Youghal Businesses Nominated For Achievement Awards
By Christy Parker | Photo: Michael Hussey (YoughalOnline.com)
Justin Slattery, Round The World Professional Sailor(centre) with John Griffin and John Innes from Aquatrek Youghal
South & East Cork Area Development (S&ECAD) has nominated two Youghal business initiatives to contest this year’s Ulster Bank Business Achievers Awards. Youghal Comhaltas (Ceolta Si) and Aquatrek sailing, cruise and power boat services were nominated for a Community Social Entrepreneurship Award and Best Business Start-up Award, respectively. They are the only two companies in the region nominated by S&ECAD.
Edel Smiddy, development officer with S&CAAD, says, the businesses are prime examples of how “innovative and sustainable success can be achieved and nurtured in a community. They certainly deserve the recognition and the positive profile that arises from being nominated.”
Ceolta Si has travelled from being a homeless organisation in the 1980’s and 90’s, to a major cultural, educational and tourism attraction. In an impeccable display of fiscal management it built its grant-assisted headquarters Bru ni Si in 2004, cleared the €300,000 cost, seen the structure now worth close to €500,000 and have recently applied for a new extension.
Aquatrek was formed in 2007 and has regenerated water sport activity in the harbour. As well as supplying a vital tourist attraction, the company runs sailing courses to meet every age, category and qualification.
Nominations for the Ulster Bank Achievers awards are accepted under seven categories: Environmental/ Sustainability; Community/ Social Entrepreneurship (including arts and crafts); Ethnic Entrepreneurship; Business Going International; Family Run Business Award One to Watch; Best Business Start-up. Businesses can enter -or be entered- in more than one category.
Applicants will be shortlisted from which each Irish province will produce seven category winners, to be announced at an awards lunch next November. These 28 winners can look forward to local and national media coverage, including a feature in the Irish Independent Business section and a profile page on the Business Achievers website
The 28 companies will then be invited to an awards ceremony in March, where seven National (Republic & Nth Ireland) category winners will be announced. From those, one business will be crowned the all-Ireland Overall Business Achiever.
Each National Category Winner will receive a Business Achievers plaque and more extensive national media coverage. The overall National winner’s prize includes a placement on the Executive Education programme at Harvard University Business School, €50,000 media bursary and a lifetime subscription to the Irish Independent. Two year’s membership of the Institute of Directors in Ireland, more national media coverage and a state-of-the-art laptop, will also be forthcoming, say organisers.
Dancers from Ceolti Sí
Youghal Comhaltas Chairman Micheal de Buitleir says the nomination reflects the hard work put in by his organisation and “the fact that Bru na Si was built and paid for within a three-year timespan. The ongoing success of Bru na Si and our performing branch, Ceolta Si, obviously counted too,” he adds.
John Innes of Aquatrek says the company “is pleasantly surprised” by the nomination. ‘Its seldom easy to start up a business and you usually don’t expect to bear the fruits for a few years. But we work hard and its good to get recognition like this,” he says. “Things are going well and we have a new boat arriving in three weeks,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, the Awards nominations are open to anyone (even one’s self) and accepted until October 31st. For details/entry forms, see http://www.businessachieversaward.com
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