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– Kate and Annie Madden named as Irish Girl Guides’ Honorary Ambassadors –
Dublin, 07/04/2018 – Award-winning teenage entrepreneurs, Kate and Annie Madden, are set to blaze a trail for Irish Girl Guides (IGG) over the course of the next 12 months.
The Meath sisters, who were prize winners at the BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition in 2015 and who now head up a thriving equine health business, will be named Honorary Ambassadors at IGG’s annual Council meeting held in Dublin this afternoon [7 April]. They were chosen in recognition of the trail they have blazed for girls and young women in Ireland.
Kate (age 17) and Annie (age 16), who are students at Loreto College, St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin, won their prize at BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition with a study that looked at encouraging horses to eat by adding flavours to their feed. Little did they know that three years later, what started out as a science project would turn into a business involving eight people, and with exports to 15 countries over four continents.
FenuHealth produces powdered supplements that are sprinkled on top of equine feed to help prevent and solve the widespread problem of gastric ulcers in horses. The company has earned, among other accolades, an Enterprise Ireland People’s Choice Award in 2016.
The sisters will be presented with a Trailblazer Award by IGG President Maureen Murphy at today’s Council meeting.
Speaking ahead of the Council meeting, Ms Murphy said: “We are delighted that Kate and Annie Madden are our Ambassadors and congratulate them on their many achievements. They are inspirational peers for all our members. They are the good news story for young people today.
“In Guiding we support the girls and young women, as individuals, to reach their own full potential in a safe, fun environment that offers many different choices and opportunities. So having Kate and Annie on board will show how dreams can come true and how everything is possible.”
Kate said: “We are delighted to take on the role of Honorary Ambassadors for Irish Girl Guides over the coming year. Some of our school friends are Girl Guides and we are hugely impressed with the confidence and skills which they have. They are all well-rounded people with excellent life and business skills that show themselves in both commercial and social innovation”.
Annie said: “We love the fact that IGG helps girls to develop business skills through their Future CEOs cookie-selling programme and encourages them to pursue STEM activities through its Science Investigator and Engineering badges and Lego Robotics workshops. Our motto in FenuHealth is ‘never give up’ and this is a perfect match for the positivity and enthusiasm which is central to the Irish Girl Guides.
“We are really looking forward to meeting with many of the members in the year ahead. Both Kate and I know that we will learn a lot from the Irish Girl Guides – just as in business, there comes a time when you must stop talking about what you are going to do and just do it! We are really looking forward to being out of our comfort zone and learning new skills.”
Irish Girl Guides welcomes new members from age 5+ and volunteer Leaders from age 18+. To find out more, see www.irishgirlguides.ie or telephone 01 6683898.
ENDS
Contact:
Fiona Murdoch, Communications Officer, Irish Girl Guides
Tel: 085 8570565
Email: communications@irishgirlguides.ie
Notes for editors:
Irish Girl Guides has approximately 12,000 members. Guiding started in Ireland in 1911 and operates throughout the 26 counties with 1,800 volunteer leaders providing an informal educational programme of fun and challenging activities that foster confidence and leadership skills in girls and young women, enabling them to develop to their full potential and to become responsible citizens. Girls from age 5+ can choose to earn a wide range of badges, including Community Action, Cultural Diversity, Disability Awareness, Drug Awareness, Online Surfer, Science Investigator and Global Traveller.