grants

€4.5m TO IMPROVE COMMUNITY FACILITIES & SPORTS CLUBS

Ministers Humphreys and O’Brien announce €4.5 million to improve community facilities and sports clubs

Funding to support local groups to re-open their facilities post Covid-19
Small grants for repairs and renovations, new equipment and safety upgrades
Community Enhancement Programme to focus on disadvantaged areas
Clubs to be assisted in purchasing new equipment and sports gear

Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, and Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Joe O’Brien TD, have recently announced €4.5 million to support community groups and sports clubs impacted by Covid-19.

The 2021 Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) will provide small capital grants designed to assist in the re-opening of facilities such as community centres, men’s and women’s sheds, parish halls and youth centres.

Sports clubs will also be given financial support to purchase equipment and sports gear, as well as to carry out minor upgrades that will benefit its members.

The grants will range from a few hundred euro up to €10,000, however, exceptions will be made depending on the application.

The funding may be used to carry out necessary renovations and repairs or to purchase equipment such as tables and chairs, tools and signage, laptops and printers, lawnmowers, canopies and so on.

The Community Enhancement Programme, which to date has supported over 8,000 projects, places a focus on supporting groups in disadvantaged areas.

The key theme of this year’s programme is supporting groups as they their re-open facilities which have been closed due to Covid-19.

As the grants are relatively small, this programme may appeal to groups that are not eligible for the €10 million Covid Stability Fund, which was launched last week.

Announcing the funding today, Minister Humphreys said:

“This funding is about giving a helping hand to our local groups and sports clubs, which are the lifeblood of our communities.

“As we come out of Covid-19, so many of these organisations will incur specific costs relating to the re-opening of their facilities.

“This could range from purchasing a new set of tables and chairs to repairing a leak in the roof or renovating the kitchen facility.

“Sports clubs will also be supported in terms of purchasing new equipment or sports gear which will improve the experience of their members.

“These grants may be small in nature. But I know they will go a long way in helping thousands of great community organisations and clubs the length and breadth of the country.

“I would encourage all interested groups to get in touch with their Local Community Development Committee that administers the programme in their area.

“Supporting local communities to shape their future is a key focus of the Government’s new rural development policy, Our Rural Future. The funding I am announcing today will benefit every single county and ensure that important small scale, ground-up projects can be delivered by local communities for local communities.”

Also announcing the funding today, Minister O’Brien said:

“The CEP is a really practical support to smaller community groups and facilities that are active at a grassroots level. This past year has, once again, shown the importance of a vibrant Community and Voluntary sector.

“The efforts of local community groups & volunteers throughout the pandemic has been immense and, as we recover from the pandemic, we are conscious that something different is needed for many groups this year, and that is why with the CEP this year there is a focus on grants towards reopening facilities.”

The CEP was launched for the first time in 2018 by the Department of Rural and Community Development. Between 2018 and the end of 2020 the CEP has funded over 8,000 projects across the country.

The CEP was the result of the first significant exercise in the streamlining of schemes and programmes carried out by the Department of Rural and Community Development. It combined two existing schemes so that funding is now provided to improve facilities in a manner that is more flexible and responsive at a local level.

The CEP provides vital support to community groups in order to help them improve their facilities. It supports small-scale funding for projects which range from purchasing lawnmowers and IT equipment to minor renovations to buildings. Ultimately the Programme responds to local needs and therefore it also provides some funding towards larger projects where needed.

In order to allow flexibility, the Department is not setting a national closing date, but will allow each LCDC to set its own, to best suit its area. The Department will require that all closing dates are no later than 16th July 2021. Groups should check with their LCDC for further details.

ENDS

Contact:

The Department of Rural and Community Development Press Office

076-1006843 / 087-1734633

[email protected]

May 11, 2021

€10m Community Fund Launched

Ministers Humphreys, McGrath and O’Brien launch €10m Community Fund

€10 million Covid Stability Fund to support community and voluntary groups, charities and social enterprises
Supports for organisations which deliver critical services to the vulnerable
Community centres providing social services can also apply for funding
Fund to prioritise groups who have not received support since onset of pandemic

Applications have opened for a €10 million fund designed to support community and voluntary groups, charities and social enterprises, which have suffered as a result of the pandemic.

The Covid Stability Fund 2021 was launched jointly today by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath TD, and Minister of State with special responsibility for Charities and Community Development, Joe O’Brien TD.

The Fund is targeted at organisations which deliver critical services to vulnerable people within their community but which now face closure or a loss of service due to the impact of the pandemic.

Priority will be given to organisations that have not previously received State support since the onset of the Pandemic.

Examples of the organisations that can apply include those that provide:

Family supports and supports for the elderly
Domestic Abuse and addiction services
Mental health and disability supports
Education supports in disadvantaged communities
Community centres that provide social services

The €10 million investment builds on the €45 million Covid Stability Fund 2020, which supported almost 600 organisations across the country.

Announcing the call for applications, Minister Humphreys said:

“I am really pleased to invite applications for this new €10 million fund today. Our community and voluntary groups, charities and social enterprises deliver vital services right across the country and I want to ensure they receive the support necessary to help them get back on their feet post-Covid.

“There is a specific focus in this funding call on supporting organisations that have not previously received funding from the State since the onset of the Pandemic.

“As society reopens, the services provided by so many great organisations across the country will be more important than ever.

“Along with my colleague Minister Joe O’Brien, I will be making a separate call for applications under the Community Enhancement Programme shortly. This Fund is another option for community groups and may be more suitable for smaller organisations in particular who are seeking financial supports through the form of capital grants to enable them to reopen safely.”

Also announcing the Stability Fund today, Minister McGrath said:

“Throughout this pandemic, our voluntary and community groups, charities and social enterprises, have played a critical role.

“The objective of the Stability fund is to provide an immediate, targeted cash injection that will not have to be repaid.

“This money will stabilise the position of these organisations by allowing them to meet their immediate costs, usually funded through fundraised/earned-income”

Also speaking today, Minister O’Brien said:

“I know how important the Covid Stability Fund has been during such a challenging time.

“As we work towards reopening Irish society, it is critical that organisations supporting our communities are provided with the resources necessary to allow them to continue their vital services particularly to those most marginalised which is why I, along with my colleagues, am very pleased to provide this additional €10 million funding for the scheme.

“I hope that this coupled with the soon to be announced Community Enhancement Programme funding for smaller community groups, will help ensure that our communities continue to be supported by the immense work of the C&V sector across Ireland.”

More information about this fund is available on the Pobal website

Separately, the Department intends to launch the 2021 Community Enhancement Programme over the coming days.

That programme may be more relevant to smaller community groups and it is recommended that they monitor the Department’s website or stay in touch with their Local Community Development Committee, who will be administering the programme in their area, for further details.