COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY SPC
Tuesday, February 19, 2019
HEADED ITEM NO. 8
HEADED ITEM: Community
National Community Weekend May 2019
In December 2018 the Department of Rural and Community Development informed local authority Chief Executives of a weekend of community hosted events to be held over the May bank holiday weekend in 2019.
The Minister has approved funding of €10,000 for each of the 31 Local Community Development Committees. The funding has been provided through the relevant local authority and is then to be allocated by the LCDC in the form of small grants to support local events. The funding has been received by the Council.
The event is intended to be a celebration of the great spirit of community that exists across the country and an effort to help people who share communities to come together, get to know each other and deepen the sense of community in their area over the May Bank Holiday weekend (4-6 May) 2019. The funding was intended to be channelled through the LCDC and having local communities coming together to plan events that will work best for their area.
The timescale for expenditure of this grant is very tight and it is recognised that some groups who might consider applying may be planning an event later in the year, which would then be ineligible.
A report on the Community Weekend was considered at the LCDC meeting held on Wednesday 13th February 2019. The LCDC made the following points:
- Concerns about funding being channelled through LCDC;
- Social & Community SPC should consider what may be an appropriate means of highlighting the event and utilising the funding;
- Noted that the community section in the Council had considerable experience in funding similar projects and questioning the benefit of establishing a new event;
- Examine the possibility of connecting the Community Weekend with the existing, established Bealtaine events;
The Committee's views will be taken in relation to how best to maximise the funding without generating an administrative burden for the distribution of such limited funding for this National Community Weekend.