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Thousands of Community and Voluntary groups benefit from €10 million energy fund
From Department of Rural and Community Development
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Rural and Community Development
Published on
Last updated on
The Community Support Fund is providing small grants to a diverse range of local community groups across Ireland to assist with increases in energy prices and running costs.
The key theme of the fund is to support groups, particularly in disadvantaged areas, with their energy bills, as well as with improvements to their facilities.
Funding is being allocated to support Parish Halls, Community Centres, Local Development Associations, Social Clubs, ICA Groups, Senior Citizen Groups, Men’s Sheds, Women’s Sheds and more.
Details of the successful projects in each county are currently being announced. The information published to date can be found here.
A list of the total amounts allocated to each county is available here.
The scheme was devised to support groups who may not have been deemed eligible under previous government schemes such as the Community and Voluntary Energy Support Scheme (CVESS).
These include groups that operate from parish halls and who need support with running costs such as energy or insurance bills.
Groups can also use the funding to carry out small upgrade works and to purchase equipment to support their activities such as laptops and printers, lawnmowers, and training equipment.
The funding is administered locally by Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) across the country, with support from their Local Authority.
This initiative is part of a range of measures introduced in Budget 2023 to meet higher energy costs for households, businesses and community organisations.
More information on the supports available can be found on the 'Reduce Your Use' campaign page.