Meeting of The Wheel’s Social Enterprise Member Network
Meeting of The Wheel’s Social Enterprise Member Network
Join us on Wednesday 3 June at 2.30pm for this online meeting of our Social Enterprise Member Network.
We'll be joined by Rob Brown, Social Innovation Manager at The Wheel, who will share the work the New Solutions Social Innovation Hub has undertaken to date in assessing and addressing the needs and goals of its Scaling Up Grantees, the learnings gathered from the Hub's first nationwide survey, and the next steps currently underway in expanding the project to over 40 Pilot Grant recipients up and down the country.
We’ll also hear from Paul O’Sullivan on the latest European updates and opportunities for social enterprises in the upcoming Irish Presidency of the EU Council.
This is your opportunity to connect with your peers, influence our policy work and discuss the supports your organisation needs.
This event is free but places are limited so register now to secure your spot.
- You can book places for yourself and/or colleagues by clicking the button below.
- This event will take place on Zoom.
- Closed Captions can be enabled by participants.
- Please email ames@wheel.ie if you have any special requirements.
Meet Your Speakers
Rob Brown joined The Wheel in 2023 as Communications and Marketing Officer, and in 2026 took up his current role as Social Innovation Manager. With a background in book retail, academia, and community and voluntary communications, Rob is now primarily responsible for the ongoing development and communication of the New Solutions Social Innovation Hub, a new initiative aimed at advancing and supporting social innovation in Ireland and funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht and the European Social Fund Plus, and manged by a consortium consisting of Rethink Ireland, The Wheel, DCU, The Western Development Commission, The Local Development Companies Network, and Údarás na Gaeltachta.
Johnny Sheehan is The Wheel’s Member Engagement Manager. He works to ensure all our members are supported to work more effectively at a local, regional and national level. Johnny supports the public policy team to represent our members’, and the wider sector’s, shared interests. He has more than 25 years’ experience working in the development, youth work and environmental sectors and have served as a trustee on a number of charity boards. Johnny has a Law Society certificate in Charity Law, Trusteeship and Governance.
Paul O'Sullivan has been providing strategic advice to leaders of charities and social enterprises since he retired as Chief Executive of Clann Credo - Community Loan Finance. At Clann Credo, Ireland’s leading provider of social finance, he led the investment of more than €150 million in hundreds of social enterprises, community organisations and charities throughout Ireland. Paul served on the European Commission’s Expert Group on the Social Enterprise for eight years. In 2009, he was instrumental in establishing the Social Enterprise Task Force to promote social enterprise in Ireland. He is currently a director of Waterford Area Partnership and chairs its Finance sub committee.