Last week Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, opened the pre-application information event for the new €15 million Community Centres Investment Fund.
Over 600 people registered to attend that online information event hosted by the Department of Rural and Community Development. The Department will host a further information event on Wednesday 1st June, 2:30 – 4: 00 pm and applicants must register here to attend this event.
These information events are designed to provide guidance on the application process.
Applicants need to register as ‘users’ on the portal here in advance of the application process which will open on 7th June 2022. This will allow them to identify any potential setup issues and rectify them in advance.
The closing date for applications will be 14th July 2022.
Guidelines and a sample application form are now available at www.gov.ie/communitycentresfund.
Addressing the online event, Minister Humphreys said:
“Community Centres are at the heart of nearly every community in Ireland – be it urban or rural.
“They are a place for people of all ages to meet, to socialise, to play sport or engage in activities ranging from a game of card, to music, arts or drama.
“But I know that many of our community centres are in real need of investment, upgrade or repair.
This new €15 million fund will deliver grants ranging from €10,000 to €300,000 – so that you can carry out those important improvements.”
Minister Humphreys continued:
“€15 million will go a long way to upgrade and refurbish some of our community buildings across the country so that thousands of people of all ages can benefit.
“I am encouraging all community groups to look at this fund and think about how they can use it to improve their own local parish hall or community centre.
“It’s important to attend the information sessions and learn about the application process and criteria before applying to the fund.”
