Ecclesiastical launched earlier today the second phase of giving in this year’s Movement for Good awards which will culminate in the award of a further £500,000 (or the euro equivalent) in grants to thirty charities across Ireland and the UK.
With phase one now complete, 30 charities will be chosen by a panel of judges to receive £10,000 from Ecclesiastical to be put towards the advancement of heritage and arts, education, rural and community, climate, human rights and equality. What’s more, two charities will benefit from an additional £50,000 each and another will receive a life changing £100,000 award.
The awards are open to eligible charities registered in the Republic of Ireland and the UK with an income of less than £5 million (or the euro equivalent). Applications will close on Friday 6 August 2021. Further information can be found at www.ecclesiastical.ie/movement-for-good/phase-two/
The Movement for Good awards will see a total of £1 million given to charities across Ireland and the UK throughout 2021. During the first phase of the awards, members of the public were invited to nominate causes close to their hearts, with 500 gifts of £1,000 available for charitable causes.
Twenty charities based in the Republic of Ireland were among the winners of phase one and included Galway Cat Rescue, Citywise Education, Focus Ireland, Senior Citizens Helpline Company, Blood Bike Leinster, Chester Beatty, Little Blue Heroes Foundation and Team Hope. Nine further charities based in Northern Ireland were also successful.
Irish charity Parents Plus was one of the charities selected last year in phase two from over 1,000 entries. The £50,000 donation allowed the charity to continue introducing the Parents Plus Special Needs Programme into disability services across Ireland. This programme enables professionals and parents who have a child with intellectual disabilities to come together to work out strategies for families to improve all parts of their lives.
David Lane, Managing Director of Ecclesiastical in Ireland, said: “We understand the importance of longer-term funding for charities, especially when trying to bring ambitious new ideas to life. That’s why we are awarding the £10,000 grants.
We are also aware of how difficult it can be to get larger transformative projects off the ground, so we are extremely pleased to announce that two of the lucky winners will receive an additional £50,000 grant and one will receive an additional £100,000 grant.”
Through our second phase of giving, we are actively championing innovation, giving charities the backing they need to propel their plans forward and turn creative ideas into practical solutions that benefit society. An amazing 10,000 people across the island of Ireland supported the Movement for Good awards during its first phase earlier this year. We hope to see a number of strong applications from Ireland between now and 6 August, so we can continue to help charities at a time when they need it most.”
