Champion Changemakers Weekend: Community Enterprise Association Ireland (CEAI)
The Community Enterprise Association Ireland (CEAI) secured funding from the Department of Rural and Community Development under the 2021 ARISE (Awareness Raising Initiatives for Social Enterprise) Scheme to support community driven social innovation responses to community challenges in regions around Ireland where we have member centres and hubs located.
This funding has now been allocated across five locations and will support the hosting of regional hackathons – the Champion Changemakers Weekends – by CEAI members from September 23rd next.
These weekends will take a ‘Dragons Den’ type approach to community driven social innovation solutions building – solving community challenges by engaging community groups to create solutions with the support and guidance of mentors and facilitators over that weekend.
Winning teams will be selected under three different categories –
● Economic Inequality
● Environment and Climate Action
● Human Wellbeing –
and will go on to participate in a national final hosted by Innovate Communities in Dublin on October 20th.
The successful finalist will secure a bursary of supports and services to develop the chosen concept into a sustainable business model – creating real impact in communities through social impact and even job creation.
During the weekend, ideas generated and agreed on as offering opportunities to be transformed into viable products or services will be concept-tested, validated and developed out for commercial suitability, possibly even leading to the setting up of sustainable non-profit business.
Individuals, community organisations, networks or special interest groups are all encouraged to take part.
There is no charge for participating and you simply register your interest for your preferred location here.
The Champion ChangemakersTM weekends are approved by Government with support from the Dormant Accounts Fund. The funding allocated is part of the Dormant Accounts Action Plan 2021 and is administered by the Department of Rural and Community Development in conjunction with Pobal.
