From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
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Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic O’Gorman, today announced the 124 community projects set to receive funding under the Communities Integration Fund 2022. Through this Fund, a total of €566,492.60 will be made available to support local community-based organisations across Ireland to play a greater role in welcoming and integrating migrants and refugees.
The Communities Integration Fund has been in place since 2017 and arises from Action 51 of the Migrant Integration Strategy, which calls for funding to be made available to local communities throughout Ireland to promote the integration of migrants and refugees.
Welcoming the latest announcement, Minister O’Gorman said:
“I am delighted to announce this funding which will support local communities nationwide to reconnect and to celebrate the rich cultural diversity in our society.
"Settling into a new environment can be a daunting experience for migrants and refugees. Local community-based initiatives, such as those awarded funding today, can play a vital role in supporting new arrivals through this transition period, providing them with the opportunity to connect with their new community and to realise their full potential.
"I would like to take this opportunity to commend the tireless commitment and dedication local community based organisations have shown in supporting new arrivals.”
ENDS
The Communities Integration Fund 2022 open call for proposals ran from 10 March - 06 April 2022. Over €500,000 has been made available in 2022 to support local projects through small grant funding of €1,000 - €5,000 per successful project.
As in previous years, calls for proposals were grouped under ten themes aiming to promote inclusion and diversity:
1. Intercultural Awareness;
2. Combating Racism and Xenophobia;
3. Sport & Community Games;
4. Arts;
5. Food/Cuisine;
6. Community Events;
7. Capacity Building;
8. Employment;
9. Education;
10. Integration Research.
Projects supporting the following objectives will be given special priority this year and will attract additional marking during the selection process:
1. Initiatives that support the integration of migrant women;
2. Initiatives aimed at supporting migrant children and youth;
3. Initiatives that support migrants to meaningfully participate in the labour market;
4. Initiatives that promote community volunteering.
As this Fund is intended to support the integration of migrant and host communities, all applications must demonstrate the ability to involve both migrant and host communities in the activities proposed. The maximum grant amount that can be applied for is €5,000 and the minimum grant is €1,000.