Limerick groups to benefit from 2025 Community Fund

Focus Ireland’s Pete Limerick, Doras, and Dóchas are to benefit from part of the €500,000 Bank of Ireland Community Fund 2025. PICTURE: Marc O’Sullivan

Three Limerick groups, Focus Ireland’s Pete Limerick, Doras, and Dóchas are to benefit from part of the €500,000 Bank of Ireland Community Fund 2025

€500,000 is being allocated to community groups across the island of Ireland in the sixth year of the Community Fund, Bank of Ireland’s flagship community investment initiative, delivered in partnership with Community Foundation Ireland, and three Limerick groups are set to benefit from the funding.

The groups supported include those who are disproportionately impacted by some of the most critical issues in Ireland today, as identified by Community Foundation Ireland and through ESRI data. These groups include families and individuals living in or at risk of poverty, older people, people experiencing homelessness, the LGBTQ+ community, traveller and Roma community, people experiencing domestic abuse, migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees.

The current round of grants will bring the total value of Community Fund grants issued to €3 million for 307 community projects across the island of Ireland since 2020. Initiatives will receive grants starting from €10,000 all the way up to €80,000.

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Dóchas‘ Autism Print Studio is a transformative employment initiative that empowers individuals on the autism spectrum through meaningful, skills-based work in design and print. By offering tailored training, sensory-friendly environments, and inclusive practices, the studio enables participants to thrive professionally while building confidence and independence.

Doras’ project will deliver financial literacy classes for migrant women, by equipping them with practical skills in budgeting, managing income and expenses, understanding entitlements and money-saving techniques. The curriculum is built from the ground up using practical, real-life scenarios that directly address the unique financial challenges faced by refugees/migrants.

Focus Ireland’s PETE Limerick supports people at risk of, or experiencing, homelessness and helps them to overcome barriers to education, training and employment through a flexible and individually-tailored education programme. As well as providing access a variety of courses, one-to-one career guidance and job support, this programme promotes community integration through a variety of community-based activities.

Among those awarded the 22 grants, two €80,000 multi-year grants have been allocated to Belfast-based Advice NI and to Young Social Innovators, a non-profit organisation empowering young people to use their talents and creativity to produce innovative solutions to social challenges.

Áine McCleary, Chief Customer Officer, Bank of Ireland, said, “Since 2020, the Community Fund has been working with Community Foundation Ireland to help to make our society stronger by allocating funds to those in greatest need. I am very proud of the support that we provide to these groups who do incredible work to address some of society’s most critical issues and the grants are targeted to support them as part of this outreach.”

“This year, we have prioritised projects that will broaden inclusion levels in our society, equipping people with the requisite skills and competencies, and providing opportunities for them to be connected through education, enterprise, or work.

The grants will enable these organisations to further develop the valuable work they deliver to their service-users, and to make plans for exciting future endeavours. I would like to wish all the successful grantees well as they embark on their programmes.”

Denise Charlton, Chief Executive of Community Foundation Ireland, added, “Our partnership with the Bank of Ireland Community Fund continues to deliver support to groups and communities in greatest need. We use our experience as a philanthropic hub with a network of voluntary, community and charitable partners across Ireland to assist in the identification of projects which are responding to existing as well as new and emerging challenges. As a long-standing partner, Bank of Ireland continues to show its strong commitment to be an active member and a supporter of groups transforming lives every day. We congratulate the latest awardees and look forward to hearing the progress of their valuable work”