Minister Fleming announces £6.23 million to support Irish community in Britain
- Published on: 17 October 2023
- Last updated on: 12 April 2025
The Minister of State for International Development and Diaspora, Seán Fleming, met today with the Irish community in Britain at the annual Emigrant Support Programme reception in the Irish Embassy in London.
Minister Fleming said:
“I am very pleased to announce £6.23 million in funding for British-based organisations from the Irish Government’s Emigrant Support Programme this year, an increase of over 10% on last year.
“This is my second visit to Britain since being appointed Minister for Diaspora last December and I really value these opportunities to visit Irish community organisations and to meet with Irish people in their communities.
“It a chance for me to see first-hand, as I did earlier this morning at the Lewisham Irish community centre in south-east London, the extraordinary work being done in Britain, often with limited resources, to support what is still the largest Irish-born community outside of Ireland.
“It is so important that the Irish Government, on behalf of the Irish people, continues to support our communities across England, Scotland and Wales and stays connected to Irish people who have made their home in Britain.
“There is virtually no aspect of British life that has not been enriched by contributions from the Irish community, whether it is through sport, music or community life. Along with my government colleagues, we have seen these contributions, on our regular visits to Britain. This is the twentieth visit by a Government Minister so far this year to Britain.
“With all of that in mind, the Irish Government remains committed to supporting and engaging with the fantastic Irish community in Britain, as it has done since 1984."
Minister Fleming also met with members of the Emigrant Support Advisory Committee, during his visit, and was Guest-of Honour at a dinner to mark the 50th anniversary of the “Irish in Britain” organisation.
Notes
Global Ireland: Ireland Diaspora Strategy 2020-2025 sets out what the government will do over the next five years to support and engage with our diaspora communities around the world. The Emigrant Support Programme remains central to this commitment.
Since 1984, the Irish Government has given financial support to voluntary agencies providing advice and welfare services to Irish emigrants overseas. The Department of Foreign Affairs working through Ireland’s embassy network coordinates the provision of support to communities abroad and administers the programme.
The main focus for funding under the Emigrant Support Programme remains frontline welfare service providers that support elderly Irish emigrants, and other vulnerable members of our communities worldwide. In more recent years the programme has also recognised the importance of strong and active Irish communities, funding projects which foster a sense of community, promoting vibrant networks and a sense of Irishness among the Irish abroad.
The Emigrant Support Programme funding year runs from 1 July – 30 June. Further details can be found on www.dfa.ie.
Over £32 million has been provided to organisations in Britain through the ESP over the past five years.
A list of organisations awarded funding in the 2023-2024 Grant Round.
| Organisation name | Total funding allocated £GBP | |
| Acton Homeless Concern Emmaus House and The Damien Centre | 15,200 | |
| Age UK HHB | 11,550 | |
| Ashford Place | 204,180 | |
| Bell Farm Christian Centre | 9,000 | |
| Birmingham Irish Association | 285,684 | |
| Birmingham Tradfest Ltd. | 5,000 | |
| Bolton Irish Centre | 10,400 | |
| Bradford Irish Society | 5,500 | |
| Brent Centre for Young people | 22,000 | |
| Brent Irish Advisory Service | 147,144 | |
| Brian Boru Club | 13,200 | |
| Causeway: Ireland Scotland Business Exchange | 5,000 | |
| Ceann Creige Hurling & Camogie Club | 2,000 | |
| Conradh na Gaeilge Glaschú | 47,776 | |
| Conradh na Gaeilge i Londain | 4,500 | |
| Corby Young At Heart | 15,700 | |
| Coventry Irish Society | 93,000 | |
| Derby St Patrick's Day Celebration Committee | 2,600 | |
| Digital Irish - London Chapter | 7,000 | |
| Emerald Circle Club | 5,000 | |
| Emerald Seniors Citizens Group | 4,000 | |
| Feith an Cheoil School of Traditional Music | 13,000 | |
| Forgotten Irish Group Manchester | 8,000 | |
| Fréa | 93,315 | |
| Friends, Families and Travellers | 55,000 | |
| GATE Herts | 28,000 | |
| Green Curtain Theatre | 2,550 | |
| Gypsies and Travellers Wales | 17,236 | |
| Halifax and District Irish Society | 6,500 | |
| Haslingden Davitt IDL Club: The Land League | 4,800 | |
| HCYC | 12,000 | |
| Huddersfield Irish Centre | 4,000 | |
| Huddersfield St. Patrick's Day Parade Association | 4,950 | |
| IamIrish ( IamI.ltd ) | 78,000 | |
| icap - Immigrant Counselling and Psychotherapy | 201,338 | |
| Irish Arts Foundation Leeds | 41,500 | |
| Irish Chaplaincy in Britain | 271,350 | |
| Irish Community Care | 397,025 | |
| Irish Community Care Manchester | 245,500 | |
| Irish Community Services | 234,000 | |
| Irish Cultural Centre, Hammersmith | 235,000 | |
| Irish Democratic League of Great Britain | 3,700 | |
| Irish Diaspora Foundation | 15,000 | |
| Irish Elderly Advice Network | 163,000 | |
| Irish Film London | 28,800 | |
| Irish Heritage Charity | 13,000 | |
| Irish In Britain | 400,000 | |
| Irish Literary Society | 5,000 | |
| Irish Music and Dance in London (IMDL) | 28,500 | |
| Irish Pensioners Forum of East London | 5,000 | |
| Irish Studies Workshop and Library | 3,000 | |
| Irish Tuesday Group | 10,500 | |
| Jersey Irish Society | 6,400 | |
| Kilburn Irish Pensioners | 5,000 | |
| Leeds GATE | 86,767 | |
| Leeds Irish Centre | 6,600 | |
| Leeds Irish Health and Homes | 252,500 | |
| Leeds St Patrick's Day Parade | 10,000 | |
| Leicestershire GATE | 27,500 | |
| Lewisham Irish Community Centre | 105,313 | |
| Little Ireland Arts Collective | 2,000 | |
| Liverpool Irish Centre | 48,750 | |
| Liverpool Irish Festival | 27,874 | |
| London Gypsies and Travellers | 91,000 | |
| London Irish Centre | 713,230 | |
| London Irish LGBT Network | 490 | |
| London Irish Walking Football Club | 3,400 | |
| Luton Irish Forum | 209,855 | |
| Manchester Irish Education Group | 1,600 | |
| Manchester Irish Language Group | 480 | |
| Manchester Irish Writers | 3,000 | |
| Mansfield & Dukeries Irish Association | 7,450 | |
| Milton Keynes Irish Centre | 6,440 | |
| Milton Keynes Irish Welfare Support Group | 5,000 | |
| NOAH Enterprise | 49,000 | |
| Northampton Irish Support Group | 45,000 | |
| Nottingham Irish centre/ Golden Shamrock Club | 9,000 | |
| Nottingham St Patricks Day Festival | 6,500 | |
| Portsmouth Irish Society | 4,000 | |
| Republic of Ireland Walking Football Association | 4,275 | |
| Safe Start Foundation | 59,325 | |
| SanKTus | 29,384 | |
| Sheffield Irish Association | 3,850 | |
| SIFA Fireside | 14,000 | |
| Solace Women's Aid | 35,000 | |
| South London Irish Association Ltd | 13,000 | |
| Southwark Irish Pensioners Project | 150,726 | |
| Southwark Travellers Action Group (STAG) | 57,000 | |
| Strange Fish Theatre Company | 3,500 | |
| TGPCymru Travelling Ahead | 31,409 | |
| The Aisling Project | 80,000 | |
| The Benefit Advice Shop | 5,000 | |
| The Benevolent Society of St Patrick | 5,500 | |
| The Emerald Centre | 100,755 | |
| The Irish Club Warrington | 7,500 | |
| The Irish in the UK TV | 12,000 | |
| The Irish Pensioners Choir | 10,500 | |
| The Maya Centre | 32,496 | |
| The Passage | 35,000 | |
| The Traveller Movement | 134,000 | |
| Tyneside Irish Centre Ltd | 34,150 | |
| Tyneside Irish Cultural Society Ltd | 61,805 | |
| W.E. Irish | 15,000 | |
| Wake The Beast | 4,000 | |
| West Hampstead Women's Centre | 10,000 | |
| Women's Irish Network | 7,462 | |
| York Irish Association | 4,500 | |
| Total | £6,239,284 |