Minister Zappone announces €2.4m Youth Capital Funding for 2019
Monday 29th April 2019
Dr Katherine Zappone TD, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, has today announced capital grant funding of €2.4m for youth clubs, targeted staff-led youth services and national youth organisations across the country to fund equipment and small capital projects.
There will be three youth capital funding schemes in 2019 and these schemes will support the purchase of equipment for local youth clubs and fund small scale capital refurbishment projects including the upgrade of bathrooms and kitchens and the purchase of office equipment for targeted youth services and national youth organisations.
Over 1,500 community volunteer led youth clubs in practically every community in the country will be eligible to apply for equipment funding.
Minister Zappone stated: “I am delighted to be in a position to announce the launch of these schemes today. As in previous years, I am confident these grants will assist in improving the quality of the services to the benefit of young people involved. In particular, they will improve the physical facilities, many of which are in areas of disadvantage.”
Eligible local youth clubs and youth services will be invited by their Education and Training Board (ETB) to apply for funding. National Youth Organisations will be invited to submit their applications for funding directly to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.
The provision of €2.4m in capital funding underscores the Government’s continued commitment to enhance the quality of youth services which add such value to our communities. Investing in young people is a key priority for Government. This latest announcement follows the €2m in current funding announced for volunteer led youth clubs earlier this year under the local youth club grant scheme.
This capital funding is in addition to the €60.4m in current funding which has been provided in 2019 for clubs, services and supports for young people.
The Minister thanked Youth Officers in the sixteen ETBs for their work in supporting local youth projects and their assistance provided to her Department in the design and launch of these schemes. Details on the process to apply for funding under these schemes will be announced shortly.
Minister Zappone stated that “Youth Officers play an essential role in the co-ordination of youth service provision to my Department. They act as a contact point in their respective localities and play an important support role to youth clubs and the providers of youth services.”
The capital scheme for volunteer led local youth clubs is open to applications from clubs which are eligible to receive funding under the local youth club grant scheme.
The capital scheme for staff led youth services is open to applications from services which received funding under the targeted youth funding scheme of youth information centre scheme.
The capital scheme for national youth organisations is open to applications from organisations funded under the Youth Service Grant Scheme.
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