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BNest social innovators support programme offers a window into the future

Dermot Carroll, Niamh Buckley, Jenna Barry, Sandra Lorenz-O’Sullivan, Fiona Gavigan (back) and Laura Blewitt, Eamon Ryan, Kaisa Zabinska and Catherine O’Brien (front) at the BNest Social Entrepreneurship – A Path for Me? workshop at the Nexus Centre, University of Limerick. Picture: Zoe Conway/ilovelimerick.

BNest social innovators support programme offers a window into the future

BNest social

Catherine O’Brien, Eamon Ryan, Kaisa Zabinska and Sandra Lorenz-O’Sullivan pictured at the BNest ‘Social Entrepreneurship – A Path for Me?’ workshop at the Nexus Centre, University of Limerick. Picture: Zoe Conway/ilovelimerick.

BNest social innovators are the first dedicated Social Enterprise Incubator Programme in Ireland is an initiative created specifically to support those who make a social impact. BNest run a number of interactive workshops to help you explore the social enterprise space and to understand a little more of the possibilities it might offer you.


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Last weekend, BNest will run a half-day workshop called ‘Social Entrepreneurship – A Path for Me?’ The workshop offered anyone who has an idea or is already running a project that makes a positive social difference to come and learn what they need to fulfill their dream.

BNest was born in 2016 after businessman Eamon Ryan saw a lack of support for businesses caring about social impact as much or even more than the financial results.  As a result, he created the social enterprise incubator programme based at the Nexus Innovation Centre. Eamon runs the incubator with colleague and marketing consultant Kasia Zabinska.

Eamon tells me, “The journey of starting any business, and particularly socially motivated businesses is actually quite a tough one, so having the opportunity to talk to people who have been on that journey here today is actually a great help in getting people to realise whether or not this journey is for them.”

Participant Catherine O’Brien adds, “I work for Ododo which is a social business that helps the parents of children with special needs. I am so glad that I took part in BNest because it has given me the opportunity to really grow my business into a real thing. The support and opportunities are endless with BNest.” The event was free but Bnest asked each participant to contribute €25 towards local charity Milford Hospice.

 

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Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.