The Food Fund Team Wins Four SDG Awards at SAGE

The Food Fund Team with the Silver YSI of the Year Award 2022.

Big congratulations to the Food Fund Team from Terence Mc Swiney Community College in Cork for their impressive win at this year's international SAGE World Cup! 

The team represented Ireland competing against entries from all over the world and was awarded four Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Awards for their project tackling food waste. The winning project, 'Food Fund,' aims to reduce food waste and combat food poverty by redistributing unused meals to those in need.

Food Waste and the increasing cost of living

The team from Terence Mc Swiney witnessed the amount of food waste from school lunches and decided to take action and connect with Penny Dinners initiative in Cork. Taking into account the social challenges within their community and the increasing cost of living, the project's goal is to help people in need and keep food out of landfill. The team also monitored the amount of food ordered, reducing food waste in their entire school community. 

Global Competition

SAGE World Cup is an international competition, gathering hundreds of teenage entrepreneurs sharing a common purpose: to make the world a better place.

Each year, representatives from dozens of countries compete for several awards across Sustainable Development Goals and Social Entrepreneurship.

The team's efforts were recognised for their contribution to the following SDGs: 
➡️ SDG 1: No Poverty
➡️ SDG 2: Zero Hunger
➡️ SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
➡️ SDG 13: Climate Action

The students in our school come from 3 of the 4 areas identified for investment under RAPID. We live in a community with many social issues and know that the cost of living is going up. Some of our students have volunteered at Penny Dinners warehouse in Churchfield and we know they provide a valuable service in Cork City serving food to people who need it.

Next steps - Food Fund App

After a successful launch of their project, the team saw the potential in creating an app that will help with a smoother and quicker redistribution of meals, prioritising those in need. The project will be continued with future TY groups and is currently seeking funding from sponsorship and grants. 

After a successful pitch showcasing the team's social innovation and entrepreneurial skills at the SAGE World Cup, the team secured a much sought-after mentorship session at the Sage Global Entrepreneurship Awards.

Best of luck to these fantastic young social innovators, and we look forward to seeing how their project grows in the future!