Kells Scout Group gets €5,000 after finishing top of AIB poll

AIB Kells presented its 2009/2010 AIB Better Ireland Programme funding of €10,000 to its three shortlisted projects recently. Following a public vote, the 5th Meath Scout Group topped the poll and received funding of €5,000 at the branch presentation. The Special Hands Support Group for Parents of Children with Special Needs was first runner-up and received funding of €3,000, while the Bailieborough Resource House Childcare Facility was second runner-up, receiving €2,000. Meath Scout Group will use the funding of €5,000 to enable scouts to attend an international scout camp and buy equipment for water activities such as lifejackets and canoes. The €3,000 from AIB Kells will be used by Special Hands Support Group for Parents of Children with Special Needs to fund a football coach to help some of the special needs children to develop their motor co-ordination through ball skills, and to purchase kit for them. Bailieborough Resource House Childcare Facility will use their share of the funding to purchase library books and a computer for the students to use. Mary Morgan, AIB branch assistant manager in Kells, said: "We would like to congratulate the three groups from AIB Kells for their success in the public vote competition and are looking forward to seeing all the projects progress over the coming months. The success of this year's programme is primarily due to the enthusiasm and energy that all the groups put into campaigning at local level." Almost 1,300 applications were received online in 2009 from a variety of community groups across Ireland.