Burrenbeo Trust

Burrenbeo Trust is a longstanding community organisation dedicated to connecting people with the heritage, landscape and culture of their places. This project expands access to its programmes by engaging underrepresented local communities and reducing barriers to participation. 

“We are delighted to receive support through the Rethink Ireland Clare Communities Fund. This award will help us expand our reach, remove barriers to participation and ensure more people can experience the sense of belonging, connection and pride that comes from engaging with the Burren’s unique heritage, landscape and community”.  

– Áine Bird, CEO 

Cuimhneamh an Chláir

Cuimhneamh an Chláir (Clare Memories Project) collects, curates and shares the oral histories of people across County Clare whose stories risk being lost. This programme offers three strands: the Traveller Stories Project; Migrant Storytelling Nights and a Community Curators Programme, supporting local people to document and present their own heritage. 

“This award means we can finally do justice to stories that have been waiting to be told. The experiences of Traveller and migrant communities are woven into Clare’s heritage, but rarely recognised as such. This funding lets us change that. We can collect those voices properly, empower local people to become curators of their own heritage and find genuinely new ways to bring all of it into the cultural record”

-Cormac McCarthy, Chairperson

Hometree

Hometree is a nature restoration charity dedicated to restoring Ireland’s native woodlands and temperate rainforests while strengthening the connection between people of all ages and backgrounds and nature.  

“The support from the Clare Communities Fund strengthens our commitment to placing community engagement and inclusion at the heart of Hometree’s work. By engaging people of all ages and backgrounds who live, work, learn, or spend time in the area, we can create opportunities to connect with one another and with nature through shared restoration activities. We believe that thriving landscapes and thriving communities go hand in hand, and that restoring nature together can strengthen people’s connection to place, to each other and to the future of their community”.  

– Caroline Stott, Head of Community 

LIFT Ireland

LIFT Ireland’s vision is to create real positive change in Ireland one person at a time. Our unique roundtable process meets you where you are on your leadership journey. Through this fund, LIFT Ireland will bring people together of all ages from across County Clare in safe, supportive groups (LIFT Roundtables) to strengthen their leadership skills and empower them with greater resilience, confidence and connection. 

“Winning Rethink Ireland’s Clare Communities award means we can focus not just on individuals or organisations, but on LIFTing an entire community – we are excited to walk this journey with County Clare!”  

– Anne Wilson, Head of Regional Development and Governance 

MS Ireland

MS Ireland provides information, advocacy and services for people with MS nationally. This project will provide physiotherapy and exercise services for people with MS living in County Clare and will work with the County Council and private gym providers to deliver programmes locally. 

“MS Ireland are delighted to have received this funding to provide essential physiotherapy programmes for people with MS in Clare. We are looking forward to working with local gyms and fitness professionals, and with the HSE physiotherapists to provide programmes that meet the needs of people with MS in the county”. 

-Dr Susan Coote, Exercise and Physiotherapy Coordinator 

Scarrif Bay Community Radio

Scarrif Bay Community Radio works with local partners in east Clare to co-design, create and deliver initiatives that are relevant to the community, integrating marginalised communities including non-irish residents utilising arts and culture to strengthen tolerance, acceptance and integration in all ages across the community.

“Winning Rethink Ireland’s Clare Communities Fund award will mean that the work we already do on helping integration in our community will be re-energised, better resourced, better planned and better executed and we will be able to measure what we have succeeded in doing. We hope it will be a blueprint for ourselves in the future and something that our colleagues in other community stations might benefit from.” 

-Jim Collins, Station Manager SBCR 

Wild Earth Clare

Wild Earth Clare is a youth project which provides school-marginalised children with access to nature-immersion and learning sessions in beautiful natural spaces in Co. Clare. Using innovative, evidence-informed approaches Wild Earth allows young people to build self-esteem and confidence whilst finding their voice in a youth-centred community.  

“This award from Rethink Ireland will help Wild Earth continue to provide free access to transformative nature-based experiences for children and families who need them most. For many, these programmes offer vital support, connection and opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach. 

On behalf of the children and families whose lives have been changed through Wild Earth, thank you for supporting our work and for helping us create lasting impact in our communities.” 

-Joyce Mortimer Hegarty, Chairwoman Wild Earth Clare