¤ 1k grants available for voluntary groups

GRASS roots community groups in Sligo are being urged to apply for new grants of up to ¤ 1,000 to help get little projects off the ground.

There is ¤ 64,000 funding available to community groups in Sligo and Ballymote- Tubbercurry Municipal Districts under the Communities Facilities Scheme 2017. It’s now open for applications until 30th June. Significantly, groups do not have to have match- funding from other sources to get approval. They’re intended to cover the cost of office equipment, project resources, research facilities or maintenance of premises for voluntary groups.

The projects eligible would include development or renovation of community centres, community amenities, youth clubs, sports/ recreation facilities and improvements to town parks, common areas and green spaces.

Council Official Margaret McConnell told the meeting that the Local Community Development Committee ( LCDC) will consider applications at its meeting on July 27th. Their recommendations will then be presented to both meetings of Sligo Municipal District and Ballymote- Tubbercurry Municipal District after that.

Following approval by the Municipal Districts, the LCDC will make an offer in principal of grantaid to the group and will make payment directly.

“It’s running a little bit late in the year but it’s good news,” said Ms McConnell.

The funding comes from a pot of ¤ 2 million made available for the Scheme in 2017 under the Programme for Partnership Government.

It’s targeted at disadvantaged urban and rural areas but not exclusively so.

The scheme is hoping to address some of the difficulties local community groups face in terms of accessing very often small scale levels of funding to match their own fundraising efforts, in order to get community projects off the ground.

While the maximum grant is ¤ 1,000, the LCDC can use discretion to exceed this limit in certain cases if the project needs additional funding.