A NEW €15m capital fund for the upgrade and refurbishment of community centres nationwide has been announced by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD.

The Community Centres Investment Fund will support community groups in rural and urban communities with the upgrade and development of their community centre facilities.

Funding will be available under three categories with grants of between €10k and €300K available.

Funding is available for capital works such as energy retrofitting, new windows, new doors and heating systems; upgrades to roofs, lighting systems, and stage areas; works to improve disability access and essential maintenance works

There are also plans to develop community centres as social hubs through the development of community cinemas, youth hubs, and community libraries.

Services

Work will also be carried out to provide additional services to the community such as meals for the elderly and youth facilities.

Minister Humphreys said: “Community centres are at the heart of every community in Ireland. We need places for people to meet up, to play sport, and engage in all sorts of activities whether it is meals for the elderly, indoor soccer or basketball, or providing a space for the local dramatic society to perform.

“This new fund is about supporting them to carry out vital upgrade works as well as enhancing the services and amenities they can provide to persons of all ages in their community,” she said.

Minister Humphreys continued: “I am encouraging all community groups to look at this fund and think about how they can use it to improve their own local parish hall or community centre. Do you need new windows or doors? Could you look at developing space for a community cinema?

“Community centres are all about bringing people together in a locality. As Minister, I want to ensure community centres continue to be at the heart of our local parishes, towns, and villages,” she added.

There will be a two-stage application process with applicants asked to register their organisation in advance of the formal application process going live.

Registration will open on Tuesday, May 3 and the closing date for applications is Thursday, July 14.