Our Cofounders
Our founding members met through the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland. After many years of grassroots campaigning for rights and better pay for migrant women working in the care sector in Ireland, we decided that a worker-owned business seemed like a natural solution to the low wages, workplace exploitation and discimination. Since 2017 we have been working together using our skills and experience of the home care sector to develop a better, fairer business based carer’s having more autonomy to provide great care and being paid and treated well.
The Great Care Co-op is Ireland’s first care workers cooperative.
We are a not-for-profit social enterprise. The money made from the co-op is spent on giving employees better pay and pension contributions. We give travel expenses and soon we hope to give bonuses to carers to give people more income. All profit is re-invested back into the co-op, improving care quality by improving employment conditions and by investing in training.
We get a say in #HowCareShouldBe
Judy and Flor - Dalkey
'Rebecca, Honora, Daniela and Angela made it possible for Flor to experience home as a very safe environment over the last 10 days. They were totally dedicated and so supportive.
I am indebted to Rebecca in particular as she carried the major burden of care. She worked so hard in an incredibly focussed way to give him the best care possible. She brought him back to full strength after his hospitalisation. She has been really remarkable and impressive.'
In 2020 The Co-op received funding from Rethink Ireland Equality Fund for 3 years. Thanks for backing our vision and helping us to create a fairer, more inclusive Ireland.
In 2022 The Co-op was the winner of the Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Chamber of Commerce New Business Entrepreneurs Award.
Thanks to all our amazing funders and partners.
