Two Laois centres get circular grants
Rediscovery Centre chief executive Claire Downey with Eibhlin Fitzpatrick of Circular.ie at the announcement of circular communications grants. Photo: Conor Healy
TWO centres in Laois have been awarded small grants to promote upcycling and sustainability, in the ongoing battle against a disposable economy and often harmful waste.
Killenard Community Centre will receive €5,000 and Angie’s Attic Furniture in Durrow will get €1,000, under Circular.ie’s circular communications grants announced on 15 December.
Angie’s Attic specialises in giving furniture a new lease of life through high quality upstyling, while Killenard Community Centre provides a vital village hub for a variety of events and initiatives.
The local groups are among 40 organisations nationwide to receive funding, as part of the national scheme with a total value of €100,000.
They were selected from more than 350 applications from all over Ireland, from groups involved in a diverse range of ventures covering reuse, repair, upcycling, education and behavioural change.
The new scheme supporting the circular economy, reuse and community engagement is run by Circular.ie, a national platform for circular economy communications that was established late last year.
Funded by the government under the Circular Economy Fund, the scheme supports projects that are ‘advancing circular living, strengthening community engagement and helping to build a more sustainable future across the country’.
Minister of State Alan Dillon, of the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment with special responsibility for the Circular Economy, congratulated the winners and said: “We are proud to recognise their work and help them to increase the visibility of their activities and the significant role they play in building circular communities.”
The new grants scheme will operate annually, with applications reopening in August next year. Full details of the winning projects and more information about the scheme is available on Circular.ie.
Meanwhile, Circular.ie will launch a series of 12 monthly online communications webinars starting in January. These sessions are open to all community initiatives and will focus on practical ways to engage with audiences.
