ACCESS FUNDING FOR COMMUNITY PROJECTS FOR YOUR AREA

Upcoming Information Workshops for Grant Schemes for 2018

 Schemes include:

• TOWN AND VILLAGE RENEWAL SCHEME
• OUTDOOR RECREATION SCHEME
• COMMUNITY FACILITIES
• CLÁR

Funding Workshops will be run by Wicklow County Council in the coming weeks to raise awareness about funding schemes that are aimed at the revitalisation of rural areas. Schemes such as the Town & Village Scheme, the Outdoor Recreation Scheme, CLAR and the Community Facilities Scheme are a package of funding opportunities that communities can access to fund projects in their areas. These Schemes are an initiative under the Government’s Action Plan for Rural Development and is part of national and local support measures to rejuvenate rural towns and villages throughout Ireland. The types of projects which can be funded include:

• Projects that support entrepreneurship (e.g. development of Enterprise Hubs, Hot Desk Facilities, Digital Hubs, Creative Hubs, training facilities)
• Integrated approaches to developing individual sectors within the town and/or its environs (e.g. artisan food hubs, craft hubs)
• Projects which demonstrate collaboration between town centre businesses and the surrounding area to produce economic benefit
• Tourism initiatives
• Enhancement of heritage and/or other community assets
• Town safety and accessibility enhancements
• Provision/enhancement of leisure facilities (e.g. Town Parks, walking trails)
• Social and Community Enterprises
• Development of quality marks, such as Purple Flag, Heritage Town, etc

This is the third year that these grants have been available. Town and Village funding is aimed at those towns and villages with a population under 10,000. CLAR is targeted at very specific areas that are suffering from depopulation. Full details of the schemes will not be made available until March or April. However it is vitally important that communities are ready to apply when the schemes are announced. Frank Curran, CE Wicklow County Council says “Often the funding schemes have very tight deadlines which can be onerous on volunteers. It is the communities that are prepared, have got buy-in from the wider community and have started any planning or procurement requirements, that will be successful in accessing this funding for their area. Everybody is welcome to come along to the information sessions..”

Enquiries to:
Deirdre Whitfield.   Tel: 0404/20208.
Community, Cultural & Social Development
Wicklow County Council, County Buildings, Wicklow, Co. Wicklow.