Business/Property, News

NEWKD Launches Strategy On Social Enterprise

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At the launch of the NEWKD Strategy on Social Enterprise on Tuesday were, front from left; Pam Dillane, John Stack (Chairman of NEWKD Board) and Elaine Kennedy. Back from left; Seamus O’Hara, Trisha Dowling, Eamon O’Reilly (CEO NEWKD), Diana McCarthy and Robert Carey. Photo by Dermot Crean

THE NEWKD Strategy on Social Enterprise was officially launched today (Tuesday) in IT Tralee by Minister Brendan Griffin at 12.30pm.

Social Enterprise is alive and thriving in Kerry across a wide range of sectors such as food poverty, transport, community gyms and centres, and older persons’ supports. Social enterprises have the potential to bring much-needed services and jobs to community.

The definition of a social enterprise used by NEWKD, is an organisation that has a traded income (possibly as well as with other streams of funding), has a social impact and is not-for-profit.

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NEWKD has been working with community-based Social Enterprises in its area since it was created in 2008.

NEWKD offers a range of valuable supports to the social enterprise community at each stage of a project’s development from the initial set up, daily operations through to scaling.

The NEWKD 3-year Social Enterprise Strategy will be aimed at supporting the Social Enterprise community, and works towards achieving better outcomes by using existing NEWKD and new resources.

The development of the Strategy presents a real opportunity to enhance and build on the work that has been happening within NEWKD for a number of years.

Welcoming the Minister launching the strategy, CEO Eamonn O’Reilly said; “Social enterprises are a viable and vibrant part of the Irish economy; they play an important role in driving social, environmental and economic change, particularly for marginalised communities and areas in need of regeneration”.

However, the social enterprise sector in Ireland is extremely underdeveloped, especially in comparison to other EU countries. And at this time, when environmental and social issues are being seen as increasingly relevant in the public mind, it is becoming more important than ever to create a favourable environment for social enterprises through policy, viable funding streams and general business supports”.

The strategy was developed to give increased focus and direction to the work of NEWKD in supporting the social enterprise sector in the NEWK area.