The Disability Federation of Ireland's Eastern Region will be hosting special Platform Meeting on “Building a Social Enterprise” on Thursday 29 September, at the DFI headquarters in Dublin. Confirmed speakers include Paul O’Sullivan, CEO of Clann Credo – the Social Investment Fund and John White, Director of the Fatima Community Launderette, Dublin, who will give a presentation on their experience of accessing social finance and creating a social enterprise.
Fatima Community Launderette began life as a cooperative in 1986 and, over the intervening decades has provided a
much-needed service to successive generations and been a key source of local employment. Operating out of a flat in the complex - allocated by the Council, the operation may have been small to begin with. Nevertheless, it would be hard to overstate its importance for the area, which was often forced to fall back on its own ingenuity and skills to cope with official neglect and abandonment.
In 2005, prospects were somewhat brighter for the residents of Fatima Mansions as the area’s longpromised regeneration finally got under way. The project also meant temporary relocation for the now thriving launderette and a premises was secured in nearby Harold’s Cross. It was to prove a fortuitous move.
Relocation saw the Fatima operation working side by side with Special Care, a provider of specialised laundry services across a range of sectors and organisations. In addition, the new premises allowed for a more significant ‘walk-in’ over the counter laundry service. It was clear that there was a natural pooling of skills and experiences between the two entities and hardly surprising that, over time, they began to work very much as one unit. In 2008, as the Fatima operation prepared to move back into the refurbished flats complex - to occupy a purpose built enterprise unit - the board agreed to purchase Special Care and keep both premises open, for a time.
The process also saw major investment in the merged operation and the purchase of new specialised equipment. Clann Credo has provided support for the new, expanded operation on the basis that it would make a major contribution to the economic and social life of the community.