AN Irish business that delivers kite design workshops to school children across Britain and Ireland has achieved a quality mark acknowledging its 'high standards of service and trust'.
Based in county Down, Go Fly Your Kite is a family business which runs kite design workshops for children, young people and adults.
It was “proudly” awarded the coveted All-Ireland Business All-Star accreditation, an independently verified standard mark for indigenous businesses, based on rigorous selection criteria.
Go Fly Your Kite’s ethos is “to encourage and facilitate learning, confidence building and artistic skills through fun”, and the firm largely works with primary schools - using Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) content, to “enable fun through learning, art, science, social interaction and exercise”.
Pic: Go Fly Your Kite/Kellie ShattockAt the end of its workshops, the children get to fly the kites they have designed and created.
The organisation, which also works with agencies, youth groups, science festivals, corporate and individual birthday parties, was founded by Glenn Heasley.
He explains: “Go Fly Your Kite was born from an idea from our four-year-old son when exploring around a kite shop inspirationally he commented “wouldn’t it be a great idea if we could draw on a kite dad?’ So here we are.”
He added: “Our aim is great service, great delivery and creating fantastic memories for all who use our kites. It’s something new for kids to do.”
Glenn Heasley and George Ellis from Go Fly Your KiteOverseen by the All-Ireland Business Foundation, the All-Ireland Business All-Star accreditation adjudication panel is chaired by Dr Briga Hynes, of the Kemmy Business School at the University of Limerick, and Kieran Ring, CEO of the Global Institute of Logistics.
Dr Hynes explains that the accreditation, which is now held by over 350 firms, is needed by the thousands of small and medium businesses which operate to their own standards but have nothing to measure them by.
“We evaluate a company’s background, trustworthiness and performance, and we speak to customers, employees and vendors,” she said.
“We also anonymously approach the company as a customer and report back on the experience.
“The business goes through at least two interviews and is scored on every part of the process against set metrics.”
The All-Ireland Business Foundation is responsible for overseeing the All-Ireland Business Summit and All-Star awards, ongoing All-Star accreditation, Thought Leader awards and promoting peer dialogue among members.
The process to select the next group of Business All-Star accredited companies has begun. Further information is available here.
