€90k CLAR funding for Ballymore and Raharney
Almost €90,000 has been allocated for rural community projects in Raharney and Ballymore.
In Ballymore, Ballymore Men's Shed is to receive €9,270 to construct a new shed which will be located beside the community centre, while €37,000 has been allocated to construct a new car park at Markethill.
Raharney is to receive €40,050 for new street lighting in the village following an application from the local Tidy Towns committee. The funding for both projects has been allocated under the CLAR scheme.
The news about the funding has been welcomed by Minister of State Peter Burke and Cllr Tom Farrell.
“I am delighted to confirm that two projects have been successful in Ballymore after being supported by Westmeath County Council and now the department. Ballymore Men’s Shed, a fantastic local group I have worked with alongside Cllr Tom Farrell, have received €9,270 to construct a new shed which will be beside the Community Centre in Ballymore. This will be a very useful new facility for the group and will allow more members to join in what is already great community group in the heart of rural Ireland.
“Furthermore, funding has been granted by Minister Humphreys for the construction of a new car park at Markethill, Ballymore which will see an almost €37,000 investment. In Raharney, the Tidy Towns have applied for and been successful in their call for €40,050 for new street lighting, which will make the village safter for pedestrians, visitors and motorists alike.
“While these projects are modest investments, they will make a huge difference to their respective communities. I commend the Men’s Shed group in Ballymore, Raharney Tidy Towns, Cllr Tom Farrell and Westmeath County Council for their hard work in reviewing and submitting these projects. We need community volunteers and our local authority to continue to make these applications as there is significant rural funding available to groups and projects that will benefit each of our rural communities. Often these groups are run by volunteers who invest hours of their time for the good of their locality.
“I look forward to seeing the works being carried and the benefits trickling down to our local communities”.
The funding for the Ballymore projects has also been welcomed by Cllr Vinny McCormack.
“I have been working extremely closely on both of these projects for some time and I am over the moon that funding has been allocated. Earlier in the year I actually put together the CLAR application on behalf of the Men’s Shed and worked with the communities section of Westmeath County Council in terms of advancing it through the various stages. The Men’s Shed are currently meeting in the back room of the Community Centre and needed additional space to carry out projects or undertake training. This funding will allow us to construct a shed on the community centre grounds and really allow the Men’s Shed group to flourish. Both allocations announced today are further good news for the village as we recently secured €50,000 to develop additional car parking at the Community Centre and a further €50,000 to complete works on the hurling wall at Fr Dalton Park”.
Ballymore Men’s Shed formed in late 2021 and currently has up to 20 members who meet twice weekly, the group was born from the St Owen's restoration group and has registered with the national Men’s Shed movement.
“ In terms of funding for the car park at Market Hill, the council has identified a need for additional space to accommodate staff parking for Ballymore Community Childcare. There have been safety concerns regarding the number of cars in the vicinity of this facility and following traffic surveys the engineer submitted an application to provide additional spaces. The planned works will be carried out in consultation with the residents of Market Hill and I will be asking Westmeath County Council to provide a copy of the planned works to all residents as soon as possible,” concluded Cllr MCormack.