October 26, 2021
Fund innovators awarded in areas of sustainability and rural development
Rethink Ireland, in partnership with Ornua, one of Ireland’s leading dairy companies, is proud to award €200,000 to five innovative projects driving ambitious thinking in key areas of sustainability and rural development. An organisation working to end the need for single-use plastic water bottles, a citizen science project empowering people around the country to monitor their local waterways and a conservation charity preserving Ireland’s biodiversity are among the projects awarded as part of the Glas Communities Fund.
The Glas Communities Fund is a €200,000 fund created by Rethink Ireland in partnership with Ornua and the Department of Rural and Community Development via the Dormant Accounts Fund. The objective of the fund is to back innovative solutions which are working to build green sustainable communities in Ireland.
The fund awards five high-performing projects from the Rethink Ireland programme, helping them expand with a clear focus on scale, growth and driving positive impact. Each awardee receives a cash grant and a place on a comprehensive six-month Accelerator Programme, which will focus on equipping the projects to scale, to strengthen their impact in their communities.
The five projects who will receive funding include:
- Community Hydration Hub Network Expansion – works with communities to create a cleaner environment by providing complimentary drinking water and removing the need for single-use plastic water bottles.
- CENTENNIAL – mobilises citizen scientists to monitor their local waterways helping us understand more about water quality by testing more locations throughout Ireland, more frequently.
- ie – promoting and advocating for cycling to be part of transport and everyday life in Ireland.
- Exploring and Enhancing Place – supporting people to understand more about their local community through ‘place-based’ learning.
- Green Sod Ireland Environmental Education Project – provides educational workshops for local businesses about the importance of protecting our biodiversity.
Commenting on the announcement, Pádraic Vallely, Business Development Manager at Rethink Ireland, said: “Rethink Ireland would like to congratulate the awardees of the Glas Communities Fund. These organisations are using innovative solutions to promote environmental sustainability in their communities and beyond. Sustainability is integral to the future of Ireland’s growth, and we are calling on like-minded organisations to get in touch and support green transition funding via Rethink Ireland. We look forward to seeing the positive impact the Glas Communities Fund will make in supporting the Awardees to strengthen their impact. We want to thank Ornua for showing leadership on this fund.”
Also commenting today, Jeanne Kelly, Head of Communications, Ornua, added: “As one of Ireland’s leading dairy co-operatives, climate action and sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. We are delighted to support the Glas Communities Fund, and to be playing a key role in driving scale, growth, and positive impact in such innovative projects across the areas of sustainability and rural development.
To play our part in building a sustainable future, Ornua is focused on channelling investment into areas that will enact real change, making a positive difference to our environment and our communities. We’d like to congratulate the awardees of this year’s Glas Communities Fund and look forward to watching these ambitious and dynamic environmental projects reap the benefits of additional funding and support from the Accelerator Programme.”
For more information visit: rethinkireland.ie