16/01/2013

£300,000 Funding For Belfast Community Projects

£300,000 of grant funding has been released to facilitate community events in Belfast city centre.

Social Development Minister Nelson McCausland announced the Belfast City Centre Events and Community Activity Grants schemes in a bid to encourage arts, cultural and community events in the city.

The Minister said: "I am pleased to announce a further year’s funding of £250,000 in support of the Belfast City Centre Events Grant scheme and a further £50,000 to support the Community Activity Grants Scheme for the 2013/14 financial year. I have decided to extend the eligible area from Laganside to include the whole of Belfast City Centre.

"These grants make an important contribution in terms of encouraging arts, cultural and community based events in Belfast City Centre. These events play a key role in sustaining life and vitality within the City Centre and will provide a welcome boast to traders following the disruption the last number of weeks.

"Today marks the opening of the Event Grant application process for this year’s Events and Community activity Grants funding and I would encourage any organisation interested in organising arts and cultural events which will contribute to the regeneration of Belfast City Centre, to come forward and apply for funding."

This funding covers activities taking place between April 2013 and end of March 2014.

The Belfast City Centre Events Grant scheme is aimed at supporting events that contribute to the regeneration of Belfast City Centre.

Any event funded by the scheme must "encourage local involvement and community and business participation and contribute to the attraction of visitors to the area".

A number of spaces in the Laganside area are available, including Custom House Square, Cotton Court Piazza and the River Lagan.

The Community Activity Grant was established to support community initiatives and offers grants of up to £1000.

These events must "address the needs of the Belfast City Centre local community and continue to bring life to the area".

Details are available on the DSD website.

(IT)

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