€224,500 in Funding to Two Wexford Projects under the Community Safety Innovation Fund.Two innovative Wexford projects are to receive funding of €224,500 under the Community Safety Innovation Fund.
The Enniscorthy “Community Plants and Places” project will receive €150,000 with Cumas New Ross receiving €74,500 for its “Safety in the Community” Project.
Welcoming the funding Deputy Kehoe said that the Community Safety Innovation Fund is an innovative fund announced by the Minister for Justice in March this year which allows proceeds of crime to be directed into community projects to support community safety.
“These funds will ensure that the most appropriate proposals to improve community safety will access the funding they need, encourage the development of innovative ways in which to improve community safety from those people who best understand local community safety needs, allows best practice on community safety and youth justice to be shared with other partnerships and communities nationally as new proposals are developed and reflects and highlights the success of An Garda Síochána and the Criminal Assets Bureau in seizing the proceeds from criminal activity.
In Enniscorthy the project aims to provide opportunities for youth within the town to get involved in community gardening, public realm improvements, sustainability initiatives and place-making to support their learning and development, mental health and develop positive community engagement opportunities.
The Cumas project proposes to address the need for community safety education for people with disabilities who are one of the most vulnerable groups in society. The project aims to create a website resource to provide learning in community safety through a 12 lesson programme that can be used by people with disabilities across the country.
Commenting on the funding, Minister James Browne praised both projects for “putting forward innovative proposals that will make a lasting difference in the community.
“The Enniscorthy Community Alliance will carry out their project over two years to allow for consistency of approach and full realisation of several exciting initiatives including edible planting, community garden spaces, sustainability training, tree planting, the creation of biodiversity walkways and the development of youth-friendly outdoor spaces.
“As a Government Minister of State, it is my priority that this Government delivers for County Wexford. Cumas is an excellent example of an organisation benefitting from the support of this Government. Earlier this month, I confirmed that additional HSE funding for Cumas to the value of €390,000 was secured. Today, €74,500 will be dedicated to the delivery of a project to develop community safety education resources for people with disabilities, who are one of the most vulnerable groups in society.
“By supporting these two County Wexford projects, my department and I are putting money back into the community,“ concluded Minister Browne
