Co Kildare based charity expands with new funding

A  Co Kildare based charity is celebrating after being picked among eight charities offering  a €1.6million fund.

Peter Carey, Chief Executive of Kildare County Council, welcomed this year’s winners of the €1.6 million Social Enterprise Development Fund.

Kildare-based social enterprise project, Sensational Kids, is one of the eight successful awardees.

Sensational Kids provide nationwide subsidised early intervention services for children who have a special educational need. The investment will allow them to add to their existing Leinster services and open two additional Sensational Kids Centres in Munster and Connacht.

The fund was set up to support social enterprises from across the country to achieve their goals and create measurable social impact that can be scaled all over Ireland. The €1.6 million fund, created by Social Innovation Fund Ireland in partnership with Local Authorities Ireland, is supported by IPB Insurance and the Department of Rural and Community Development from the Dormant Accounts Fund.

Chosen from over 100 applicants from almost every county in Ireland, eight successful awardees, made up of a mixture of urban, town and rural social enterprises, will not only receive a cash grant of €50,000, but will also land a place on Ireland’s most prestigious Accelerator Programme for social enterprises.