Two Clare charities awarded €10,000 fund

TWO CLARE not-for-profit organisations have been awarded €10,000 by The Ireland Funds, a global philanthropic network, through its Heart of the Community Fund.

 The Ireland Funds recognises the challenges organisations face in securing funding to build their capacity or meet their core costs, so the Heart of the Community Fund 2023 has provided grants to meet these needs. The grants awarded by the Heart of the Community Fund have been made possible by philanthropic gifts and fundraising events of The Ireland Funds America, the largest of The Ireland Funds' global chapters.

This year’s grant round will provide a total of €930,000 in funding to 94 organisations in 24 counties across the island of Ireland under The Ireland Funds’ four pillars of support for Arts & Culture, Community Development, Education and Peace & Reconciliation.

Caitriona Fottrell, President and CEO of The Ireland Funds, said: "The not-for-profit sector in Ireland is the engine on the ground delivering vital services every day, in every community."

"We understand the significant challenges organisations face, in particular, to meet their core costs to keep that engine going. We believe in each organisation we fund. We believe in what they do, and how they do it. We know that by investing in them, we are positively impacting the communities they work with."

Among the Clare recipients of this year’s Heart of the Community Fund are Sing Ireland and Cuimhneamh an Chláir.

Cuimhneamh an Chláir digitally records, archives and shares the rich traditions, oral heritage and history of Co. Clare, so that present and future generations may benefit from the collective wisdom and lore of an older generation. It does this by sending volunteers to undertake audio interviews with the county's older citizens in its diverse communities.

In supporting, enabling, and connecting communities of singers in Ireland, Sing Ireland is on a mission to enhance lives through singing and build stronger voices throughout Irish communities. The voice is a universal instrument. There are no significant barriers to access the playing of this instrument and group singing is a lifelong, innate activity that simply connects people.

According to Dermot O'Callaghan, CEO of Sing Ireland: "Sing Ireland is thrilled to be an awardee of The Ireland Funds Heart of the Community Fund 2023."

"As an organisation, we're on a mission to make a truly meaningful impact on the number of young people who are engaging in youth singing in Ireland, and to achieve equity in access to group singing. This award will allow us to bolster the employment of new resources aimed at achieving youth equality within our organisation and maximise the impact of our work through our youth singing programmes," he continued.

The Ireland Funds is strategically positioned within the non-profit sector and has swiftly identified and prioritised vital areas of need including enhancing the quality of outcomes in education; disability support; engagement with the arts; family support services; assisting the elderly; encouraging sustainability; mental health and community support.