Minister announces Rural Micro Capital Grant awards of £1.5million
Date published:
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Minister Andrew Muir MLA today announced that his Department’s 2024 Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme (RMCGS) has awarded just over £1.5million grant aid to 915 rural voluntary and community sector organisations.
Micro Capital grants of between £500 and £2,000 were available to rural community-led, voluntary organisations from the Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI) funded Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme for projects tackling issues of local poverty and / or social isolation or implementing energy efficiency measures/environmental improvements.
Minister Muir was speaking at Upper Cumber Presbyterian Church, in Claudy, Co Londonderry where he handed over their grant aid Letter of Offer for £1,571.64, and a Letter of Offer to Upper Cumber Youth Council for £1,052.11 for the purchase of sound equipment to expand on activities and provide new services for more young people in the community.
Minister Muir said: “I am delighted to be able to announce that 915 community-led voluntary organisations have been issued with Letters of Offer awarding total grants of just over £1.5million to help them address locally identified poverty or social isolation issues."
The Minister continued: “The Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme is an extremely good-fit within my Department’s Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation Framework, helping rural community-led, voluntary organisations to identify and deliver projects which tackle localised issues of poverty and / or social isolation. This bottom-up approach to addressing local issues is to be commended and I sincerely thank all the voluntary and community groups across Northern Ireland for their work in building social cohesion in their areas”
Minister Muir added: “This project at Upper Cumber Youth Council will enable the purchase of sound equipment, including a PA system, amplifier and microphone to expand on existing activities such as music, dancing, singing etc., and provide new services for more young people in the community all of which help to reduce social isolation in the area. These projects that brings these young people together promote a sense of community and wellbeing for participants, and in turn reduce social isolation. This is exactly the type of project the Scheme was designed to help.”
The scheme is being delivered by Rural Support Networks on behalf of DAERA. Speaking at the event, Philip O’Kane manager of Rural Area Partnership in Derry (RAPID) added: “The DAERA Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme provides a lifeline to many of the small voluntary community groups we support. Without this funding for essential capital equipment these groups would be unable to continue to provide valuable local services to isolated rural communities.”
Notes to editors:
- Upper Cumber Youth Council provides activities for young people within the local community aged 7-17, male and female, to encourage social engagement within the rural young people. The Council meets on a weekly basis on a Saturday evening 7pm-9pm and encourages a high attendance by offering a range of activities such as badminton, football, basketball, bowls, darts, pool, art & crafts, music, cookery, baking, dancing, singing etc.
- The Council has been awarded £1,052.11 for the purchase of sound equipment, including a PA system, amplifier and microphone. The equipment will enable them to expand on activities and provide new services for more young people in the community.
- Upper Cumber Presbyterian Church provides a range of activities for a large number of people within the congregation and the local community, including Rainbows for young girls aged 4-7, Brownies for young girls ages 7-11, a Choir, Presbyterian Woman’s group for older females, Pampered and Prepared Craft Group – mainly for woman, and a Bowling Club, all of which help to reduce social isolation within the community.
- The Church has been awarded £1,571.64 to install a defibrillator which will be available to all who partake in events in the hall and also available within the local community. By having a defibrillator fitted to the exterior of the hall it will offer a lifesaving facility to the local community.
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