€10K each for Town Teams in Cavan and Belturbet

A new initiative to support Town Teams has been confirmed.

For Cavan, there is a €10,000 investment each for Cavan Town and Belturbet.

The details were announced by Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys, this morning.

The first ever Town Team Support Fund will deliver funding for communities that have never had a Town Team before.

The investment will also assist towns that are only recently established.

A total of 68 towns will be supported with €10,000 in funding per town.

The funding may be used to support the establishment and/or development of town teams where they are not already well established, and to better understand the unique features of towns. The projects will be managed by Town Regeneration Officers across the country.

In announcing the funding, Minister Humphreys said: "This is all about tackling vacancy, combatting dereliction and breathe new life into our town centres.

“Through this initiative, we are recognising the importance of having vibrant towns, which are places to live in, work in, visit, and raise a family in.

The Minister said that Town Teams are "key" to rural regeneration.

“Amongst other things, these Town Teams play a vital role in helping communities access the wide range of funding available from my Department under various schemes,” added Minister Humphreys.

This funding follows on from the recent announcement of €780,000 to support the development of a Town Centre First Plan in a further 26 towns. These plans represent the communities' own vision for the future of their respective towns.

To find out more about the Town Centre First policy, the Town Centre First Suite of Supports 2024 and how towns can become involved, visit www.towncentrefirst.ie