What's New
at CluneTech

At CluneTech, continuous learning is at the heart of our culture. In 2025, CluneTech’s subsidiary Fintua launched the Fintua Tax Academy, a comprehensive training programme designed to equip colleagues with deep knowledge of EU VAT, practical skills, and the confidence to tackle complex challenges in their daily work.

The goal of Fintua was to create an internal training series that goes beyond theory. While external courses exist, developing an in-house programme allows the content to be tailored to real-life scenarios and business-specific challenges, ensuring every session is directly relevant, practical, and immediately applicable.

“Our aim was to show that behind the Excel tables and daily routines, there is so much more to understand and appreciate. Participating in this type of training reshapes the way colleagues think about their work, the value they create, and how they collaborate across teams,” explains Péter Árpás, the main driver of the programme.

From April to October 2025, the Academy hosted seven sessions - two in-person and five online, covering the EU VAT system, legal background and EU Court decisions, and practical examples from advisory experience. The series concluded with a final exam in late November, consisting of more than 60 questions. Out of 70 participants from Bulgaria, Ireland, and Hungary, 40 successfully participated in and passed an exam, with 21 achieving results above 80%.

A graduation ceremony in Varna this February marked the successful completion of the exam, with top performers recognized for their exceptional achievement.

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Building on the success of the first year, Fintua is already preparing its 2026 programme. The next edition will be even more practical, featuring new lecturers and an open invitation for anyone who wants to participate, regardless of previous involvement.

Beyond its global reach and automated, highly integrated platform offering a full suite of indirect tax solutions, Fintua’s VAT Academy adds one more key advantage: the deep VAT expertise of its long-term professionals, handling complex VAT cases for clients such as Nestlé, Google, IBM, Mondelez, and many others.

The Fintua Tax Academy demonstrates CluneTech’s commitment to investing in our people. Beyond providing essential knowledge, it fosters professional curiosity, strengthens collaboration across teams, and empowers colleagues to step into advanced roles.

At CluneTech, growth is a team effort, and initiatives like the Fintua Tax Academy ensure that every colleague has the tools and confidence to progress their development.  

Fintua are currently hiring in various roles across our global teams in Tech and Finance. See their current vacancies at https://fintua.com/careers/.

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Friday, February 6th 2026. CluneTech was proud to celebrate the achievements of Kilkenny’s emerging young talent as it hosted the Kilkenny GAA and Camogie Academy Awards at its Kilkenny HQ on January 27th and 28^th. Held over two evenings, the awards recognised the dedication and commitment of theU16 Kilkenny GAA hurling and football squads, alongside the U15 Kilkenny Camogie Academy and Development squads.
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Over both evenings, a small number of players from hurling, football and camogie were also selected for the Driver of Excellence Awards, recognising individuals who demonstrated outstanding commitment, leadership and determination throughout the season, both on and off the pitch. Players were joined by their families, coaches and mentors to mark an important milestone in their development journey.
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Special guest speakers across the two nights included CluneTech’s Derek Lyng for hurling, Christy Walsh for football and Aoife Prendergast for camogie. Each shared valuable insights and encouragement with the young athletes as they continue their progression within the academy pathways.

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CluneTech has been the main sponsor of both the Kilkenny GAA Academy (Na Cait Óga) and the Kilkenny Camogie Academy since 2024, under a three-year partnership supporting more than 500 players across both pathways. The sponsorship helps fund essential operational and player-welfare costs, including transport, equipment, nutrition and medical supports, ensuring a high-performance environment can be sustained for young athletes across the county.
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Terry Clune, Founder and CEO of CluneTech, said:

“We were delighted to host the Kilkenny GAA and Camogie Academy Awards at our Kilkenny HQ and to celebrate the hard work and commitment shown by these young players throughout their academy journey. CluneTech is proud to support both academies and to play a role in developing the next generation of Kilkenny athletes. We would like to thank the coaches, mentors, parents and all involved for the dedication they continue to show year after year.”
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This sponsorship forms part of CluneTech’s award-winning CSR programme, CluneTech Cares. Established in 2007 and created by its people, for its people, the programme supports charities and causes worldwide while having a strong local impact in Kilkenny and in the communities where CluneTech operates.
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Speaking at the event, Sean Kelly, Kilkenny GAA Performance Lead, said:

“The Academy Awards are an important point in the development pathway, giving us an opportunity to recognise the work and commitment shown by our players throughout the year. For our U16 hurlers and footballers, this marks a key stage as they continue to progress within the Kilkenny system, building strong habits around preparation, discipline and performance.

Nights like this reflect the high standards being set across the academy and the collective effort of players, coaches and families in supporting long-term development both on and off the pitch.”
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Tommy Farrell, Kilkenny Camogie Development Officer, added:

“This was a really special evening for Kilkenny Camogie, bringing players, families and coaches together to celebrate the progress made by our U15 academy and development squads. It’s important to take time to acknowledge the enjoyment, confidence and personal growth that comes from being part of the academy journey.

The awards night captured the positive atmosphere around the programme and highlighted the strong sense of community that supports our young players as they continue to develop and enjoy the game.”
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PJ Kenny, Chairman of Kilkenny GAA, said:

“The Academy Awards are an important occasion in the underage calendar, giving young players the opportunity to be recognised for their commitment and effort throughout the year. It is a proud moment for players, families and coaches, and a reminder of the standards being developed within the Kilkenny academy pathway.”
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Theresa Aylward, Kilkenny Camogie Chairperson, added:

“Kilkenny Camogie is delighted with our partnership with CluneTech, as we share many common values, standards and a strong sense of identity. Their support allows us to continue developing and supporting our young camogie players, and occasions like the Academy Awards are an important opportunity to recognise their progress and encourage them as they work to reach their potential within Kilkenny’s high-performance environment.”

The two awards evenings reflected the strength of the partnership between CluneTech, Kilkenny GAA and Kilkenny Camogie, and a shared commitment to providing young players with a supportive and high-quality development environment. As the academy programmes continue to grow, the focus remains on nurturing talent, building character and ensuring that young athletes across the county are given every opportunity to reach their potential both on and off the pitch.
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For more information, please contact:

Lauren Cleere, CluneTech, lauren.cleere@clunetech.com  

Mary Morgan, Kilkenny GAA PRO, pro.kilkenny@gaa.ie

Aoife Lanigan, Kilkenny Camogie PRO, pro.kilkenny@camogie.ie

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At CluneTech, we have an extensive Milestone Recognition Program that rewards employees that choose to build a long and successful career with us. As part of this programme, we love celebrating and sharing the stories of those reaching major milestones with the company.

This month we caught up with Fintua's Chief Financial Officer Edward Furlong who has been a part of the team for the last 15 years.

What is your favourite thing about working in CluneTech / Fintua?

The people. In Fintua, we have a core of really good people that have been here a long time.

What has been your biggest achievement or highlight since joining CluneTech / Fintua?

My appointment as Chief Financial Officer.

Who or what has inspired you the most during your time here?

The dedication of our staff, in particular the Bulgarian based employees. The level of effort and automation they have brought into work practices over the past number of years has been remarkable.

What is the biggest change that you have witnessed in your time here?

The automation across lots of processes during my time here at Fintua.

I have also witnessed the growth in many of our businesses from the foundations of being mainly an income tax refunds business  which was very manual to being a key player in the Fintech space.

What is the greatest challenge that you have faced in your time here and how did you overcome it?

Covid completely changed the focus of our business. The majority of what we did prior to that was based around travel. This presented huge challenges from a budgeting and cashflow perspective.

In the same period Comply was also being developed.

What has been your favourite project to work on?

The rebrand project led by the marketing team was interesting to be involved in.

There are lots of elements of automation that we are working through at the moment so hard to choose a favourite.

If you had to swap roles with someone in the company for a week, who would it be and why?

Anywhere within the Sales function. I get lots of Sales phone calls so would be nice to be on the other side of the fence, for just a week!

Do you have advice for someone who is just starting their career in CluneTech / Fintua?

Don’t be afraid of change and embrace new ways of doing things.

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On February 17th, CluneTech, a fintech group with over 1,200 employees worldwide, received the "Employer Supporting Parents with Children" award by the Bulgarian Parents' Academy.

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The Academy is one of the country’s largest communities, uniting specialists and organizations that support families. The inaugural edition of the awards seeks to highlight best practices in creating work environments that support parents with children.

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With over 300 parents among its employees in Bulgaria alone, CluneTech was recognized in two categories: "Employers Offering the Most Flexibility" and "Employers with Innovative Ideas for Future Parenting Policies."

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What sets CluneTech apart from other employers in the country is its high level of flexibility. In Bulgaria, 40% of employees work fully remotely, 45% follow a hybrid model, and only 15% work exclusively from the office.

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Some of the benefits CluneTech offers its employees to support work-life balance and childcare include extra annual leave days, flex hours, which allow employees to complete their weekly hours over 4.5 days, and Lifework Days —a half-day each quarter employees can use to take care of personal matters.

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“Besides the long list of traditional employee benefits such as additional health insurance, sports cards, and food vouchers, we are deeply committed to providing social and emotional support for our employees. Naturally, this support extends to parents as well. In addition to the fun celebrations and initiatives we organize for the children and families of our employees, we also support our colleagues during life's difficult moments. This includes miscarriage leave, extended leave for the loss of a loved one, and an Employee Assistance Program, providing free 24-hour psychological support for employees and their family members," shared Ekaterina Hristova, HR Manager at CluneTech in Bulgaria.

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This is CluneTech’s second accolade in Bulgaria in 2025, after climbing to number 14 in the prestigious Top 100 Best Employers Ranking by Career Show Index.

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CluneTech is proud to announce its 14th-place ranking in the "Top 100 Best Employers in Bulgaria" for 2025, as recognized by the annual Career Show Index in Bulgaria.

This achievement marks a significant advancement from our 46th position in 2023, reflecting our dedication to continuous improvement. Our success is attributed to several accolades received over the past few years, including Best Employer in Fintech, Work-Life Balance Strategy, and Employee Benefits Strategy.

The Career Show Index honours employers who demonstrate consistent efforts in providing excellent working conditions and enhancing the workplace atmosphere. CluneTech's recognition highlights our successful adaptation to the evolving expectations of the employees.

"We congratulate CluneTech on their success in the 2025 Top 100 Best Employers in Bulgaria ranking! It is an honour for us to highlight employers who have demonstrated successful practices and strategies for employee development and care. We are pleased that through the Bulgarian awards for best employer, we can present innovative, creative, and effective employee care and working conditions improvement projects that would otherwise be unseen by the public. Participation in awards and making it to prestigious rankings is an excellent opportunity to give voice to good examples in the work of a company," shared the organisers.

The "Top 100 Best Employers in Bulgaria" ranking is part of Career Show's annual initiative, which includes the largest career expo in the country and the Career Show Awards, the leading awards for best employer and employer brand. The ranking is based on the awards CluneTech received in this esteemed competition.

The full list of the top 100 employers can be found on the Career Show website.

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Monday, 19th February 2024. Kilkenny-headquartered software technology group, CluneTech, has been recognised at the 2024 b2b Media Employer Branding Awards at a Gala Awards ceremony held in the Astoria Garden Hotel, Sofia last Friday.

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Now in its seventh year, the b2b Media Employer Branding Awards celebrate the achievements of the HR and Communications departments of companies that are focusing on creating a positive employee experience and driving talent development. The awards are vital for promoting best practice in HR and employer branding, as they enable Bulgaria’s leading employers to showcase the unique and innovative ways in which they are creating industry leading cultures for their people.

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This is CluneTech’s sixth year participating in these awards. At a captivating ceremony in Bulgaria’s capital city, Sofia, Kristina Ilieva and Niya Boncheva from CluneTech’s Marketing & Communications Team accepted two awards on behalf of the company.

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CluneTech were thrilled to be recognised in two categories:

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Our Management of New Employees award goes for the company’s enhanced onboarding process, which features a Workvivo New Hires Space, a series of step-by-step guidance emails for candidates and new starters, and the implementation of a brand-new e-signature solution for all employee-related documents which has reduced the paper usage by 30,000 sheets annually in Bulgaria alone.

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CluneTech were also awarded in the category Employer Branding Idea for their CSR Spotlight Charity of the Month initiative which resulted in a significant amount of donations for a wide range of charitable causes in the past year. CluneTech’s Spotlight Charity of the month is fully driven by their employees across the globe, who actively participated by sharing photos of their physical activities on their internal communications platform, Workvivo, over the past year.  For every employee who participated in the initiative, CluneTech donated between €5 and €50 to selected charities and causes each month. The initiative is part of the company’s global CSR Programme, CluneTech Cares, which sees the company support the charities and causes their employees hold dearest to their hearts.

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Following the recognition, Ekaterina Hristova, HR Manager for CluneTech in Bulgaria, said:

“We are truly over the moon to have won the Management of New Employees Award and we are proud that the progress we made in improving our onboarding process in the last year has not gone unnoticed. This recognition is a huge team effort by both our HR and Communications teams, and represents our commitment to creating a top-notch experience throughout the whole employee journey with CluneTech.”

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Kristina Ilieva, Marketing and Communications Specialist at CluneTech’s Team added:

“Our people are the driving force behind all the amazing changes in our workplace. It is their feedback and participation that continues to shape our CSR and Great Place to Work programmes, and our overall #OneTeam culture. There is no doubt that each one of us plays a fundamental role in making CluneTech a great place to work and recognitions like this prove we are on the right track.”

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Learn more about CluneTech’s career opportunities and our amazing #OneTeam culture here.

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At CluneTech, continuous learning is at the heart of our culture. In 2025, CluneTech’s subsidiary Fintua launched the Fintua Tax Academy, a comprehensive training programme designed to equip colleagues with deep knowledge of EU VAT, practical skills, and the confidence to tackle complex challenges in their daily work.

The goal of Fintua was to create an internal training series that goes beyond theory. While external courses exist, developing an in-house programme allows the content to be tailored to real-life scenarios and business-specific challenges, ensuring every session is directly relevant, practical, and immediately applicable.

“Our aim was to show that behind the Excel tables and daily routines, there is so much more to understand and appreciate. Participating in this type of training reshapes the way colleagues think about their work, the value they create, and how they collaborate across teams,” explains Péter Árpás, the main driver of the programme.

From April to October 2025, the Academy hosted seven sessions - two in-person and five online, covering the EU VAT system, legal background and EU Court decisions, and practical examples from advisory experience. The series concluded with a final exam in late November, consisting of more than 60 questions. Out of 70 participants from Bulgaria, Ireland, and Hungary, 40 successfully participated in and passed an exam, with 21 achieving results above 80%.

A graduation ceremony in Varna this February marked the successful completion of the exam, with top performers recognized for their exceptional achievement.

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Building on the success of the first year, Fintua is already preparing its 2026 programme. The next edition will be even more practical, featuring new lecturers and an open invitation for anyone who wants to participate, regardless of previous involvement.

Beyond its global reach and automated, highly integrated platform offering a full suite of indirect tax solutions, Fintua’s VAT Academy adds one more key advantage: the deep VAT expertise of its long-term professionals, handling complex VAT cases for clients such as Nestlé, Google, IBM, Mondelez, and many others.

The Fintua Tax Academy demonstrates CluneTech’s commitment to investing in our people. Beyond providing essential knowledge, it fosters professional curiosity, strengthens collaboration across teams, and empowers colleagues to step into advanced roles.

At CluneTech, growth is a team effort, and initiatives like the Fintua Tax Academy ensure that every colleague has the tools and confidence to progress their development.  

Fintua are currently hiring in various roles across our global teams in Tech and Finance. See their current vacancies at https://fintua.com/careers/.

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At CluneTech, we have an extensive Milestone Recognition Program that rewards employees that choose to build a long and successful career with us. As part of this programme, we love celebrating and sharing the stories of those reaching major milestones with the company.

This month we caught up with Viktoria Kurteva, Front End Developer at Sprintax. She has been on our team for the last 5 years.

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What is your favourite thing about working in CluneTech / Sprintax?

My favorite thing about working in CluneTech is the team I work with. We’ve built a strong and open way of communicating, with a lot of mutual understanding and trust. Everyone is approachable, open to questions, and always willing to help when needed. Beyond the professional environment, I’ve also had the chance to build meaningful connections and friendships that extend outside of work, which makes the experience even more valuable.

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What has been your biggest achievement or highlight since joining CluneTech / Sprintax?

‍Having been with CluneTech for five years, my biggest achievement has been my professional growth within the company. I joined shortly after graduating, and through continuous learning and commitment, I was able to demonstrate my potential and take on increasing responsibility. This journey eventually led to the opportunity to step into a Team Lead role, which I see as both a personal milestone and a reflection of the trust and support I’ve received along the way.

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What is the biggest change that you have witnessed inyour time here?

‍The biggest change I’ve witnessed is the growth and evolution of the team I’m part of. When I joined, the team consisted of just three people, and today it has grown to twelve. Along with this growth came new dynamics, stronger collaboration, and a more structured way of working together. It’s been interesting to see how the team has evolved while maintaining open communication and a supportive environment.

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What is the greatest challenge that you have faced inyour time here and how did you overcome it?

‍One of the greatest challenges I’ve faced has been growing both professionally and personally. From the very beginning, it required stepping outside my comfort zone to communicate with more experienced colleagues, ask questions, and actively learn.

Over time, I needed to take on more responsibility and make decisions on my own, which was initially intimidating. Today, many of the things that once felt challenging are now part of my everyday work.

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What has been your favourite project to work on?

I’ve really enjoyed projects where I could both contribute technically and support the team’s growth. Working on challenging front-end tasks while also helping colleagues solve problems, share knowledge, and improve collaboration has been very rewarding. I particularly value opportunities where I can learn new approaches and see how our work positively impacts the product and the team.

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Do you have advice for someone who is just starting their career in CluneTech / Sprintax?

My advice would be not to be afraid to reach out to your colleagues and communicate openly in the workflow. Ask questions whenever you have them, seek feedback, and don’t hesitate to share your ideas or suggestions. Make the most of your time, stay curious, and take every opportunity to learn as much as you can from those around you.

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At CluneTech, we have an extensive Milestone Recognition Program that rewards employees that choose to build a long and successful career with us. As part of this programme, we love celebrating and sharing the stories of those reaching major milestones with the company.

This month we caught up with CluneTech's Head of Design, Elena Stefanova who has been on our team for the last 15 years.
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What is your favorite thing about working in CluneTech?
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The opportunity to work in an international environment and meet people from different cultures.

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What has been your biggest achievement or highlight since joining CluneTech?
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One life-changing achievement was the opportunity to upskill from a graphic designer to a motion designer, using After Effects. It had been a childhood dream of mine to create motion graphics and animations. However, my biggest overall achievement within the company has been progressing through every career stage—from junior designer to Head of Design.

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What is the biggest change that you have witnessed in your time here?
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Relocating the office from Tsar Simeon to Bacho Kiro and changing the company name to CluneTech.

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What is the greatest challenge that you have faced in your time here and how did you overcome it?
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Without a doubt, it was the renovation of the new Lounge and Meeting Space in the basement (formerly the Martini Bar)—from the interior design concept to full realization. It required countless hours of research into commercial space requirements, including layout planning, lighting, safety, and dimension regulations, along with completing a six-month Interior Design course at SoftUni. It was a huge commitment for everyone involved, sometimes exceeding 10 hours of work per day, seven days a week.

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What has been your favorite project to work on?
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Creating videos with Zory for company parties— the videos on the Brick Port walls in recent years and the CluneTech event videos from previous years.

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Do you have advice for someone who is just starting their career in CluneTech?
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The company offers great opportunities for career growth and job security—be wise and make the most of them.

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At CluneTech, we have an extensive Milestone Recognition Program that rewards employees that choose to build a long and successful career with us. As part of this programme, we love celebrating and sharing the stories of those reaching major milestones with the company.

This month we caught up with TransferMate's Financial Crime Subject Matter Expert, Nelda Montalvo who has been on our team for the last 2 years.
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What is your favorite thing about working in CluneTech / TransferMate?
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I love that every day is different. I get to work on interesting cases and learn something new all the time. Plus, the teamwork here is great! Everyone is so willing to help out.
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What has been your biggest achievement or highlight since joining CluneTech / TransferMate?
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Moving into the Financial Crime Subject Matter Expert role has been a big highlight for me. It’s been really rewarding to grow in this area and work on some challenging investigations.
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Who or what has inspired you the most during your time here?
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Definitely the people I work with. There’s so much experience and knowledge in the team, and everyone is so open to sharing what they know.
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What is the biggest change that you have witnessed in your time here?
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I’d say the way our processes and systems have evolved. It’s great to see how we’re improving all the time, especially in how we handle financial crime risks.
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What is the greatest challenge that you have faced in your time here and how did you overcome it?
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Some of the complex cases I’ve worked on were definitely challenging, especially when quick decisions were needed. I just focused on staying calm, asking the right questions, and working closely with the team. 
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What has been your favorite project to work on?
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I’ve enjoyed the investigations where I could really dig into unusual activity and spot patterns. It’s challenging work, but it’s really satisfying.
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Do you have advice for someone who is just starting their career in CluneTech / TransferMate?
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Be curious and don’t be afraid to ask questions and take every chance to learn from the people around you.
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At CluneTech, we have an extensive Milestone Recognition Program that rewards employees that choose to build along and successful career with us. As part of this programme, we love celebrating and sharing the stories of those reaching major milestones with the company.

This month we caught up with Kristina Ilieva, Marketing & Communications Specialist at CluneTech, who has been on our team for the last 10 years.

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What is your favorite thing about working in CluneTech?

Time flies when you're having fun and surrounded by great people. I feel really lucky to have spent these ten years working alongside incredibly smart, down-to-earth, and supportive colleagues. This sense of camaraderie is truly one of the best things about the group, and it remains unmatched by any other team I’ve encountered in my career so far.

What has been your biggest achievement or highlight since joining CluneTech?

It’s definitely not the awards, no, no!

At the end of the day, my highlight is helping to create and foster a workplace where we support each other and gravitate toward the same values: respect, innovation, and passion for what we do. And let’s not forget all the great moments and parties we’ve shared, too.

What is the greatest challenge that you have faced in your time here and how did you overcome it?

As an introverted person, my role as a Communications Specialist has definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone. It’s taught me that being in the spotlight isn’t an act of selfishness, especially when you have something meaningful to say. The same goes for my amazing colleagues, whose knowledge, successes, and inspiring stories we’ve shared with the wider audience over the years. Highlighting these great examples, inspiring others, and keeping people’s spirits high is a success I’m proud of.

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What has been your favourite project to work on?

There’s no single task or project I admire above the rest. Everything—from communications and writing to events, charity work, educational programs for students, and even marketing and organizational tasks—serves as an outlet for my personality. I’m deeply curious about human nature and what drives us, and I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to work with so many people from diverse backgrounds, nationalities, and personalities.

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Do you have advice for someone who is just starting their career in CluneTech?

Dive deep into your role, and be open to learning from your mentors. Don’t give up easily when you face challenges. Instead, try to be creative, learn, and find your way through!

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At CluneTech, we have an extensive Milestone Recognition Program that rewards employees that choose to build along and successful career with us. As part of this programme, we love celebrating and sharing the stories of those reaching major milestones with the company.

This month we caught up with Rory Lynskey, Senior Content Creator at Sprintax, who has been on our team for the last 5 years.

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What is your favorite thing about working in CluneTech / Sprintax?

It’s difficult to name just one thing, but if I had to pick then my favorite thing about working here has to be the people and the culture (that’s one, right? 😅).

Everyone here is so supportive, talented, and passionate about what they do. It’s great to be part of a team where innovation and teamwork go hand in hand.

What has been your biggest achievement or highlight since joining CluneTech / Sprintax?

The Taxback blog restoration project was a big highlight, reversing the decline in page views on the blog site, and the Content and SEO teams deserve a lot of praise for finding a way to do that and putting the hours into make it happen.

Personally, being promoted to Senior Content Creator was also a great moment.

Who or what has inspired you the most during your time here?

It’d be hard to pick just one person! Working with such a talented and supportive team makes every challenge easier! There’s always someone willing to lend a hand or share some expert knowledge to help with any situation.

What is the biggest change that you have witnessed in your time here?

I have seen big changes at all the brands I have worked on since I joined. Overall, I’d say each brand is now a lot more polished than when I joined, and they look better than ever.

The improvements in design, messaging, and overall presentation really make them stand out to me.
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What is the greatest challenge that you have faced in your time here and how did you overcome it?

I’d probably have to say COVID. I was only in the door of the company, getting used to the 9-5 lifestyle after fours years of college and all of a sudden I was working from home for the first time. Almost everyone else was in the same boat, however, so it made it a lot easier trying to navigate the WFH world!

What has been your favourite project to work on?

I really enjoy my work with Sprintax, there’s always so much going on and particularly at this time of year, with it being US tax season. The Dividends project as a whole is very exciting and challenging to work on so I’ll go with that.

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Do you have advice for someone who is just starting their career in CluneTech / Sprintax?

My biggest piece of advice for someone starting their career at CluneTech is to be proactive.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions - everyone here is really supportive and always willing to help. Take the time to learn about what you are working on, embrace new challenges, and get involved in different projects!

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This April, CluneTech has donated 4.5 tons of cement-based floor screed to the Center for Medical and Social Care for Children in Varna (Vinitsa District).

The donation will be used for the construction of a brand new ward for complex care for children with chronic diseases and impairments up to seven years old. The ward will include rooms where children experiencing severe and chronic health challenges with uncertain prognoses can stay with their parents. Additionally, it will incorporate facilities for rehabilitation, physiotherapy, medical manipulation rooms, and space for individual activities. This project will ensure our city has a modern medical ward that provides complex care and assists children with severe chronic diseases and their families in dealing not only with the physical pain resulting from their conditions but also the emotional suffering they endure.

Long after its founding in 1953, the Center for Medical and Social Care in Varna only provided care to children aged 0 to 3. However, at this stage, the center boasts a multidisciplinary team of psychologists, physiotherapists, doctors, nurses, and speech therapists who provide comprehensive support to a wide group of children, ranging from premature babies to those up to eighteen years old. Many of these children have severe chronic, neurological, or genetic conditions, necessitating 24/7 medical supervision.

A long-time partner of CluneTech Cares, the medical centre in Vinitsa is the largest facility of its kind in the Northeast of Bulgaria, providing medical care and rehabilitation to premature babies and children with neurological and orthopedic problems. With donations of over €12,000 which we have made throughout the years, we have helped the centre to purchase important equipment such as hospital beds, therapeutic chairs, baby monitoring devices, two air conditioning units, a portable oxygen concentrator, a neonatal pulse oximeter, a patient monitoring system and more.

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Friday 19 April, 2024 Kilkenny. Kilkenny-based software technology group, CluneTech, has been announced as the main sponsor of Kilkenny Tennis Club’s new Padel Tennis Court, which was completed in March 2024. The official opening event, which is due to take place this Saturday, April 20, will incorporate a Charity Tennis Tournament and social event, with all funds generated being donated to the Carlow Kilkenny Homecare Team.

Founded in 1879, Kilkenny Tennis Club is a not-for-profit club with all funds generated being reinvested in their tennis facilities and the development of the game. With over 1,200members, split into 700 seniors and 500 juniors, it is one of the largest and best regional tennis clubs in Ireland. It is a very active club with high grade facilities and always welcomes new members and visitors.

“Our club is very proud of our many achievements with our members winning numerous regional and national titles, our representative teams winning many Provincial Cups and a number of members having represented Ireland at international level.” Brian Doyle, President, Kilkenny Tennis Club

This sponsorship is part of CluneTech’s award-winning CSR Programme, CluneTech Cares. Established in 2007, CluneTech Cares is created by their people, for their people, and while the programme supports deserving charities and causes all over the world, it is driven by employee requests and has a momentous impact locally, both in Kilkenny, and in the various other communities where the company operates. This significant investment will enable Kilkenny Tennis Club to be the first in the region to offer Padel Tennis, the world’s fastest-growing racket sport, to its members.

“We are delighted to sponsor Kilkenny Tennis Club’s new Padel court,” said Terry Clune, CEO and Founder of CluneTech. “As an organisation, we are passionate about giving back and we are proud to support a number of fantastic local clubs in Kilkenny where our HQ is located. I’d like to give a special mention and thanks to our own team members, Eoin Dunphy, Éanna Brady, James Murphy, Patrick Dalton and Patrick O’Neill, who are all dedicated members of Kilkenny Tennis Club. Without them, this sponsorship wouldn’t have been possible. Padel tennis is a new and innovate sport, and we are really excited to play a part in ensuring it has a home right here in Kilkenny.”

Padel Tennis is played on an enclosed court, one third the size of a traditional tennis court. Its format is doubles and it uses traditional tennis scoring, combining action with fun and social interaction. It’s a fantastic sport for players of all ages and skills, as it is both quick and easy to pick up, with most players understanding the basics within the first half hour of play.  

Edwin Walsh, Captain, Kilkenny Tennis Club, said: “Kilkenny Tennis Club was founded in 1879 at its current location in Archersfield, Kilkenny. As one of the largest tennis clubs in the country with 1,300 members, ranging in age from 2 to over 82, Kilkenny Tennis Club is constantly reinvesting in its facilities to enhance its members’ experience. On behalf of the Committee and members of Kilkenny Tennis Club, I would like to thank Terry and all the team at CluneTech for the incredibly generous sponsorship of our new Padel Court which is part of a wider redevelopment of playing surfaces and other facilities. We are immensely proud to be associated with such a progressive and innovative team and look forward to developing our partnership over the coming years.”

Jimmy Morrow, Development Chairman, Kilkenny Tennis Club, said: "We are delighted to have CluneTech join us as Sponsor of our new Padel Tennis Court and we very much value their significant investment in our club which enables us to greatly enhance our Sporting facilities with this innovative addition.”

In addition to the innovation this sport embodies, Kilkenny Tennis Club have also launched a green energy project, which to date has seen the installation of energy saving LED tennis flood lighting, reducing electricity consumption by over 44%; the installation of 36 Solar PV panels which allows the club to generate its own power, supplying any excess to the National Grid; air to water source heat pump which uses electricity generated from the club’s Solar PV system. The club’s commitment to reducing their environmental impact is just one of the reasons that CluneTech made the decision to support the club.

“At CluneTech, we always aim to support clubs, charities and causes whose values reflect our own,” said Rachael Quinlan, Head of Employee Experience, CluneTech. “Sustainability is one of the key pillars of our CSR Programme and we are super impressed at the club’s efforts to date. In addition, we recognise the importance of work-life balance and knowing that a number of our own team are also club members, made the decision to sponsor their new Padel Club a no brainer.”

Our CSR Programme - CluneTech Cares, is a fantastic representation of what we are - a team of truly caring individuals giving our best to support and add value, not only to our customers, but also to the communities in which we operate.

As part of our CSR Spotlight, we dedicated the month of March to celebrating World Autism Awareness. With this in mind, we are delighted to share an interview with John McCarthy, Facilities Manager, CluneTech, and his son Adam, who we consider an honorary CluneTech employee. For those who have had the pleasure of meeting Adam, they will be familiar with his bubbly and outgoing personality which brings so much joy to our HQ. Adam, who’s 27, has both autism and epilepsy, and was delighted to jump on camera and give us a unique insight into his life, his autism diagnosis and some of the many things he enjoys doing.

In Adam’s words, “Love will always come from the heart”.

Our CSR Programme - CluneTech Cares, is a fantastic representation of what we are - a team of truly caring individuals giving our best to support and add value, not only to our customers, but also to the communities in which we operate. CluneTech Cares is employee-led and has three key pillars: Wellness, Culture & Community, and Sustainability. It has been a busy quarter so make sure to check out some of our latest activities below.

January’s CSR Spotlight: Supporting Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Migrants

Throughout the month of January, we dedicated our CSR Spotlight to supporting Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Migrant charities and the incredible work they do providing assistance to families and single people from a migrant or refugee background in Ireland and abroad.

Our main beneficiaries of the month were both Doras and Nasc Ireland.

Doras is an independent organisation working to promote and protect the rights of people from a migrant background in Ireland while also providing specialised support to migrant and refugee victims who have experienced human trafficking, domestic abuse and hate crime. 

Nasc Ireland works with migrants and refugees to advocate and lead for change within Ireland’s immigration and protection systems, ensuring fairness, access to justice and the protection of human rights to all. Nasc's goal is to realise the rights of all migrants and refugees within Irish society. 

Across the globe, our team came together to raise vital funds for both of our beneficiaries. Thanks to the support our staff showed throughout January, CluneTech Cares has made a monetary donation to Doras and Nasc for the crucial work they do day-to-day for all Asylum Seekers, Refugees and Migrants in Ireland.

From all here at CluneTech Cares, we want to thank our team for their incredible support and the difference they have made during the month of January.

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February’s CSR Spotlight: World Cancer Day

February marked the month that CluneTech took a stand against Cancer, dedicating our CSR Spotlight of the Month to World Cancer Day. All donations from fundraising initiatives throughout the month went towards our cancer support charities selected by our teams around the world. These charities and causes included Waterford Hospice in Ireland and Една от 8 in Bulgaria.

Waterford Hospice is a remarkable organization dedicated to providing end-of-life care, particularly to those battling cancer and giving incredible support and peace of mind to their loved ones. The profound impact of their work extends beyond the walls of the hospice, touching lives not only within our wider community, but of our teammates and their families over the last number of months.

By aligning our efforts with Waterford Hospice, we are not only contributing to the crucial mission of offering comfort and solace during life's most challenging moments but also acknowledging the impact it has on the lives of our colleagues.

Our second beneficiary for the month of February was Една от 8 in Bulgaria. Една от 8 | One in 8 was founded by Nana Gladwish in 2013. Nana is a famous TV host in Bulgaria and breast cancer survivor. The organisation works with healthcare professionals, state authorities, patient communities, and other stakeholders to improve the Bulgarian healthcare system for those diagnosed. 

The team strives for a better quality of life and outcomes for the patients they care for. Една от 8 | One in 8 is funded by company and community donations to support its existence and activities. Our team’s support during February was more important than ever, contributing to keep their amazing services running in Bulgaria.

Over the course of the month, an incredible 79 members of our team around the world took part in a walk / run / cycle in aid of Waterford Hospice in Ireland and Една от 8 in Bulgaria.

CluneTech Cares donated a total of €790 to our dedicated charities of the month. Well done to all of our amazing colleagues for their participation this month.

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March’s CSR Spotlight: World Autism Awareness

Each year, we launch our CSR request form where our staff can suggest the charity and causes they'd like to see us support throughout the year. Following their feedback, we dedicated March’s CSR Spotlight to World Autism Awareness.

The main beneficiaries of the month nominated by our team included ABACAS School Kilbarrack in Dublin, Gowran National School Autistic Unit in Kilkenny, and Autism Today in Bulgaria.

Autism is a neurological difference that many people are born with which affects how they experience the world around them and how they communicate with others. While autism awareness has greatly grown in Ireland and globally in recent years, we are still a long way from having a society which truly understands autism. 

During the month of March, not only were we delighted to make a monetary donation to all three charities and causes, but we also had the pleasure of interviewing John McCarthy, Facilities Manager, CluneTech, and his son Adam, who we consider an honorary CluneTech employee.

For those who have had the pleasure of meeting Adam, they will be familiar with his bubbly and outgoing personality which brings so much joy to our HQ. Adam, who’s 27, has both autism and epilepsy, and was delighted to jump on camera and give us a unique insight into his life, his autism diagnosis and some of the many things he enjoys doing.

In Adam’s words, “Love will always come from the heart”. A massive well done to all who took part in last months CSR Spotlight of the Month and a special thank you to John and Adam for a truly inspiring interview in celebration of World Autism Awareness.

You can catch the full interview here today.

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CluneTech Cares: Supporting Kilkenny Ladies Hockey Club

At CluneTech, we're passionate about giving back to our communities and we are proud to support a number of fantastic local clubs in Kilkenny where our HQ is located, one of those being the Kilkenny Hockey Club's Ladies' Team.

Paddy Dalton, Business Development Manager at TransferMate has been coaching for the club for over three years:

"I've been working with CluneTech for 10 years now and started as a coach with the hockey club back in 2021. I really enjoy coaching because of the buzz seeing the girls reach and exceed their goals. It gives me great satisfaction to see the group training, playing matches, and sticking to the structured game plan. We're delighted to have had CluneTech on board as sponsors for the last 3 years and it has enabled us to grow our women's section to 3 teams. We can now pride ourselves on being one of the biggest female adult sporting clubs in the county, providing hockey for all levels ages and abilities."

Thanks to the club for giving us the opportunity to get behind them and a huge well done to Paddy Dalton who not only goes above and beyond in his role with CluneTech, but within his local community too.

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CluneTech’s I.T Equipment Donation to St. John of God Primary School, Kilkenny

As part of our CSR Programme, CluneTech Cares, we were delighted to donate laptops to St. John of God Primary School.

Recognising the importance of technology in education, we have repurposed these devices to support the learning needs of students within our community.

This aligns with our dedication to sustainable practices, as we strive to effectively extend the life cycle of our technology resources while also supporting the next generation with the tools they need to thrive in their education.

A massive thank you to Norm Power for arranging this donation and to St. John of God's principal, Conor Gorey, and some of the school's pupils who visited CluneTech HQ to collect the donation.

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Martenitsi Charity Bazaars in Varna and Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

On the 1st of March, our colleagues in Bulgaria celebrated Baba Marta, a Bulgarian holiday deeply rooted in folklore and culture, symbolising the arrival of spring and the wish for good health. 

To mark the holiday, our teams in Varna and Veliko Tarnovo organised annual charity bazaars in support of children with special needs. 

Thanks to our employees' contributions, a donation of 780 BGN was made to Karin Dom – a long-term CSR partner of CluneTech and one of Bulgaria’s most modern centres, providing a range of social, health, and educational services for children with special needs. 

Additionally, 600 BGN was donated for craft materials for the children at the Day Center for Disabilities ‘Daga’ in Veliko Tarnovo, ensuring that children and young people with disabilities receive rehabilitation and engaging activities that support their development and social integration.

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CluneTech Continues to Raise Awareness of Crucial Stroke Symptoms

'Fast Heroes 112' is a prevention program with one grand mission - to educate the world about the symptoms of stroke and the need for immediate action.

After the successful launch of the award-winning educational program in Varna last year, in 2024 we will continue our mission to raise awareness of stroke symptoms in another well-known school in Bulgaria’s sea capital – Foreign Language School Alexander S. Pushkin. The second edition of Fast Heroes 112 will take place from February to April involving 150 students from first to fourth grade who will share their knowledge about stroke symptoms and first aid with parents and grandparents.

Last May, 150 first graders from Geo Milev school were officially named Fast Heroes 112 ambassadors as they learned the symptoms of stroke and raised awareness of stroke prevention among their loved ones.

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Volunteering at CluneTech

Introduced in 2021, our CSR Volunteer Day empowers each employee to give back to the charities and causes closest to them. Since the inception of Volunteer Day, 160+ CluneTech employees have contributed to causes which they find meaningful, and this number keeps growing. See what they had to share with us about their experience this quarter:

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Baba Marta at CluneTech

In preparation for this year’s Baba Marta celebrations, over ten colleagues in our Varna offices joined forces using their CSR volunteer day to hand-craft some martenitsi that were later sold at our in-house and other local charity markets in aid of children with special needs. A great tradition and a great use of their Volunteer Day as our colleagues managed to make 1,690 martenitsi in just one day!

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Daffodil Day 2024 with Claire McBride, Financial Services Account Manager at TransferMate

Speaking about her Volunteer Day, Claire said:

"Daffodil Day is a special day where we all unite to remember the loved ones we’ve lost to cancer, to honour the people in our lives who are facing cancer and to acknowledge the bravery of those that have fought and won their battle with cancer. I am very fortunate to work for a company that affords and encourages staff to use their volunteer day to get involved in fundraising activities of all kinds. I am proud to play my part today for the Irish Cancer Society."

Well done to Claire on her involvement in this incredible volunteering activity.

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CluneTech are absolutely delighted to be supporting Ronald McDonald House Ireland as part of our CSR Programme, CluneTech Cares. Ronald McDonald House Ireland have been caring for families in Ireland since 2004 and since then, have provided accommodation, care and support for in excess of 4,200+ families from all over Ireland.

We recently paid a visit and saw first-hand the tremendous work that their team does to support families through the toughest of times in the most loving, homely, and peaceful way.

“We call ourselves the invisible family that wraps ourselves around mum, dad, brothers, and sisters. We provide them with a home and the security and safety net they require while facing, quite often, a long period of time when their child is sick in the hospital” said Louise Quail, Corporate Relationship Manager with The Ronald McDonald House Charity. “It’s never going to be their home, and we never want it to the be their home, but it has to be the next best thing.”

CluneTech’s donation will see us sponsor a bedroom in the new Ronald McDonald House which will be built on the campus of the new National Children's Hospital. With 52 bedrooms spread out over four floors, the new house will be a vital home for families from every county and every town in Ireland. We are honoured to be sponsoring a room, and playing a role in supporting such an incredible charity.

“Outside of just providing extra bedrooms, there’s going to be so much more communal spaces allowing us to possibly extend our programmes or offer additional core programmes or services that can really support the wellbeing of the overall family.”

Ronald McDonald House Charities are actively seeking sponsorship and donations towards their new house build. To learn more, please visit https://www.rmhc.ie/about-us/new-house.

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About Ronald McDonald House Charities Ireland

The mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities Ireland is to provide a Ronald McDonald House to support families whose children are seriously ill in hospital. The Ronald McDonald House provides accommodation and a caring and supportive environment for families whose children are seriously ill and are hospitalised or undergoing medical treatment at Children’s Health Ireland, Crumlin.

The Ronald McDonald House Position Paper 2021 outlines who we are, the impact we make and where oursupport comes from. To find out more about our New 52-bedroom RonaldMcDonald House alongside the New Children’s Hospital click here.

About CluneTech Cares

CluneTech’s CSR programme was established in September 2007in response to a tragic flooding disaster in Tsar Kaloyan, Bulgaria. Deeply saddened by the news, our Bulgarian employees decided to help and within 48hours, they had rallied together and organised 3.5 tonnes of food and 12,000litres of water for the village. After this event, we formalised our CSR activity to give it a global reach, ensuring to support each of the communities in which we operate and giving back to our local communities.

The amazing thing about our CSR Programme is that it’s created by our people, for our people. Each year employees are given the opportunity to request which charities we support and the programme’s global reach results in us having appositive impact in each of the communities we operate in.

As part of CluneTech Cares, in 2020 we introduced our Volunteer Day which empowers our people to give back within their local communities during working time, ensuring that even our smaller teams can get behind the charities and causes closest to their hearts.

In 2022, we donated over €75,000 and supported over 55 charities, causes and fundraisers.

Further Information:

Rachael Quinlan, Head of Employee Experience, CluneTech

rachael.quinlan@clunetech.com

Tel: +353873450595

Louise Quail, Corporate Relationship Manager, RonaldMcDonald House Charities Ireland

louise.quail@rmhc.ie

Tel: +353868659116

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CluneTech’s award winning employee wellbeing programme offers a range of supports and initiatives including corporate health insurance, a Global Employee Assistance Programme, Life Work Days and much more, ensuring that health and wellbeing of our people is always a priority. In recent years, we expanded our offering to include fertility support and paid leaves for both IVF / pregnancy support and miscarriage / pregnancy loss, helping our people and / or their partners through all stages of their fertility journey.

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With this in mind, we are honoured to announce that this summer, CluneTech has made its first donation towards the I Want a Baby Foundation in Bulgaria. This donation will directly assist the facilitation of psychological support groups for those experiencing infertility in Bulgaria’s sea capital Varna, where the large majority of our Bulgarian workforce is based.

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The I Want a Baby Foundation launched its psychological programme in 2007. The programme is the first of its kind as it has been thoughtfully crafted to run in tandem with the medical procedures a couple is going through.

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Following the donation, Katya Simeonova, who is the psychologist conducting the support groups in Varna, shared:

“When families start their infertility path, we always notice a feeling of social isolation. Their families and friends usually have children, and this is something that upsets them very much. They start distancing themselves emotionally. They usually don’t have someone to share the things they are going through and at some point, they start feeling isolated. The work in such groups is very precious to them as it gives women with infertility a chance to meet people with similar problems, to talk things through, each one of them to share the challenges they have been through. They get great feedback and in addition, they start getting closer to each other. They keep nurturing the friendships they create throughout our support groups even after the end of the program. I’m confident to say that group therapy is working really well.”

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The donation was made following an employee's suggestion

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At the beginning of 2023, in addition to the many amazing initiatives we already support, we opened our global CSR request form, where our employees from all over the world have the opportunity to submit requests highlighting which charities and causes they would like to see us support. This year saw the highest number of requests to date, with our employees eager to see us support the charities and causes closest to their hearts.

Following an open vote on our internal communications platform Workvivo, the I Want a Baby Foundation which was put forward by Iglika Raeva, was chosen as the next CluneTech Cares beneficiary.

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Following her nomination, Iglika Raeva from our Veliko Tarnovo office shared:

“The reason I want to support 'I Want a Baby' is because it is a cause very close to my heart. The volunteers there give their time and endless effort to support the families that are listed in the program. They support them not only financially, but also mentally, and emotionally and become their second family. All the parents of the babies born with the help of the foundation are also volunteers and they give back time and effort invested by others previously for them. I see great value in their cause as it brings happiness to people that have wanted this for years.”

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About the I Want a Baby Foundation

The I Want a Baby Foundation coordinates reproduction, fertility treatment and psychological support programmes for childless couples.  

The foundation’s efforts led to the creation of Bulgaria’s National IVF Fund and there are now IVF Funds in over 45 municipalities in the country. These funds sponsor up to four IVF procedures per couple. In addition to the foundation’s psychological support programme, the I Want a Baby Foundation also operates a genetic material donor programme for all couples who, after multiple unsuccessful procedures, are unable to conceive and require a donor.

In 2023 the organization celebrates its 16th birthday. In those sixteen years they have welcomed 3,500 babies in Varna and 20,000 babies in other locations, which would easily fill a whole town!  

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About CluneTech Cares

CluneTech’s CSR programme was established in September 2007 in response to a tragic flooding disaster in Tsar Kaloyan, Bulgaria. Deeply saddened by the news, our Bulgarian employees decided to help and within 48 hours, they had rallied together and organised 3.5 tonnes of food and 12,000 litres of water for the village. After this event, we formalised our CSR activity to give it a global reach, ensuring to support each of the communities in which we operate and giving back to our local communities.

The amazing thing about our CSR Programme is that it’s created by our people, for our people. Each year employees are given the opportunity to request which charities we support and the programme’s global reach results in us having appositive impact in each of the communities we operate in.

As part of CluneTech Cares, in 2020 we introduced our Volunteer Day which empowers our people to give back within their local communities during working time, ensuring that even our smaller teams can get behind the charities and causes closest to their hearts.

In 2022, we donated over €75,000 and supported over 55 charities, causes and fundraisers.

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At CluneTech, we have an extensive Milestone Recognition Programme that rewards employees that choose to build a long and successful career with us. As part of this programme, we love celebrating and sharing the stories of those reaching major milestones with the company.

This month we caught up with Jelyazko Drekov, Team Leader at TransferMate, who has been on our team for 10 years!

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Check out our interview with Jelyazko below:

What is your favourite thing about working in CluneTech / Taxback International?

There are so many positive memories, but my favorite thing is probably working with the teams in Varna and Kilkenny. The people you meet are so positive and open to help. Also, the non-stop learning paths that you can dive in to every single day.

What has been your biggest achievement or highlight since joining CluneTech / Taxback International?

My biggest achievement so far has been helping to build a great working environment and of course, spreading my knowledge based on my experience to the rest of my team.

What is the biggest change that you have witnessed in your time here?

The biggest change for me was not being able to meet all the people from my team in person and dealing with all tasks and conversations remotely because of the COVID situation, but slowly and surely I am getting used to it.

What is the greatest challenge that you have faced in your time here and how did you overcome it?

My greatest challenge was to handle the massive growth of the area I am involved in and to prepare our team properly for it. I believe that we are now travelling the right path.

What has been your favourite task or project to work on?

My favourite task is definitely the digitalization of our daily tasks. I love to share my knowledge with all of my colleagues.

Do you have advice for someone who is just starting their career in CluneTech / Taxback International?

My advice to everyone just starting is to not fear to ask and to explore as there are so many opportunities to learn and grow. Be curious, be open for changes and most importantly, be yourself.

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We are delighted to announce that as part of our CluneTech Cares programme, CluneTech is sponsoring Plant the Planet Games in partnership with Self Help Africa, Warriors for Humanity and the Gaelic Players Association. We are also delighted to be sponsoring Kilkenny hurling legend, Paul Murphy, to participate in this initiative, which will mean 25,000 trees planted in Africa, providing a source of food, income, shelter and improved soil for thousands of African families, as well as removing up to 625 tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere every year.

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What is Plant the Planet Games?

Taking place in Kenya from the 19th to 27th November, the concept of the games was created by Warriors for Humanity founder and former Galway dual player Alan Kerins. 

The event will feature 50 male and female Inter-County Gaelic Games players from all four codes. Joining the games will be an array of talent from Gaelic Games including Limericks Sean Finn, Wexford’s Matthew O’Hanlon, Kerry’s Stefan Okunbor, Kilkenny’s Grace Walsh and Niamh O’Sullivan of Meath, amongst others. 

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Each player participating in the games has committed to raising €10,000. The funds raised will go to Self Help Africa to support the planting of trees. This is essential not only to combating the increasing impact of climate change but also as a way of providing sustainable income for local communities which is why CluneTech have chosen to sponsor this amazing campaign.

We here at CluneTech are donating €10,000 in aid of Self Help Africa and to support this campaign. By doing this we hope to highlight the impact of climate change in these areas of the world while also helping raise significant funds to plant one million trees in Africa.

In addition, TransferMate, a CluneTech company, has also pledged to donate over 20,000 trees - one for every student transfer.

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In Africa, the people least responsible for climate change are feeling its worst effects. Self Help Africa supports communities to plant trees: which provide shade, shelter, food, fertilizer and income. CluneTech chose to partner with this organization because of their mission to not only plant trees, but to reduce carbon and combat poverty.

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The Plant the Planet Games players have been staging a number of fundraising events across the country and are seeking support from national and local businesses.

A fundraising page in support of the Warrior for Humanity, Plant the Planet Games has been set up and donations for those wishing to support can be made at: https://www.idonate.ie/event/planttheplanet

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Our CSR Programme - CluneTech Cares, is a fantastic representation of what we are - a team of truly caring individuals giving our best to support and add value, not only to our customers, but also to the communities in which we operate. CluneTech Cares is employee-led and has three key pillars: Wellness, Culture & Community, and Sustainability. It has been a busy quarter so make sure to see some of our latest activities below.

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Cois Nore Charity Event, Kilkenny

‍On July 29th, Kilkenny Rotary held its inaugural Golf Challenge in aid of Cois Nore Cancer Support Centre.

As part of CluneTech Cares, we were absolutely thrilled to sponsor this amazing event which turned out to be an incredible success for both organisations.

Thanks to the proceeds and success from events like this, Cois Nore can continue their important work providing confidential support and professional & voluntary services to people of all ages affected by cancer along with raising awareness of cancer services available in our community. 

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Race for the Cure #RFTC

‍Race for the Cure is Europe’s biggest sporting event for women’s health. RFTC helps breast cancer organisations and hospitals collect funds and raise awareness. With 500,000 new diagnoses and 125,000 people who die of breast cancer in Europe every year, these funds are of vital importance. Now more than ever. 

For the second year in a row, our team got involved and this year our CluneTech team donated a total of €1180 in aid of breast cancer organisations. We are so proud of our team members who made a difference and got out there to support this amazing cause!

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Twomey Family Remorial Weekend & Teac Tom

Founded by Elber Twomey, The Twomey Family Remorial weekend honours Elber’s family who were involved in a fatal crash that claimed the lives of her beautiful son Oisin, Elber’s unborn daughter Elber Marie and her husband Con. The remorial weekend is an annual event that ensures Oisin, Elber Marie and Con will always be remembered with the love and honour they so deserve.

Kilkenny based Teac Tom was selected as one of the four beneficiaries from the 2022 Twomey Remorial Weekend. Teac Tom was founded in 2014 by Angela Hayes. Angela and her team have been at the heart of the community supporting hundreds of families and thousands of individuals who have been courageous enough to seek their help. Teac Tom provides a safe and nurturing space for people to get support for their mental health. Their open door policy allows the charity to be accessible to everyone in the community whenever they may need it.

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CluneTech employee Nigel O’Donovan presented Teac Tom with a cheque for €2,990 on behalf of the Twomey Remorial Weekend, €500 of which was donated by CluneTech. This is our fifth year supporting this incredible cause.

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Self Help Africa x TransferMate

‍TransferMate, a CluneTech company, is delighted to support the planting of over 20,000 trees in partnership with Self Help Africa in Q3 of this year. 

In Africa, the people least responsible for climate change are feeling its worst effects. Self Help Africa supports communities to plant trees: which provide shade, shelter, food, fertilizer and income. We chose to partner with this organization because of their mission to plant trees, reduce carbon and combat poverty.

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Lucy’s Basketball Journey

Lucy Coogan from Castlecomer, Co. Kilkenny has always been fanatical about basketball and has been an upcoming star from a young age representing her school Loreto in many team events and matches over the years. She has been part of Ireland's International teams from U16 level and last year she played a key role in the FIBA European Championships in the Czech Republic.

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2022 has been a very busy year of studying and training for Lucy and after many years of hard work and focus on the goal she has been dreaming of since she can remember, she has now secured a four year Basketball and Academic scholarship offer to America to further her already incredible Basketball career.

We here at CluneTech were thrilled to make a donation of €500 towards Lauren’s basketball journey. We wish Lucy the very best of luck with all her future endeavours.

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Help Efrem Fight Cancer

Last month, we learned about Efrem, a 5 year old boy who had been diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive form of cancer. 

Although there are treatments available to Efrem, they are private and extremely expensive. These treatments are costs that Marcela, Efrem’s mother and the family cannot possibly cover on their own. 

We wanted to use CluneTech Cares as a way to contribute to Marcela’s fundraiser for her little boy by donating €2,000 to help Efrem and his chance to battle this cancer. You can support Efrem’s battle here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-little-efrem-to-get-better. 

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Griffeen Junior Parkrun

This quarter, CluneTech got involved in the Griffeen Junior Parkrun. Parkruns are free, weekly, community events all around the world.

Saturday morning events are 5k and take place in parks and open spaces. 

On Sunday mornings, there are 2k junior parkruns for children aged four to 14. Parkrun is a positive, welcoming and inclusive experience where there is no time limit and no one finishes last which is why we wanted to help this initiative by making a €250 donation. This donation will go towards equipment for the Griffeen Junior Parkrun.

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Volunteering at CluneTech

Introduced in 2021, our CSR Volunteer Day empowers each employee to give back to the charities and causes closest to them. Since the inception of Volunteer Day 58 CluneTech employees have contributed to causes which they find meaningful, and this number keeps growing. See what some of them shared with us about their experience:

Maria Collins used her Volunteer Day helping her local athletics club, Lucan Harriers, in West Dublin. 

“Getting ready for our 5 mile road race on Sunday for Lucan Harries”

Kalina Vakova volunteering at Varna’s Municipal Shelter while making a few furry friends along the way!

“I know that spending time and playing with these creatures there couldn't be enough for them, but it is still something amazing in their monotonous day”

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Friday, 29 September, 2022. Kilkenny-headquartered software technology group, CluneTech, has been recognised as one of Ireland’s Best Managed Companies at a Gala Awards ceremony held in the Convention Centre, Dublin. The awards programme is led by Deloitte Ireland, in association with Bank of Ireland. This is the first year where the awards programme returned as an in-person event following the pandemic.

First recognised as one of Ireland’s Best Managed Companies back in 2010, this is the seventh consecutive year that CluneTech has retained its Platinum Status - the highest accolade in these awards.

Ireland’s Best Managed Companies Awards programme promotes and recognises excellence in Irish/Northern Irish owned and managed companies and is the only awards scheme on the island of Ireland that considers a business’ performance from every perspective. Entrants to the programme compete for the designation in a rigorous process that evaluates the calibre of their management abilities and practices in addition to the strategy, capability, innovation, culture and financial performance of their companies.

Established in 1996 by entrepreneur Terry Clune, CluneTech is asuite of software technology companies, comprising Immedis, Taxback International, Taxback.com, Sprintax, Visa First, Benamic, Gradguide, and Ireland’s most recent tech unicorn, TransferMate. The group has offices in 21 countries and employs more than 1,500 people globally.

Welcoming the award, Terry Clune, CluneTech CEO and founder, said:

“We are thrilled to have been awarded the Platinum Standard Award again this year. The past year has been incredibly exciting as we have worked to expand our solutions and services offerings and grow our overseas operations as well as our customer and partner base worldwide. This award is testament to the passion and commitment of our strong leadership team and fantastic people across our business, with their continuous focus on innovation and delivering excellence.“

This year, Deloitte recognised 136 indigenous companies at the awards representing 25 of the 32 counties across Ireland.

Brian Murphy, Lead Partner for Ireland’s Best Managed Companies Awards Programme at Deloitte said: “Year-on-year we’re impressed by the businesses that qualify and requalify for our Best Managed Companies Awards and in another uncertain year, the entries continued to raise the bar. Despite the challenges these businesses faced, the management teams of the winning companies have embraced new opportunities for innovation and growth, offering best-in-class products and services to their customers and retaining their competitive advantage in a world that is ever-changing.”

Harry Goddard, CEO, Deloitte Ireland and judging panel member said:

“A stand out from the judging process this year was the distinct focus of the Best Managed Companies on their local communities,despite their own international growth and ambition. Businesses have a vital role to play in our society. It was clear from the entries this year that they were having a positive impact not only on their own business, but also on the communities around them. I look forward to seeing how these businesses continue to invest, grow and contribute to our wider society.”

AboutDeloitte

At Deloitte,we make an impact that matters for our clients, our people, our profession, and in the wider society by delivering the solutions and insights they need to address their most complex business challenges.

As the largest global professional services and consulting network, with over 312,000 professionals in more than 150 countries, we bring world-class capabilities and high-quality services to our clients.

In Ireland, Deloitte has approximately 3,000 people providing audit, tax,consulting, risk advisory and financial advisory services to public and private clients spanning multiple industries. Our people have the leadership capabilities,experience and insight to collaborate with clients so they can move forward with confidence.

In this press release references to Deloitte are references to Deloitte Ireland LLP. The information contained in this press release is correct at the time of going to press. Deloitte Ireland LLP is the Ireland affiliate of Deloitte

NSE LLP, a member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd., a UK private company limited by guarantee(“DTTL”). DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL and Deloitte NSE LLP do not provide services to clients. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms.

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Welcome to our CluneTech Social Spotlight Series – a roundup of the best social media activity from across our group of global companies. Want to stay in the loop with everything happening in CluneTech? Here’s the place to do it! Click the title of each entry to view the original post.

Don’t forget to like and share the wonderful content being produced across the Group!

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The Fintech 15: Featuring TransferMate’s CEO, Sinead Fitzmaurice

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Everyone here at CluneTech was delighted to see Sinead Fitzmaurice, CEO at TransferMate included in the Fintech 15.

Take a look at the full article here which includes Sinead's professional journey thus far and insights into TransferMate's continuous growth in the world of Fintech. 

Congratulations Sinead from all here at CluneTech.
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HR and Leadership Management Awards 2022 - CluneTech
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We are all absolutely thrilled to see that CluneTech has been shortlisted for three awards in the 2022 HR and Leadership Management Awards. This is the fourth year in a row for CluneTech being nominated alongside some tough competition consisting of some of Ireland's leading companies.

CluneTech have been nominated in the following award categories:

• Best Flexible Working Strategy
• Best use of Internal Communications
• Best use of CSR in HR
  
  

We would like to congratulate everyone that has contributed their time and hard work to make these fantastic nominations happen.

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Global Payroll Association (GPA) Awards - Immedis

Immedis are delighted to be a finalist for two Global Payroll Association awards this September.

“I am incredibly proud of the commitment to excellence that our team has displayed. This recognition is a testament to the hard work and dedication from each and every employee at Immedis, as well as the incredibly collaborative client partnerships who entrust us with their global payroll.”

- Terry Clune, Executive Chairman of Immedis speaking on their recent nominations.

 Immedis has been nominated in the following two categories:

• Global Payroll Supplier of the Year
• Payroll Innovation Award 2022
  
  

For more detail on these nominations, check out the full article here.
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New Trends in T&E VAT Reclaim with Chief Strategy Officer, Joe Healy
-Taxback International

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Taxback International’s very own Chief Strategy Officer, Joe Healy was interviewed last week at the Global Business Travel Association Convention in San Diego.

This insightful interview covered some great topics such as new trends we should be aware of in T&E VAT reclaim, how corporations can make sure they don't have VAT reclaim opportunities blocked, along with the future of T&E VAT reclaim.

Well done to Joe on a brilliant interview and well done to both Joe and Marc Ventura Meinersen for representing Taxback International so well over in San Diego.

To hear more about the topics Joe spoke about in the interview, click here to watch the full video.

Backpackers in Australia and the Low and Middle Income Tax Offset (LMITO) - Taxback.com

Thinking of planning your backpacking adventure to Australia? This #TaxTipsAustralia guide from Taxback.com gives you a closer look at useful information to keep in mind relating to Australian tax offsets and outlines what they are, who can claim them and how to do so.

Click here to read the full backpackers guide to LMITO in Australia for all you need to know.

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And that’s this week’s Social Spotlight roundup. Head over to www.clunetech.com to learn more about CluneTech and our amazing group of global companies. Check back in a few weeks time for the next CluneTech Social Spotlight!

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Our CSR Programme - CluneTech Cares, is a fantastic representation of what we are - a team of truly caring individuals giving our best to support and add value, not only to our customers, but also to the communities in which we operate. CluneTech Cares is employee-led and has three key pillars: Wellness, Culture & Community, and Sustainability. It has been a busy quarter so make sure to see some of our latest activities below.

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Business Run Varna 2022

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On June 12th two CluneTech teams took part in Business Run Varna ranking #12 from overall 53 teams and #4 in the women's ranking. Not only was the Business Run a really great day out, but it’s also a great way to give back to charity as 30% of the registration fees from the event were also donated to Karin Dom's new therapeutical center in Varna.

Set in the beautiful city of Varna, Karin Dom's new building which is expected to open in September this year, will give children with special needs from the Northeast of Bulgaria access to vital therapy that will help them to grow in strength and confidence.

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Coalition for the Homeless, New York

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Through CluneTech Cares, we were honoured to make a monetary donation to the Coalition for the Homeless in New York City. Enda Kelleher, VP of Sprintax, volunteers in their soup kitchen every week and brought the amazing work that they do to our attention.

The Coalition’s Grand Central Food Program (GCFP) was founded in 1985, the day after a homeless woman died of starvation in Grand Central Terminal. Since then, the program has grown to become the largest mobile soup kitchen in America. Each night, their vans deliver between 800 and 1,200 healthy meals of hot stew, bread, fresh fruit, and juice or milk — as well as coats, hats, gloves and blankets in the colder weather — to those struggling to survive rough on the streets at 25 stops around the city. For many homeless New Yorkers, this is their only meal of the day.

In its more than 35 year history, the program has distributed more than seven million meals and has never missed a single night of operation — allowing them to build an invaluable level of trust among some of the hardest to reach and most marginalized of their homeless neighbors. The GCFP team, which includes a Mobile Outreach Worker, uses that trust to connect those on the streets with other life-changing services such as psychiatric treatment, medical care, substance abuse treatment, or shelter and vital benefits offered by the Coalition and partner organizations.

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Help Jamie Fight Brain Cancer

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In February, weeks after giving birth to her fourth child, Jamie Phelan (32), was diagnosed with Grade 4 Glioblastoma Multiforme, a rare and extremely aggressive brain tumour. Based on the statistics, life expectancy for this form of cancer is approximately 12 to 18 months from diagnosis. Only 25% of patients are lucky enough to survive more than one year, while only 5% will survive more than five years. As her best friends, we are beyond devastated and want to help.

In October 2021, Jamie’s friends created a fundraiser to raise much needed funds so that Jamie can access additional treatments that can help to prolong her life, specifically, a ground-breaking new immunotherapy treatment called DCVax which is expected to cost in excess of a staggering €200,000. At the time, CluneTech Cares made a monetary donation to the cause, as requested by a number of employees. In June 2022, a night of music to raise further funds was held in County Waterford where we were honoured to donate a spot prize for the raffle on the night.

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Fourth season of our Career Counselling Program

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Our career counselling program is our way to show we care about the young generation and their future career development. For a fourth year in a row CluneTech’s career counselling program took place in Varna High School of Commerce during the academic year 2021-2022. The program aims to help young people to acquire and develop specific skills that will help them get the best out of their career exploration, job search and job application processes.

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CluneTech Goes Green

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With one of the key pillars of our CSR Programme CluneTech Cares being sustainability, we could not miss all recent events under the #CluneTechGoesGreen umbrella which we organized for our staff globally. These included daily sustainability tips, recycling and grow your own veg webinars, and last but not least - in-person clean-up events. Read more about two of them below.

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World Earth Day on April 22nd

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To mark World Earth Day our teams in Kilkenny took part in a special event in partnership with Leave No Trace Ireland. Padraic Creedon from Leave No Trace Ireland led our team on a clean-up around Kilkenny while providing valuable and insightful information on how we can all be more sustainable in our every day lives.

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#NoElevatorsDay

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At the end of April, a group of colleagues in Varna, Bulgaria took part in #NoElevatorsDay and the competition #StairsWithoutWaste. Our volunteers also cleaned the whole area near Galata Beach to make it a nicer place for all its visitors. See what the main organizer of the initiative, Miroslav Todorov, had to share about the cause and CluneTech’s volunteers. Power Jump #clunetechgoesgreen

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Shoes for the youngsters from Community-based social service “Izgrev” in Varna

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This June, we awarded with brand new sneakers the young people from the community-based housing center “Izgrev” in Varna following their participation in the International MOVE Week. MOVE Week is an annual global event showcasing the benefits of being active and participating regularly in sport and physical activity. The event was organized by Power Jump in one of the lesser known and poorer neighbourhoods in Varna however it succeeded bringing the people in it together for an afternoon full of physical activities and fun. The young people from the community-based housing center “Izgrev” volunteered in this by organizing and coordinating some of the activities in the afternoon. 

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Therapeutic Juggling Table for the children with special needs in Veliko Tarnovo

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Recently, CluneTech and our Veliko Tarnovo team made a great contribution to the local Daycare Center for children with disabilities. We  donated a brand new juggle board that will help the children in the center to improve their hand-eye coordination and increase their focused concentration. 

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Volunteering at CluneTech

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Introduced in 2021, our CSR Volunteer Day empowers each employee to give back to the charities and causes closest to them. Since the inception of Volunteer Day 58 CluneTech employees contributed to causes which they find meaningful, and this number keeps growing. See what some of them shared with us about their experience:

Ralitsa Mladenova and Galina Kirilova, who supported the local Red Cross Centre in Veliko Tarnovo:

“We participated in the initiative “Children help children” organized by the Ministry of Education together with the Bulgarian Red Cross. The purpose was collection of essential goods that will be sent to Bulgarian Sunday Schools in Ukraine (there are 63 such schools attended by over 10 000 children). We accepted the donations from schools in VT area, recorded and organised the goods and prepared them for shipping to the children in need.

It was so fulfilling to be part of this campaign. We all can make a difference and we are lucky our employer supports us in that.”

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Joanne Buckeridge who volunteered at CBS Primary Kilkenny:

“I used my volunteer day to support a school fundraiser. It was the first fundraiser in over 2 years and it was a brilliant day. The children loved it and it was the first time many of the parents were able to pass the school gates. There was also great excitement for the raffle as the first prize was sponsored by CluneTech. I am delighted to say we exceeded our expectations and raised enough funds to purchase new equipment for the school. Thank you CluneTech!” 

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