The Gathering 2022 interactive village featured 12 of SEI’s social entrepreneurs. Meet the twelve brilliant social entrepreneur–led organisations showcased from around the country who are dreaming big and taking action to build a better future for Ireland.
”There is nothing like a dream to create the future.
Victor Hugo
Social Entrepreneurs Ireland
The Gathering 2022
Social Entrepreneurs Ireland
The Gathering 2022
Our annual showcase and celebration of the work of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland and our community took place on Tuesday, November 22nd, 2022!
This year’s theme for The Gathering was ‘Hope for the Future –envisioning a better Ireland’ inspired by Victor Hugo’s quote “There’s nothing like a dream to create the future".
SEI believe that a more inclusive, sustainable, fairer Ireland is possible and that this can be achieved through the work of social entrepreneurs and the community of support built around them.
SEI encouraged guests to share what positive, hopeful visions they have for Ireland.
Highlights from the SEI Gathering 2022 "Our dreams create the future''
Highlights from the SEI Gathering 2022 "Our dreams create the future''
Meet the social entrepreneurs of The Future Village
Sólás deliver interactive, practical support for children & young people with additional needs and their families through educational and social programmes, therapeutic interventions, networking and collaboration.
Dabbledoo makes music education more accessible, engaging and fun for all, by supporting teachers to teach the primary school curriculum while instilling a life-long love of music.
The Sea Collective develop and facilitate programmes that engage people in marine biodiversity, citizen science and heritage activities – reaping the physical and mental health benefits from blue spaces, while inspiring and nurturing curiosity, pride and responsibility for our oceans.
Helium Arts empowers children with health conditions through their creativity and the arts, inspiring those who care for them and supporting creative healthy environments, while creating opportunities for artistic ambition and excellence.
Shapes of Grief launched in 2021, providing resources on loss, bereavement and grief in its many forms, to individuals and professionals.
Shapes of Grief is offering the only training of its kind in Ireland and abroad, to address the dearth in Grief Training among healthcare professionals. The award-winning programme delivers a comprehensive 35-hour in-depth training in grief and loss, as well as other resources for individuals, mental health professionals and healthcare workers worldwide.
With 4 school aged children, the founder of Education for Sustainability became alarmed at the lack of environmental education in schools given we are in a climate crisis. Although young people are aware of the climate crisis, there was a lack of opportunities for them to take action and to make a difference on these issues.
The vision is to create a world where young people are actively engaged in taking action for sustainable development by making environmental education & sustainability a fundamental part of the national curriculum
An estimated 31% of young people leave the state care system suffering from a mental health problem, with 53% struggling with behavioural difficulties. This means that despite significant state investment, many are leaving Ireland’s care system with lifelong issues that are difficult to overcome.
Active Connections is Ireland’s leading activity-based intervention service for young people at risk. They offer rapid response support with a particular emphasis on avoiding family/foster/residential care home placement breakdown
Property crime and its associated trauma is a major issue in Irish communities for households and small businesses who are the victims of theft or burglaries.
Property Marking Ireland is a crime prevention program which allows An Garda Siochana to detect, identify, and return stolen property or lost property to its rightful owner through a mixture of marking goods and property with a specially designed machine and the provision of signage at community, premises and property item levels.
Founder of GIY Michael Kelly realised there was a problem in our supply chain when he noticed a 90c bulb of garlic had been flown 5,000 miles from China to arrive at his local supermarket.
Founded in 2008, GIY supports people around the world to live healthier, happier and more sustainable lives by growing some of their own food. The mission is to educate and enable a global movement of food growers whose collective actions will help to rebuild a sustainable food system.
Founded in 2008, GIY supports people around the world to live healthier, happier and more sustainable lives by growing some of their own food. The mission is to educate and enable a global movement of food growers whose collective actions will help to rebuild a sustainable food system.
According to a survey conducted by Solas in 2018, 81% of people with convictions felt that their past will prevent them from securing employment opportunities.
Spéire Nua assists people to rebuild their lives after criminal conviction through identifying the necessary supports available to them, their families and people that have been victims of criminal behaviour.
An estimated 31% of young people leave the state care system suffering from a mental health problem, with 53% struggling with behavioural difficulties. This means that despite significant state investment, many are leaving Ireland’s care system with lifelong issues that are difficult to overcome.
Active Connections is Ireland’s leading activity-based intervention service for young people at risk. They offer rapid response support with a particular emphasis on avoiding family/foster/residential care home placement breakdown
Prepare Me has provided support to almost 10,000 children and adults thanks to SEI’s support.
Together, Prepare Me & AsIAm have built an online platform which will increase our impact in Ireland and further afield and we will launch this service in 2023.
The existence of a preparation resource alone allows a child, adult and family to truly feel SEEN, WELCOME & VALUED.
Together, Prepare Me & AsIAm have built an online platform which will increase our impact in Ireland and further afield and we will launch this service in 2023.
The existence of a preparation resource alone allows a child, adult and family to truly feel SEEN, WELCOME & VALUED.
Meet the latest social entrepreneurs to join our community
Meet the latest social entrepreneurs who have joined the SEI community. These social innovators are tackling social issues across areas such as education, sustainability and mental health.
A structured literacy reading programme for dyslexic students, their parents and schools.
A personal development programme, which uses the art of hairdressing and barbering to reach and engage with young people who have not yet reached their full potential through mainstream education.
A toy store shaking up the plastic focused toy industry by creating and sourcing genuinely eco-friendly and sustainable toys for children.
Irish Community Rapid Response (ICRR) is a charity delivering professional pre-hospital A&E care directly to the site of emergencies throughout Ireland.
A podcast which uses personal stories, humour, and sensitive down-to-earth advice themed around crime, mental health, addiction and social and health issues.
Meet three pairings brought together by SEI
We have an amazing community of social entrepreneurs and a hugely supportive and passionate group of corporates, individuals and foundations who give their time and expertise so generously.
See below three pairings which have been formed through the SEI community!
Padraic Hogan (JumpAgrade) & Tara Hayes (TikTok)
Camilla Marks (Toddler Talk) & Leontia Fannin (Permanent TSB)
Krystian Fikert (MyMind) & Fergal Twomey (KKR)
We couldn’t do what we do without the support of our community.
Thank you to our network of individual supporters, corporate supporters and philanthropic foundations who provide a combination of direct funding, skills and expertise to advance the work of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland and grow the impact of the social entrepreneurs that we support. Our supporters are as passionate about backing people with ideas and solving social problems, as we are!
The SEI Gathering 2022 is supported by DCC plc and the Dormant Accounts Fund. This project was approved by Government with support from the Dormant Accounts Fund.
Supported by DCC
Supported by The Dormant Accounts FundThe SEI Gathering 2022 is supported by DCC plc and the Dormant Accounts Fund. This project was approved by Government with support from the Dormant Accounts Fund.
