Galway Bay FM Newsroom - Galway Rural Development has announced grant approvals of almost €60,000 to community groups around the county as part of its Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme. Twenty-six different groups have been approved grants up to €2,500 for measures ranging from meals-on-wheels and befriending initiatives, to social services and men’s sheds.
CEO of Galway Rural Development Steve Dolan praised the remarkable work being done by community groups in the county in the most difficult of circumstances. “I genuinely believe that no county in the country has responded so well as County Galway” said Steve, “The figures are there in terms of activity and they’re remarkable”.
Senior Manager of the SICAP team Aoibheann McCann stated “In GRD we supported 1,168 people and 140 groups through the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) over the past year. The county’s rural areas, like those across the country, suffer from a number of common challenges but community groups have responded admirably.”
“Despite the current obstacles, Galway always comes out top in terms of community activity and these grants are a small recognition of the extraordinary work being done. This year, we particularly targeted the community, social, and youth services whose efforts over the past year have helped bridge the gaps in state services.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted the most vulnerable in terms of the health, well-being, and economic effects. In response, GRD is now delivering online personal development and well-being courses to support people to develop well-being skills and to help them fulfil their goals in the changed circumstances.
In terms of the summer ahead, Steve added “The fact is that this hasn’t been a pandemic felt by everyone equally, and we’re not all going to come out of it equally. For our part, we encourage anyone who is struggling to reach out and avail of the online and other supports until activities can fully resume. In the meantime, we’ll do all we can to provide support.”
The SICAP programme supports both groups and individuals to take part in their communities and progress through up skilling, well-being, and enterprise initiatives. SICAP is designed to be locally driven and will be critical in rebuilding the rural community post-COVID. It has also been highlighted as a key programme in the government’s new ‘Our Rural Future’ policy.
