12 local community centres awarded €267,000 in funding
Twelve local community centres are to receive funding of over €260,000 to upgrade facilities and benefit users of all ages through the Community Centre Investment Fund.
The major investment will see grants of between €10,000 and €25,000 provided for the upgrades of community centres, GAA clubs, parish halls and youth facilities.
The funding is part of a €15.5 million announcement nationwide by his colleague, the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys.
Under the Community Centres Investment Fund, twelve projects are being supported with an investment of €267,214 including:
Ballivor Community Council Meath €18,387.00
Coiste na nÓg Halla Bhaile Ghib Meath €22,177.00
Drumconrath Meath Hill Parish Meath €25,000.00
Drumree GAA Meath €21,496.90
Kells Family Resource Centre Company Limited By
Guarantee Meath €13,842.12
Longwood Community Group CLG Meath €25,000.00
Rathmolyon Hurling Club Meath €25,000.00
RST Community Centre Limited by Guarantee Meath €16,780.98
Simonstown Gaels Gfc Management Company Limited By
Guarantee Meath €25,000.00
St. Olivers Community Centre Company Limited By Guarantee Meath €24,532.00
TIERWORKER COMMUNITY GROUP Meath €25,000.00
Wilkinstown Community Centre LTD Meath €25,000.00
The Community Centre Investment Fund is a new scheme introduced by Minister Humphreys and represents the largest single investment in community centres in decades. Today’s announcement of Category 1 projects will be followed by further funding announcements for larger scale projects in the coming weeks.
Making the announcement, Minister Humphreys said:
“The local Community Centre is at the heart of our towns, villages and parishes all across this country.
“They come in many different shapes and sizes and are a place for people of all ages to meet up and socialise with friends, old and new.
“I want to support these great local facilities and that’s why I launched the new Community Centre Investment Fund earlier this year.
“The level of interest has been unprecedented under any scheme previously ran by the Department of Rural and Community Development.
“I am delighted today to announce over €12.5 million in funding for almost 600 projects nationwide. This funding will support Community Centres, Parish Halls, GAA Clubhouses, Youth Facilities, Men’s Sheds and much more.
“I want to congratulate all of the successful groups who are receiving funding, which I know will benefit local communities for years to come.
“This particular strand of funding focused on small scale grants of up to €25,000. I am pleased to confirm that I will be announcing grants for larger scale projects later this year.”
Also welcoming the funding, Minister of State Joe O’Brien TD said:
“I spend a significant amount of my time out and about visiting community groups throughout Ireland and I see first-hand the importance of community centres - that shared community space where people can gather to support each other, to work, to socialise, and to help to continue to develop their local community.
“There has been huge interest in the fund which has received a large number of applications and the increased funding we have secured in the Budget will ensure that the new fund has the biggest impact possible in local communities nationwide.”