Minister Fleming announces £6.23 million to support Irish community in Britain
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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
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