RISE Community Fund awards five cash grants in Tipperary

Local community groups express delight at receiving cash injection to invest in new technologies

Four community groups and a primary school in Tipperary have received a quick cash injection to invest in new technology thanks to the RISE Community Fund supported by National Broadband Ireland (NBI) and Granahan McCourt.

Established by Granahan McCourt and NBI Chairman, David McCourt, RISE is providing monthly grants across the country for rural community organisations seeking to boost their digital ecosystems.

Receiving the grants of €1,000 each were the Killoscully Development Association, with plans to start a coding club for local children; Cabragh Wetlands Development Trust, which will be investing in a sound system to support its growing community events programme; Drom Community Centre, which is modernising its facilities having become a Broadband Connection Point offering free public access to high-speed broadband under the National Broadband Plan; Clonoulty Rossmore Community First Responder Group, to invest in new defibrillator equipment for the parish; and Rossmore National School, which presented its plans to make new online resources available to teach coding to the school’s children and local community.

David McCourt, founder of RISE and Chairman of Granahan McCourt and NBI, commented: “When we launched the RISE Community Fund, we were looking for community groups, small businesses and social enterprises in rural areas who were exploring how technology could scale the impact of their work. I’m delighted to say that since opening applications in Tipperary, the response has been incredible and now we’re excited to be awarding grants to our five successful applicants. Each one of them is an inspiration, with many volunteering their time and committing a huge amount of energy and passion to bring pride of place to their local community.”

The RISE Community Fund supported by NBI and Granahan McCourt calls on small businesses, community groups and social enterprises to use technology in creative and entrepreneurial ways to deliver maximum impact.

John Finnegan from Killoscully Development Association commented: “We are thrilled to receive this grant from the RISE Community Fund with the support of NBI and Granahan McCourt. Like so many community groups, our work involves supporting rural residents in many different ways, which includes educational programmes which will benefit people’s future. With this grant from RISE, we can continue to invest in state-of-the-art programmes to bring coding skills to the community, which will not only increase digital literacy but put people on a pathway to be empowered to embrace new technologies.”

Peter Hendrick, CEO of NBI, added: “At NBI, we’re on a mission to connect over 1.1 million people in rural Ireland who don’t have access to high-speed broadband to a world-class, superfast network. Whilst connectivity is a vital utility and a critical first step, it alone can’t solve all of the challenges for businesses, community groups and social enterprises trying to expand the positive impact they’re able to have – both to the local community, and to the wider economy. That’s why we’re incredibly excited to engage local communities with the RISE Community Fund and celebrate innovative uses of technology in Tipperary.”

Read more about the RISE Community Fund at riseglobalfoundation.com.