Environment Minister Mark H Durkan has today urged local communities and organisations to apply for carrier bag levy funding through the Challenge Fund 2015.
Mr Durkan has committed £1.3million from carrier bay levy receipts to the Challenge Fund 2015 in support of local community environmental projects.
The Challenge Fund enables communities and organisation across Northern Ireland to undertake new and inspiring local projects that build an environment that is essential for the wellbeing and prosperity of everyone.
Last year’s Challenge Fund, the first to be funded from bag levy receipts, enabled local people to deliver over 250 environmental projects.
Calling for people to take up this years’ challenge, Mr Durkan said the “fantastic” response from shoppers and retailers to the carrier bag levy led to a massive 72% decrease in “single use” carrier bags and he was determined the monies raised through the levy went back to the community.
He added: “The community pays the levy and I am ensuring that the community gets the benefit of it. I see this as the ‘People’s Fund’.”
Applications for assistance from this year’s Fund close on Friday, 3 October, and Mr Durkan urged local groups and organisations not to miss the deadline.
He added: “Get inspired, be it developing community gardens, removing invasive species, or restoring local habitats or community renewable energy schemes, to name but a few. I would urge groups across the north to continue to undertake projects that benefit their local environment and communities.”
A Challenge Fund 2015 application pack is available on the NIEL website.
Applications from eligible groups are invited to the NGO Challenge Fund and must be submitted to [email protected] by noon on Friday, 3 October.
Successful projects will be announced in late October/early November this year.
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