Significant funding for seven local community centres will benefit Longford people 'for years to come'

Significant funding for seven local community centres will benefit Longford people 'for years to come'. 

That's according to the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, who today (October 12) announced €12.5million funding for the upgrade and development of almost 600 community centres. 

Seven Longford community centres are to benefit to the tune of €143,399.08. 

The new Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF) - the largest single investment into community centres in decades - will support groups in every county to carry out refurbishments and improvements to their local community facility. 

The funding - up to a maximum of €25,000 - will lead to improvements to community centres, GAA clubs, parish halls, youth centres, men’s sheds and facilities used by the elderly. 

The following was allocated to Longford Community Centres ; 

Cullyfad Community Centre €25,000;
Edgeworthstown & District Development Association €24,686.25;
Lus na Gréine Family Resource Centre Granard €24,500.70;
Moydow Hall Committee €14,641.50;
Rath Mhuire & Dolmen Services Ltd Granard €11,213;
St Mary's Edgeworthstown Community Campus €21,309.63 ;
Templemichael Parish Resources €22,048 

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. 

Speaking about the funding, 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."  

Also welcoming the funding, Minister of State Joe O’Brien TD said, "I spend a significant amount of my time out and about visiting community groups throughout Ireland and I see first-hand the importance of community centres - that shared community space where people can gather to support each other, to work, to socialise, and to help to continue to develop their local community.

"There has been huge interest in the fund which has received a large number of applications and the increased funding we have secured in the Budget will ensure that the new fund has the biggest impact possible in local communities nationwide." 

A full list of the successful projects is available here.