Community in Kilkenny receives substantial grant

The Barrow Valley Community Development, Graignamanagh, has been awarded €10,000 through ‘The Ireland Funds Heart of the Community Fund’.

The development, aims to improve social, environmental and economic life in the Barrow Valley, including generating employment opportunities and tourism revenue.

Each year the scheme provides critical funding to a wide range of community organisations and charities across the island of Ireland, recognising the challenges organisations face in securing funding to build their capacity or meet their core costs.

This year’s grant round will provide a total of €930,000 in funding to 94 organisations in 24 counties across the island of Ireland under The Ireland Funds’ four pillars of support for Arts & Culture, Community Development, Education and Peace & Reconciliation.

The grants awarded by the Heart of the Community Fund are sourced through philanthropic gifts and the fundraising events of ‘The Ireland Funds America’, the largest of The Ireland Funds' global chapters.

Mijke Jansen, Manager, Barrow Valley Community Development, said: ''Barrow Valley Community Development in Graignamanagh is delighted to have been supported by The Ireland Funds through the Heart of the Community Fund. This grant will help us to expand our solar panel project and enable more residents in our community to power their houses with solar energy.''

Caitriona Fottrell, President and CEO of The Ireland Funds, added: ''We understand the significant challenges organisations face, in particular, to meet their core costs to keep that engine going. We believe in each organisation we fund. We believe in what they do, and how they do it. We know that by investing in them, we are positively impacting the communities they work with''.