Westmeath gets €87,760 sports allocation funding

Sport and physical activity in Westmeath has received a welcome boost, with €87,760 being allocated to Westmeath Sports Partnership through the Dormant Accounts Fund.

The allocation is part of a total investment package of €7.3m in Dormant Accounts Funding announced by Sport Ireland for a wide range of sport and physical activity measures countrywide.

Sport Ireland’s investment aims to engage with communities across the country, focusing on people with disabilities, people who are educationally disadvantaged and from disadvantaged communities.

Included in the allocation to Westmeath Sports Partnership is €61,000 for a new Community Sports Hub based at Athlone Regional Sports Centre, €11,720 for Sports Inclusion Disability Project, €11,540 for Volunteer Supports and €3,500 for Youth Leadership.

Speaking about the new round of Dormant Accounts Funding, Minister for Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht, Catherine Martin TD, said:

“A key priority for Government is the targeting of resources at programmes that seek to address inequalities in sports participation, in particular socio-economic disadvantage. Similarly, we are keen to ensure that interventions are in place to boost participation levels among people with disabilities.

The range of measures funded through the Dormant Accounts Fund is helping to make sport and physical activity more inclusive and accessible for many people right across Ireland.”

Minister of State for Sport and the Gaeltacht, Jack Chambers TD, added: “The positive impact of sport and physical activity on our physical and mental wellbeing cannot be overstated.

"The current pandemic has confirmed the critical importance of sport to Irish society and the uplift it provides to people’s spirits. While keeping us fit, regular physical activity is an excellent social outlet for many. The investment

package announced today will have a positive impact on the health of the nation, and support the growth of community and social cohesion through sport.”

Among the successful Dormant Accounts Fund projects announced are thirteen new Innovation projects.

Chairman of Sport Ireland, Kieran Mulvey, commented: “Sport Ireland is delighted with the significant investment of €990,000 in Innovation for Sports Inclusion. These creative Innovation projects have the potential to create solutions to the problems that exist in sports participation. The announcement of thirteen innovation projects is very welcomed, stimulating collaboration within and beyond the sports sector.”