With all that has happened in 2020, we want to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year for 2021.
This year, 2020, has been rough and challenging on family and friends and the communities that social enterprises serve. Throughout all of this, social enterprises across the country have risen to the challenge and proved that doing good, and doing well, makes all the difference.
With today’s news, that new restrictions will come in place, Christmas will be different for many. We can only hope that we can take time to rest and recharge and confront next year with the hope and optimism that is a trademark of those in social enterprise.
Throughout this year, we in ISEN were proud to work hand in hand with social enterprises across the country. We have established the National Social Enterprise Helpline. We have spent each Wednesday night from 9pm on our Twitter #SocEntIRL hour. We have continued to develop the BuySocial.ie directory and established trading partnerships for some social enterprises with larger companies. We have run weekly webinars and check-ins. We have established local networks and have invested heavily in clinics and one to ones with social enterprises across the country. We have run events and have kept news and information flowing with weekly newsletters and updating the socent.ie website.
Much of this could not have happened without our board, our partnerships and our continued collaborations. We would like to particularly mention the work of the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Social Enterprise Team that has allowed us to do so much of our pressing work.
But most of all to all of the members, the social enterprise managers, the pre-startups, the startups, the established social enterprises, those that are supporting the journey and those that make a true difference. It is because of the collective efforts that we are better placed to deal enter 2021 with positivity, hope and optimism.
From all of us in the Irish Social Enterprise Network, have a very Merry Christmas and a positive and hopeful New Year.
From all in ISEN
