The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, has today announced funding of over €12.5 million for the upgrade and development of almost 600 Community Centres nationwide.
The new Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF) will support groups in every county to carry out refurbishments and improvements of their local community facility.
Grants of up to €25,000 will be provided to almost 600 groups in both rural and urban communities.
The funding will see improvements to community centres, GAA clubs, parish halls, youth centres, men’s sheds and facilities used by our elderly.
The Community Centre Investment Fund is a new scheme introduced by Minister Humphreys and represents the largest single investment in community centres in decades. Today’s announcement of Category 1 projects will be followed by further funding announcements for larger scale projects in the coming weeks.
Works will include the installation of new windows/doors, energy retrofitting, improved toilets and disability access, upgraded lighting systems and stage areas, the development of community cinemas and libraries, and the provision of additional or better services to the community such as meals for the elderly and youth facilities.
Minister Humphreys announced the funding during a visit to the Fettercairn Community and Youth Centre in Tallaght, which received Category 1 Funding.
Making the announcement, Minister Humphreys said: “The local Community Centre is at the heart of our towns, villages and parishes all across this country. They come in many different shapes and sizes and are a place for people of all ages to meet up and socialise with friends, old and new.”
” I want to support these great local facilities and that’s why I launched the new Community Centre Investment Fund earlier this year. The level of interest has been unprecedented under any scheme previously ran by the Department of Rural and Community Development. I am delighted today to announce over €12.5 million in funding for almost 600 projects nationwide.”
” This funding will support Community Centres, Parish Halls, GAA Clubhouses, Youth Facilities, Men’s Sheds and much more. I want to congratulate all of the successful groups who are receiving funding, which I know will benefit local communities for years to come. This particular strand of funding focused on small scale grants of up to €25,000. I am pleased to confirm that I will be announcing grants for larger scale projects later this year.”