Christmas Festive Fund

Council’s Christmas Festive Fund is now open for applications, closing date 12 noon on Friday 22nd September 2023:

The Christmas Fund will support community associations from Towns, Villages and hamlets to help celebrate Christmas.  Please note that only one community group per settlement will be successful and projects/events must take place between 25th Nov and 16th Dec 2023.  Please note that if your community organisation is situated within Ballycastle, Ballymoney, Coleraine & Limavady and receive a Council Christmas event, then your group is unable to apply.

Fund A – Applications for settlements with a population of 1000 can apply for a range of costs relating to festive entertainment, priority will be given to projects that promote wide community involvement for outdoor events – up to £2500.

Fund B – Applications for settlements with a population between 100-1000 can apply for a range of costs relating to festive entertainment, priority will be given to projects that promote wide community involvement for outdoor events celebrating the festive period - up to £750

For more information and to apply please click on our council website – www.causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk  or to discuss your application, you can directly contact the Events team – Tracey Freeman – tracey.freeman@causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk

Pudsey Next Steps

This funding is for groups new to Children in Need i.e. those who have not had a grant with us before, and who have a turnover of less than 100k per annum. 

You can apply for project costs or core costs up to 15k per year for 3 years through our normal grant process on our website.

First step is to submit an expression of interest through link below  - you can choose project or a core grant but for core there needs to be a clear connection between the core funding requested and direct outcomes/benefit for children and young people .  Once you submit your Expression of Interest we will assign those eligible to Pudsey Next Steps, and then invite those who are successful to submit an application.

https://www.bbcchildreninneed.co.uk/grants/apply/

The EOI is short but you will need to have your project idea and costs thought out before you submit this.  Our Pudsey Next Steps  funding is time sensitive and we would need any Expression of Interest eligible through before the end of August. 

For more information please contact Barbara Wallace on 0303 080 0940

Food Hardship Grant for Community Organisations

The Department for Communities has made available hardship funding to local authorities to support the most vulnerable affected by the cost of living crisis. Council is working with partners in the Anti-Poverty Stakeholder Steering Group to support borough wide services to deal with the increased demand for support through a range of measures.

The purpose of this Grant Programme is to support small localised constituted community and voluntary organisations that are currently supporting residents experiencing food insecurity, and that need additional resources to cope with the increased demand for their services. 

The Programme will assist organisations to support residents through the direct provision of food, hygiene and household essentials through established community food projects such as community food pantries and cupboards.

Applications are invited from constituted community and voluntary organisations that have a track record of working directly with people experiencing disadvantage. These include:

• Food pantries/ cupboards;

• Projects that redistribute food, such as community fridges, to those that need it most in local communities;

• Holiday hunger schemes.

Only those applications which provide a targeted response in relation to food poverty interventions will be considered.

This scheme is for localised food insecurity projects; a separate scheme will operate for larger registered foodbanks that provide regional coverage and so they should not apply through this programme. Due to the one off nature of this funding the grant cannot be used to support the set up of new food projects. That grant is opened on a rolling basis and the fund will close as soon as the available funds are allocated. 

Eligible organisations can apply for grants of up to £3,000 towards 100% of eligible costs. Funded activities can take place up to 31st March 2024. Funding should be used for food items and other household and hygiene essentials. A maximum of 10% of the grant awarded can be used for administration costs.

Projects must demonstrate how they will address all of the following 3 objectives:

• Support residents who are experiencing financial difficulty through the provision of food. This may also include hygiene or household essentials;

• Ensure that the support is targeted at those most vulnerable and in need of support;

• Ensure that any food intervention is linked with other support services by signposting or referral (such as benefits and money advice; energy efficiency advice etc)

You are strongly advised to speak to a member of the Community Development team before applying to ensure that your project is eligible.

The team can be contacted as follows:

Limavady, Benbradagh & Ballymoney -                                                                                                                                        

Catherine Farrimond

07846 099916    

catherine.farrimond@causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk

Coleraine, Bann, Causeway & The Glens -                                                                                                                                    

Lisa Harris

lisa.harris@causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk

Neighbourhood Renewal areas in Coleraine & Limavady -  

 Jenni Archer

07892 764937

jenni.archer@causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk

For detailed guidance notes and application form please apply here:-  https://grants.ccgbcapps.com/

Closing date is 31st August 2023

Power NI's Brighter Communities

Our Brighter Communities programme energises innovative and emerging community groups, teams and projects with £1000 of funding awarded each month. Since 2018 we have contributing over £40,000 to our communities and we are still going!

Applications for the month are now open, and we welcome all communities to apply using the form below. Successful applicants will be contacted using the details provided and will have 72 hours to respond and accept the £1,000 funding. All applications must comply with the Brighter Communities terms & conditions.

Brighter Communities | Community Funding | Power NI

Small Woodland Grant Scheme

The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs's Small Woodland Grant Scheme is now open and will remain open until 10pm on 31 August 2023. 

Almost all woodlands in Northern Ireland are planted with some form of grant assistance. The Forest Service encourages the creation of new woodlands and the management of existing woodlands by providing grant aid towards the cost of the work.

Forests for Our Future programme aims to plant 18 million trees or 9,000 hectares of new woodland over the next 10 years to help our environment and economy. Grant funding for creating new woodlands will be via the Small Woodland Grant Scheme or the Forest Expansion Scheme.

The Small Woodland Grant Scheme is specifically for new native woodland planting of 0.20 hectares and larger. It provides a fixed area based payment for woodland establishment, a fencing grant and where eligible annual premia for a 10-year period.

Closing date: 31 August 2023 at 10pm

For more information and to apply bit.ly/3SJR418

Small Grants Programme 2023-2024

The Small Grants Programme has been set up to allow young people from Education Authority Youth Service (EAYS) registered and verified groups to apply for grants for projects to Support the Growth and Participation of young people.

The Small Grants Programme for 2023-2024 is to enable young people to apply for funding to support other young people in their communities to:

• Promote youth participation, leadership and volunteering

• Build and develop life skills

This year, there are two options. Groups can apply for a maximum of £500 for a one-off event or a maximum of £1500 for a group work programme with multiple sessions. All projects must demonstrate young people’s involvement in planning and delivery.

The closing date for applications is 20th October 2023.

Any applications received on or before 4th August will be assessed and notified by the end of August 2023. Any applications received after 4th August will be assessed and notified by the end of November 2023. All projects must be completed by 31st March 2024.

If you would like to make an application in the 2023-2024 programme, please ensure your organisation is registered with the EA Youth Service and have received a verification visit. Registration is open all year round and details on how to register can be found here.

Youth Service: Small Grants Programme
Education Authority
Grahamsbridge Road
Dundonald
BT16 2HS

Email: sgp@eani.org.uk
Phone: 02890566429

Elevate Community Mentoring & Grants Programme is returning

CDHN's Public Health Agency funded Elevate Community Mentoring and Grants Programme 2023-24 is coming back. If you are interested in being part of this year's Programme and want to find out more, sign up for an information session where the Elevate Team will provide an overview of the programme and answer any questions you have.

Monday 24 July 7pm to 8pm

Tuesday 1 August 11am to 12pm

For more information please contact The Elevate Programme – developing skills in your community | Community Development and Health Network (cdhn.org)

Small Grants Scheme 2023 - Grants opening 11th May!!

Live Here Love Here Small Grants are funded by 10 Local Councils, Northern Ireland Housing Executive and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. The Small Grants Scheme provides support to volunteer projects that:

• Contribute to the development of civic pride within a community with a focus on environmental improvement.

• Encourage actions and projects that enable Pollution Solutions, Biodiversity Recovery and Climate Action.

• Enhance the environmental management of a local area.

• Improve the health and wellbeing of communities whilst helping to improve and/or maintain public spaces.

• Improve the quality of their local environment by reducing littering and dog fouling through community Action.

• Support environmentally focused actions that help support people impacted through reduced contact with society.

Value of Grants

Grants are available between £500 - £3000. The average value of grants awarded is £1200.

Non-constituted groups can apply for a maximum of £500.

Eligibility

The Small Grants Scheme is open to:

• Community & Voluntary groups (including non-constituted groups)

• Sports clubs, churches and youth groups

• Not for profit organisations

• School and third level education organisations

Applications are particularly welcome from grassroots groups who have not previously received support through the Live Here Love Here Small Grants Scheme.

Funding is only available in the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council area to projects located in Northern Ireland Housing Executive areas.

What type of projects will the Small Grant Scheme fund?

• Development of shared spaces such as alleys.

• Community food growing initiatives.

• Skill sharing in horticulture and community growing.

• Projects that tackle litter issues and dog fouling.

Litter picking equipment is not eligible for funding through this grant - please check out the Adopt A Spot project.

Need some inspiration?

Check out the documents below, they are packed with hints and tips to help with your application.

Biodiversity Recovery Project Advice
Pollution Solutions Project Advice
Tackling Textiles Project Advice

Please visit Small Grants Scheme delivered by Live Here Love Here

Road Safety Trust

The main aim of the Small Grants Programme is to improve road safety at a local level.

The programme has been designed after reviewing our first four years of funding and listening to the views of stakeholders. This told us that there was a need for funding for smaller, local projects with a practical focus.

We are looking for measurable interventions that link to local priorities and show a proposed link to reducing casualties either directly or through clear interim measures.

Eligible projects

Eligible projects are pilots/trials, expanding successful trials across a new area, and/or the evaluation of interventions. Projects should have the potential for being brought to scale - with the ultimate goal of reducing deaths and injuries both locally and across the UK.

Who can apply

Local Authorities, Police Forces, Fire and Rescue Services or UK-based registered charities, legally constituted not-for-profit social enterprises or community interest companies can apply.

What’s available

The maximum project length under this grant programme is 24 months. In 2023, the minimum amount is £10,000 and the maximum is £50,000 over two years in total. All small grants projects should have other sources of funding, cash or in-kind.

In making decisions, we will take a strategic approach so that a range of different types of project are funded that have the potential to improve road safety outcomes. All projects are expected to produce a report and describe how it will be shared and promoted.

For more information and to apply, please visit Small Grants — Road Safety Trust

Community Grants Programme

The overall aim of the Halifax Foundation is:

To support charitable organisations within Northern Ireland to enable people, who are disadvantaged or with special needs, to participate actively in their communities.

The Foundation has two main target areas to which it seeks to allocate funds:

• Social and Community Needs

• Education and Training

Types of costs funded include - materials and equipment, contribution towards salary costs, overheads, transport costs, volunteer expenses, training/tutor costs, activity costs and refurbishment costs.

For more information and to apply, please visit Funding Opportunities 2023 | Halifax Foundation NI

Small Events Grant 2023

The Ulster-Scots Agency has opened its Ulster-Scots Small Events Grants programme for 2023.

This fund supports events from 1 April to 31 December 2023, including Ulster-Scots events to celebrate the forthcoming Coronation in May.

The maximum grant available is £1,000 (minimum of £500) and this can be used to fund one or two events.

Groups must provide match funding of at least 10%. Support is available from the Ulster-Scots Community Network if groups require assistance with their submission.

Projects must bedelivered up to 31 December 2023 and groups should submit an application form at least one month before their planned event.

Please note: Funding is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until the fund is fully allocated.

For more information and to register click here.

If you wish to discuss any of our funding programmes, please contact:

Derek Reaney - reaneyd@ulsterscotsagency.org.uk 

Tel: +353 (7491) 73 876

Mob: 078 4327 9912 

The Gill’s Charity Fund

The Gill’s Charity Fund offers funding to organisations for projects for the benefit of older people resident in the Borough of Carrickfergus (as per the old Local Government area).

In recognition of the needs of older people, and the great work that groups supporting older people are doing, the Community Foundation acquired the management and administration of the Gill’s Charity Fund in 2021.  The Fund will be accessible annually.

Who can apply?

• Fully constituted voluntary organisations and community groups based within Northern Ireland, although the project must be strictly aimed at older people resident in the Borough of Carrickfergus only.

• Applying organisations should provide, promote, maintain or manage or organise amenities and facilities for the promotion of welfare or recreational or cultural activities of a charitable nature.

• Organisations with an income level of below £100k

Examples of types of projects that may be supported:

• Reducing isolation and vulnerability of older people, through supporting participation in activities.

• Reducing the fear of crime amongst older people.

• Encouraging and supporting independence of older people.

• Improving health and well-being, and supporting older people to remain in their homes.

• Supporting older people to keep warm.

• Supporting older people to access a nutritious meal.

• Reducing potential for age discrimination, and/or abuse.

• Enabling older people to access technology.

• Enabling older people to access potential benefits and entitlements that they may not be aware of.

• Engaging older people to take community action.

• Enabling active participation of older people in the community in decision-making, and addressing issues facing their sector.

What can be supported?

• Running costs, such as sessional costs for tutors, venue hire, transport.

• Capital costs are eligible, if essential to the project

Closing date for applications is 27th March 2023. For more information and to apply, please visit The Gill's Charity Fund - Community Foundation Northern Ireland (communityfoundationni.org)

Move More and Eat Well

Up to £1000 of funding is being offered to local communities under a project developed by Council’s Active Belfast partnership with the Public Health Agency.

The ‘Move More and Eat Well – to Feel Better’ funding opened for applications on Monday 6 February and takes a participatory budgeting approach.

This format encourages residents to pitch and vote on small-scale projects that will have a positive impact on physical activity and healthy eating in their area.

Chair of Belfast City Council’s People and Communities Committee Councillor Micky Murray is keen to encourage applications and said: “Groups can apply for up to £1000 for ideas that they think their community will benefit from - as long as they’re based around moving more and eating well as the title of the scheme suggests.

“Physical activity and healthy eating remain priority areas within the refreshed Belfast Agenda and our new draft action plan includes a clear commitment to trial and pilot participatory budgeting in the city.

“The fantastic part about this fresh initiative is that it is completely led by local people and allows them to identify their own needs and wants in their own communities. It gives residents a voice, brings people together and perhaps most importantly, enables them to have the final decision on which projects are brought to life.” 

David Tumilty from the PHA and Chair of the Active Belfast Partnership (ABP) said:

“In line with the Belfast Agenda and on behalf of Belfast Community Planning Partnership (BCCP), ABP is committed to delivering the first ‘test & learn’ pilot of participatory budgeting in Belfast, providing a way for local people to make decisions about how public money is spent.

“We are delighted to be running ‘Move More and Eat Well – to Feel Better’ and I want to thank all the community, voluntary and statutory partners who have worked together to make this happen.  We hope this initiative will be a success, and that we and others will be able to learn from its development and delivery to inform the development of future participatory budgeting approaches.”

Active Belfast is a partnership that includes a wide range of stakeholders from statutory, community and voluntary sectors who support the physical activity and healthy eating agenda in Belfast.

For more information on the funding guidelines and to submit your application, visit the Your Say Belfast website at https://yoursay.belfastcity.gov.uk/

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon - Coronation Community Event Grant

Grants are available to support the delivery of community events in Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon that will celebrate the coronation of His Majesty the King in May 2023.

The funding is intended to provide financial support to local voluntary and community groups wishing to deliver events to celebrate the coronation during the period Friday 5th to Monday 8th May 2023.

Grants of up to £400 are available.

Who Can Apply

Applications are accepted from organisations that:

• Are community based and have 90% of beneficiaries in the Council area.

• Are not for personal profit.

Eligible Expenditure

The funding is used to support local, small-scale community events or activities to celebrate the Coronation.

The types of event the Council may fund include:

• Tea parties.

• Exhibitions.

• Talks.

• Social events for young and old.

For more information and to apply, please visit Grant Manager (eformz.info)

Small Grant and Technical Assistance Grant Aid Programme 2023-2024

The aim of the Community Development Grant Aid Programme is to provide financial support for projects which have Community Development as a primary objective that improve the lives of local people. Projects must develop a strong, healthy and vibrant community whilst encouraging maximum participation in community life by all residents.

Who can apply?

Only properly constituted community, voluntary & charitable groups can apply to the grant aid scheme and must be able to meet the following conditions. The group must:

 Be comprised of at least six members.

 Be democratically accountable through regular public meetings.

 Hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM).

 Be properly constituted and include a decision making process, and aims and activities that are acceptable to the Council.

 Be managed by a publicly elected committee; the office bearing positions of Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer must be held as a minimum.

 Demonstrate a fair and equitable ethos through their established aims and objectives in accordance with Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (1998).

 Demonstrate that proposed activities are not a duplication of other activities.

 Produce an annual statement of independently verified or certified accounts, or a bank statement for new groups only.

 Agree to Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council's monitoring, evaluation, and training procedures if required.

Projects must take place between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024, any activity outside these timescales will not be eligible for funding.

How to apply?

Applications will be available for completion online on the Grant Manager system at https://antrimnewtownabbey.eformz.info from 12noon on Wednesday 15 February 2023.

The Small Grant & Technical Assistance Grant will be available on a rolling basis subject to the availability of funding and will open in February each year. If you are applying for the Small Grant please apply up to 8 weeks in advance of your project/activity starting or when your insurance is due for renewal as all applications need to be considered at two Council meetings.

For further information, please contact: Kerry Brady – T: 07739 609 902 E: Kerry.Brady@antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk

Jonathan Henderson – T: 07733 263 202 E: Jonathan.Henderson@antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council Grant Aid and Bursaries for 2023/24

1st Call for Applications – 2023 / 2024

Applications for the following grant aid & bursary streams opens on Monday 13 February 2023 and will close on Friday 3 March 2023 at 5pm.

 Grant Aid:

• Community & Wellbeing

• Community Premises Support

• Good Relations

• Irish in the Community

• Remembering & Commemoration – Decade of Centenaries

• Seeding

• Summer Schemes 2023 – July/August

• Ulster Scots in the Community

• Verti-Draining

Funding covers the financial year 2023 – 2024

For further information and Guidance Notes on Grant Aid Streams Open.

Bursaries 

• Irish Language (Gaeltacht, Minors, Adult, Family)

• Irish Language (Academic)

• Sport

For further information on Bursaries.  Click Here

The Woodward Charitable Trust - Children’s Summer Playschemes

The Summer Play Scheme grant round will open Monday 6th February 2023, the online application form will only be available after this date.  The deadline is noon on Friday 31st March 2023. The Trustees will review summer play scheme applications in May and successful applicants will be informed by the end of June 2023. 

Each year the Trustees of the Woodward Charitable Trust set aside funds for summer playschemes for children from disadvantaged backgrounds between the ages of 5-16 years.

Trustees only fund programmes that run for a minimum of 2 weeks or 10 full days or 20 half days across the summer holidays.

Grants can only be paid to registered charities, CICs, CIOs or exempt charities. If your organisation does not fall into one of these categories, please give the full name and address of a registered charity who has agreed to accept a grant on your behalf. Please note you will need to upload a copy of their most recent audited accounts at the end of the application form, if this is not available on the Charity Commission or Companies House.

Please note that Trustees will now only fund up to 50% of the total cost of a scheme. Most grants awarded are in the range of £500 to £1,000. Around 35 grants are made each year.

Preference is given to:

• small local playschemes that provide a wide-ranging programme of activities. Trustees prefer activities that are relatively inexpensive such as crafts and cooking, as well as outdoor activities and sport.

• schemes that involve a large number of children.

• schemes where past users are encouraged to come back and help as volunteers.

Exclusions

Trustees will not fund:

• trips that are only social such as to a theme park or cinema. Trustees prefer to fund trips that are educational and motivational or relate to the natural environment such as to the seaside or countryside.

• charities whose annual turnover exceeds £100,000.

• overseas projects

Application Form

The trustees receive many more applications than they are able to fund, so please make the most of the opportunity to tell us what makes your charity different and what your achievements are. When talking about your plans for this summer, please feel free to compare them to previous years and what the benefits of attending the scheme has meant to the families and the children attending. Please give details of what you plan to do, beyond just a list of activities, and note that we are looking for organisations that are making a real difference in their communities. Please let us know if any of your activities are child-led and who your volunteers are. Do you provide food and if so, what do you provide?

For more information and to apply, please visit Children’s Summer Playschemes Guidelines | The Woodward Charitable Trust

RTÉ Toy Show Appeal Impact Grants Fund

The RTÉ Toy Show Appeal was established in 2020 to raise funds for Irish children’s charities through the televised Late Late Toy Show. Since then, more than €17 million has been raised to support these charities.
The RTÉ Toy Show Appeal mission is: Inspired by children, we work to bring the magic of the Late Late Toy Show to every child in Ireland. By funding essential support, health, wellbeing, play and creativity we aim to change children’s lives for good.

In the wake of the cost-of-living crisis, increased number of refugees from Ukraine and elsewhere in the world, and the climate crisis, the RTÉ Toy Show Appeal is more important than ever.

Last year over €6,600,000 was raised and distributed in 154 grants to support more than 1.1 million children and their family members all across Ireland. Thanks to the continued generosity of the Irish public, this year the Appeal raised over €3,800,000 which will be distributed through two open grant rounds:

·        Impact Grants Round

·        Community Grants Round

Children and family focused charities working at local, regional and national level can apply for a grant under one of the following thematic pillars:

·        Addressing Essential Needs

·        Improving Health and Wellbeing

·        Creativity and Play

The Impact Grants Round is now open and is for children and family charities with an annual income of £500,000 or more and will close at 1pm on Friday 10 February 2023. For more information and to apply, please visit RTÉ Toy Show Appeal Impact Grants Fund - Community Foundation Northern Ireland (communityfoundationni.org)

***The Community Grants Round is due to open mid February and is for children and family charities with an annual income of less than £500,000.***

Organisations can apply only once to the RTÉ Toy Show Appeal this year. Where multiple applications are received from the same organisation, none will be considered for assessment.

Inishative Community Benefit Fund

This local community benefit fund was set up by Gaelectric in 2016 and is now managed by CGN Europe – a wind energy and energy storage company that believes in a sustainable future. GCN is committed to ensuring that their wind farms, whilst having obvious environmental benefits, also provide significant economic benefits to the local community.

The Inishative Community Benefit Fund is available to local community projects within a 10km / 6 mile radius of the wind farm.  Priority is given to applicant organisations based within the Carrickmore (3.5 miles), Galbally/Cappagh (4-5 miles) and Sixmilecross (6 miles) areas.

The Inishative Community Benefit Fund is administered by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland.

Funding will be available to local community projects within a 10km/6 mile radius of the wind farm. Inishative CBF Map

The fund aims to encourage:

• Stronger more inclusive communities by ensuring that local people have ownership and involvement in the design and delivery of the project.

• Partnership working with community, voluntary and statutory agencies to ensure a coordinated approach.

• Sustainable solutions that address local issues.

• Projects that improve the utilisation of existing community space in each of the above areas.

• Particular emphasis will be placed on funding activities/services that are specifically aimed at older people, people with disabilities, children and teenagers (including pre-school children), providing skills development of local people and promoting health related activities or services.

• Given the remoteness of some of these locations, the isolation and lack of statutory transport provision consideration will be given to local transport initiatives.

• Projects and programmes offering invaluable advice and information and signposting on key rural issues e.g. Farm Support Services, Welfare & Benefits and Parenting/Family issues etc.

• Outdoor/Environmental projects will also be considered in terms of encouraging a healthier and active community as well as protecting and enhancing the local environment.

• Finally, wider community events and programmes that encourage greater community interaction (including cross community aspects) encompassing the local rich and varied cultural aspects of music, drama, dance and sport.

• Funding will be considered for costs associated with running/administration costs and for purchasing additional equipment to expand services/activities in each of the areas.

• Priority will be given to projects which demonstrate the ability to collaborate, network and share best practice.

Grants of up to £2000 are available. Closing date for applications is 13th February 2023 at 1pm.

For more information and to apply, please visit Inishative Community Benefit Fund - Community Foundation Northern Ireland (communityfoundationni.org)

Cregganconroe Community Benefit Fund

This local community benefit fund was set up by Gaelectric in 2016 and is now managed by CGN Europe – a wind energy and energy storage company that believes in a sustainable future. GCN is committed to ensuring that their wind farms, whilst having obvious environmental benefits, also provide significant economic benefits to the local community.

The Cregganconroe Community Benefit Fund is available to local community projects within a 10km / 6 mile radius of the wind farm. Cregganconroe wind farm is based just off the Loughmallon Road, Pomeroy, Co Tyrone.  The areas located within a 10km radius of the wind farm are largely rural, having a rugged mountainous terrain within the Sperrin Mountains and comprises dispersed rural settlements including the hamlets and villages of Cappagh, Galbally,  Pomeroy, Carrickmore, Kileenan  and the Rock.

The Cregganconroe Community Benefit Fund is administered by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland.

Funding will be available to local community projects within a 10km/6 mile radius of the wind farm.  Cregganconroe Map

The fund aims to encourage:

• Any programmes/projects that address marginalisation and help tackle rural isolation.  In particular, support will be considered for transport solutions that allow a greater sharing of local community resources and to allow for improved mobility for the most isolated.

• Projects that have a particular emphasis on maximising community space by providing minor capital works that bring premises or facilities up to modern standards and in line with current building control regulations.

• Activities/services that are specifically aimed at children and young people and older people; provision of local educational classes/training courses and health related initiatives and arts/cultural activities.

• Projects designed to improve and develop local environmental schemes.

• Priority will be given to beneficiaries within the Pomeroy area given their close proximity to the wind farm.

• Projects that encourage greater cross community interaction at a local level with a focus on improving relations between nationalist and unionist communities in the area.  Consideration will be given to activities and events designed to encourage this interaction and cohesion e.g. – Open Days, Festivals and other Community Events including programmes of shared culture, music, sport, drama and dance.

Grants of up to £2000 are available and closing date for applications is 13th February 2023 at 1pm.

For more information and to apply please visit Cregganconroe Community Benefit Fund - Community Foundation Northern Ireland (communityfoundationni.org)