Offaly Women in Enterprise Event
A fantastic interactive lunch, learn, and networking event took place in July on the grounds of the beautiful Mount Briscoe Country House, bringing together over thirty women from across County Offaly. The event provided an excellent opportunity for participants to engage with one another, forming new relationships and synergies. Orla Martin, Head of Enterprise, opened the event by welcoming attendees and giving an overview of the supports available in LEO Offaly. Director of Service, Ann Dillon, complemented the businesswomen on their success and emphasized the importance of events like these in the County.
During the event, Eileen Fleming, a renowned business consultant and founder/owner of The Buff Day Spa, Dublin, shared valuable insights, tips, and tools on achieving a better work-life balance and maximizing resources for business success. Owner of Mount Briscoe, Margaret Edgill, another esteemed speaker, also shared her own experiences and discussed plans for further expansion using sustainable methods, providing inspiring examples for attendees.
Recent award-winning entrepreneur Gretchen Donovan also attended and praised the staff of LEO Offaly for their exceptional support. She emphasized how their assistance has been crucial in positioning her for success in her business journey.
The contributions and expertise shared by all speakers made the event truly insightful and inspiring for all participants. The feedback we received from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the event's success in fostering connections and collaboration within our community.
Call for female entrepreneurs in rural areas to apply for 9th year of ACORNS new business development programme
ACORNS is a free development programme for early-stage female entrepreneurs based in rural Ireland and funded through the Rural Innovation and Development Fund by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM).
Charlie McConalogue T.D., Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, recently launched the opening of the call for applications for ACORNS 9. The deadline for applications is midnight, September 22.
Some of the previous participants from Offaly, Niamh Dooley from BiaSol and Anne Marie Feighery from Feighery's Farm are pictured below with Agriculture Minister, Charlie McConologue at the launch in the Offaly Pavilion at the Tullamore Show. Both Anne Marie and Niamh found that the programme provided them with a group of supportive, focused, and positive women and it was incredibly motivating.
Further details are available here: gov.ie - Call for female entrepreneurs in rural areas to apply for 9th year of ACORNS new business development programme (www.gov.ie)
