Dundrum’s Arch Club project is a bright idea

THE Dundrum Arch Club has received €3,500 in funding to run a cookery course for people with intellectual disabilities.

Based in Ballinteer Community Centre, the We Can Cook course will be provided initially to 20 of its members, giving them the opportunity to learn a valuable life skill.

It will help participants become more self-sufficient during the six-week course. Dundrum Arch Club is one of nearly 50 arch clubs nationwide.  

Another Southside group, Hard/Graft Community Orchard from Common Ground in Inchicore, received €3,000 to establish a Dublin Grafters Group, a network of local grafters and planters who will work to plant a series of community orchards on sites across Dublin 8 and Dublin 12.

Encouraging local groups, residents and children to participate and connect with nature, the initiative will become a source of seasonal food that can be grown in a low-maintenance way, while making appropriate use of common public spaces to help build sustainable communities in the city.

CyberSafeIreland in Dun Laoghaire received €8,000 to educate parents and children on how to use and enjoy technology safely and responsibly. In an era when children are accessing the internet from an increasingly young age, CyberSafeIreland wants to bridge the ‘digital divide’ between parents and children.

The organisation will use the funding to provide talks in schools to empower the parents of pre-teens to communicate with their children in an open and informed way about internet safety and risks online. 

All three organisations were winners of a public vote conducted by KBC Bank Ireland to find the winners of this year’s Bright Ideas community support initiative.

To date, KBC’s Bright Ideas has helped more than 120 projects to thrive in Irish communities, and this year attracted a record number of entries from over 400 individuals and community groups across Ireland. 

Entries were reviewed by independent judging panels at a local level. A total of 55 community projects were shortlisted for funding and shared in a pool of €100,000 donated by KBC as a way to support individuals and groups working to transform their communities.

The judges’ selection highlighted 15 projects – including Waterford Marine Search and Rescue – to go forward to a public vote to find Ireland’s Brightest Idea.

Wim Verbraeken, Chief Executive Officer, KBC Bank Ireland said: “KBC’s Bright Ideas programme has funded more than 120 individuals and projects over the last three years, helping to support their work in local communities for a brighter future. All the projects shortlisted are fine examples of how a little innovative thinking can go a long way towards transforming community life for the better. We look forward to seeing all our Bright Ideas winners go on to further success for years to come.”

A total of four standout projects in the Dublin region were among more than 50 projects from around the country selected by KBC Bank to receive funding.

Another Dublin group, the Making Home Project from Crosscare CLAN Homelessness Services based on Arran Quay, received €5,500.

Making Home helps people transitioning out of homelessness and into a new home and community with a special ‘Making Home Pack’ that includes basic essentials such as bedding, pots and pans and a first week’s shopping. 

KBC’s Bright Ideas entries were reviewed by independent judging panels in seven different ‘hub regions’ including Dublin, Kilkenny, Cork, Waterford, greater Leinster, Limerick and Galway. The full list of winning initiatives can be viewed at www.kbcbrightideas.com  

Bright Ideas is part of KBC’s Brighter Futures programme which encompasses all KBC’s activities which touch communities and organisations across Ireland.

KBC’s Brighter Futures programme supports a range of charity youth, education and community projects in Ireland.  KBC’s partners include The Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation, Junior Achievement Ireland, Fighting Words and Enactus Ireland.For information on Bright Ideas, visit www.kbcbrightideascom.