THE Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring has today (Monday May 11) announced the opening of the online application system for the €35 million COVID-19 Stability Fund for Community and Voluntary Organisations, Charities and Social Enterprises.
Following last Friday’s announcement of a €40 million funding package for the sector, applications are now being invited for the €35 million Stability Fund. The Fund will provide immediate, short term cash flow to qualifying organisations which provide critical services to those most vulnerable in society. The funding will be prioritised for those organisations which are most in need and have seen their trading and/or fundraising income drop significantly during the crisis.
With funding being provided from the Dormant Accounts Fund, the new Stability Fund will provide a once off grant to qualifying organisations. The Fund will focus on organisations providing supports and services in the following sectors:
· Health and Social Care (including addiction, disability and mental health)
· Child and Family Services (including counselling/therapies)
· Domestic/Sexual/Gender based violence
· Housing/Homelessness
· Community Services (e.g. meals on wheels/befriending services/old age supports/vulnerable people’s support groups etc.)
· Community Education Sector
Organisations will be required to demonstrate the impact that the crisis has had on their services and applications will be prioritised according to need. Pobal (www.pobal.ie), which works on behalf of Government to support communities and local agencies toward achieving social inclusion and development, will administer the Stability Fund on behalf of the Department of Rural and Community Development.
A native of Ennis, Colin McGann has been editor of The Clare Champion since August 2020. Former editor of The Clare People, he is a journalism and communications graduate of Dublin Institute of Technology.