ACCTING aims to understand the impact of Green Deal policies on vulnerable groups, prevent inequalities, and produce knowledge and innovations to advance behavioural change at individual and collective levels for an inclusive and equal European Green Deal. Read our report on all 693 mapped initiatives.

Reducing both food insecurity and social isolation in Ireland and beyond

FoodCloud is a social enterprise with a mission to transform surplus food into opportunities to make the world a kinder place. It exists first and foremost to reduce the environmental, social and economic impact of food waste by redistributing surplus food to a network of Charity and Community Group partners. The enterprise was established in 2013 by Iseult Ward and Aoibheann O’Brien, with a shared vision of no good food going to waste.

FoodCloud has three main lines of work:

• Connecting retailers with local charities, allowing them to donate food on a daily basis.
• Rescuing large volumes of surplus food and redistributing it to charities and communities.
• Providing technology for food banks all over the world to enhance their operations.

Collaborations
FoodCloud has many partners, among which organisations doing work on reducing food waste and connecting individuals through food all over the country. For example, the partner organisation Fionnathan Productions is building relationships in their community using food they receive from FoodCloud. Fionn Angus who has Down syndrome is connecting with his community by preparing and sharing food.

Social connection and food security
FoodCloud supports those who are vulnerable and at risk of social isolation and food insecurity, by distributing food to those groups. This includes people with disabilities, lower-income households, women, minority groups and the elderly.

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ACCTING aims to understand the impact of Green Deal policies on vulnerable groups, prevent inequalities, and produce knowledge and innovations to advance behavioural change at individual and collective levels for an inclusive and equal European Green Deal. Read our report on all 693 mapped initiatives.

Irish energy cooperative wishes the Aran Islands to be lighthouses for energy transition

Comharchumann Fuinnimh Oileáin Árann Teoranta (CFOAT or Aran Islands Energy Co-Op) is a community based, non-profit energy cooperative representing the three Aran Islands, located off the west coast of Ireland. The residents of the three islands aim to become self-sufficient in locally generated renewable energy and free of dependence on oil, coal and gas. They focus on heating, transport and energy generation. CFOAT wishes for the Aran Islands to be considered ‘Lighthouses for the Energy Transition’.

Local empowerment
CFOAT is a bottom-up initiative where citizens in the local community take power into their own hands. Energy – wind, wave and light – is available to them locally and when they harness it for their own community needs, power reverts to the locality and is taken away from the big corporations. In the process, they create sustainable communities, clean up the planet and stem climate change. Moving beyond its focus on locality, the initiative collaborates with Galway-based universities and participates in a number of EU funded projects with international partners.

Serving island communities
The Aran Island communities face low employment and education opportunities; diminishing populations; and less connectivity and access to services. Addressing these issues, the CFOAT serves elderly people, young people, as well as rural and marginalised communities living on the islands.

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Photo by Tom Austin from Unsplash

ACCTING aims to understand the impact of Green Deal policies on vulnerable groups, prevent inequalities, and produce knowledge and innovations to advance behavioural change at individual and collective levels for an inclusive and equal European Green Deal. This bottom-up initiative was collected by Jane Feeney within ACCTING’s mapping of inspiring practice cases, within the Clean Energy and Suistainable Mobility research lines. Read our report on all 693 mapped initiatives.

The Bike Hub, Ireland

Promoting a cycling culture

The Bike Hub, in collaboration with various partners, operates community bike shops in Dun Laoghaire and Dublin City as a social enterprise. Their primary goal is to promote a cycling culture and ensure the activity is accessible to a wide range of individuals within the local communities.

Engaging the community through diverse activities

Through engaging with the community, The Bike Hub encourages social and business endeavors related to biking. They offer a diverse range of activities, including:

• Workshops for schools: It introduces students to new dimensions of cycling, such as learning how to fix their bikes, understanding the rules of the road (safe cycling), as well as the physics and maths of cycling (STEM).
• Accessible bikes: it offers free rentals on a fleet of accessible bikes for people who are unable to use regular bikes.
• Bike workshops: It provides Bike repair and bike maintenance training courses.
• ‘Upcyclers’ programme: it focuses on restoring previously loved bikes to donate them to people with low incomes, refugees, and other vulnerable groups.

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