BY CIARAN O’DONNELL
Donegal Sports Partnership has been allocated €196,000 under the 2022 Dormant Accounts Grants Scheme for various projects over the next twelve months.
The latest allocation of government funding is aimed at engaging communities across Donegal to focus on people living in disadvantaged communities, people with a disability, women and girls, and people who are educationally disadvantaged.
Welcoming the announcement, Donegal Sports Partnership Coordinator, Myles Sweeney said: “This funding is excellent news for Donegal. Dormant Accounts Funding makes a real difference to individuals and communities right across the county. These sporting measures will help increase participation in sports and physical activity in local communities. Inclusion is a core value within sports, with sports inclusion disability projects also being prioritised within the funding.”
The latest allocation of funding is part of an investment package of €6.1 million in Tranche 1 Dormant Accounts Funding announced by Sport Ireland.
Speaking about the new round of Dormant Account Funding, Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin, said: “This latest round of funding for the promotion and development of sport amongst those experiencing disadvantage or with a disability shows the government’s determination to bring in a targeted and focused way the benefits of sport and physical activity to these marginalised communities. The Programme for Government agreed in 2020 spoke of sport being at the heart of a flourishing community and it made a clear commitment to encourage and promote people’s personal health, well-being, and physical activity. This €6.1m. programme of measures will help to address inequalities in sports participation, in particular those experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage. There is a wide variety of measures being implemented and I am especially pleased about the initiative to get girls more active in sports, too many of whom are still dropping out of sports in their teenage years. I encourage all concerned to actively engage with this exciting programme.”
Government Chief Whip and Minister of State for Sport and the Gaeltacht Jack Chambers TD commented: “I am delighted to announce this significant investment of Dormant Accounts Funding to develop and promote participation initiatives aimed at disadvantaged communities. A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of launching a new €2 million fund for the provision by sports clubs of sports opportunities for people with disabilities. The announcement of a further €6.1 million of Dormant Accounts funding will enable us to provide further targeted measures to make sport available for all, not just for those that have easier access to sports facilities or can afford it. I am excited about the range and variability in this programme. Not only does the programme seek to address and promote decisive action on contemporary issues and challenges such as the importance of sport for at-risk youth in urban settings or in helping young people to cope with exam pressures but, there are also some very welcome initiatives aimed at securing longer-term benefits through youth leadership development and research studies into the unique problems presented in disadvantaged communities.”
Chief Executive of Sport Ireland, Dr Úna May, said: “The Dormant Accounts Funding will enable Sport Ireland to further support our Local Sports Partnerships and Cara to provide equal opportunities for everyone, regardless of their circumstances. The National Sports Policy 2018-2027 has provided the framework for Sport in Ireland to continue to grow and this investment through the LSPs and Cara will play an important part in increasing activity levels of people in Sport in Ireland and removing the barriers and preventative aspects for getting involved in sport.”
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