Live Here Love Here encourages community groups to apply for the small grant scheme
Applications are now open for grants of up to £3,000 for environmental projects.
Northern Ireland’s largest community and civic pride campaign, Live Here Love Here, has announced that its 2022 Small Grants Scheme is now open to applications from groups across the Newry Mourne and Down District Council area until 28th April 2022.
The initiative, which is run in partnership with ten local councils, Northern Ireland Housing Executive, McAdam and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, will see successful applicants awarded a grant of up to £3,000.
The Small Grants Scheme aims to financially support community-based environmental projects across Northern Ireland that help to develop and maintain a cleaner, greener and safer place to live.
The scheme also helps communities to instil civic pride by providing support to volunteer projects that enhance and protect the environment and improve the health and wellbeing of community members. Grants will be awarded between £500-£3,000.
The scheme is open to unconstituted groups, volunteer groups, community groups and NGOs, all schools and third-level education organisations, youth groups and sports clubs and not-for-profit organisations.
To be eligible, groups should be embedded in their local community and projects should benefit the wider community and environment and create a positive legacy within the community.
Helen Tomb, Manager at Live Here Love Here said: “We are excited to launch the 2022 Small Grants Scheme and would encourage groups across the Newry Mourne and Down District Council area to apply. I would like to thank our partners and business supporters such as McAdam for supporting the initiative.
“Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful is committed to delivering change around climate action, biodiversity recovery and pollution solutions, and this scheme directly supports the communities that take care of our environment and, in turn, our wellbeing.
“These groups make a real difference to our communities and the Small Grants Scheme has proven vital to helping them in their delivery.”
Proposed projects must engage volunteers and community groups to deliver practical action and meet one or more objectives.
These include:
• contributing to the development of civic pride within a community with a focus on environmental improvement;
• encouraging actions and projects that enable pollution solutions, biodiversity recovery and climate action;
• enhancing the environmental management of a local area;
• and improving the health and wellbeing of communities whilst helping to improve and/or maintain public spaces.
A spokesperson from one of last year’s winning groups, Culloville Blues GAC, from the Newry Mourne and Down District Council area said: “We are delighted to have won an award. We are committed to making a difference to the local environment and, in doing so, to improve the wellbeing of the community and to inspire others to follow suit.
“Having our work supported by Live Here Love Here is a real boost, and we hope to continue making Northern Ireland a cleaner and greener place to live for some time to come.”
Stephen Harding, Director at McAdam, said: “We are delighted to partner with Live Here Love Here in supporting the Small Grants Scheme for a second year.
“At McAdam, we are focused on enhancing the local communities in which we work by delivering a legacy of sustainable projects. Therefore there is a natural alignment with the Small Grants Scheme initiative and our ethos at McAdam. We look forward to seeing how this year’s successful applicants deliver their projects.”
Applications are particularly welcome from first-time applicants to the Small Grants Scheme.
To apply, visit: www.liveherelovehere.org/smallgrants
Completed applications must be submitted by 12 noon on Thursday 28th April 2022
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About Live Here Love Here:
- Live Here Love Here is a national campaign aimed at promoting civic pride and a community can-do attitude by improving environmental quality in Northern Ireland with an aim to see cleaner streets, less dog fouling and graffiti, more biodiversity and better use of unused spaces.
- Live Here Love Here, are passionate about creating a healthier and greener Northern Ireland which not only affects our physical health but comes with overwhelming social benefits.
- Live Here Love Here is an inspiring partnership between the Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs; Northern Ireland Housing Executive; Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council; Ards and North Down Borough Council; Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council; Belfast City Council; Derry City and Strabane District Council; Fermanagh and Omagh District Council; Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council; Mid and East Antrim Borough Council; Mid Ulster District Council and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council working alongside Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.
To learn more please visit www.liveherelovehere.org.
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