The recently renovated HQ of Castlebar Voluntary Social Services.

Two Mayo community services receive funding boosts

Community education projects throughout Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim have received funding under the Mitigating against Educational Disadvantage Fund.

The projects will be funded from an overall fund of €5.8 million which was launched in October 2020 by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris.

The fund is administered by SOLAS, the Further Education and Training Authority and the 16 local Education and Training Boards.

The aim of the fund is to support community education for adult learners, who have the highest level of need, with a strong focus on building the digital infrastructure of community education providers to increase the capacity to deliver online learning.

Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim funding recipients include Castlebar Voluntary Social Services and Belmullet Day Services.

The projects vary from programmes to help support online learning, connect communities, providing essential travel, and providing social support to vulnerable people.

Commenting on the announcement of the recipients, Peter Egan, Director of Further Education and Training (FET) in Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board (MSLETB), which provides, supports and co-ordinates community education in Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim, said: “It is great to see so many diverse community education providers in Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim being supported in funding to continue their vital work.

“Many of our community education partners are taking an innovative approach to ensure that no learner is left behind now that so much of our everyday lives are conducted online, whether learning, socialising, or working.

“We look forward to continuing to support the strong tradition of partnership and collaboration in community education throughout Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim as we move through 2021 and hopefully to more positive times in the future.”