Funding boost for local organisations affected by COVID-19 pandemic

A number of local organisations were among some 209 across the country to benefit from €11 million worth of funding under the Covid-19 Stability Fund.

Athlone Community Radio received some €16,283 under the scheme while the Offaly West Enterprise Society Ltd was awarded €16,773.

The Transformative Recovery College in Mullingar has been granted €8,097 and

Milltownpass Community Action Group receives €6,380

In Roscommon, there is €2,000 funding for the Hope Trust, €20,530 for Craol Community Radio Forum of Ireland Society Limited, €34,692 for the Kilbride Leisure Centre while the Boyle-based St Ronan's Hall Community Co. Limited gets €7,029

The funding was announced today by Minister for Social Protection, Rural and Community Development and the Islands, Heather Humphreys, Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly and Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Joe O’Brien.

The funding from the Dormant Accounts Fund is designed to support community and voluntary organisations, charities and social enterprises that are experiencing financial difficulties as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Once-off cash injections of between €2,000 and €200,000 are being awarded to qualifying organisations that provide critical services to those most vulnerable in society.

This will help with short term cash flow issues caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

This is on top of two previous tranches of the funding announced in June and July 2020 that benefitted 276 organisations amounting to €14.1m in funding.

These organisations provide services in a diverse range of areas including disability services, health and wellbeing services, community supports, active retirement and elder care services as well as a range of social services and supports for disadvantaged individuals and communities.

Due to the considerable interest in the COVID-19 Stability Fund and in order to ensure that funding is released as quickly as possible, applicants are being considered in smaller groupings and the funding being announced today is the third tranche. There remains a small number of organisations that have applied for funding where further checks are ongoing. Additional tranches will be announced shortly.