A Dublin community that uses sport to boost Irish girls' self-esteem has won a national competition

A Dublin-based digital sports community has been awarded a prestigious prize for the work it does using sport to deliver a boost to female confidence.

Her Sport aims to even out gender inequality by opening up opportunity and inspiring girls to benefit from the physical and social elements of sport.

It was chosen as one of three winners of the Enterprise Nation Fund with TikTok, which seeks to recognise businesses that go above and beyond to embody their mission of community, trust and entrepreneurship.

The not-for-profit business was awarded £5,000 as overall winner of the Community category, as well as 12 months of one-to-one mentoring from Emma Jones, CBE, the founder and force behind the growth of digital small business support platform and membership community Enterprise Nation, plus guidance from a TikTok expert.

According to research, twice as many girls drop out of sport than boys at the age of 14, yet 94% of women in executive managerial positions have a background in sport. In Ireland the problem is even more acute -- Irish girls have the lowest self-esteem compared to any other nation in the world.

The Her Sport community, which was founded by Niamh Tallon and Mohammed Mahomed in 2020, now supports 160,000 young women passionate about creating social change.

Co-founder Niamh Tallon said:

"This is amazing! We have huge admiration for the community that Emma Jones has created and know that we could learn a lot from her mentorship in how to transform our digital community to become changemakers in their own local communities, on the ground.

"Digital is at the core of our services and the opportunity to work with a TikTok expert could truly accelerate educating society in a native way.

"Our vision is equal opportunity in sport regardless of gender, focusing on education and cultural change. We're in a position where we are primed to scale and looking to develop our educational workshops - nationally and internationally so this news has come at exactly the right time."

Emma Jones said:

"Her Sport is inspiring and really embodies spirit of community we were looking for when we launched our fund earlier this year.

"Niamh, Mohammed and the team have already done an incredible job, I am really looking forward to supporting this business as it grows to leverage the power of its community and make the world a better and more equal place for women via sport."

ENDS

About the Enterprise Nation Fund

The Enterprise Nation Fund is an annual bursary from Enterprise Nation, partnering with TikTok which includes a £5,000 grant and 12 months of mentoring and support packages from its partners awarded to three value-driven small businesses. Criteria for the awards are for businesses that are guided by entrepreneurial spirit, prioritise being trusted by customers and are community-led.

The Enterprise Nation Fund with TikTok, champions the businesses that reflect Enterprise Nation's own values, the ones that understand the deep advantages of aligning with their own community, the incredible power of trust, and those that demonstrate an inspiringly entrepreneurial spirit.

• Entrepreneurial - for businesses driven by a creative and innovative spirit: Oliver Tyler, founder of greetings card and plant firm Shroot, is the winner of this category. He is being mentored by Timothy Armoo, co-founder of social and influencer agency Fanbytes, who was only 27 when his business was acquired in a landmark eight-figure deal.

• Trusted - for businesses trusted by customers and the people who hold a stake in it: This category's winner is biologist Dr Evanthia Kaimaklioti Samota, founder of organic and scientifically proven cosmetics firm Piotis Naturals. She is being mentored by Mike Turner, co-founder of Bird & Blend Tea Co., the UK's most loved indie tea company. The award-winning brand offers eco-friendly tea and is B-Corp certified.

• Community-led - for businesses centred around their community: This winner is Niamh Tallon and Mohammed Mahomed co-founders of Her Sport. They will be mentored by Emma Jones CBE, founder of Enterprise Nation. Enterprise Nation is an 800,000-strong community of small businesses and advisers offering trusted business support.

About TikTok

TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok has global offices including Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul and Tokyo.

Emma Jones bio

Emma Jones CBE, founder and CEO, Enterprise Nation

Emma Jones sold her first company successfully when she was 27. The experience of starting, growing and selling a business from a home base gave Emma the idea for Enterprise Nation which was launched in 2005 to support the flourishing number of start-ups and SMEs.

The company has since expanded to become an active small business membership community, reaching more than 800,000 businesses each year with its powerful digital business support platform. Enterprise Nation also presents a positive campaigning voice to governments on behalf of its partners and members.

With Emma at the helm, Enterprise Nation now works with multiple global and government partners to deliver tailored business support programmes for a growing number of micro and small business owners. It also delivers regular data-led research to highlight and understand the important contribution SMEs make to the economy and to establish 'what works' when it comes to funded support programmes.

In 2021, Emma was awarded a CBE for services to small businesses and entrepreneurs and has held several key advisory roles at the heart of the UK government, making the case for small businesses in the corridors of power.