New grants scheme to promote civic pride

Environmental charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful will be working with the Department of the Environment, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and eleven local Councils to launch the ‘Live Here, Love Here’ small grants scheme which is designed to tackle issues such as poor environmental quality, littering and dilapidation particularly in coastal areas, by encouraging volunteers to take practical action in their local communities.

The scheme forms part of the wider ‘Live Here, Love Here’ programme, which includes an innovative media campaign, due to launch at the beginning of next year, and the creation of a calendar of volunteering opportunities to encourage participation all year round.

The small grants scheme is open to volunteer groups operating in participating Council areas:

• Antrim Borough Council
• Ards Borough Council
• Ballymena Borough Council
• Belfast City Council
• Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council
• Fermanagh District Council
• Larne Borough Council
• Limavady Borough Council
• Newry and Mourne District Council
• Newtownabbey Borough Council
• Strabane District Council 

The small grants scheme is open to constituted volunteer groups taking action to improve their local environment or community. The deadline for applications is noon on 22 September 2014. Groups will need to complete a simple two page application form to apply for a grant.

For more information on the ‘Live Here, Love Here’ small grants scheme and to download an application pack please visit the Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful website at www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org/liveherelovehere.aspx or Facebook page at www.facebook.com/keepnorthernirelandbeautiful

Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive at Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, comments: “This scheme will help volunteers to take practical action in their local communities to improve their local environment, how it is managed and support the growth of civic pride in communities. By working together and encouraging everyone to take part, we can start to tackle the negative impact of littering and other environmental behaviours and create a cleaner, greener, more prosperous society.”

Environment Minister, Mark H Durkan, says: “Citizens quite rightly place most importance on their local environment. A clean, healthy local environment is a source of both civic pride and individual wellbeing.  It is fitting that my Department joins with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, the Tourist Board, and local councils to support a grant scheme to help citizens and community groups take practical action in their neighbourhoods, which will restore and enhance the environment and generate a great sense of pride.”

Laura McCorry, Director of Corporate Development at the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, says: “Earlier this year, we witnessed incredible levels of community spirit and civic pride in the run up to the Giro d’Italia.  It was inspirational to see what could be achieved through local communities working together in their own areas. 

“This scheme provides an opportunity to harness that community spirit and channel it into projects that can make positive improvements within local communities.  We know that our visitors value a clean, and green natural environment so we are delighted to be supporting the Small Grants Scheme which we are confident will make an important contribution towards achieving a cleaner, greener Northern Ireland.”