UCC Enactus Student Society recently reached the semi-final of the Enactus World Cup 2022 which was held in Puerto Rico.

UCC Enactus PRO Lorena Chierchini said the organisation tries to positively make an impact on society.

“At UCC Enactus, we strive to positively impact our community and society through the creation of a range of social entrepreneurial projects,” she said. “Enactus has been a society at UCC for many years and we have a big team. It helps you to create a lot of connections both with students and businesspeople. It is nice to make a positive impact on society. It is very rewarding to be part of such a great society.”

UCC Enactus has enjoyed a very successful year with the society winning a national competition and competing with great distinction at the recent World Cup, said Ms Chierchini.

“As part of Enactus Ireland, our society competed against 10 other universities at the Enactus Ireland National Competition,” she said.

“Each university gets the opportunity to present the projects they have worked on during the year and they present all the impacts that have been created. We were named the 2022 winners of the Enactus Ireland National Competition, the first time ever that UCC or a university in Cork has won the award.

“We then represented Ireland and competed in the Enactus World Cup 2022 in Puerto Rico. Overall, 32 countries competed at the World Cup. We make it to the semi-final and finished in the top 16. Ireland has only achieved this a few times. It was a great achievement.

“One of our projects empowers Cork asylum seekers to create their own products. This has now been handed over and run as a business for the women. Another project is tackling the plastic waste and transport crisis by creating sustainable micro-transport cruiser skateboards.

“Another one is creating drink covers to put on top of a glass to prevent spiking of drinks.

“Another one is Roots For Life. They sell flower seeds, lettuce seeds, or pots to raise funds for Marymount Hospice. We are also involved in creating an app for UCC students to connect with people with similar interests.”