Social Enterprise Regeneration Programme

What is a Social Enterprise?

The interpretation of a social enterprise can change from person to person and often the value of a social enterprise can be forgotten amongst all the other enterprises out there. An accurate definition of a Social Enterprise is a trading organisation that works primarily to improve the lives of people. Their core aim is to achieve a positive social, societal, or environmental impact. Examples of social enterprises in your area are Meals-on-Wheels, Men ’ s Sheds, Childcare facilities, Community Laundries, and more. Social enterprises pursue their goals by trading goods and services on an ongoing basis. However, any surpluses generated by social enterprises are re-invested into achieving social objectives, rather than maximising profit for their owners. During the pandemic, social enterprises across the country played a pivotal role in keeping vital services running while everything else shut down. Thankfully, as we begin to move past the impacts of Covid-19 we can now start to appreciate and commend the role of social enterprises in our communities. The shame is many social enterprises do not know that they are one! Our community halls that rent out spaces for Zumba, Card nights, and other social events are social enterprises. The community garden which is used to teach people about food sustainability and healthy eating but also sells their fruit and veg at the local market, they too are a social enterprise. What we want to see this year is community groups and other organisations who do good in our communities is to recognise that they are a social enterprise and say so proudly. So, when you can please support the social enterprise in your area and always be on the lookout for the next best social enterprise idea!

Covid-19 Social Enterprise Regeneration Programme (SERP)

IRD Duhallow and Avondhu Blackwater Partnership made up a consortium that was awarded the Covid-19 Social Enterprise Regeneration Programme (SERP) fund to help social enterprises across Duhallow and the Avondhu Blackwater area to bounce back after Covid. The pandemic has been a particularly challenging time for the Social Enterprise sector in North/Mid Cork and East Kerry with many social enterprises fighting for their survival while simultaneously stepping up to ensure the wellbeing of their communities. The SERP was created to help social enterprises bounce back after covid and our programme, JUMP START offered a business regeneration package for the Managers, Board of Directors, and Staff of purpose-driven social enterprises in the Duhallow region. The emphasis was to build sustainable and resilient social enterprises through training, mentoring, networking, and support from our Social Enterprise Development Officer, P.J. Murphy. The programme focused on Digital Innovation, Strategic Planning, Income Diversification, and Governance.

Mentoring

Mentoring is having an industry professional you can meet with for guidance and advice on running your enterprise. Unfortunately, many social enterprises do not have the funds to pay for mentoring which is why we focused a large portion of the SERP fund on allowing the social enterprises to benefit from a valuable service. The benefits of mentoring are vast which is why we made mentoring free for the social enterprises. The programme supplied over 130 hours of professional mentoring to social enterprises in the region. Highly qualified mentors from around Ireland were selected for a panel to meet the needs of social enterprises in the areas of Digital Innovation, Strategic Planning, Income Diversification, and Governance. The Social Enterprises then selected which areas they would like help with and then they were paired with the mentor who best suited their needs.

Training & Workshops

We wanted to do all we could to help social enterprises to bounce back after covid and upskilling was a vital part of helping managers and staff of social enterprises to do so. The Social Enterprise Regeneration Programme (SERP) supplied training and workshops across the areas of Digital Innovation, Strategic Planning, Income Diversification, and Governance. We were lucky enough to have in-person workshops but also benefitted from the newfound appreciation and want for online delivery also.

PJ Murphy and Mary Galvin of Avondhu Blackwater Partnership with Taoiseach Micheál Martin at the Wheel National Summit in Dublin.

Members of Macroom Tidy Towns who received mentoring from Laura Curtin (left of flipchart) of Platinum Brand Communications.

Eoin Kennedy (B/R: Third from the right) ran two workshops at the James O'Keeffe Institute. The first workshop was on digital marketing and the second was on Website Design. Colm O’Connor of Duhallow Furniture Revamp speaking at the Social Enterprise National Summit in Dublin.

Testimony – Jenny Cronin, IRD Duhallow Furniture Revamp

A transformative experience for me and I am amazed at how much I have accomplished being mentored by Laura Curtin. The improvements made have been phenomenal. It has made my job here so much more efficient which subsequently has also made me feel much more confident, happy, and assertive in my role and myself.

#SocialiSE Summit

Duhallow Furniture Revamp was selected to feature as a case study in a national event for social enterprises in Dublin. The #SocialiSE Summit was created to raise awareness of all the magnificent work being done by social enterprises in Ireland. Due to the performance of Duhallow Furniture Revamp, they were selected to exemplify how a social enterprise can be created, developed, and more so how to innovate. Only three social enterprises in the country were selected as case studies for the event.

PJ Murphy and Colm O'Connor are pictured with Donie McGrath from the Irish Local Development Network and John Ryan from the Department of Rural and Community Development for the media launch of the #SocialiSE Summit. A national event for Social Enterprises in Ireland.