'Helping Hands' will advise community groups on submitting effective applications for grant funding

An event to provide information to community groups on how to submit effective applications for grant funding will be held tomorrow.

The free event – taking place in the Kennedy Glasgow Centre, Ballina, from 7 to 9 p.m. – forms part of the 'Helping Hands' initiative, a series of six regional events that will run from now until the end of May. These events will provide information on how to submit applications for grant funding and are aimed at groups that have received little or no funding in the past. The Ballina event covers the Mayo and Sligo area.

The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Michael Ring, who will attend the event, said: “I recognise that the application process is often a daunting one for volunteers or other small organisations to negotiate. The Helping Hands series of events, which kicks off in Ballina, is aimed at helping groups that may not have been that successful in getting grant funding in the past. Sometimes the groups that have good ideas, and need it most, don’t make applications or are unsuccessful when they do.

“My department and the wider government make many grants available to community groups. For example, I recently made €145,203 available to Mayo under the Community Enhancement Programme. This initiative will help to ensure that groups with good ideas get their fair share.”

The Helping Hands initiative aims to provide hints and tips on how to make a better application and how to identify local supports that community groups can draw upon.

The events in each region are being run by the Department of Rural and Community Development with support from Pobal, the local authority, the Irish Local Development Network, and local development companies.

The event in the Kennedy Glasgow Centre will also serve as a showcase of local development work in the area. You can register for it on Eventbrite.