It was announced today that Dublin Airport is launching a new €10 million Community Fund that will support a wide range of local community initiatives.
The fund will invest €400,000 per year over the next 25 years in local projects focussed on areas such as environment, sports, social inclusion, community development, health and culture and heritage.
The new Community Fund will support local projects in the neighbouring communities around Dublin Airport from Santry south of the airport to Rolestown in the north and from Tyrrelstown on the west to Portmarnock on the east. The Community Fund will also support up to 10 students per year from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to enable them to attend Dublin City University (DCU) via its Access Programme.
Dublin Airport is the largest employer in Fingal with 19,200 jobs located directly at the airport or at airport-related businesses.
Awards from the Community Fund will be made by an independent Grant Making Panel, chaired by Marian Burns, Director of Human Resources with DCU. Ms Burns was appointed to the role in 2002, and joined the university in 1990. The grant making panel will also include two representatives from local businesses and two representatives from Dublin Airport.
There will be two calls for funding applications each year - in February and September - and payments will be awarded in April and November. Organisations can apply for grants under three different headings - minor grants of €5,000 or less to suit smaller initiatives, major grants of €5,000 or over for projects that have medium or long-term benefits and capital grants for the purchase of equipment or the improvement or construction of buildings.
Speaking today, Dublin Airport Managing Director, Vincent Harrison said, "Dublin Airport has been supporting projects in local communities for decades and as the airport grows with additional facilities such as the new North Runway, we are expanding our support for those neighbouring communities. The new Community Fund represents is a very significant expansion of our existing local activities, as we are more than doubling our annual community spend."
Source: www.businessworld.ie
