In a move that promises to boost social entrepreneurship across the Irish Sea, a delegation of Scottish social enterprise leaders recently concluded a successful visit to Donegal.
The delegation was hosted by Donegal Local Development Company (DLDC) and Social Enterprise Republic of Ireland (SERI).
This visit marked a significant step in creating opportunities for collaboration and knowledge exchange between Scotland and Ireland in social entrepreneurship.
The visit aimed to provide the Scottish delegation with insights into the innovative support models for social enterprises in Ireland, focusing on the successful Shared Service Model currently piloted by DLDC. This initiative has captured interest due to its potential for scalability and impact within the social enterprise sector.
The Delegation visits No Barriers in Letterkenny
The delegation from Scotland comprised leaders from various sectors of social enterprise: Kim Wallace, Deputy CEO of Social Enterprise Scotland; Martin Avila, CEO of CEIS; Douglas Westwater, CEO of Community Enterprise; Gael Drummond, CEO of Firstport; Kieran Daly, Head of Market Building at Social Investment Scotland; Clarrie Murdoch, Business Advisor at Impact Hub Inverness; Eoghan Mackie, CEO of The Challenges Group; and David Bryan, Head of Sustainable Business at Social Enterprise Academy. These individuals brought diverse experiences and insights, contributing significantly to the discussions and collaborations during their visit.
During their visit, the Scottish delegation engaged in a series of activities to deepen their understanding of Donegal’s social enterprise landscape. They toured local initiatives in Donegal and visited stand-out social enterprises in the county, including No Barriers Foundation and Cairde LeCheile in Letterkenny, Liquid Therapy in Rossnowlagh, and the Old Courthouse in Lifford.
DLDC and SERI hosted an event with local social enterprise leaders over dinner, which provided an opportunity to witness first-hand the innovative Shared Service Model by hearing from some of the social enterprises currently involved in the pilot – Bundoran Community Centre, No Barriers Foundation, and the Bluestack Centre.
These three distinct social enterprises jointly employ a Bookkeeper, allowing each organisation to benefit from professional support services while focusing on their core community functions. The Shared Services Model has been recently utilised to create a further role for a Communications Administrator, jointly employed by Milford & District Resource Centre, Lifford Old Courthouse and Ionad Cois Locha, with funding support from SERI.
Rosemary Ward, Bluestack Centre Drimarone, Devangi Dave, Bookkeeper in a Shared Service Model, Johnny Loughrey, No Barriers, Danielle Carty, Bundoran Community Development
The team at Liquid Therapy Rosnowlagh
The visit concluded with a shift in focus to a broader discussion on national and regional support mechanisms for social enterprises, facilitated by the Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD) and various supporting organisations.
Speaking about the visit, John Logue, CEO, SERI, said: “We are proud to have facilitated such a significant exchange of ideas and strategies with our Scottish counterparts. This visit has strengthened our ties and broadened our perspectives, which will help drive social enterprise in Ireland.”
Margaret Larkin, Head of Operations, DLDC, added: “It was inspiring to share our experiences and successes with the Scottish delegation. Their enthusiasm for our Shared Service Model reaffirmed the value of our work and the potential for broader application. The visit has laid a solid foundation for future collaborations between Scottish and Irish social enterprises. It highlighted shared challenges and opportunities, paving the way for innovative solutions that could benefit both regions.”
