Meath to receive €160,000 for sports initiatives overcoming barriers to sport participation

Meath is set to receive €160,000 from the Dormant Accounts Funding which will be invested in community sports and physical activity initiatives that overcome barriers to sports participation.

The Dormant Accounts Funding, announced today, totalling €4.17m, allows unclaimed funds from accounts in credit institutions in Ireland to be used by Sport Ireland’s network of Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs). This will be for projects that focus on overcoming barriers to sport participation by those economically or educationally disadvantaged, or those affected by a disability.

“Our sports participation rates, both in terms of active participation and volunteering, are the highest they have ever been, and we must continue to work to maintain and grow these figures,” said Minister of State at the Department of Sport Charlie McConalogue.

Of the €160,000 Meath will receive under this fund, €30,000 is going towards supporting the LSP Community Sports and Physical Activity Hub. These Hubs promote local engagement in sport and physical activity and assist disadvantaged areas. €1.32m will be provided to support 29 existing hubs across the country along with funding for four new Hubs in 2025.

€30,000 is set aside for volunteer support initiatives in Meath out of a total fund of €420,000 which will assist individuals volunteering in disadvantaged communities or with people with disabilities.

The Urban Outdoor Adventure Initiatives (UOAI) in Meath received €45,000 with the initiative receiving €278,000 initiatives across the country. This is to help people in disadvantaged communities participate in outdoor adventure sports in urban settings including at-risk youth and people with a disability.

The Her Moves Initiatives, a campaign that aims to give girls the confidence and motivation to try new sports and stay active, received €14,000 for Meath and €100,000 in total.

Meath will also receive €20,000 of the €500,000 funding for The Sports Inclusion Disability Projects fund which reduces barriers to sports participation for individuals with disabilities. This fund improves infrastructure those with disabilities including handrails and fittings and provides equipment such as pool pods and handcycles.

Of the €500,000 set aside for the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) fund, Meath will receive €21,000. This provides education, training, and support for those in the sports sector and supports projects that remove barriers to participation in sport and physical activity.

On top of this Active Disability Ireland will receive €300,000 from the Dormant Accounts Funding to support expansion of eLearning Workshops to promote participation for people with disabilities. €750,000 of funding will also go towards The Active Cities Initiative which aims to promote physical activity and healthier lifestyles in Ireland’s five cities.