Meta announces €250,000 in community grants

Meta has today announced a total of €250,000 in grants to support digital skills across communities in Meath.

The funding will enhance digital skills programmes across education, training, and not-for-profit organisations in Meath, with a particular focus on diversity, equality, and inclusion, to support migrant communities, students, families and older people.

Minister for Justice and Meath East TD Helen McEntee was in attendance to support the launch of the digital skills investment in Meath and received a tour of Meta’s Clonee Data Centre.

The grants will support Louth and Meath Education and Training Board (LMETB), Cultúr Migrant Centre and Youth Work Ireland Meath to deliver programmes including: online skills & cyber safety workshops for seniors in Community Education, devices and learning programmes to support mothers with young children in Mosney Village, skills refresh and English language programmes for migrants, and digital engagement programmes to increase young people's confidence in coding.

One particular project of note is a new Digital Hub project funded by Meta for the Dunboyne College of Further Education.

This delivers a portable digital hub that can be used by students across the campus to provide support for students working with new technology, introducing them to blended learning and remote working across the range of disciplines offered by the college.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said, "This funding from Meta is hugely welcome and will support so many worthwhile projects and initiatives across Meath. The partnership with Dunboyne College of Further Education on the Meta Digital Hub is an especially innovative way of ensuring students in the county are supported in working with new technology, as well in availing of blended learning and remote working.

"And the overall range of grants across many organisations - supporting diversity, equality and inclusion, migrant communities, families and older people - is a big boost to supporting digital skills in Meath."

Speaking at the launch, Aoife Flynn, Head of Community Development EMEA & APAC at Meta said: “At Meta, we’re committed to supporting communities and helping them overcome the digital divide and contribute to a sustainable future through digital skills.

"Covid-19 accelerated remote working and the need for digital skills, and we’re proud to partner with local organisations to ensure that these skills are brought to those who need them most. Since breaking ground on our data centre in Clonee in 2016, we’ve developed strong partnerships with the local Meath community and take great pride in the resources we can offer to support digital skills and economic growth in the area."

Martin G. O’Brien, Chief Executive at Louth Meath Education and Training Board, said; ​​“LMETB are delighted to be part of this wonderful collaboration with Meta, which represents a joint commitment to education, particularly around key digital skills. LMETB’s commitment to the development of technical proficiency is evidenced throughout its Further Education and Training provision. We are delighted to enhance this further through this very positive engagement, to deliver a shared vision, and to progress all the innovative programmes announced here today. We very much look forward to progressing these initiatives and would like to acknowledge Meta for their commitment to the community in Meath and to those in education in particular."

Tinu Achioya, Programme Manager of Cultúr Migrant Centre said; "Cultúr Migrant Centre is pleased to receive funding from Meta for the ReFresh Skills Programme. This programme will help us to promote social inclusion through tailored interventions, that will also lead to the development of new skills, increased English language competencies and greater career opportunities for migrants in Meath"

Geraldine Hogarty, Regional Director of Youth Work Ireland (Meath) said; “Thanks to the Meta Digital Skills funding, we are able to provide our young people and volunteers with coding skills training that will benefit them into the future, ensuring that new digital techniques and equipment are easily accessible. Our newly established 'Know The Code Club' will now continue to grow with exciting workshops planned for the summer break.”

Meta’s Data Centre in Clonee has been part of the Meath community since 2016 when they broke ground on the data centre. Since then, Meta has invested over €2.7million in County Meath and its residents through a number of initiatives such as the Community Action Grants, support for Meath Library to establish a Laptop for Loan service , Prosper Meath, Covid Relief grants for SMEs with Meath Chamber of Commerce, technology support for Trim Family Resource Centre and other community resources.