Two Monaghan social entrepreneurs have recently been honoured for their work in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Caitriona Watters-Crehan and Shane McKenna were among eight entrepreneurs to be celebrated at a Social Entrepreneurs Ireland event this week.
Social Entrepreneur Ireland is a not-for-profit organisation that supports social entrepreneurs with innovative ideas to tackle Ireland’s social problems.
Catriona Watters-Crehan, originally from Inniskeen, is the founder of Prepare Me, an organisation that creates visual resources for people with additional needs.
In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Prepare Me provided free online picture stories and activities outlining the important changes occurring to everyday life.
Meanwhile, Shane McKenna is the co-founder of DabbledooMusic, which makes music education more accessible by supporting teachers of the primary school curriculum while instilling a life-long love of music.
When schools closed due to the pandemic, Mr McKenna and his co-founder, Killian Redmond, offered free materials to parents that were specially designed for the home setting, reaching over 7,000 parents and teachers in the process.
CEO of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland, Darren Ryan, hailed the social entrepreneurs for the role they have played in responding to the covid-19 crisis and says they will be needed now more than ever.