A TOTAL of seven Limerick Community Projects aimed at combatting isolation and providing support services during Covid-19 will receive funding from a round of grants supported by private donors to The Community Foundation for Ireland.
The grants are being provided through The Foundation’s Covid Recovery Fund, which has been supporting communities throughout the pandemic with money raised by private and corporate donors.
The latest support is being provided in two strands. ‘Overcoming Isolation’ is giving local on the ground support while ‘Building Capacity’ is aimed at bigger groups who support people across the Mid West region.
The strong community spirit across Limerick has been recognised in the first strand with grants of up to €3,000 each for five communities. The successful applicants are:
- Croom Family Resource Centre, for their efforts to combat the effects of the Covid Pandemic, which has had a detrimental effect on many members of the community in terms of mental health issues and isolation
- Down Syndrome Limerick, to offer in person Drama Classes to adults with Down Syndrome, where they can meet socially, improve their speech, social skills, mental wellbeing and creativity
- Ballyhoura Rural Services, to provide social prescribing opportunities for clients
- Hospital Family Resource Centre. This project will target groups who have been most impacted by Covid-19, enabling them to come together, to share, learn, enjoy, and support each other to overcome their isolation and the challenges they have faced in the past 18 months.
- Dóchas Midwest Autism Support Co Limerick. To develop social and recreational opportunities for young people with ASD in an outdoor environment
In addition, Limerick will also benefit from grants to build capacity for two regional organisations:
- Novas: To develop a strategic fundraising and implementation plan in order to that ensure services for homeless people impacted by Covid can be maintained by adapting to a new fundraising environment (€13,470).
- Rape Crisis Midwest: To build on the heightened awareness of issues relating to sexual violence during the pandemic and create a strategy which makes Rape Crisis Midwest a charity that is more financially sustainable (€10,000)
Congratulating the successful projects, Denise Charlton, Chief Executive of The Community Foundation for Ireland said: “Throughout the pandemic we have been working with amazing community partners and supporting their work on the ground across Limerick. In this latest round of funding our donors are delighted to continue that support. Each of the local projects are inspiring as they show communities coming together to support friends, family, neighbours and others who used to be strangers. Such actions lie at the very heart of our mission ‘Equality for all in thriving communities’.
“It is also important to note that when we opened this grant round that demand exceeded the available support ten times over. The need remains great in communities and we would ask any donors – whether private individuals, families or businesses – who want to get involved to drop us a line at [email protected]
“For now I want to congratulate the successful Limerick grantees and wish them every success in the work ahead.”
