County Sligo LEADER Partnership CLG,
Development Centre, Cleveragh Road,
Sligo, F91 W2KH
The Department of Rural and Community Development (DRCD) has launched a ‘COVID-19 Stability Fund 2021’ which is open to community and voluntary organisations, charities and social enterprises. The press release announcing the launch of this Fund is available here for further information.
The primary aim of the COVID-19 Stability Fund 2021 is to help organisations suffering financially due to a reduction in their fundraising and/or traded income to continue to deliver eligible critical services over this difficult period
Priority will be given to:
Organisations who have not received previous support from the DRCD COVID-19 Stability Scheme 2020 or other Government supports
Community Centres that are delivering services to the wider community that are not registered with the Companies Registration Office or the Registrar of Friendly Societies or the Charities Regulator in the Republic of Ireland
Organisations that are experiencing severe financial difficulties and are at risk of severely reducing their eligible critical services and supports and/or in danger of not continuing and/or reopening
Organisations that are not in receipt of public funding or where public funding represents a relatively small percentage of your overall income
The eligibility criteria and guidance for applicants have been updated for 2021 and are available on the Pobal website.
Each organisation must determine their eligibility for the Fund prior to applying. Pobal are anticipating high demand for this funding and therefore, meeting the eligibility criteria and/or submitting an application do not guarantee funding.
The key timelines are as follows:
| Key Timelines | Dates |
| Register on the application portal
|
Thursday, 6 May, 2021 to Tuesday, 25 May, 2021 |
| Help and support available
|
Thursday, 6 May, 2021 to Thursday, 27 May, 2021
|
| Online application form opens
|
Thursday, 20 May, 2021 to Thursday, 27 May, 2021
|
| Online application form closes
|
Thursday, 27 May, 2021 at 3.00pm (15:00 hrs)
|
If you choose to apply for the COVID-19 Stability Fund 2021 you can register for the COVID-19 Stability Fund 2021 portal in one of the following ways:
- If you have a C&V Stability Scheme 2020 portal account, you can use your existing username and password to access the COVID-19 Stability Fund 2021 portal. You do not need to register your organisation’s details again.
or
- If you or your organisation has another Pobal portal account, you must activate your COVID-19 Stability Fund 2021 portal account by emailing stabilityscheme@pobal.ie quoting your Pobal Unique Reference Number (URN) referenced at the start of this email. You do not need to create a new portal account. If you do so, you will receive an error message and will be unable to proceed any further. To ensure that there are no delays in setting up your account, please contact stabilityscheme@pobal.ie as early in May 2021 as possible.
All details on the COVID-19 Stability Fund 2021 can be found on the Pobal website. If you have any further queries on the Fund, please email stabilityscheme@pobal.ie.
ORIS 2021
The Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme provides funding for the development of new outdoor recreational infrastructure. It also provides support for the necessary repair, maintenance, enhancement or promotion of existing outdoor recreational infrastructure in rural areas across Ireland.
The scheme supports sporting and recreational pursuits. It helps to make use of the resources of the countryside that contribute to healthy active lifestyles. It supports the economic and tourism potential of the area for both local communities and tourist visitors alike.
It provides funding for:
- development, extensions and repair of trails, walkways, cycleways and blueways
- improved access to outdoor leisure or recreational facilities
- development of outdoor recreational infrastructure
Applications are accepted by County Sligo LEADER Partnership Company CLG under ORIS (Measure 1)*.
* Measure 1: Small-scale repair/development/promotional and marketing projects of grant aid amounts up to €20,000
Download Expression of Interest Application
Closing date for completed Expressions of Interest is Friday 21st May 2021 @ 5pm.
Online ZOOM painting classes starting Wednesday 12th May for 6 Wednesdays:
May 12th
May 19th
May 26th
June 2nd
June 9th
June 16th
All classes start at 11am and run for about an hour.
All levels welcome. Beginners to experienced
Final online exhibition of all work to be held
Contact: Geri Bruce 086 4183717 or email gbruce@sligoleader.com
*Priority will be given to those in receipt of a Social Welfare payment.
This project is delivered through the Social Inclusion Community and Activation Programme (SICAP).
SICAP promotes social inclusion for communities and individuals at risk of social exclusion.
“Rethinking Community Communication” will comprise of 4 workshops covering specific areas/topics in relation to developing innovative communication strategies and facilitating new approaches to adopt COVID climate we are currently operating in. The workshop will also focus on designing new ways for communities to hold annual community events. Explore alternative fund-raising strategies and the importance of network building in a community development context. The workshops will also focus on the strengths County Sligo has in rebranding and re-modelling traditional cultural activities that took place pre covid-19.
Workshop dates:
11th of May – Workshop 1
18th of May – Workshop 2
25th of May- Workshop 3
27th of May – Workshop 4
Workshop 1.
Building a new Fundraising Strategy within your organisation – looking and discussing new models.
Workshop 2.
PR -Communications social media reach, building a new story of your organisation.
Champion your reach /promoting your project.
Workshop 3.
Programme Prompts- new ways of Delivering events/ Festivals, empowering connectivity in your community. Redesigning traditional cultural and Festivals events.
Workshop 4.
Planning for the Future innovative opportunities/ Building Networks/ what is possible from a Sligo context. Questions and Answers.
Please apply here to take part in the Workshops
Project approvals under the Transitional Programme will commence from 1st April 2021. The Programme will bridge gap between EU LEADER programming periods.
The Initial allocation of €521k to support Sligo-led rural development with a key focus on building capacity in communities.
The main priorities include:
- Supports to rural businesses seeking to reach new markets, expand, innovate and/or diversify in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and/or Brexit, with a particular emphasis on providing support to businesses in the food sector.
- Community based projects that seek to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Supports and capacity building for communities that have not previously received assistance under LEADER or other rural programmes.
- Support for new and innovative projects in the areas of climate change, environmental protection and the green economy.
- Maximising the potential of broadband and the digital economy in communities, including through skills development and building awareness and usage of available remote working facilities.
- Projects that develop the concept of the Smart Village initiative or Rural Economic Development Zones (REDZs).
Find out more:
For Application information please email sheffernan@sligoleader.com
Closing date for first round of applications is the 28th May 2021.
Announcing the details of the Transitional Programme, Minister Humphreys said :
“Since 1991, the LEADER Programme has played an important role in the development and enhancement of rural areas, by providing critical funding to rural economies, and supporting rural communities to implement a local-led ‘bottom-up’ approach to developing their own areas.
With co-financing from the EU, LEADER has supported thousands of projects across Ireland. It has contributed to job creation, community development and environmental projects throughout the length and breadth of rural Ireland.
A new call for proposals under the LEADER Food Initiative will also be announced in 2021. This Initiative, which is jointly managed by my Department and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, will support small food producers to address emerging challenges, such as responding to the impact of Brexit and developing markets for their products.
The Transitional Programme will give local communities and enterprises an opportunity to respond to the emerging challenges for rural areas and to look ahead to issues that are likely to feature in the next EU programme.
It will allow the Local Development Companies to build capacity within communities who have not received LEADER funding to date, while also facilitating preparations for the next LEADER programme.”
County Sligo LEADER Partnership Company welcome increased LEADER allocation for 2021 & 2022
(Friday March 12th 2021) County Sligo LEADER Partnership Company CLG, a member of the Irish Local Development Network (ILDN) who represent the 35 Local Development Companies (LDCs) who deliver the LEADER Programme nationally, have welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Rural & Community Development Heather Humphreys TD, and Minister for Agriculture Food & Marine Charlie McConalogue TD, of an increased allocation of €70 million in 2021 & 2022 for the LEADER Programme.
Welcoming the announcement, John Feerick SLPC CEO said; “County Sligo LEADER Partnership Company and ILDN have been calling recently for the Government to utilise funding available from the EU for Rural Development, for the purposes of LEADER. As the deliverers of LEADER in County Sligo we are greatly encouraged by today’s announcement of an increased allocation of €70 million to the end of 2022.”
“The LEADER Programme offers the ideal vehicle for the delivery of development funding to Rural Areas in the most effective manner. The allocation of this increased funding will deliver critical stimulus to Rural areas to help drive the post Covid recovery. Furthermore, the funding announced today will ensure that more vital projects in Sligo are focused on climate change, digital transformation, remote working and enterprise development can be progressed in our rural communities throughout the country to meet the expectations of the EU in terms of the requirements of its Recovery funding criteria.”
-ENDS-
Grow your own Herbs!
This wonderful project provides each participant with their own free Herb Kit consisting of seed tray, plant pots, identifier tags, compost (organic) and 5 varieties of herbs.
Also included is a step-by-step guide to planting seeds.
The project will be hosted by The Organic Centre who have long term experience in training and community garden development.
To apply for the project:
Contact: Geri Bruce 086 4183717 or email gbruce@sligoleader.com
*Priority will be given to those in receipt of a Social Welfare payment.
The Community Garden project is delivered through the Social Inclusion Community and Activation Programme (SICAP). SICAP promotes social inclusion for communities and individuals at risk of social exclusion.