THE RECIPIENTS of this year’s Arthur Guinness Fund for Irish social entrepreneurs were announced yesterday at a reception in Dublin.
The 10 successful candidates gathered yesterday morning in the Guinness Storehouse to accept the €650,000 investment from the fund to help their projects.
Among the projects celebrated were a software application that allows rescue workers spot trends in accidents, a programme to help former prisoners return to the workplace and a social website for people suffering from mental health problems.
Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore praised the social entrepreneurs as “shining examples” of what can be achieved when a desire to make a difference is met with a good idea and the means to make it happen.
“When we think of enterprise we often think of enterprise as something that is driven purely by private gain. This is enterprise that is driven by the concept of public good,” he said.
Established in 2009 to mark the 250th anniversary of Guinness, the fund was kick-started with a €2.5 million investment and has sponsored 20 projects across the State.
Successful applicants receive financial support and business mentoring over two years.
“We are really proud of the Arthur Guinness Fund. We wanted to do something to create a legacy in the social area – we also believe that as a business we have a huge obligation,” said David Smith, country director at Diageo Ireland, which owns the Guinness brand.
Mr Smith also announced that every time a Facebook users “checks-in” on their page at an Arthur’s Day event on September 22nd, Guinness will donate €5 to the fund. The company hope to raise €500,000 from the “check-in” donations, he said.
Featured in a special supplement in The Irish Timesyesterday, the recipients have initiated programmes that aim to improve Irish society in innovative ways.