24 Community groups across Ireland to receive ‘Begin Together’ funding from Bank of Ireland.
€500,000 in funding is to be allocated to 24 community groups across the island of Ireland via the Bank of Ireland Begin Together Fund.
The Fund, now in its fifth year, has distributed €2.5m in supports since 2020 to 286 community projects across Ireland.
“Since 2020, the Begin Together Fund has been working with Community Foundation Ireland to help to make our society stronger by allocating funds to those in greatest need”
Delivered in partnership with Community Foundation Ireland, grants from €10,000 to €80,000 are to be given to the 24 groups.
Critical societal issues
“Since 2020, the Begin Together Fund has been working with Community Foundation Ireland to help to make our society stronger by allocating funds to those in greatest need,” said Aine McCleary, chief customer officer, Bank of Ireland.
“We do this by identifying groups who are disproportionately impacted by some of the most critical societal issues and allocating grants to those who will benefit most.
“This year, we have prioritised projects which build capability and foster inclusion among these under-served groups. We are delighted to allocate grants to a broad range of organisations including those supporting families living in poverty, people experiencing domestic abuse, older people and those experiencing homelessness.
“Along with 20 single year grants, this year, four multi-year grants will be awarded to organisations including Depaul and the Irish Refugee Council, who are working to support those most impacted by two of the most pressing issues we face in Ireland today. It is our hope that multi-year funding will allow these organisations some certainty as they plan to get these future-facing projects up and running. We wish all the successful grantees well as they embark on their programmes”.
14 grants of €10,000, have been allocated across a breath of support services including Good Shepherd Cork and Amber Women’s Refuge Kilkenny.
Six charities including AsIAm and Age Action Ireland will receive €20,000 grants. Galway Rape Crisis Centre and Mae Murray Foundation (NI) will each receive €40,000 over two years.
Two charities, Depaul and the Irish Refugee Council, have been allocated €80,000 multi-year grants, to fund long terms projects.
“It’s incredibly exciting to partner with Bank of Ireland once again and be a recipient of their Begin Together Grant,” said David Carroll, Chief Executive of Depaul.
“This is a two-year funding which provides us with a great opportunity to develop an engagement programme for People with Lived Experience of Homelessness. Funding like this is hugely important to us to enable us to continue to evolve with the ever changing landscape of homelessness in Ireland, support our services and empower our service users.”
Nick Henderson, CEO, The Irish Refugee Council added: “The Irish Refugee Council would like to thank Bank of Ireland’s Begin Together Fund for their support of our employment work. Supporting international protection applicants and refugees into employment is key to integration.
“An important aspect of our work is helping people acquire the knowledge, skills and confidence they need to participate in the Irish labour market and the communities where they are living. With the demand for this work growing, we are grateful that this funding will allow us to expand our team and help even more people.”
Main image at top: David Carroll, CEO, Depaul, Aine McCleary, Chief Customer Officer, Bank of Ireland Group and Nick Henderson, CEO Irish Refugee Council
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