Balbriggan groups receive €33,000 in funding under placemaking scheme

Fingal County Council has approved total funding of over €33,000 under the Our Balbriggan Placemaking Fund to local groups.

The fund supports ideas or plans for projects that will enhance resident and visitor experience of the town.

According to the council, the response to the fund “far outweighed expectations and a total of 11 projects have been awarded funding.”

The fund was launched by Fingal County Council’s Our Balbriggan Programme Office last October and was available to groups or individuals to support initiatives that enhance the town centre through new urban design, environment, arts and cultural initiatives.

The council says that the “initiative is intended to help strengthen a sense of place and identity within the town, support opportunities for social connection and new activities in public places, strengthen the community through learning new skills and create opportunities for a healthier lifestyle.”

Some of the projects that have received funding include a Sea Swimmers shelter (€5,000), bicycle pavilion (€5,500), public art by Lighthouse Art Group (€2,000), Taylor Hill Residents Association, Tidy Towns public benches (€1,277) and artist Thomas Brezing for public arts performances (€4,000).

The announcement of the recipients of the Placemaking Fund was welcomed by the Mayor of Fingal councillor David Healy who said: “I am delighted to see the variety of groups and individuals awarded under this scheme.

“They have all come up with imaginative projects which will improve the public spaces in Balbriggan and enhance the potential for community enjoyment of them.”

The chief executive of Fingal County Council, AnnMarie Farrelly, said: “This placemaking fund is another sign of the Council’s commitment to Balbriggan and the strong emphasis on engaging with and empowering the Balbriggan community as part of the Our Balbriggan project.

“I am therefore delighted to see the enthusiastic response to this fund and each of these imaginative projects will enhance the potential of the public spaces in the town to promote people’s health, happiness, and well-being.”

At the time it was announced, Professor Brian MacCraith, former president of Dublin City University and chair of the Balbriggan Leadership Group said that the fund “fund sets out to enable the people of Balbriggan to have an impact in a very real way in the future of their own town, giving them the power and agency to express their own vision for the community”.

Balbriggan, the youngest and one of the most diverse large towns In Ireland, is set to be transformed in an ambitious €30million rejuvenation programme over these next few years.

You can find full details of the Our Balbriggan 2019 – 2025 Rejuvenation Plan and progress to date at www.balbriggan.ie