Business
Two Limerick social enterprises awarded Rethink Ireland StartUp Fund
Social Enterprise StartUp Fund – Limerick-based Gorm Media CEO Mamobo Ogoro (left). Gorm Media has been announced as a beneficiary of the Rethink Ireland’s Social Enterprise StartUp Fund.
Limerick’s Gorm Media and The Health Hub are awardees of the Social Enterprise StartUp Fund
Two Limerick-based social enterprises are among 28 awardees of Rethink Ireland’s Social Enterprise Development Fund and Social Enterprise StartUp Fund.
Eight enterprises will receive awards under the Social Enterprise Development Fund and 20 others will benefit from the Social Enterprise StartUp Fund, both of which aim to support and develop social enterprises that work primarily to improve the lives of people and communities.
Limerick’s Gorm Media and the Health Hub are awardees of the Social Enterprise StartUp Fund (2021-2022), an €800,000 fund developed in partnership with the Department of Rural and Community Development, aiming to support social enterprises at the startup or early stage of existence.
Gorm Media is a digital media social enterprise with a mission to unify across social, political, and cultural differences, and advance belonging for marginalised communities. Gorm’s vision is to spark a movement of unity and shared understanding through innovative digital media, events, and education that captures the stories and experiences of diverse individuals in order to unify across differences. Gorm believes that differences do not mean division and common ground can be built through open conversation and shared understanding.
The Health Hub in Kileely, a programme developed under The Learning Hub, brings a focus on health education aimed at supporting and raising awareness across all age groups. The Learning Hub works in partnership with parents, education providers, statutory agencies, and the wider Limerick community to provide a safe, welcoming, and inspiring learning environment where young people can reach their true potential. They prioritize children attending local DEIS schools but aim to reserve over 40% of their place for children from other areas of the city attending non-DEIS schools. They have a waiting list for many of their after-school programmes.
Dr Pat Daly, Chief Executive of Limerick City and County Council said, “We would like to extend our congratulations to each awardee on their success in receiving a Social Enterprise Fund Award from Rethink Ireland. Coming out of an extremely challenging period for Irish society, we’re delighted with this good news story for Limerick.
“Social enterprises have an important role to play in guiding Ireland to become a more inclusive and equal society. Organisations like Gorm Media and Health Hub are leading the charge by not only creating jobs but working towards bringing about positive social change.”
CEO of Rethink Ireland, Deirdre Mortell, commented on the announcement, “From a toy library that offers rental toys to families to reduce waste to a therapeutic adventure group focused on tackling youth mental health difficulties, social enterprises show a deep level of care for everyone in a community across Ireland. We are so thankful to our supporting partners and are delighted to have the opportunity to support these wonderful organisations.”
For more information on Rethink Ireland’s social enterprise funding, go HERE
For more business stories, go HERE