267 community and voluntary groups across County Galway are being allocated funding totalling €294,830 to support the delivery of a wide range of projects and events from playground upgrades to pollinator planting and from arts festivals to graveyard maintenance.
The Elected Members of Galway County Council have approved €276,830 in grant funding under the local authority’s Community Support Schemes, in addition to €18,000 under Fáilte Ireland’s Festival & Participate Events Programme.
The Community Support Schemes encourage community and voluntary groups to take an active part in the development of their communities by providing small-scale funding for projects which are of benefit to their local community and improve the economic, community and cultural aspects of their surrounding areas.
Grants awarded this year range from support to improve local amenities and support for groups who promote and increase knowledge and awareness of the arts, heritage and to Irish language, to collaborative business promotional initiatives, festivals and participative events that seek to increase footfall in towns and villages and drive economic growth.
Cllr. Liam Carroll, Cathaoirleach of Galway County Council stated, “On behalf of the Elected Members, I want to thank all community groups who work tirelessly for their local communities and thrive to make our local areas a better place to live, work and visit. Galway County Council’s Community Support Schemes this year attracted a high level of interest, which is reflective of the level of voluntary work ongoing across the county.”
Liam Conneally, Chief Executive of Galway County Council commented, “The Community Support Schemes will enable over a quarter of a million euro to be invested in the local community and voluntary sector. This investment would not be possible without the work and volunteerism provided by our communities and citizens who play a vital part in keeping communities alive and improving the quality of life and wellbeing in Galway.”
“The Community Support Schemes are a significant and popular funding scheme for groups in Galway County,” explained Jean Brann, Acting Director of Services. “The applications received this year illustrate show how innovative and inclusive the community and voluntary sector are. I would like to thank the Elected Members for the huge role they play, and to the staff for going over and above to support our communities and assisting them through the online application process this year. I also want to acknowledge the role of the Public Participation Network (PPN) which plays a vital part in informing and advising the community and voluntary groups regarding this and other funding schemes. “
Ms. Brann continued, “The allocations provided through the Community Support Schemes are part of a wider range of funding schemes and we will continue to seek to maximise these through coordinating the schemes and directing communities to the most appropriate funding schemes for their planned projects and activities, while working in a collaborative and partnership approach with all stakeholders.”
