Four Athlone and Moate community projects funded
Four projects in the Athlone and Moate area are to share some €370,000 in local community grants.
The funding was announced today by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys as part of a national allocation of €16.5 million to 185 community projects across the country through the Community Recognition Fund.
In Westmeath, €741,000 in Community Recognition grants are to be paid to seven organisations.
Within that, the biggest allocation is a €150,000 grant to Moate Action Group for the conversion of the old fire station to a community office. Some €100,000 is also being allocated for playground refurbishment works at Athlone Regional Sports centre and €66,000 will be provided to the Athlone Canal Heritage Committee for the enhancement of the Shannon Banks Nature Trail Canal Walkway.
The fourth local allocation, of €55,000, goes to the Midlands Amenity Park for a new outdoor covered area in the park.
The other three allocations in Westmeath involve projects in Mullingar and Kinnegad. There is €130,000 for each of two projects, a new dressing rooms, disability toilet and storage unit to facilitate use of amenities, pitches in the area by Youth Works Midlands in Mullingar, and for Westmeath County Council for the provision of Phase 2 of Kinnegad Boreen Bradach Looped Walk. The council was also allocated €100,000 for the restoration of Ennell Community House in Mullingar.
Four projects in county Roscommon were also announced as beneficiaries of a total of €795,787, though none is in the southern part of the county. The great bulk of the Roscommon funding (€500,000) is going to Roscommon LEADER Partnership and Ballaghaderreen Family Resource Centre to develop fully serviced childcare facility in Ballaghaderreen.
Welcoming the Westmeath funding, Minister Peter Burke said: “This is really positive news for Westmeath, and another scheme brough forward by Minister Heather Humphreys aimed at improving facilities in rural and regional Ireland.”
He said the scheme is designed to support the development of community infrastructure and facilities for the benefit of the entire community, in recognition of the contribution being made by communities across the country in welcoming and hosting significant numbers of arrivals from Ukraine and other countries.
It is aimed at outdoor and recreational facilities which would improve infrastructure for the entire community.
“ Well done to Westmeath County Council who brought forward proposals and worked with community groups on this, and who will be in charge of the delivery in the months ahead”.
“Credit also to the community groups – Youth Work Midlands, Moate Action Group, Athlone Canal Heritage Committee, and to Midlands Amenity Park/Dun na Sí, who give up their time and put hours into these applications, for the betterment of the people around them.”
Minister Humphreys said: “This investment is just the first of a number of tranches that will be announced under the Community Recognition Fund over the coming months.
“This is about giving back and saying ‘thank you’ to communities for what they do week-in, week-out.
“I look forward to seeing the positive impact that this funding will have on the ground in communities all across Ireland.”