To celebrate this years’ awardees and highlight social enterprise development in Dublin, the Dublin City Social Enterprise Awards 2020 took place this morning. The five awardees received funding from a total pool of €50,000.
Different to previous years, it was hosted as a fully online ceremony in line with government restrictions. In attendance was Lord Mayor of Dublin, Hazel Chu who delivered the keynote address in which she praised the awardees stating: ‘each of this year’s Dublin City Social Enterprise awardees are actively and innovatively working to address inadequacies, contradictions and underlying issues within our City. They are delivering change, progress and hope to individuals and communities while also bringing about economic, community and policy benefits’.
At the ceremony, 5 awardees received funding along with supports which will assist their social enterprises to achieve a greater impact among the individuals and communities that they serve and assist. The issues that the awardees are seeking to address include: diversity, social inclusion, disability, unemployment, mental health, family support, old age care, education and sustainability. As well as addressing these issues, the awardees provide practical help to people who are disadvantaged, those who are particularly far from the labour market or from inclusion in their communities.
Chair of the Dublin City Social Enterprise Committee and MC of the ceremony, Mary Mac Sweeney congratulated the awardees and highlighted the importance of raising awareness of both the awardees and social enterprises in general. She stated: ‘It is so important that we collectively promote the significant impact that social enterprises deliver in local communities and economies. The awardees along with an increasing and dynamic array of social enterprises in Dublin are creating employment, opportunities and improvements where they are based’.
This year’s social enterprise awardees are:
| Social Enterprise: | Promoter: | Website: |
| Outhouse | Martha Whyte | https://outhouse.ie/ |
| The Open Doors Initiative | Jeanne McDonagh | https://www.opendoorsinitiative.ie/ |
| MyMind | Krystian Fikert | https://mymind.org/ |
| The Great Care Co-op | Aoife Smith | https://www.thegreatcarecoop.ie/ |
| ReCreate Ireland | Kevin McLoughlin | https://recreate.ie/ |
(Further information and links on each awardee is provided below)
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
