Three DCU graduates awarded for social enterprise

Congratulations to three DCU graduates – Dara Connolly, Joshua Doyle and Lye Ogunsanya – who received awards at the Social Enterprise Grant Award Scheme 2016 ceremony this morning. The Scheme aims to raise awareness, promote and reward the important work being done by social entrepreneurs in Ireland.

Dara Connolly, a Certificate in Innovation in Social Enterprise graduate, received €10,000 for ReCreate - a social enterprise and membership organisation which collects clean, end of line materials from businesses and redistributes for all kinds of creative and artistic purposes.

The concept encourages communities to reuse everyday materials in all kinds of inventive ways. Members pay an annual subscription fee in return for unlimited access to the materials stored. The enterprise affords quality employment to a range of individuals including the long term unemployed and those with a physical, sensory and intellectual disability.

Joshua Doyle, an International Business and Languages graduate, and Lye Ogunsanya, a Marketing, Innovation and Technology graduate, accepted €5,000 for House of Akina – a social enterprise that is working to support women living in direct provision in Ireland.

House of Akina creates handmade, limited edition apparel, mainly accessories such as bow ties and pocket squares. Products are made by women who have been through the Irish direct provision system and now have the legal right to work and remain in the country. Profits are used to facilitate workshops to support and educate marginalised migrant women in Ireland and facilitate better integration of new communities.