The Local Authority Waters Programme launches its 2025 Catchment Support Fund

L to R: LAWPRO's Barry Deane, Margaret Keegan, Fran Igoe, Sheevaun Thompson, Anthony Coleman, Jimmy McVeigh, Bernadette White. — L to R: LAWPRO’s Barry Deane, Margaret Keegan, Fran Igoe, Sheevaun Thompson, Anthony Coleman, Jimmy McVeigh, Bernadette White.

On 9th November 2024, at the Communities Caring for Water conference in Athlone, the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) launched the 2025 Catchment Support Fund. The fund will help build the capacity of non-governmental organisations working in the area of water quality in Ireland by providing funding toward core organisational running costs.

Commenting on the 2025 fund, Anthony Coleman, Director of Services at LAWPRO said: “We are delighted to be able to continue supporting organisations working to improve water quality. Community engagement is fundamental in dealing with local issues and this fund empowers groups to grow their capacity to protect their local rivers, lakes, coastal areas and the surrounding environment.”

The Catchment Support Fund is a direct response to community feedback and various reviews undertaken in recent years. Over €500,000 was awarded to 37 organisations earlier in 2024 in what was the first year of the Fund.

A key element of LAWPRO’s Catchment Support Fund is to assist the development of entities who can provide additional vital water quality services to communities and support the objectives of the new Water Action Plan for Ireland.

Under the 2025 Catchment Support Funding call, organisations are invited to apply for financial assistance under Strand 1 to support organisational costs such as statutory and/or legal fees, insurance costs associated with catchment management, accountancy fees, website annual support costs, an organisation’s promotional materials and group development activities.

In cases where an organisation has CLG status and a proven track record with LAWPRO, organisations are also invited to apply for Strand 2 funding for capacity building including staff costs, rent and rates.

The fund will open for applications on 22^nd November 2024 via our online portal Surveys | Online Consultation Portal of the Waters and Communities Office

Catchment Support Fund 2025 - Online Clinic - 18 December 2024

For more information, check out the slides used in this presentation.

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LAWPRO Catchment Support Fund 2024

The Catchment Capacity Fund is a new funding stream that was rolled out by LAWPRO for 2024 on behalf of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The purpose of the fund is to build the capacity of catchment partnerships in support of the delivery of the third cycle River Basin Management Plan by providing grants for their core costs.

LAWPRO awarded €501,427 of grant aid to 37 organisations under the new ‘LAWPRO Catchment Support Fund’. This funding call will build the capacity of non-governmental organisations working in the area of water quality in Ireland by providing funding toward organisational running costs and core costs.

LAWPRO has always been supportive of Community Groups and a key element of LAWPRO’s Catchment Support Fund is to foster stronger local partnerships through the continued support and development of bodies who can provide additional vital water quality services to communities and support the objectives of the River Basin Management Plan.

Under the fund, organisations were invited to apply for financial assistance to support Strand 1 organisational costs such as statutory and/or legal fees, insurance costs associated with catchment management, accountancy fees, website annual support costs, organisation promotional materials and group development activities. In cases where an organisation has Company limited by guarantee status and a proven track record with LAWPRO, organisations were also invited to apply for Strand 2 capacity costs included funding towards staff costs, rent and rates.

Download grants awarded by LAWPRO under the Catchment Support Fund 2024

Community Water Development Fund

The Department of Housing, Local Government, and Heritage funds LAWPRO to provide the Community Water Development Fund. This fund supports community groups to enhance the quality of local streams, rivers, lakes, and coastal areas. The fund has been in place since 2017, with growing interest year on year.

The standard of applications for funding is high, making the assessment process more difficult. The fund delivers a broad range of water projects that benefit the amenity of local areas. Types of projects approved for funding include:

Awareness raising initiatives such as river clean ups, biodiversity information boards, citizen science workshops, outdoor classrooms, rainwater harvesting, and enhancement of wetlands.
Preparation of local plans such as feasibility studies, habitat management plans, ecological surveys, and biodiversity action plans.
River and habitat enhancement works such as planting of native species and hedgerow, pollinator friendly planting, river-bank stabilisation, fencing and riparian buffer zones.

Download Grants Awarded by the Local Authority Waters Programme 2024