peter
“My mum and sister were both social workers. Growing up I was constantly inspired by their energy and passion, working with some of Ireland’s most vulnerable children. I always loved Ireland, but I knew that for some people life could be very tough here. I dreamed, from a young age, about being able to do something that would make a difference in the world.
One day I sat down with a friend in a coffee shop near here, in Grand Canal Dock, and we talked about our goals for life and he asked me what I really wanted to do with my life. I’ll never forget that day because he asked me to describe what that dream looked like, to paint a picture of it in my mind: where I am, what I’m doing and what kind of people are around me. In this vision, I was in a room surrounded by a dynamic team, and we were working together on something that was really big and ambitious that would create a huge change in Ireland.
A few years later I became CEO of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland. Every day we work to support these incredible, inspiring people who are having a huge impact in communities all across the country, coming up with new approaches to solve social problems in Ireland. It really is a dream come true for me! I feel very lucky to be a part of this change. And of course it wasn’t only about setting a goal because if all of my goals came true I’d be fluent in Spanish, I’d be super fit and I’d be a whizz at coding computers! But it did start there. The important thing is having a vision, for yourself and for your community and then taking action to bring it closer!”
-This interview is part of a collaborative campaign between Humans of Dublin and Social Entrepreneurs Ireland, speaking to social entrepreneurs across the country about what drives them and seeing the impact they are having in communities around Ireland. Find out more about how you can apply for funding and support for your idea or project and help change Ireland here: Social Entrepreneurs Ireland #ChangingIreland –