- ESB's Energy for Generations Fund sees up to€1m per year disbursed across a range of community and issues-based initiatives
- Community and voluntary organisations working in the area of homelessness, educational access and suicide prevention are invited to apply for funding
13 February 2019
ESB is inviting organisations working in the areas of homelessness, educational access and suicide prevention to apply for financial support from its Energy for Generations Fund.
Each year, ESB distributes up to €1million in direct funding through a quarterly fund to organisations actively working and effecting change in these areas. Through working partnerships with such voluntary and community organisations, ESB is also leveraging the skills and knowledge within the company to bring about more sustainable and positive outcome for fund recipients.
Since the fund’s foundation 14 years ago, more than €14m has been donated to organisations right across the country. The deadline for funding applications is Tuesday 19 March, 2019 with all information accessible at www.esb.ie/energyforgenerationsfund.
Speaking about the importance of the fund to supporting organisations right across the country, Pat O’Doherty, Chief Executive of ESB, said: “At ESB, we are committed to playing our part in addressing biggest issues facing society to create a brighter future. Through our corporate social responsibility fund, Energy for Generations, we are supporting organisations to create real, lasting and effective change in their communities throughout Ireland.”
There is a set of criteria for fund applications. For suicide prevention funding, ESB is seeking applications from groups working to promote positive mental health and to build capacity, skills and training to make effective suicide prevention interventions. As demonstrated through existing partnerships with Aware and Jigsaw, ESB has a particular interest in funding programmes with a focus on youth suicide prevention and positive mental health promotion for young people.
In the area of homelessness, ESB funds services and projects benefitting homeless people and those at risk of homelessness. For example, ESB has donated to the Mid-West Simon Community for their ‘Housing First-Children First’ project and also contributed to the purchase of equipment for Wexford Women’s Refuge.
Proposals for educational access funding are available to those organisations running adult return-to-education programmes, STEM projects in secondary schools and early school initiatives focusing on literacy and numeracy. One educational organisation that has benefited from ESB’s fund is An Cosán Virtual Community College (VCC) which offers an online model of blended learning to empower individuals to fulfil their potential. VCC also offers CPD opportunities for community organisations and tutors working in the sector.
For more information on ESB’s Energy for Generation Fund, interested applicants should check out www.esb.ie/energyforgenerationsfund.