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06 Sept 2025
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06 Sept 2025
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Andrew Ardeleanu and Jason Heraty pictured at the awards ceremony in Croke Park.
Two young entrepreneurs from County Mayo brought home one of the top prizes at the Foróige NFTE Youth entrepreneur of the year awards 2025 which were held at Croke Park on May 14. The celebration featured 120 young people from all over Ireland who also took part in the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) programme.
Andrew Ardeleanu and Jason Heraty, from Foróige Connect, Castlebar, won the Best Social Enterprise Award for their business Sensory Nature Crafts, a thoughtful and wellbeing-focused enterprise that provides calming craft kits designed to support mental health and sensory development in young people.
“We wanted to create something that helps people feel calm and connected, especially younger kids,” said Andrew. “Winning this award means so much to us - it shows that business can be about care and community too.”
READ MORE: Meet the influencer selected as Ladies Day judge at Mayo races
Mayo was also represented in the Best Business category by Alex Skeffington, Padraig Rowley, and Luke Doherty from Scoil Muire agus Pádraig, Swinford, with their business Bróga Ferrous. Their project upcycles discarded horseshoes into beautiful, hand-decorated keepsakes that celebrate rural Irish heritage and promote sustainability.
Awards were presented in three categories: Best Business, Best Innovation, and Best Social Enterprise, with all finalists recognised for their courage, originality, and commitment to making a difference through entrepreneurship.
Odhrán O’Mahony, Chairperson of Foróige, commented: “Year after year, NFTE proves just how powerful youth potential really is. The creativity, courage and commitment we’ve seen today is inspiring. Programmes like this don’t just teach business skills, they help young people see themselves differently. They leave believing they have what it takes to shape their own future, and that belief is something they’ll carry with them for life.”
Over 6,100 young people from 24 counties took part in this year’s NFTE programme, supported by 260+ trained educators, youth workers and volunteers.
READ MORE: Mayo GAA says Croke Park passed on write-down on MacHale Park loan
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