ElectricAID Ireland

Tus maith, leath na hoibre!

Esb ElectricAID Ireland, our new Corporate Social Responsibility venture, set itself the task of impacting positively on two areas of social need. These were suicide and homelessness, as selected by staff in a poll in 2005.

We are delighted to report that the venture has gained wide acceptance and uptake right across those active with these issues and all over Ireland. We have made a solid and successful start.

Since opening our doors for business in July, we have completed two complete funding cycles. We have assessed 94 applications and funded in whole or in part, 70 projects, to the tune of €0.75 million. This table gives an idea of the level of activity:

Applications to Nov 2005 . . . . . .94
Approved in full . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Approved in part . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Rejected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Under Examination. . . . . . . . . . . 5
"Suicide" Approvals . . . . . . . . . 43
Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . €449 k
"Homelessness" Approvals. . . . 27
Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . €292 k

Funding has been approved for a very wide variety of national organisations, local branches, local organisations, researchers and small community-based groups. Grants have ranged from €700 to €50,000, but averaging €10,600. Projects supported have ranged from national research to local community suicide awareness and prevention initiatives, from supporting transitional accommodation for homeless people to replacing the windows in a hostel, to direct service provision for the homeless. Mental health initiatives, suicideprevention and post-suicide counselling have been widely supported. We will be featuring some of these projects in future EM articles.

Our funding has been wellspread all over the island of Ireland, with 8 projects supported North of the border and across the community, and projects supported across 15 counties "down South"

As the proverb says, a good start is half the work. We are more than happy that ESB ElectricAID Ireland has made a solid, effective and successful start.