19 October, 2022

The Spotlight on Social Enterprise Webinar Series commenced on October 19th with an on-line panel of experts on the topic of Social Enterprise.

This panel discussion is part of a wider event programme to raise awareness of social enterprise and social enterprise activity in Ireland and aims to give attendees the opportunity to hear from and speak to those engaged in social enterprise.

The Hincks Centre was invited to join the panel to discuss social enterprise at third level and was represented by Lisa Murphy, Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Department of Management and Enterprise at MTU and PhD Researcher. Lisa discussed how MTU is working to foster social entrepreneurship at third level.

The event was facilitated by Sarah Flaherty, External Services Manager, MTU. Discussions among the other members of the panel, which included Chris Gordon from the Irish Social Enterprise Network, Dr Catherine Carty, UNESCO Chair Project Manager, MTU and Paul O’Donovan Churchfield Community Trust, covered topics such as;

• Defining what a social enterprise is and how individuals / groups can identify as a social enterprise;
• The opportunity social enterprises present to our society in terms of the social, economic, and climatic impact;
• What is unique about social enterprises vs general enterprises;
• How groups / individuals can identify their activities as a social enterprise;
• Example of a social enterprise - how the Churchfield Community Trust began, its journey and how social enterprise activities are contributing to the realisation of its overall mission and
• How social enterprises can help us all to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.