afford it.
• Lough Ree Access for All, a licenced passenger boat service for people with disabilities on the island of Ireland or in the UK.
• Self Organised Architecture, an organisation that supports community-led groups in the delivery of housing schemes by helping them negotiate with developers, financial institutions, local/national government and approved housing bodies.

Joe O’Brien, Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, commented: “Since the beginning of this fund six years ago, awardee organisations supported through the Social Enterprise Development Fund have made a significant impact in their local communities.

“The latest round of awardees are working to combat serious social and economic barriers that stand in the way of bringing Irish communities closer together to thrive.”

Deirdre Mortell, CEO, Rethink Ireland, added: “We are at a point in social development where Ireland must catch up with its European cohorts. At Rethink Ireland we want to see the number of social enterprises increase with continued support and dedicated funding for our local social innovators.”

John Kearns, CEO, IPB Insurance, stated: “We have seen incredible progress in our country’s socio-economic development over the past six years. We are proud of the legacy of this partnership and are also excited to see the impact of the social enterprise business course, which provides greater access to education for social enterprises.”

Photo: L/R, Dr Lisa Kelly (Co-Founder, Anam Music Therapy), Deirdre Mortell (CEO, Rethink Ireland), Fabian Joyce (Co-Founder, Anam Music Therapy) and John Kearns CEO, IPB Insurance. Pic: Michael Mc Laughlin

Reporting: Business Plus