I am delighted to announce that Galway County has been allocated €63,249 from my Department, the Department of Rural and Community Development, under the 2020 Community Enhancement Programme.
The programme provides up to €5,000 in funding for projects aimed at enhancing facilities available in local communities.
It supports a range of community enhancements from purchasing lawn mowers and IT equipment to minor renovations for buildings.
It also supports improvements for parks and common areas, along with the development of community gardens, energy efficiency upgrades, buying defibrillators, CCTV and sports equipment.
These small-scale investments can make a huge difference to community groups, who are experiencing a particularly difficult time because of the COVID-19 virus. I would urge any groups interested in the funding to apply without delay.
The Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) complements other community funding announced by my department, such as the €2.5 million COVID-19 Emergency Fund and the €35 million Stability Fund.
The CEP is administered by Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) in each Local Authority area.
Details on how to apply will be available from Galway County Local Development Committee shortly.
While the CEP will be similar to last year, the LCDC in each area will have flexibility to use some or all of the funding for COVID-19 related expenditure by community groups, where this is a priority in individual local authority areas.
In order to allow for flexibility, the Department is not setting a national closing date, but will allow each LCDC to set its own, to best suit its area. The Department will require that all closing dates are no later than 30 September 2020. Groups seeking funding should check with their LCDC for further details.