Unemployed ‘MOJO’ gets €30,000 funding
By Laura Lyne
AN UNEMPLOYED men’s support programme that was established in Tallaght in 2011 has secured €30,000 in funding from Social Entrepreneurs Ireland as part of its Elevator Award programme.
The funding was presented to the director of the MOJO programme, Derek McDonnell, by Social Entrepreneurs Ireland last week during an event in the Mansion House.
Speaking about the funding, Derek said: “Even after a few weeks on our training programme we see a huge change in the men, which really inspires me and gets me out of bed in the morning.
“Securing this funding from Social Entrepreneurs Ireland is a great endorsement for the programme, but more importantly, means we can extend the success of the service to other areas and continue to make a real difference to more men, their families, friends and wider communities.”
The MOJO programme was established in Tallaght in 2011 and due to its success is now being extended to Kildare and Dublin North West.
It includes a collective of statutory and voluntary agencies working in partnership to help unemployed men in distress.
Over 80 per cent of men attending the programme showed a reduction in depression and anxiety and reductions in alcohol use, isolation, self-harm and suicidal ideation.
70 per cent of participants returned to work, took part in volunteering or progressed on to another service after taking part in the 12-week programme.
