Shining at light on Inishowen’s Social Enterprises….

Week four of our Social Enterprise Focus features the ISEN member East of Inishowen, Greencastle Community Centre.
Our Social Enterprise Focus is held in collaboration with Inishowen Development Partnership following their recent ARISE [Awareness Raising Initiative for Social Enterprises] project.
This produced a range of videos and blogs shining a light on the positive work being done by social enterprises across Inishowen.
The Inishowen Social Enterprise Network [ISEN] comprises of 20 different social enterprises made up of community groups, tourism, arts and cultural groups, all working as to support their local community, filling many gaps in services and supports.
IDP facilitates the network and hosts meetings to share information and funding opportunities for the social enterprises. This week our blog conducts a Q & A with centre manager Susan McAleer to give us a better insight into life in the seaside community centre in Greencastle.

Greencastle Community Centre
Greencastle Community Centre is a vibrant community hub serving the people of Greencastle and the surrounding areas.

Offering a diverse range of programmes, projects and initiatives and delivering a hugely positive social impact, it’s a place where the wellbeing of the community is always the focus.

Whether that’s through the provision of education, training and support or through cultural recreational and sports activities. Greencastle Community Centre is committed to making a real and lasting difference.

A valued member of the Inishowen Social Enterprise Network, we decided to get a little insight from Susan McAleer, Manager of the Greencastle Community Centre on the work of the Centre itself and the value that it and the social enterprise sector in general brings to Inishowen .

Susan, why do you feel that it is important to your organisation that you are a social enterprise?
I think for us as a Community Centre, being a social enterprise is of vital importance. It means re-investing every penny that we make back into the Centre and back into our Community.

What impact does your social enterprise have on your community in Inishowen?
Our social enterprise has a profound impact on our Community. We are able to offer a wide range of activities and services all under one roof, in a rural location. We are a one stop shop for a range of community projects and would proudly consider ourselves the hub of our community.

How does your social enterprise help to support sustainable development goals in Inishowen?
From providing affordable and accessible lifelong educational opportunities to our commitment to exploring cleaner energy solutions and supporting economic growth we are always looking at innovative ways that we can support sustainable development goals within our Community and can proudly say that we actively support 8/17 goals at present.
SDG 3 - we help promote good physical and mental health & wellbeing of people of all ages via a range of activities including sports and recreational classes, social prescribing, therapeutic supports
SDG 4 - We provide education, training & support and offer 100 different classes for all ages within our community.
SDG 7 and SDG 13 - We are committed to exploring cleaner energy solutions - our heating system uses oil from the local fishing fleet.
SDG 8 - We support economic growth in the local area through courses, training and the provision of affordable office facilities, services and supports.
SDG 10 - We provide educational opportunities to the community and individuals facing social
Disadvantage, offer a safe and welcoming space to reduce social isolation and offer social prescribing services.
SDG 12 - We promote the circular economy through our Good as new shop and Book Exchange.
SDG 15 - Our polytunnel is utilised all year round to grow shrubs & flowers and teach local people how to grow their own fruit & vegetables and become more self-sufficient.

How does your social enterprise support and sustain the work of the community sector - for example how do you work with other community groups, volunteers and trustees?
Volunteers and local Community groups form the backbone of our social enterprise. Without input from our Community, support from other Social Enterprises and community groups and governance from our voluntary board of directors we simply wouldn’t exist.

In turn, we offer a wide range of voluntary positions, work placements and affordable, modern spaces for community activities.

Why should the community of Inishowen value the work that the social enterprise sector does locally?
The social enterprise sector does extremely valuable work within our Community. Every activity that takes place and every penny that is generated goes back into our Community.

What challenges do social enterprises like yours typically have on a day to day basis?
Our biggest challenge is working around our funding constraints. Innovative ideas are plentiful in Greencastle Community Centre and ways to upscale our project and our facilities are endless but its finding the right grant funding and being successful in the laborious application process that is a challenge.

Why should our young people consider working for or setting up a social enterprise as a career pathway?
If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it is the importance to society of the power and resilience of ordinary people and local organisations providing community services.

Being able to work to positively impact your local community is extremely rewarding not to mention the other benefits that go hand in hand with being a part of a social enterprise; creativity, staff team cohesion, strong client relationships and reputation.

If you would like to find out a little more about the Greencastle Community Centre would like to avail of their services or support them in some way, you can do just that via the links below:

Website: greencastlecentre.ie/
Facebook: facebook.com/
GcCommunityCentre/
Twitter: @GCastleCentre

What’s Coming up At Greencastle Centre

• Instrument Bank; we are looking for donations of instruments (guitar, keyboard, violin, sax, trumpet) to loan to children for 6 months at a time to allow children to try out the instrument of their choice without having to pay full price, email: susan@greencastlecentre.ie for more details.
• Support/discussion group for those affected by defective concrete blocks starts Thursday 1st June 7pm.
• ‘Mindful Mornings’ to launch this Summer, relaxation and meditation for children aged 5-10yrs.
• ‘Summer Sound Bowls’, a baby and toddler group with a difference coming in July.

Exciting adult courses planned for Autumn in partnership with Donegal ETB as well as a lovely children’s sewing course…and much more!

Check out our website and social media pages for up to date information on upcoming events and activities’