Bank of Ireland provides community groups across Northern Ireland with grants of up to £39,000 from Begin Together Fund
- Bank of Ireland Begin Together Fund focuses on community enterprise and innovation and financial and mental wellbeing.
- Grants from £13,000 – £39,000 to be distributed to 4 local groups
- Over £3.5m in supports distributed across the island of Ireland by Bank of Ireland Begin Together Fund since 2020.
- Advice NI and Cara Friend (pictured) have received funding to provide financial and mental wellbeing support for vulnerable consumers.
Four local community groups working to support financial and mental wellbeing in Northern Ireland are among 20 community projects across the island of Ireland that will receive financial support from Bank of Ireland’s Begin Together Community Fund in 2023.
The grants, delivered in partnership with the Community Foundation for Ireland, will be larger and distributed to a smaller number of groups, with the intention of providing substantial supports that will drive real impact. Each initiative will receive between £13,000 and £39,000 for projects spanning financial literacy and wellbeing, mental health, inclusion and diversity. Previous funding allocations were between £3,000 – £4,000.
In what is year four of the Begin Together Fund, £433,000 is being allocated to groups across the island of Ireland. This will bring the total value of grants issued via the Begin Together Fund to over £3.5m since 2020.
The Fund is one strand of the Bank of Ireland Begin Together programme, which was established to support community groups, local enterprise and the arts across the island of Ireland. The Community Fund specifically aims to support initiatives that promote community enterprise and innovation and improving the financial and mental wellbeing.
George Higginson, Managing Director Northern Ireland and UK Strategic Partnerships, Bank of Ireland UK, said:
“Bank of Ireland’s Begin Together Fund has been providing financial support to help a broad range of community groups, charities and organisations across the island of Ireland meet the needs of some of the most marginalised and disadvantaged people in our society. We are immensely proud of the role these organisations play in making a positive difference in the communities we serve.
“Supporting financial and mental wellbeing is an important focus for the Begin Together Fund this year, and we are delighted that the four organisations who have been awarded funding in Northern Ireland, Advice NI, Cara Friend, North West Migrants Forum and Fermanagh Rural Community Initiative have the capacity and capability to make a real difference to their local communities.”
Denise Charlton, Chief Executive of The Community Foundation for Ireland, added:
“The Bank of Ireland Community Fund is transforming lives, often when people are experiencing greatest need. We believe in equality for all in thriving communities. It is an ambitious goal but one, which through initiatives like the Community Fund, is achievable.
“The impact we have seen since the fund was first established has been extraordinary. Community Foundation for Ireland values its partnership with Bank of Ireland and looks forward to working together into the future for the betterment of all our communities.”
Among the NI projects receiving funding is Advice NI which will receive £39,000 for their Digi-Wellbeing programme which supports the mental and financial wellbeing of people with experience of asylum and the immigration system through increased digital skills, ensuring they can access all of their entitlements.
Patricia Donald, Head of Comms & Digital, Advice NI said:
“We are delighted to have secured Begin Together funding from Bank of Ireland to continue our Digi-Wellbeing Programme which we know it is making a real difference in the lives of some of the most marginalised members of our communities. Providing digital skills to access basic entitlements can be life-changing for many Refugees, Asylum Seekers, and Migrants. Shared learning with other members of their community in their own language builds community trust, provides support, and improves individual digital skills.”
Cara Friend, which supports and empowers the LGBTQI+ community will receive £26,000 to help fund a mental health and mindfulness programme for older LGBTQIA+ members to promote positive mental health and resilience, challenging the stigma of talking about self-harm and suicide. The funding will also support enhancements to the LGBTQIA+ helpline.
Steve Williamson, Director, Cara Friend said:
“The Begin Together Funding means we can enhance our services for the LGBTQIA+ community through our Helpline provision which is often our first means of contact with someone experiencing a wellbeing issue. The funding also means we can run a specific wellbeing campaign to encourage positive mental wellbeing, particularly among older LGBTQIA+ people, ensuring they know there is help and support available when they need it. We are so pleased to have been awarded funding to help us continue improving the lives of LGBTQIA+ people across Northern Ireland.”
Two further projects in Northern Ireland will each receive funding of £13,000. The Fermanagh Rural Community Initiative will use the funds to finance a project that will use gardening and craft resources to introduce conversations around mental and financial wellbeing, encouraging participants to utilize natural resources to build greenwood furniture and grow vegetables in planter boxes. The North West Migrants Forum will help asylum seekers, refugees and migrant families in the North West to ensure individuals and families have the skills, confidence and knowledge they need to have the best start at life in the area.
A full list of 2023 grantees is available here: begintogether