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Senan Hogan, 14 Jun
Three Kildare organisations among recipients of RTÉ Toy Show
Appeal’s Grants to help transform young lives in every county across
the island of Ireland.
The lives of children across Ireland will be improved in multiple ways
through 147 RTÉ Toy Show Appeal grants announced today, and which
were made possible by the generosity of viewers of last
November’s Late Late Toy Show.
The response once again from Late Late Toy Show viewers to the appeal
will help transform the lives of 1.2 million children, young people and
their families, with every county on the island benefitting from grants
totalling almost €4million.
Charity partner Community Foundation Ireland, which manages the grant
process on behalf of RTÉ and its viewers, says that the competition for
funding across the sector is intense, given the impact of cost of
living on donations across the sector. The range of projects receiving
funding are indicative of the range of challenges that children can
face, but also of the innovative, practical and really valuable work
being done by charities large and small, that are helping to make a
difference.
Grants are being provided under three main areas of support:
Addressing Essential Needs assists those children in every country who
face the greatest challenges.  Projects include: afterschool care to
children at risk of food poverty, improving the lives of children in
emergency accommodation (Galway), and the development of specialist
resources for children with Down Syndrome.
Health and Wellbeing focuses on supporting children facing living with
health challenges or disabilities. In total over €1.9M is being
awarded this year to provide health, disability supports, mental
wellbeing and therapy services for more than 100,000 children and their
families. Grants include funding a developmental trauma
interventions for the Irish Foster Care Association, supports for
children with a cancer diagnosis (Cavan), therapeutic care services
(Kerry) and monthly home care support hours for life limited children
(nationwide).
Creativity and Play will bring colour, creativity and fun into young
lives all over Ireland, many of whom have faced serious
adversity. Examples include: Exploring the World of Languages is a
programme which will engage pre-school children (nationwide), the
provision of musical instruments for children traumatised by the war in
Ukraine (Mallow), the upscaling of a palliative care unit (Cork), and
the creation of the first accessible surf centre for children with
disability (Donegal).
Full details of all 147 Grants can be accessed here:
RTE-Toy-Show-Appeal-2023- Grants.pdf (communityfoundation.ie)
Announcing the grants Dee Forbes, outgoing Director-General of RTÉ
said:
“Children’s voices have always been at the very core of The
Late Late Toy Show. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our
viewers, thousands of children are now being supported in
so many different ways. To everyone who donated a huge thank you; this
will help so many young lives in the year ahead and is a remarkable
testimony to Ireland’s renowned generosity.”
Denise Charlton, Chief Executive of Community Foundation Ireland
added:
“The RTÉ Toy Show Appeal continues to make an enormous contribution to
our mission of Equality for All in Thriving Communities. Over
three-years with the distribution of €17.6 million in total viewers
have impacted on young lives in every part of our country. Children’s
lives are being transformed thanks to the generosity shown by family,
friends and neighbours who respond during the Toy Show to ensure the
magic continues all year round.”