Sixteen Laois community groups share €465,000 eco fund

A TOTAL of €465,000 has been allocated to 16 community groups in Laois to take climate action in energy conservation, waste reduction, biodiversity and supporting active travel.

The funds were provided to Laois County Council to administer to the various groups to support their initiatives, such as community gardens, resource sharing and upcycling, reducing food waste and retrofitting community buildings.

The groups were: 

Abbeyleix Community Garden for the installation of a rainwater harvesting system with gravity-fed irrigation for their garden.

Camross Community Association to complete its Community Hall retrofit with roof insulation and the installation of LED lighting.

Portlaoise Laois Teachers' Climate Action Committee for its ‘Grow me Local' initiative to fit out an existing polytunnel with professionally designed fully accessible planting areas and a rainwater-harvested irrigation system.

Mountrath Tidy Towns Association for the installation of a fully accessible dry-toilet system, including wormery.

Mountmellick Men's Shed for climate proofing of its shed with PV solar.

St Abban’s Athletic Club for the supply and installation of webapp hardware for the control of lighting etc in club.

Rathdowney Vision CLG for the installation of PV solar, bike repair station and bike parking, as well as garden, the installation of a rainwater harvesting butt and rotating composting bin in its community garden.

Mountrath Community Forum – Greening Macra Hall – to installation of a bike stop in a prominent site in Mountrath town centre, hosting a bike-repair station with bike parking all under a weatherproof shelter.

O’Dempsey’s GAA Club for a full LED retrofit of all 53 light fixtures in its clubhouse.

Abbeyleix Park Development Committee for implementation of its Smart Plan for Fr Breen Sports Park.

Portarlington Business Association Sustainability Group for the provision of a community bike library.

Clonad GAA was provided funding to continue its Green Club development with the installation of PV solar and to retrofit its clubhouse with LED lighting. Biodiversity-friendly planting, weed control and seeds. To support the circular economy, a portable open cabinet for attractive and efficient display for club gear swaps.

Laois Federation of Tidy Towns for the ‘Green Your Festival Kit’ initiative to be lent out to small festivals throughout Laois in support of their efforts to become sustainable events. The kit will contain equipment including solar-charging battery pack (to replace traditional diesel generators). It will reduce waste generated at festivals with reusable pint cups (to replace single-use disposables) and mobile water refill units (to reduce single use plastics).

Portlaoise Tidy Towns for the greening of Lyster Square.

Ballyroan Community Development, to retrofit the Old Boys School building for use as a community facility.

The Heath GAA Club for the insulation of its walls and ceilings, replacement of doors and windows and biodiversity planting.

Community Climate Action Officer with Laois County Council Karen Moore said: “I am thrilled to say that community groups who have been allocated Community Climate Action Programme funds have been notified. These groups are doing projects that not only directly protect our climate but also bring many other benefits to their communities.” 

Further details can be found at gov - Climate Action Fund (www.gov.ie) or by emailing Karen Moore at kmoore@laoiscoco.ie.