Waterford groups celebrate funding boost for Community Climate Action Projects

Seventeen community groups from County Waterford, who received grants under the Community Climate Action Programme, have attended a celebratory event at Mount Congreve.

Earlier this year, Waterford City and County Council, in conjunction with the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications launched the Community Climate Action Programme and seventeen community groups received €564,000 for local climate action projects.

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Funding ranged from between €4,000 to €92,000 respectively to provide local communities with the support and resources to implement a myriad of climate action initiatives.

The groups were welcomed by Cllr Seánie Power, Cathaoirleach of Comeragh District Council, who commended the participants on their volunteering spirit and commitment to improvements in their own localities.

The event was a mixture of speakers and group discussions to celebrate what these projects hope to achieve in the coming months to make their communities less carbon intensive and more sustainable, but also touched on topics which would assist in running projects and getting buy-in from wider community groups.

Susan Lee, Community Climate Action Officer at Waterford City and County Council, Susan Lee, commented: “Waterford groups have been very quick off the mark and are the first in the country to start their projects. There are amazing initiatives started and others kicking off in the coming months which are going to make a big difference in each community."

The funding will be used for a variety of projects including the installation of solar panels, bike parking, water refilling stations, community gardens, allotments, rainwater planters and community fridges.

Gráinne Kennedy, Climate Action Officer with Waterford City and County Council added: “It’s great to see so many communities represented in this programme, and today is an opportunity for people to share their ideas and their progress, as well as get new ideas for the next steps they can take to tackle climate change at a community level.”

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Paul Deegan from Waterford Volunteer Centre highlighted the willingness of people to help local groups, saying that volunteering rates dropped off during Covid and many people did not return, however he advised the groups “that though there are challenges there are still opportunities and untapped potential for community groups to access.” 

Paul also stressed that the Waterford Volunteer Centre offers a variety of free supports to community groups.

There were many biodiversity projects funded under the programme and the groups were very interested in the input from Waterford City and County Council's Biodiversity Officer, Marina Mulligan.

Groups aiming to improve their local environment through biodiversity projects such as hedge-planting, tree-planting and leaving areas go wild for pollinators were encouraged to focus on native species and to take account of what already exists in their area.

Ms Mulligan suggested that people “remember what their area was like when they were growing up” as a way of imagining what their locality could be like again.