Community projects across the Shannonside Northern Sound Region have been supported by Bank of Ireland’s Begin Together funds.
Over €800,000 for grassroots community groups, social enterprises and artists has been awarded across the country.
Community Fund grantees locally will receive up to €20,000 under the programme while, Arts Fund grantees will receive up to €10,000.
There have been 9 groups or people across the region that have been successful under the scheme, 4 in the Northern Sound Region and 5 in the Shannonside Region.
Some of the projects benefitting from the funds in the Northern sound region include Surf and ocean therapy for young people with additional needs and suicide prevention for non-English speakers.
Liquid Therapy currently operating in Donegal, will also receive funding to expand their ‘Liquid Academy’ programme, ‘Liquid on the Lake’ in Cootehill.
In the Shannonside Region New Horizon Athlone Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support Group which provides social supports to asylum seekers and refugees living at the Accommodation Centre in Athlone has been allocated funding.
The Longford branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland was also included and will expand its online physiotherapy classes and reintroduce one-to-one sessions.
Services that were successful locally include :
Shannonside Region:
- New Horizon Athone Refugee and Asylum Seeker Support Group provides social supports to asylum seekers and refugees living at the Accommodation Centre in Athlone.
- Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland – Longford Branch which aims to expand its online physiotherapy classes and to reintroduce one-to-one sessions.
- Exchange House Ireland – Midlands Traveller Preparation Programme will help prepare travellers who are working to access the Diploma in Community Development Practice, with a focus on Wellbeing, from NUIG.
- Emily Cuddy and Loretto McGarry, “The smallest piece can complete the puzzle” will see local people working together apart to create a tapestry that will be exhibited in Longford Library.
- Aughamore provides day care services to the people living with dementia in the north-west, which in turn enables respite for their carers.
- Ciaran Taylor, Breath, Leitrim. This music theatre play with actor Karl Quinn and musician/composer Steve Wickham will explore how the pandemic brings breath into focus.
- The Unwanted (Cathy Jordan, Rick Epping, Seamie O’Dowd), Roscommon The Music Network Roscommon Teaching Residency will provide participants with a course of one-to-one lessons, followed by a series of larger ensemble opportunities. The residency will be delivered by traditional music ensemble, The Unwanted, led by acclaimed Roscommon musician Cathy Jorda.
- Northern Sound Region:
- Surf and ocean therapy for young people with additional needs
- Liquid Therapy Operating from the new Liquid Therapy Surf Centre in Donegal, the team will expand their ‘Liquid Academy’ programme. ‘Liquid on the Lake’ will launch in Cootehill, Cavan and will facilitate wheelchair users aged 5 to 65 to experience the physical and therapeutic benefits of getting out onto the water with their families and friends.
- SOSAD Ireland works to raise awareness and help prevent suicide in Ireland through six offices in Cavan, Louth, Meath, and Monaghan, and through their helpline. This funding will allow the group to expand the existing online crisis messaging service to provide support for non-English speakers including Latvian, Lithuanian, Russian and Polish people.
- Mary Scott Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, patients at Cavan inpatient Psychiatric Unit have spent long periods of time indoors. The goal of this project is to bring nature inside by creating pieces of art based on nature.
