Muintir na Tíre offers advice to fundraising communities

VOLUNTARY groups in East Clare can obtain insurance discounts of up to 60% to cover the day-to-day operation of their community centres once they achieve charitable status by affiliating to Muintir na Tíre.

That’s according to Muintir na Tíre development officer, James O’Neill, who is assisting groups in East Clare who are finding it difficult to secure a loan from the major banks or raise a substantial amount of money for community developments through local fundraising.

 

Mr O’Neill recently addressed a public meeting in Feakle about the best strategy to raise up to €80,000 to upgrade the local community hall.

The local hall committee hopes a grant of €65,000 or three-quarters of the overall cost may be provided by the Clare Local Development Company leaving a local contribution of €25,000.

The programme of works includes the replacement of the existing roof with a steel structure over a ring beam covered with insulated roof panels, the insulation of cavity walls, internal and external painting and dramatically improving ventilation to reduce condensation. This will require very specialist equipment to reduce the amount of condensation in the building.

In an interview with The Clare Champion, Mr O’Neill said some community groups are finding it difficult to raise the local contribution for major projects even when they secured Government and Leader funding.

Mr O’Neill noted a lot of groups aren’t aware they can obtain insurance discounts of up to 60% once they are affiliated to Muintir na Tíre or that finance is available from Clann Credo, which has been described as a credit union for voluntary groups.

Clann Credo gives out loans to local groups with an interest rate of about 6% per annum once they can provide an agreed repayment structure.

He also detailed a number of innovative fundraising ventures involving other communities.

A group in Freshford, who were also renovating their local community hall got up to 30 farmers signed up for a calf rearing scheme.

The group provided a calf and the farmers provided a second one and reared both of them until they were saleable at about two years of age.

When the 60 animals were sold last year they realised about €28,000 for the project.

Another community group in South Kilkenny got residents to submit their best family and local photographs of picturesque locations and events such as winter scenes for a community calendar.
A professional photographer picked the 12 photographs for the calendar, which raised over €3,000 after it was sold locally and distributed worldwide.

The development group in Drangan in South Tipperary faced the daunting prospect of raising a massive €95,000 following the construction of a new hall.

It devised a two-page brochure detailing the story of the hall and their fundraising efforts, which was distributed to about 300 households in the locality.

Committee members went door-to-door explaining the benefits of the new facility and got pledges of contributions totalling €102,000 on a phased basis over a number of years.

Mr O’Neill said a lot of rural people want to give something back to their local community and are willing to make contributions once the benefits of a new development are outlined.

He said it is very important to have a well-organised committee like the Feakle Community Hall group to take on a major project.

“The Feakle Community Hall was opened in 1972. It is a fine hall and the committee are a very proactive group who, I have no doubt, will achieve their objective of upgrading the hall.

“Having an organised structure provides a proper foundation for any group that wants to undertake a major development,” he said.

Muintir na Tíre has established about 1,600 community alert committees and has about 250 groups affiliated to its organisation nationally.

Feakle Community Hall chairperson, Ted Harrington confirmed the committee are now affiliated with Muintir na Tíre and are exploring some of the fundraising options proposed by Mr O’Neill including obtaining some money from Clann Credo.

Every year, the group organises an annual sale of work in the hall, which covers most of their day-to day running costs such as heating, lighting and insurance.

The group is planning to devise a brochure explaining details of the project to secure local contributions over a phased basis.

Mr Harrington stressed the committee are well aware of the recession and the impact it has had on reducing the income for people in rural areas and is only interested in securing affordable contributions.

“The community has a great history of contributing to fundraising for the local GAA field, churches and schools. The hall is widely used for a wide variety of community indoor sports as well as music and dancing classes.

“It is a very valuable facility, which needs a dramatic overhaul,” he said.