Community and sport groups urged to apply for CLÁR funding

Almost €8M has been announced for community and sports facilities nationwide under the CLÁR Programme for 2023.

The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, has confirmed the allocation.

The money will support hundreds of projects with a particular focus on areas that have experienced significant levels of population decline.

Under the initiative, grants of up to €50,000 will be provided to support the development of community and sports facilities, youth clubs, playgrounds, sensory gardens, walking tracks and much more.

And for the first time under the CLÁR Programme, funding will be provided to carry out upgrades and improvements to spectator stands at local GAA and sports clubs.

There will be specific measures to support Cancer Care Transport, Community First Responders as well as our offshore island communities.

Announcing the details of the programme today, Minister Humphreys said: “The CLÁR Programme is all about supporting rural communities in realising their potential.

“It’s about delivering high quality community and sports projects that will make our towns and villages more vibrant places to live and more attractive destinations to visit.

“So from the likes of astro-turfs, playgrounds, sensory gardens and handball alleys to outdoor Cinemas, walking tracks and community gyms – CLÁR is designed to support a vast array of projects that will benefit people of all ages and abilities."

The Minister is encouraging clubs to apply for funding under this year’s initiative.

Since 2016, the CLÁR programme has supported over 2,100 projects with funding of over €57 million under a range of different measures.

The 2023 CLÁR Programme will also provide funding for small scale renovation works to existing community centres for facilities that did not benefit from the Community Centre Investment Fund (CCIF).

The three measures accepting applications under CLÁR are community facilites and amenities; mobility, cancer care and community first responders transport and our islands.