The Brian Conlon Foundation celebrates five years of giving
The Brian Conlon Foundation is celebrating five years of giving as it opens a new round of funding for grass roots groups in the wider Newry area.
To date the Foundation, established in memory of Brian Conlon – a hugely successful and highly regarded figure in the Newry area and in the wider sports and business community – has awarded over £134,000 to local groups.
Speaking today a spokesperson at the Brian Conlon Foundation said: “We are delighted to supporting communities and organisations in the wider Newry area for five years now.
“Over these years we have made 42 awards to the amount of £134,000.
“We are truly overwhelmed by the impact that these grants are having locally when we hear from local groups who have been supported.
“This legacy that Brian has left has made a real difference, something that we are all positive that Brian would have loved to see. He was a change-maker and someone who was at the heart of Newry.”
Orla Black, Director of Grants at the Community Foundation said: “The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland have had a fantastic relationship for the past five years working with the Brian Conlon Foundation.
“Their drive and commitment to making a lasting difference in the wider Newry area has really taken shape and continues to grow.
“Community organisations from a wide range of backgrounds and fields have benefited from the generosity of this fund such as those working in sports, the arts, youth work and many, many more.
“The funding truly does live up to the legacy of Brian, investing in empowering the community in Newry, the city that he loved.”
About Brian Conlon
Brian passed away in July 2019 after a short illness, aged 53. He was an entrepreneur and founder of First Derivatives and was a much-loved father, husband, son, brother, friend, and colleague who was hugely successful in many walks of life. Brian was a high achiever in education, in sport and in business.
When a knee injury ended his senior gaelic football career with County Down, Brian turned his attention to business and set up First Derivatives from a bedroom in his mother’s home.
It is now one of NI’s most successful businesses employing over 2,500 people globally. Despite his successes’, Brian remained a humble and grounded family man who faced both challenges and opportunities in his own life and who supported local and national causes in a quiet and understated way.
About the Community Foundation NI
The Community Foundation for Northern Ireland is an independent, grant-making trust, inspiring generosity, and achieving impact across Northern Ireland.
Over the past five years we have awarded £52 million in funding to groups and organisations across the region, making contributions to education, health, housing, the arts, social justice, employment, environmental projects and peace and reconciliation, impacting over 3,988 projects.
To find out more about the Community Foundation please visit:
