€50,000 fund presented to awardee social enterprises in Dublin
Eight local social enterprises received funding and supports at the Dublin City Social Enterprise Awards today. These social enterprises are actively working to address important issues and achieve a social, societal or environmental impact, rather than maximising profits for owners or shareholders. The issues that the awardee social enterprises are seeking to address include: Biodiversity, Sustainability, Unemployment, Low Education Attainment, Diversity, Inclusion, Health, Mental Health, Homelessness, Accessibility, Ex-Offender Reintegration. As well as addressing these issues, the awardees provide practical help to people who are disadvantaged, distanced from the labour market or distanced from inclusion in their local communities.
Speaking at the awards, the Lord Mayor of Dublin Alison Gilliland stated: ‘We have seen the number and work of social enterprises grow across our city. They provide for and support community needs in an innovative and sustainable manner. Getting a social enterprise off the ground is not always financially easy and these awards recognise the need to support great ideas in a very tangible way’.
The 8 awardees received funding from a total pool of €50,000 along with various supports which will assist their social enterprises to develop and achieve a greater impact among the individuals and communities that they serve and assist in Dublin city. They also received a bespoke award trophy which was handmade by PACE, a local social enterprise and previous awardee.
Mary Mac Sweeney, Chair of the Dublin City Social Enterprise Committee and MC at the awards, congratulated the awardees and highlighted the important contribution that they make. ‘Each of the social enterprise awardees are actively working with and supporting individuals and communities across Dublin City. They are providing tangible services, innovations and opportunities that are much needed’.
Dublin City Social Enterprise Awards 2021 - Awardees:
Dublin City Social Enterprise Awards 2021 Awardees Brochure.pdf (size 7.7 MB) (Published September 2021)
The brochure highlights each of 8 awardee social enterprises and provides information on the awards programme.
A short video of each social enterprise highlighting their role and operations in addressing a social need will be available on LEO Dublin City’s Youtube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChD5pnX_Y9KBb3afGrZibRw?view_as=subscriber
Further Information:
Dublin City Social Enterprise Awards is organised and managed by various stakeholders in partnership such as: Dublin City Council; Dublin City Social Enterprise Committee; Inner City Enterprise, Local Enterprise Office Dublin City and the Department of Rural and Community Development.
The event is part of a series - which represents Dublin's involvement in the European Commission’s: European Social Economy Regions - 2021 Project. The objective of the project is to build networks of Social Economy and Social Enterprise stakeholders and to raise awareness about the Social Economy at regional and local level. To find out more about ESER 2021, please visit: European Social Economy Regions
The Dublin City Social Enterprise Awards was first established in 2015 through a collaboration between Dublin City Council, Inner City Enterprise (ICE) and the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Dublin City to provide funding for social enterprises to start and grow in Dublin City. The awards are funded by Dublin City Council and the Department of Rural and Community Development and are managed by Inner City Enterprise.
Now in its seventh year, at this year's awards ceremony selected social enterprises will be showcased that were selected as winners by an evaluation committee. The programme and competition aims to increase awareness of the important contribution that social enterprises make to building communities, creating employment and developing the skills of the participants who get involved.
Video interviews of previous year's awardees are available on the LEO Dublin City Youtube channel - Social Enterprise playlist: here
The awards was hosted as a hybrid event and took place in line with government restrictions.
Event Page: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/dublin-city-social-enterprise-awards-2021-tickets-166904733551
