In the run up to the budget we heard much the same narrative as we did last year - talk of spending increases and tax cuts. There seems to be very little attention given to ways that we can change our approach to deliver better results.
Meanwhile, change is happening, and fast. All around the world there is a massive challenge for the state and existing social structures to keep up with the quickening pace of change in society. Emerging technologies and economic growth offer huge opportunities but also present completely new societal challenges. We are facing increased migration, shifts in employment, growing demands on our education system and rising inequality. Our existing services and institutions were built for a different time and a slower-paced world. They are not designed to meet the needs of these emerging challenges and so we need to be encouraging fresh and dynamic ways of solving our social problems.
In the commercial world there is a well understood and celebrated response to the fast pace of change in the world. It is called entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs drive new ideas and products, disrupting existing industries and eradicating inefficiencies. Nobody questions the huge value that commercial entrepreneurs contribute to our economic and financial development.
But entrepreneurship isn’t just a way to make money, it is an approach to bringing about change when change is hard. In Ireland we have an emerging group of social entrepreneurs who are developing new approaches to tackling some of our most entrenched social problems. Rather than seeking profit, they are driven by social impact and changing lives. These social entrepreneurs are already having an enormous impact across the country.
An example of this is FoodCloud a social enterprise set up to reduce food waste. Using their innovative app and platform, they connect retailers who have excess food with local charities that are working with disadvantaged communities. Since 2013 they have facilitated the donation of over four million meals worth of food. Another example is the Irish Men’s Sheds Association. Founded in response to the rising rates of mental health problems and isolation affecting men around the country, they support the creation of Men’s Sheds, spaces where men can come together to work on meaningful activities. There are now over 10,000 men attending 350 sheds around Ireland every week. Without Men’s Sheds many of these men may have ended up in the mental health services or in some cases in care, or perhaps they would not even be around today. Without FoodCloud many charities would not be able to afford the food they provide to those living in food poverty.
What these ideas have in common is a new and innovative approach to solve a social problem. These social entrepreneurs looked beyond the financial constraints in Ireland over recent years and developed cost-effective solutions that will save the state large sums of money over the coming years.
Social entrepreneurs are society’s problem solvers. Whenever the current system for solving our social challenges is too slow, inadequate or missing, a social entrepreneur will roll up their sleeves and take action. They will not accept the status quo because when it comes to supporting our most vulnerable people, good enough is never good enough.
When given the right supports, these ideas and great solutions have the potential to change Ireland. Over the last 12 years, Social Entrepreneurs Ireland has pioneered support for social entrepreneurs, investing €6.7 million in over 200 social entrepreneurs. They in turn have gone on to impact the lives of 520,000 people, creating 1,230 employment opportunities.
This is just the tip of the iceberg of the impact that could be unleashed if Ireland fully embraced social entrepreneurship. Unfortunately, a recent international survey of 45 countries placed Ireland in 43rd place for environments that support social entrepreneurs. But if we have learned anything from social entrepreneurs it’s that change can come quickly when we work together. Ireland is a small country with a well-connected population that is committed to our communities and to driving innovation. If we celebrated and supported social entrepreneurs to the same extent that we celebrate commercial entrepreneurs, we have the potential to turn Ireland into the global leaders in this fast-growing sector.
If we do, we will not only solve our own social problems faster and more effectively, but we will create a model of best practice that could fast-track Ireland’s global reputation as the best society in the world to live in.
Darren Ryan is CEO of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland.