Kildare Social Enterprise Supports Initiative

What is a Social Enterprise?

A Social Enterprise is an enterprise whose objective is to achieve a social, societal or environmental impact, rather than maximising profit for its owners or shareholders.  It pursues its objectives by trading on an ongoing basis through the provision of goods and/or services, and by reinvesting surpluses into achieving social objectives.  It is governed in a fully accountable and transparent manner and is independent of the public sector.  If dissolved, it should transfer its assets to another organisation with a similar mission.

 

How can we support you?

 

  • Join a Network of current Social Enterprises

  • Training and Mentoring Supports

  • Join a county-wide Social Enterprise Brand

  • Increase awareness and understanding of Social Enterprise

 

How do you contact the Kildare Social Enterprise Supports Initiative?

 

Contact Aoife Malone – aoife@countykildarelp.ie

Telephone: 086-1695331

Our Address:

Kildare Community Development Centre,

Meadow Road,

Kildare Town,

Co. Kildare.

R51 RF88

Kildare Small Jobs

Providing a property maintenance service for small household jobs for people 65 and over living in the County Kildare area

Website: https://www.countykildarelp.ie/programmes/kildare-small-jobs/

Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/kildaresmalljobs

Griese Youth Theatre:

Griese Youth Theatre and Children’s Drama has over 100 members (aged 6 to 20) and offers weekly drama classes.

Website: https://grieseyouththeatre.com/

Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/GrieseYouthTheatre

Monasterevin Community Centre

Multi-functional community centre based in a Heritage Building in the heart of Monasterevin

Website: http://www.monasterevincommunitycentre.ie/

Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/MonasterevinCommunityCentre1

 

Kilcullen Community Centre

Kilcullen Community Centre is a sports and recreational centre built by the community of Kilcullen in 1982. It comprises an all-weather pitch, sports hall and meeting rooms. It is home to St. Brigid’s Pitch and Putt Club, Kilcullen Scouts, Kilcullen AFC and Kilcullen Boxing Club. The centre is also home to The Elms Montessori School and Kilcullen Area Community Employment Scheme Offices.

Website: https://www.kilcullencommunitycentre.com/

Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/kilcullencomplex

 

Rathangan Community Association

Rathangan Community Centre is a multi-functional community centre in the heart of Rathangan Town.

Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064534968906

 

The Piers Community Shop & Café

A welcoming community café and shop in the heart of Moone Village. Serving great coffee, lunches, home baked goods and more. There is also a shop with stamps and parcel post available plus a post point terminal.

Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/thepierscafe

 

Teach Dara Community & Family Centre, KIldare Town

Multi-functional community centre based in the heart of Kildare Town

Website: https://www.kildare.ie/teachdara/

Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/teachdara

 

Teach Diarmada Community Centre, Castledermot

Based in a historic building on the banks of the River Liffey in the heart of Celbridge, this is a multi-functional community centre which includes community meeting facilities, a gym, sports hall, enterprise units, training facilities and childcare.

Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/CastledermotCommunityCentre/

 

The Acre Project, Celbridge, Co. Kildare

The ACRE Project is an eco-friendly community-based project on a site on the Maynooth Road in Celbridge. The project provides internal and external spaces in which local communities can gather in and use.

Website: http://www.acreproject.com/

Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/ACREProjectCelbridge

ACDAL, Allenwood Community Development Association

ACDAL is a Social Enterprise and is part funded by the Community Services Programme. The company operates as a not-for-profit company with any surpluses generated re-invested back into the company. ACDAL primarily consists of three segments, namely: The Enterprise Park, The Training Centre and BrightSparks Community Childcare Centre.

Website: https://acdal.ie/

Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/AllenwoodCommunityDevelopmentAssoc

 

The Mill, Celbridge

Based in a historic building on the banks of the River Liffey in the heart of Celbridge, this is a multi-functional community centre which includes community meeting facilities, a gym, sports hall, enterprise units, training facilities and childcare.

Website: http://www.celbridgecommunitycentre.ie/

Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/mill.celbridge.54/

Suncroft Community Centre

A community centre in the heart of the community in Suncroft Village.

Website: https://www.suncroftcommunity.ie/

Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/suncroft.community

 

County Kildare LEADER Partnership has had  very proactive involvement in the development of Social Enterprise in the County in recent years, providing supports under a number of programmes including the LEADER Programme, SICAP (Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme), Tús and the Rural Social Scheme. 

We have delivered two Dormant Accounts funded Training and Mentoring Programmes for Social Enterprise across the county from 2020 to 2022.  We have recently been approved to deliver a promotion and publicity programme for Social Enterprise under the Dormant Accounts Fund ARISE Programme. 

This includes a new branding initiative, video and social media campaign, a Celebration of Social Enterprise event which took place on 9th November, and a radio campaign including a series of interviews on KFM with Social Enterprise.

 

Please see a list of those interviews below:

 

Week 1:  Mary Minogue and Brian Kelly of County Kildare LEADER Partnership

Week 1: https://www.kfmradio.com/on-air/podcasts/kildare-today1/episode/monday-26th-september-2022-hour-2/

 

Week 2:  Paula O’Connor of Kildare Small Jobs

Week 2: https://www.kfmradio.com/on-air/podcasts/kildare-today1/episode/monday-3rd-october-2022-hour-2/

 

Week 3:  Karen Leigh of Sensational Kids

Week 3: https://www.kfmradio.com/on-air/podcasts/kildare-today1/episode/monday-10th-october-2022-hour-2/

 

Week 4:  Ray Stapleton of Lullymore Heritage and Discovery Park

Week 4: https://www.kfmradio.com/on-air/podcasts/kildare-today1/episode/monday-17th-october-2022-hour-2/

 

Week 5:  Margaret Walsh of The Shackleton Museum, Athy

Week 5: https://www.kfmradio.com/on-air/podcasts/kildare-today1/episode/monday-24th-october-2022-hour-2/

 

Week 6:  Dominic McEvoy of The Acre Project, Celbridge

Week 6: https://www.kfmradio.com/on-air/podcasts/kildare-today1/episode/tuesday-1st-november-2022-hour-2/

 

Week 7:  Mark Hazzard of McAuley Place, Naas

Week 7: https://www.kfmradio.com/on-air/podcasts/kildare-today1/episode/monday-7th-november-2022-hour-2/

 

Week 8:  Sinead Pullen of The Old Hardware, Narraghmore

Week 8: https://www.kfmradio.com/on-air/podcasts/kildare-today1/episode/monday-14th-november-hour-2/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Full Version – Covering four Social Enterprises :

 

Sensational Kids CLG.,

Sensational Kids is an award-winning innovative national organisation providing a range of essential early intervention and assessment services for children of all abilities, including those with additional needs.  Sensational Kids provides occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, play therapy and educational psychology assessments to any child who has an additional need.  Their mission is:  ‘To enable children of all ages develop to their full potential – and maximise the quality of their lives’.

 

 

Lullymore Heritage Centre and Discovery Park

Lullymore Heritage and Discovery Park is a day visitor attraction located on a mineral island in the Bog of Allen between the villages of Rathangan and Allenwood in North West Kildare.   Lullymore Heritage and Discovery Park is a non-profit community based project and is in the heart of Ireland’s largest peatland and has developed its facilities to provide a quality blend of education, leisure, and fun to both Irish and overseas visitors.  In addition to vital local community services the park has become an important regional centre for both employment and training.

 

 

The Old Hardware, Narraghmore

The Old Hardware is a community run shop, café and community exhibition and activity space in Narraghmore Village which opened in 2019.  The Old Hardware is an important Social Enterprise for Narraghmore Village and the wider area and has a large group of volunteers.  This innovative social enterprise is providing a much needed meeting place for local residents and has very much become a focal point in the community, it is also providing an outlet for local craftspeople to display and develop their products.

 

 

McAuley Place, Naas

Based at the site of the former convent in Naas Town, McAuley Place is a voluntary and not-for-profit organisation with charitable status.  The team at McAuley Place describe the complex as similar to a college campus for older persons, with 53 self-contained apartments, a vibrant tea rooms, arts and cultural spaces and a community centre all in the heart of Naas Town Centre.  The Community Centre has workshops, classes and community facilities available to residents and the wider Naas Community.  McAuley Place incorporates the aspiration of the Department of Health Positive Ageing Strategy and was developed according to the United Nations Principles for Older Persons.