Walkinstown Social Enterprise Project receives cash grant

WALKINSTOWN Green Social Enterprises Limited, which supports adults with intellectual disabilities, autism and other barriers to employment, was just one of several Dublin-based projects on a List of Awardees for a Social Enterprise Development Fund 2019.

Philomena Poole, Chief Executive of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council recently announced the Leinster based winners of the €1.6 million Social Enterprise Development Fund at a special lunch event in the seaside town.

The regional enterprises awarded on the day included projects from Dublin and Wexford. 

 The fund was set up to support social enterprises from across the country to achieve their goals and create measurable social impact that can be scaled all over Ireland.

The €1.6 million fund, created by Social Innovation Fund Ireland in partnership with Local Authorities Ireland, is supported by IPB Insurance and the Department of Rural and Community Development from the Dormant Accounts Fund.

Chosen from over 200 applicants from almost every county in Ireland, the successful Leinster-based awardees are part of a larger group of 16 Social Enterprises from all across Ireland from a mixture of urban, town and rural settings.

The Social Enterprises will not only receive cash grants of up to €50,000 but will also land a place on Ireland’s most prestigious Accelerator Programme for social enterprises. 

Walkinstown Green Social Enterprises Limited (WGSEL) supports adults with intellectual disabilities, autism and other barriers to employment, to successfully transition into the world of work, by taking steps into further education, training and paid employment.

They do this through the operation of a cafe and a garden centre which trades as The Green Kitchen Café and Garden Centre.

These are social enterprises that support people with intellectual disabilities, autism and other barriers to employment into jobs with a future. The social enterprise also provides a Community Hub in Walkinstown, Dublin 12 that is home to 18 community groups including the Dublin 12 Men’s Shed and Charity Radio.ie. 

Since the social enterprise was set up in 2014, it has provided training and employment opportunities to over 70 people who were furthest from the labour market.

In 2015 the social enterprise started growing its own vegetables in a community polytunnel in Armagh Road, Dublin 12.

This site also has six bee hives that produce award winning honey used in the café. In 2018 the social enterprise received a three-year co-funding package from the Community Services Programme.

This has enabled them to employ more people from our target group. Some 60 per cent of the social enterprise staff now comes from this target group.

 Deirdre Mortell, Chief Executive Officer, Social Innovation Fund Ireland said: “Today’s Awardees are a fantastic example of the type of social enterprises that are making a real difference for communities across Ireland, every day.

“We believe that social enterprises offer high quality jobs that meet local community needs and are a big part of the future of vibrant Irish communities.

“With the support of the Social Enterprise Development Fund, we feel we can help each of these projects reach more communities in need of their support and we can also help them grow.

“The SED Fund was created to find and support social enterprises from across Ireland that are giving back and, with today’s awardees, we think we’ve done just that.”

Ms Poole added: “I am delighted to be present at this Leinster Award Ceremony for the Social Enterprise Development Fund, I would like to congratulate all the recipients who have been chosen for their Social Enterprise Projects.”