Some €12,000 in funding has been allocated to four groups in County Mayo to promote awareness of poverty and social exclusion during the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion, which is being marked this year.
Minister for Labour Affairs Dara Calleary TD has welcomed the funding, which is being awarded to Irish Rural Link - €3,000, AkiDwa - €3,000, Mayo Family Resource Centres - €4,000, Linenhall Arts Centre - €3,000.
Minister Calleary said: “This year is the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion, and it is a good opportunity for local and voluntary organisations in Mayo to promote the work they do every day on social inclusion issues.”
As part of the campaign the family resource centres around the county plan to undertake social analysis and use the information they gather to run a local radio broadcasting campaign to raise awareness of the nature of disadvantage in Mayo, inviting people to become involved in local projects tackling the issue.
The Linenhall Arts Centre plans to hold a fashion show, refashioning clothes from charity shops and promoting the goals of the initiative.
Irish Rural Link intends to hold regional meetings and a conference in Killala, and AkiDwA is a Dublin based group that does work with migrant women in Mayo.
“I want to congratulate the groups who were successful in their application for funding. I know they will do very worthwhile work with their allocations,” concluded Minister Calleary.
