€300,000 available for community schemes

A meeting will be held in South Galway for people interested in applying for the Community Support Scheme with a fund of €300,000.
Galway County Council recently announced that funding is available for community enterprise facilities or services, community events, shows and festivals, improvements to community facilities, tidy town initiatives, social inclusion type initiatives and initiatives to increase participation in sport or physical activity.
Also included in the scheme is support for arts and cultural activities for community groups and professional arts organisations and heritage funding for schools and community groups. Individual Artist Bursary Awards and Tyrone Guthrie Residency Awards are also available.
The scheme was launched by the Mayor of County Galway Councillor Thomas Welby in Coole Park at the weekend.
“Galway County Council is committed to supporting communities. With the great voluntary work that happens in communities, these funding supports can go a long way,” he said.
“Despite budget cuts, Galway County Council is committed to working with and supporting our communities. this support is needed now more than ever and through our Community, Enterprise and Economic Unit we will remain committed to supporting community endeavour.
“2013 is the year of the Gathering and we have already committed funding and support to festivals taking place throughout the county and look forward to further supporting many of the wonderful community projects taking place this year,” he added.
Brian Barrett, senior executive officer with Galway County Council added, “we have streamlined our application forms and tried to ensure the application process will be as easy as possible for communities. To this end we have organised a number of funding seminars about our funding supports and that of other agencies to further ensure that communities are supported. our staff will be available to assist and support anyone making an application”.
Briefing seminars for potential applicants to these funding programmes will be held in the coming weeks throughout Galway including one on Tuesday, February 19, at 7.30pm at Labane Community Centre, Labane.
Fully completed application forms for all of the schemes must be returned not later than 4pm on Thursday, Feburary 28, to Community, Enterprise and Economic Development Unit, Galway County Council Áras an Chontae, Prospect Hill, Galway or by email to communitysupportscheme@galwaycoco.ie or by ringing the Community & Enterprise Office on 091 476400.