Grant Schemes And Funding
This work is supported by a number of schemes that are funded from Government Departments such as the department of Education and Science and The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.
These are as follows:
The Grant Scheme for Special Projects for Youth.
This grant scheme provides funding for national voluntary youth organisations and local community groups to implement projects and services that cater for at risk and disadvantage young people in their own community. It operates throughout the country
The Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund
The young peoples facilities and services fund is designed to permit the development and implementation of preventative programme that target those young people at risk of becoming involved in drug misuse. It operates in a number of Local Drug Task Forces areas.
The Fund for Youth Information Centres
Youth information Centres are funded to provide all young people and those working with them with relevant advice training and information.
Drug Task Force Projects
The Local Drug Task Forces originally identified these youth projects as actions in their area development plans. Many of these have now become mainstreamed as VEC projects
The Voluntary Youth Club Grant Scheme
This grant scheme provides grant aid to voluntary youth groups that are registered with the VEC under a series of headings i.e. annual grant training grant, special activity grant etc
The Youth Sport Grant Scheme
Involvement in sporting activities is an important aspect of youth services and this grant scheme which is funded by the Sports Council. It provides financial support for youth sports groups, grant aid towards annual running costs and once-off grant for special programmes.
Under the Youth Work Act 2001 VEC’s are now totally responsible to co-ordinate and develop youth services within their remit and formulate a Youth Development Plan for their area. These plans are the central core of the National Youth Development Plan, which will be the cornerstone for the development of youth services for the next five years.
