Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, has outlined a package of over €150 million designed to transform rural towns, villages and communities throughout 2022.
Hosting a webinar entitled ‘Government Supports for Thriving Rural Areas and Vibrant Communities’, Minister Humphreys detailed the various funding streams within her department that will revitalise town centres, combat dereliction, promote remote working and enhance our communities.
The event was attended by over 300 stakeholders such as community groups, town teams, development associations and local chambers.
Community centre fund
During the webinar, Minister Humphreys announced the introduction of a new Community Centres Investment Fund 2022.
This new capital fund will invest €15 million in the upgrade and refurbishment of community buildings across the country.
Under the fund, groups and organisations based in both rural and urban communities can apply for grants ranging from €10,000 to €300,000 and application forms will be available online in the coming weeks
Announcing the initiative, Minister Humphreys said: “If the pandemic taught us one thing, it’s that we all have discovered the true meaning of ‘community’.
“I am making available €15 million which will support the refurbishment and upgrade of community buildings across the country.
“The new fund will provide grants for small and large-scale projects and help us to provide focal points for communities as they come back together. I will publish details on how local community groups can apply for this funding later this month,” the minister added.
Rural focus for 2022
During the webinar, the minister and her officials outlined the details of other investment streams.
There was a detailed discussion on the areas where the department will be prioritising investment, such as:
- Regeneration projects in rural areas that focus on economic growth, combat dereliction and breathe new life into town centres;
- Remote working and connectivity. This will include further developing the Connected Hubs Network for remote working, adding to the existing 900 free WiFi4EU hotspots around the country, bringing more publicly accessible Broadband Connection Points (BCPs) online;
- Outdoor amenities. A continued focus on investing in unique amenities such as walkways, trails, lakes, mountains, blueways and greenways;
- Projects that help communities to bounce back from the pandemic by providing focal points for community activities. This will be done under the likes of the Town and Village Renewal Scheme and the new Community Centre Investment Fund.