The north’s largest community and civic pride campaign Live Here Love Here has opened its small grants scheme for a 10th year, offering groups up to £5,000.
The scheme, run in partnership with nine of the north’s 11 councils, the NI Housing Executive and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, is aimed at promoting civic pride within communities and improving the environmental quality of shared green spaces to bring about cleaner, greener and safer places to live.
Grants of between £500 and £5,000 will available for successful projects during the application period from August 27 to September 17.
Between now and the deadline, Live Here Love Here will host ‘Connecting Communities’ events in-person and online, where interested parties can learn more and also hear from previous recipients.
Half Moon Lake Men’s Shed received Belfast City Council funding as part of last year’s scheme.
The money helped members revitalise a large waste area at the entrance to Half Moon Lake and build large sleepers which were planted with a variety of native species to improve the biodiversity of the area, whilst also making it more enjoyable for visitors.
Orla McGrady, grants officer at Live Here Love Here, said: “Ours is a people-powered campaign focused on improving the local environment and building a sense of civic pride in communities.
“Over the past decade we’ve seen the lasting impact the scheme has made by helping people come together to work on a common goal. Everyone in the community benefits from the environmental and aesthetic improvements yielded as a result, and this is incredibly important to how people feel about and treat where they live.
“Last year alone, along with the support of local councils and the Housing Executive, we were able to help 89 groups deliver improvements worth £113,760.
“Whilst we are delighted to provide financial assistance, the groups that carry out these works should be commended for the real difference they make to their communities.
“Along with our partners, we look forward to this year’s applications, and encourage anyone with a viable idea to register to attend to a community event in their area or check out www.liveherelovehere.org/smallgrants for more information.”
Application is open to volunteer groups (constituted or otherwise), community groups, charities all schools and third-level education organisations, sports clubs and not-for-profit organisations based anywhere in Northern Ireland. Applicants should be embedded in their local community and have a project idea that can benefit the wider community and the environment whilst also creating a positive legacy within the area.