Grants Announced For 24 Kildare Groups To Promote Physical Activity In Older People

The grants scheme, a combined initiative from Age & Opportunity and Sport Ireland.

Some 24 Kildare groups will receive €13,540 to fund physical activity for older people.

The successful Kildare groups are:Athy Community Family Resource Centre, Athy Town AFC Walking Football Team, Two-mile-house ICA, Muintireas, Brindley Mill Lane Manor Private Nursing Home, Prosperous Lawn Tennis Club, Celbridge ICA Guild, Monasterevin Blueway Kayaking Club, Hollywood ICA, Celbridge GAA, Arthritis Ireland Kildare Branch, Newbridge ICA, St. Laurences GAA Club.

It includes, Newbridge Family Resource Centre FRC, Irish Wheelchair Association, Clane NMC, St. John of God Community Services, Kill ICA (Kildare), Maynooth ICA, Athy Community Enterprise Centre, Leixlip ICA, Narraghmore Development Assoc., Kildare Sports Partnership, Celbridge Community Centre, Rathcoffey.

The grants scheme, a combined initiative from Age & Opportunity and Sport Ireland, will distribute €13,540 across 24 groups in Kildare.  

Nationwide 995 groups will receive grants totalling €514,120.

Minister of State for Sport and the Gaeltacht Jack Chambers said: “The Age & Opportunity Active National Grant Scheme has been an incredibly beneficial resource in enabling older people to become more active and the grants announced today are a further recognition of the importance of sport and physical activity in the lives of older people.

 Dr. Una May, Chief Executive of Sport Ireland commented: “Sport Ireland’s vision is that sport contributes to enhancing the quality of Irish life and that people of all ages are encouraged and valued in sport.

 “We are delighted to award funding to the Age & Opportunity Active National Grant Scheme. Keeping physically active or returning to activity is more important than ever given the circumstances we’ve found ourselves in due to Covid-19 over the last number of years.

"The grant continues to act as a valuable resource in getting more older people more active and we are thrilled to share this good news with everyone today.” 

 Karen Horgan, CEO of Age & Opportunity commented: "We are delighted that this year 383 successful applications were from designated disadvantaged areas. There were also 48 applications from nursing homes and 84 applications from day care centres.”

Of today’s successful funding allocations, 201 grants were awarded to Active Retirement Associations, 218 grants were awarded to Irish Countrywomen’s Associations, 226 grants were awarded to sports clubs and 22 to Local Sports Partnerships.