Westmeath Community Development

Westmeath Community Development are pleased to announce: A GRANTS FUND is available for Groups working with Young People aged 12-18 years

  Eligibility for this grant ONLY includes:

• Development of youth facilities/youth cafes within designated disadvantaged communities-(includes purchase of equipment and materials)
• Support for Comhairle na Og as a mechanism for linking the views and opinions of young people from designated disadvantaged areas into policy arenas in Co. Westmeath
• Support for arts and/or cultural awareness programmes
• Projects applied for must be added value and new initiatives

An explanatory information sheet and application form are available from This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (please read before submitting an application)

• Grant amount groups can apply for MUST be between €2,000-  €5,000
• Projects must have a focus on reducing poverty and or social exclusion
• Projects must clearly be working with young people  aged 12-18yrs in one or more of the 23 disadvantaged designated areas covered by the LCDP..

Application form must be submitted in HARD COPY FORMAT and SIGNED (emails will not be accepted).

Closing Date: Friday 8^th June @ 5pm.

Unfortunately applications will not be accepted after this date. Please post to ....

Linda-Jo Quinn

LCDP Co-ordinator WCDL offices

C/O ACT Business Development Centre

Parnell Square

Athlone

Co Westmeath

For further information contact Linda-Jo Quinn/Arlene Kelly on 090 64 94555

Westmeath Community Development Childcare Services have Pre-schools and After-schools located in:

• Paisti Begga
• Blackberry Lane
• Brawney Square Lissywollen

Also After-school services located in:

• Monksland Community Centre
• Battery Heights Community Centre/House
• St Paul’s Primary School
• Willow Park Community Centre

Registration Places & Times

Monksland Community Centre from 2.30pm to 5.30pm

Battery Heights Community House from 2.30pm to 5.30pm

St Paul’s Primary School from 2.30pm to 5.30pm

Willow Park Community House from 2.30pm to 5.30pm

St Mary’s Grace Park from 2.30pm to 5.30pm

Blackberry Lane Community Centre from 10am to 1.00pm (Pre-School) and 2.30pm to 5.30pm (After School)

Brawney Square Community Centre from 10am– 1pm (Pre-school) and 2.30pm to 5.30pm (After-School)

For information contact:

Sinead Casey, Childcare Services Manager on 0906494555 or 0877729172 , or why not email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

FETAC Level 5 Accredited Courses in: 

• Childcare 
• Healthcare Support
• Applied Social Studies

(now enrolling for September 2012).  

For information please contact Castlepollard Community College at 044.9661163.  

Iarnród Éireann has today launched a new community initiative to support organisations and groups in the voluntary, community, sporting and charity sector.

The initiative, entitled "The Journey's On Us", will provide up to €200,000 worth of group travel to organisations in the sector who apply for the scheme in 2012.  Iarnród Éireann Chief Executive Dick Fearn said at the launch of the initiative "Voluntary organisations are the life blood of communities across the country.

However, like everyone, their budgets have been cut.  We know there are youth, sports, music, voluntary, charity and other groups in the community who would benefit greatly from being able to undertake initiatives which involve a travel cost, but have had to scale back. 

We in Iarnród Éireann, through The Journey's On Us, want to do what we can to help such groups achieve their goals, and say thank you to the organisations which play such a vital role in the daily lives of communities."Under the initiative, 100 groups of up to 50 people per group will receive a free return group travel journey from Iarnród Éireann, across any of the company's services. 

The travel facilities will be ideal in particular for organisations bringing a group to a special event, or as part of a specific support to the members of the group which requires travel.

Iarnród Éireann Chief Executive Dick Fearn said of the initiative "the role of the railway is to connect communities. Through this exciting new initiative, we will help those who do most to bring communities together, and we anticipate to a strong response from groups in this sector from around the country.  We want to hear of the excellent work being done, and how this new initiative can help that work."

How to Take Part

Groups are invited to apply for the new scheme through a number of means, including:

•             Entry forms are available at all Ianród Éireann stations

•             Online entry form at www.irishrail.ie/journeys

•             Emailed entry forms to  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

•             By post to Corporate Communications, Iarnród Éireann, Connolly Station, Dublin 1.

The closing date for receipt of entries is Friday, 25 May.

All applications will be considered by an adjudicating panel, involving representatives of Volunteer Ireland and The Wheel, as well as Iarnród Éireann.  The 100 successful groups will be notified in June.

Further information and terms and conditions are available at www.irishrail.ie/journeys