A €15,000 fund has been distributed to community and voluntary groups to support events for Ballina 2023.
August 2023 – The Ballina 2023 Steering Group has now awarded two rounds of funding under the Ballina 2023 Community Events Fund.
Small grants of up to €1,000 have been awarded to assist with the cost of new, small-scale events or initiatives to be developed as part of the programme to mark the town’s year of celebrations.
Chairman of Ballina 2023, Jarlath Munnelly said: “From the outset, the Ballina 2023 programme has sought to involve, empower and connect communities within the town. We hope that this fund will assist community and voluntary groups to mark this important year in ways that are unique and important to them, and that will contribute to RISE, the Ballina 2023 Legacy Programme.”
The community fund is supported by Mayo County Council, and preference has been given to applications that align with Ballina 2023’s key pillars and values – Arts & Culture, Business and Enterprise, Community & Inclusion, Sports, Climate Action/Environment/Sustainability and Youth.
Round 1 Grant Recipients
Attymass Parent’s Association Climate Awareness Community Family Day (Arts & Culture, Community and Inclusion, Climate Action, Environment and Sustainability): €1,000
Attymass Parent’s Association hosted a community Family Day on June 12, inviting children and their family members living in the community to take part and experience an inclusive interactive spectacle piece developed by Circus 250 with the aim of building awareness of the current climate issues that society is facing and how the community to work together to make positive changes.
Ballina Arts Centre & Cathal Gavin Events (Arts & Culture): €500
Support with a performance by Cathal Gavin on May 26 featuring performers from local primary schools, with a 2023 theme
Ballina Community Cleanup Group (Climate Action, Environment and Sustainability): €800
To support with the group’s ongoing Plant a Tree for ’23 initiative, where volunteers are planting over 10,000 trees – one for everyone in Ballina – an effort to contribute to a greener future for Ballina.
Mayo Mental Health Association Children’s Art Exhibition (Community & Inclusion, Arts & Culture): €900
Mayo MHA runs an annual Art Poster Competition for primary school students to introduce young school children to think about mental health and well-being in their formative years. To celebrate Ballina 2023, Mayo MHA will held an art exhibition with the entries from this year’s Art Poster Competition and an awards ceremony at Ballina Arts Centre, bringing the community together to share information and celebrate young people’s ideas around the importance of promoting positive mental health.
Mayo Volunteer Centre – Volunteer Recognition Event (Community & Inclusion): €1,000
To date, over 500 volunteers have contributed to the success of Ballina 2023, and Mayo Volunteer Centre will hold an event at the end of June to acknowledge this effort, thank volunteers and also acknowledge the volunteering efforts of the many community groups who work in Ballina and surrounding areas.
This event will now take place on August 24.
The Moy Singers Spring Concert (Arts & Culture): €500
A very special performance on April 23rd with special guest Brídín, honouring Ballina’s musicians of the past, volunteers of the present and talent of the future.
October Nights (Arts & Culture): €800
The commissioning of musician Laurie Shaw to write an album about Ballina, in its 300th year.
Tracks from the album will be performed at the October Nights music festival on October 28.
OutWest presents A Day Out for All (Community & Inclusion): €1,000
Mayo’s Community LGBT+ Support Group, OutWest threw a party on June 17, with a family-friendly day of LGBTQI+ events in various venues around Ballina.
St Nicholas’ School, Ballina (Community & Inclusion, Arts & Culture): €1,000
Creation of a mural in the garden in St Nicholas’ School, led by artist Emma Donoghue, in an area used by pupils to relax and to enjoy the outdoors. The theme of the mural will is the wildlife, flora and fauna of Belleek Woods, and the work has been created in partnership with a number of local groups.
Round 2 Grant Recipients (events from August to December)
Ballina Arts Centre: The Journey (Arts & Culture, Community & Inclusion): €1,000
‘This Journey’ is new work for dance duet with Irish aerial artist Robin Wilson and Undercurrent performer Isolde Carmody who is an artist who uses a wheelchair. The ensemble will be Artists in Residence at Ballina Arts Centre in 2023 over a two week period during which time they will develop the aerial dance elements of the new work taking a deeper look into what movement and freedom to move/ journey, mean for us both metaphorically and physically. This research will then feed back into the overall development of ‘This Journey’ which the ensemble plan to tour in 2024. Ballina Arts Centre will preview the work in Ballina in November 2023 and the group will use the residency time to begin conversations and develop new working relationships with groups of interest in Ballina and North Mayo with a view to future collaborations.
Ballina Karen Community Green Garden Lughnasa Harvest Festival Day (Arts & Culture, Community and Inclusion): €1,000
An open day in the Garden with horticultural tours, sessions of photography, botanical sketching, cookery demos using garden produce, herbal remedies and gardening tips.
Sean Duffy Community Centre Hallowe’en ‘Haunted House on the Hill’ (Arts & Culture, Community & Inclusion): €1,000
A Halloween scarefest in the ‘Ree, including a matinee show and sensory hour for those that need it.
Ballina Dragon Boat Club Community Open Day (Community & Inclusion, Sport): €1,000
On Sunday, October 1, members the brand new Ballina Dragon Boat Club is inviting everyone along to Kennedy Glasgow House to introduce the club’s new dragon boat, the sport of dragon boating, and to hear about their journey so far. The club was founded in 2023 and is inclusive and welcoming of people of all ages 18+ and abilities.
Ballina Carers’ Support Group Community Open Day (Community & Inclusion): €1,000
On Saturday, September 30 in the Jackie Clarke Collection, the group will host an inclusive information day for carers, those in receipt of care, their family members. All ages and all abilities are welcome to attend.
Ballina Badminton Club: Connacht Premier Open (Sport): €900
Ballina Badminton Club will host the Connacht Premier Open 2023 as part of the Ballina 2023 celebrations on Saturday, September 23 in Ballina Community Sports Centre.
Gráinne Uaile Sub Aqua Club International Dive Rally (Sport): €1,000
Over 100 divers from Ireland, Northern Ireland, the UK, Spain, France and Canada took to the Kilcummin waters to explore North Mayo’s stunning underwater scenery on August 11 and 12.
Yeast Meets West (Business & Enterprise): €600
A two-day festival of craft beer, food and music in the heart of Ballina, with six visiting breweries and great local food offerings.