Offaly teenagers win funding for project tackling period poverty

Students from Sacred Heart Secondary School, Tullamore, secured €400 in funding through the YSI Social Innovation Den hosted by Young Social Innovators in Dublin last week.

The team pitched their project ‘Bloody Outrageous' and were awarded funding for their plan to collect donations of sanitary products and donate them to charities and schools in order to combat period poverty. Focusing on reducing stigma around the issue of period poverty, the Sacred Heart students presented the positive response their project has received from peers, parents and members of the community.

The students, who have been working on their project through Young Social Innovators since September, impressed the panel of dragons with their creative ideas to effect positive change in their community and wider society.

Eleven projects were invited to pitch at the YSI Den in Dublin for a share of this year’s €10,000 fund. Young Social Innovators hosts the Den every year to support teenagers’ ideas to tackle social issues in an effort to create a fairer, more equal and sustainable world.  A further seven projects pitched at a second YSI Den event in Cork.

The teams pitching at this year’s YSI Dens addressed a range of issues, including mental health and wellbeing, revitalising green spaces, reducing plastic consumption, social inclusion and disability access, care for older people, sustainable fashion and climate change. Over 7,000 students throughout Ireland are currently involved in similar projects with Young Social Innovators in 2020.

CEO of Young Social Innovators, Rachel Collier said: “It is fantastic to see young innovators developing and implementing creative solutions to create real change on the issues that matter to them. The teams presenting at this year’s Den have impressed and inspired with their creative ideas, professional pitches and plans for effecting positive change in their communities and beyond. We cannot wait to see how their social innovation projects progress with the support they have been granted today, provided by a generous philanthropic supporter of Young Social Innovators.”

Dragon at The Den, Ronan Lynagh from Social Entrepreneurs Ireland said: “It was an incredible day - the panel of dragons were blown away by the energy, passion and understanding of some really pressing social issues demonstrated by the students.”