Fine Gael TD for Wicklow/East Carlow, Andrew Doyle has welcomed two separate rounds of funding allocations announced this week aimed at young and older people in the Counties of Wicklow and Carlow.
“Groups in Wicklow are receiving €19,000 under the Capital Grants for Youth Projects with €15000 allocated to groups in Carlow allowing these projects to improve their facilities and equipment available for their work with young people around their communities.
“The groups benefitting are Wicklow Travellers Group and the Seomra Bray and Ballywaltrim, in Wicklow and the Carlow Regional service in Carlow.
“Fundraising and voluntary dedication keeps a lot of these groups going so this much-needed funding will provide assistance to these organisations who do such vital work in some of the more disadvantaged communities in our society.
“The Capital funding scheme for small to medium capital grants is open to applications from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The scheme remains open for applications in early 2015 for capital projects related to health and safety improvements to premises.
“Separately, €15000 has been allocated to a range of over 50 groups and organizations in Wicklow and Carlow under the National Grant Scheme for Sport and Physical activity for Older People 2014, which promotes social and sporting activities to groups open to older people.
“This National Grant Scheme is a joint initiative between Age & Opportunity’s Go For Life Programme and the Irish Sports Council which aims to fund groups and clubs which cater for older people to allow them to buy equipment, run sports activities or try new activities.
“Groups like the Active Retirement Associations (ARA) and ICA throughout both counties are among the groups who will receive funding under this scheme.
“It is to be very much welcomed that both young and older people are being recognised in this way, and I encourage groups involved with these age groups to find out more about the supports that are available. The benefit of joining these groups is huge in terms of promoting positive participation which in turn leads to better quality of life and more independent members of society, and from this perspective, I would encourage young and older people to become more aware of what’s happening in their own area.”