Barry Grant has been awarded a Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Elevator award at
the ceremony on Tuesday, the 11th October. Barry Grant’s organisation, Problem Gambling Ireland focusses on raising public awareness of gambling addiction as an escalating public health issue. They provide online resources, pay-what-you-want counselling services and gambling-harm prevention workshops. The prize consists of €30,000 in funding to expand and grow the business. A further five organisations also received this funding and support in the Elevator Award category. They were Sam Synnott and Judith Ashton from Buddy Bench Ireland, Alex Cooney and Cliona Curley from Cyber Safe Ireland, Shane McKenna and Killian Redmond from Dabbledoo Music, Noelle Daly and Stephen Cluskey from Mobility Mojo and Francis Cleary from Step Out Ireland. Through this awards ceremony, three social entrepreneurs have each been awarded funding and support worth €140,000. Lakers, A Lust for Life and Recreate were chosen for this highest level Impact Award. Speaking about the award, Barry Grant said; ‘Winning a Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Elevator Award means a huge amount to me, personally, and to Problem Gambling Ireland, as an organisation. It has shown me that there are experts in the field of social enterprise who believe we have the capacity to make a positive impact on Irish society and to scale our service nationally.’ Over the last twelve years, Social Entrepreneurs Ireland has invested over €6.7 million in social entrepreneurs and 1,230 employment opportunities have been created in the process. This programme is sponsored by Irish company DCC plc, who have been the flagship sponsor of the Awards for the last six years and earlier this year pledged its commitment to Social Entrepreneurs Ireland until 2019, continuing its financial support with a further €700,000 in funding over this time. CEO of DCC Tommy Breen said “DCC is proud to be a long term sponsor of the Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Elevator and Impact Award programmes. It is a great privilege to play a role in getting behind Ireland’s brightest and most ambitious entrepreneurs working to have a positive impact on our society.” Darren Ryan CEO of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland said “Social entrepreneurs are problem solvers. Whenever the current system is too slow, inadequate or missing, a social entrepreneur will roll up their sleeves and take action. The social entrepreneurs awarded today are all pioneering new solutions to some of society’s biggest challenges. With the ongoing commitment of DCC plc, we will back these entrepreneurs to take risks and be brave in pursuing ideas to solve Ireland’s social problems.” The awards ceremony, which took place in the Mansion House, Dublin, was hosted by Joan Freeman, the founder of Pieta House, and John Evoy, the founder of the Irish Men’s Sheds Association, who are both former recipients of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Awards.
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