Wexford

Projects will include the transformation of an old church in Co Louth, and a former cinema in Co Sligo into new state-of-the-art public libraries and community facilities

12 projects in areas that currently lack a community centre will receive between €1 million and €6 million to build brand new facilities.

A further €50 million has been allocated to the Community Recognition Fund, which was introduced last year to recognise the huge efforts made by communities in welcoming and supporting people coming to Ireland.

The largest ever expansion of Ireland’s National Walks Scheme was announced this week, promising to add 62 new walking and hiking trails across 17 counties.

50 new projects will each receive funding of up to €50,000 each to bring them to a shovel-ready stage.

When it comes to wellness and mental health, the proven benefits of getting outside and talking to people are well documented. Luckily, with Street Feasts, community pools and a growing network of Greenways, there are plenty of opportunities to partake in some open-air therapy.

Julia Syrotenko, Community Integration Worker with Wexford Local Development, came up with a novel way of helping her fellow Ukrainians to improve their English. Her Walk and Talk initiative has been a huge success in Gorey and surrounding areas. Together with a group of Irish volunteers, the Ukrainian refugees currently living in Wexford take part in weekly walks, which helps them to make new friends while practising their conversational English in a relaxed setting.

As the release of the final National Social Enterprise Policy for Ireland looms, we take a look at some recent social enterprise activity in the South East.