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The Fermanagh Trust, Fermanagh's Community Foundation, is dedicated to creating a partnership of donors, non-profit making organisations and the community, to find solutions to the pressing community needs in Fermanagh.
Two free workshops aimed at the voluntary and community sector will be taking place in Fermanagh in May. A workshop on Marketing & Communications, which is supported by the Donnelly Group, Enniskillen Business in the Community Network, South West College and The Fermanagh Trust, will be held on Wednesday, 23 May from 10 am – 12 noon in South West College.
Now that the Charity Commission has its powers of investigation and enforcement, what does this mean in practice for charities on the ground?
DIRECTOR of Fermanagh Trust, Lauri Mc Cusker, takes your questions in Thursday's Impartial Reporter's Twitter Q&A. From 12 noon you have the opportunity to discuss a whole range of topics with Lauri such as the Trust’s work with the community and voluntary sector, shared education, community benefits from Wind farms, and socialenterprise in Fermanagh, including Fermanagh House. To get involved log on to www.twitter.com/impartialrep between 12 noon and 1pm on Thursday to ask a question or follow the 60 minute session, and don’t forget to use the hashtag #AskLauri in your tweets. The Impartial Reporter will have full coverage of the Twitter Q&A in next week’s newspaper.
The Shared Education Programme for 2012/2013 is now seeking applications. The closing dates for primary schools are 4th May - Strand A and 11th May - Strand B. The closing date for post primary applications is 11th May. All queries to the Shared Education team on 02866 320210.
Fermanagh YouthBank, which is a Fermanagh Trust Fund supported by YouthAction NI and the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, is back and is accepting applications from young people and groups aged 16 -25 who have ideas for projects in two areas – mental health and expressive creativity.
For the first time in its 50 year history the 2012 Fermanagh Feis played host to a Shared Education choir. The Shared Education Choir from Killyhommon Primary School and Derrygonnelly Primary School not only made history by taking part but actually came away from their section of the competition as overall winners!
The recently launched Fermanagh Trust report “Maximising Community Outcomes from Wind Energy Developments” has been welcomed by DARD Minister, Michelle O’Neill, on a recent visit to Fermanagh.
The report, which found disparities in both the level and types of funding available in Northern Ireland in comparison to the rest of the UK, has yet to be commented on publicly by the wind energy industry. However, The Fermanagh Trust understands that some companies are still intending to offer as much as £5000 per Megawatt per annum in other parts of the UK while funds in Northern Ireland are still as low as £1000 per turbine or £600 per Megawatt.
A primary school from County Fermanagh – St. Martin’s Garrison – and its partner school under the Shared Education Programme, Kilbarron National School in Ballyshannon, County Donegal, were the only schools invited to perform at the recent 25th anniversary celebration of the International Fund for Ireland.
Four schools from Enniskillen which have joined forces to offer a French Immersion Programme to A Level students under Shared Education say the course will assist students achieve a successful standard in their oral examinations by encouraging them to use French at all times.
The Fermanagh Trust which has managed and administered a county-wide Shared Education programme since 2009 believes, in response to the Catholic Post Primary Review, that opportunities now exist for local communities, the Catholic Church leadership, the Controlled Sector, the Western Education and Library Board and the CCMS to explore innovative, rural solutions including cross-community, Shared Education options through the Area Planning Process.
The Fermanagh Trust has announced that training on respecting difference for parents, which forms part of the Shared Education initiative in county, will be rolled out again in 2012.
NORTHERN IRELAND COMMUNITIES DISADVANTAGED BY WIND FARM DEVELOPMENTS
Research launched today by The Fermanagh Trust – the county’s community foundation – has found that communities in Northern Ireland are being financially disadvantaged by wind farm developments in comparison to the rest of the UK.
Fermanagh House, a social enterprise, is owned by local grant-making charity, The Fermanagh Trust. The building is a resource for the entire community and is utilised by many groups and organisations. To celebrate the Christmas season, Fermanagh House will be holding an open day from 10am – 4pm on Friday, 9th December. All are welcome to come in and view the facilities and avail of a cup of tea and a mince pie.
As part of our annual Great Christmas Giveaway, Fermanagh House has this year again donated thousands of pounds worth of toys to three local charities.
In an article in today's Irish News, Lauri McCusker, Director of The Fermanagh Trust, argues that the Ministerial Advisory Group on Shared Education needs creative thinkers.
FERMANAGH TRUST AWARDS PRESTIGIOUS GREG TURLEY BURSARIES TO YOUNG PEOPLE FROM THE COUNTY-
Three of County Fermanagh’s most promising sports stars have been awarded Greg Turley Bursaries. The Fermanagh Trust presented the Awards to William Graham, Lloyd Seaman and Holly Nixon at a special ceremony in Fermanagh House on Friday, 18th November.
Fermanagh’s newest band, The Elastic Band, models itself on the youth academies attached to many successful sports teams. An offshoot of Fermanagh Concert Band, The Elastic Band is aimed at improvers who may need to build their confidence and experience before joining a fully-fledged concert band.
THE FERMANAGH TRUST WELCOMES THE INCLUSION OF SHARED EDUCATION IN THE PROGRAMME FOR GOVERNMENT
In the wake of the Education Minister, John O’Dowd’s statement at the Shared Education Learning Forum Conference in September, that he would look “very favourably” at shared proposals from schools - including on a cross-sectoral basis and the First Minster’s statement earlier this week that “Shared Education is the way forward for Northern Ireland” The Fermanagh Trust has today welcomed the inclusion of Shared Education in the Programme for Government.
The Fermanagh YouthBank is back and applications are now being sought from 16 -25 year olds from across the County who are interested in working as part of a team to set up and manage their own youth fund.
The Callagheen Community Wind Farm Fund, which is administered and managed by The Fermanagh Trust, is now open. The Fund was set up by Callagheen Wind Farm Ltd in conjunction with Scottish Power Renewables and awards grants to community projects located within 7 km of the Wind Farm, which is located between Belleek and Garrison.
Proposals will be accepted from all aspects of community life – economic, social, and educational. However, preference will be given to proposals that have an environmental theme and/or are linked to sustainable local activities and have a positive impact on the local community.
There was some good news for schools in Fermanagh this week as the Education Minister, John O’Dowd, announced that he would look “very favourably” upon proposals schools put forward that are based on sharing - including on a cross-sectoral basis.
The Fermanagh Shared Education Programme, which has been running in the county for the last two years, was showcased at a major conference in Belfast this week (Wednesday).
The Programme which is administered by The Fermanagh Trust is now in its third year and involves 3154 pupils. The majority of primary schools and all post primary schools in the county participate and some of this work was featured through presentations and displays.
Shared Education Programme Goes From Strength to Strength!
Year Three of the Shared Education Programme runs from September 2011 until June 2012 and is going from strength to strength across Fermanagh.
FERMANAGH TRUST AWARDS PRESTIGIOUS GREG TURLEY BURSARIES TO YOUNG PEOPLE FROM THE COUNTY.
Two of Northern Ireland’s top show-jumping champions have won another award – Greg Turley Bursaries.
The Fermanagh Trust is one of the partners organising a conference on Shared Education, which will be held in the Hilton Hotel, Belfast on 28th September. SELF (Shared Education Learning Forum) includes The Fermanagh Trust, Queen's University, Belfast and the North Eastern Education and Library Board. The conference entitled Shared Education - The Next Steps will examine learning from the Atlantic Philanthropies/International Fund for Ireland pilots, and will look at the future of Shared Education in Northern Ireland.
Portora Boat Club has a fantastic record of working with young people, which has been enhanced in recent years with the expansion of the club’s membership to involve young people from post primary schools across Enniskillen and further afield.
Kinawley Community Hall Association was established by a group of local people from the Kinawley area in 2008 with the aim of establishing much needed community facilities in the area for the benefit of the people of Kinawley and the surrounding areas.
An Irish medium pre-school facility in Fermanagh is celebrating a new outdoor resource area – a secret garden and play area. Naiscoil an Traonaigh which is a pre-school unit serving the larger Bunscoil an Traonaigh adjacent to them at Drumbroughas North, Lisnaskea, opened their £8,000 facility on Thursday.
The playgroup leader, Jolene Nig Uidhir, says the resource has came at a very good time for the 14 three to four year olds who attend.
The Fisher Foundation recently held a special presentation event presenting grant awards totalling over £15,500 to twelve organisations including Livability Ireland, The Development Media Workshop, St Michaels College – Habitat For Humanity. The Church Missionary Society, Trocaire, Leprosy Mission Ireland, Niall Mellon Township Trust and the Presbyterian Church.
The awards event held in Fermanagh House in Enniskillen was attended by representatives from each of the organisations receiving grant awards along with representatives from the Fisher Foundation and the Fermanagh Trust.
The Fermanagh Trust is delighted to once again make available the grant finder database free of charge to community and voluntary groups. The database is a very useful tool for finding out information on available funding opportunities.
For further information visit www.fermanagh.info and click on the Grant finder logo on the home page. Alternatively, contact Marilyn Quinn at Fermanagh Trust on 028 66 320210 or by email: marilyn@fermanaghtrust.org
