The Board and Staff at Spraoi wish to extend a huge THANK YOU to all of those who provide the funding support we need to run our services:

Inishowen Co-Operative Society

Inishowen Co-Op is one of our main business sponsors. Their support provides essential funding for our Digital Creative Lab and they are a true partner in our Inishowen community.

Community Services Programme

Funding under the Community Services Programme is plays a key role in the overall sustainability of Spraoi on an annual basis.  This fund provides funding for our core staff, a Manager and 3 FTE’s.

School Aged Childcare Scheme

Funding provided to families to access school aged childcare is critical in an area such as Carndonagh and North Inishowen.  Spraoi have many children availing of their services under the Community Childcare Subvention Programme and the National Childcare Scheme.

Stability Fund

Funding provided to families to access school aged childcare is critical in an area such as Carndonagh and North Inishowen.  Spraoi have many children availing of their services under the Community Childcare Subvention Programme and the National Childcare Scheme.

Donegal County Council

Peace IV SEPUB

This project was part of Donegal County Council’s €5.5m Local Authority Action Plan and funded through the EU’s PEACE IV Programme, which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). Match –funding was provided by the Executive Office in Northern Ireland and the Department of Rural and Community Development in Ireland.

Our “FabLab Inishowen” project was funded under Building Positive Relations. This project will give 240 young people access to creative technology through digital fabrication machines that include 3D printers, laser cutters, vinyl cutters, heat press and computer-based design. For most of the young people this will be the first time they accessed digital fabrication technology.

Atlantic Economic Corridor

The Atlantic Economic Corridor (AEC) is an initiative which acts as an enabler for regional growth along the Western seaboard, from Donegal to Kerry, by combining the assets of the region to attract investment, support job creation and improve the quality of life for the people in the region. The counties covered by the AEC are Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Roscommon, Mayo, Galway, Clare, Limerick, and Kerry.

Funding received by Spraoi under this initiative enabled us to upgrade two rooms within our Coworking Hub.

Donegal County Council

Funding provided by Cllr. Albert Doherty was used to support our Foodbank

Creative Ireland Project

The creative resources of the FabLab were used for a shop local campaign that we pioneered in Carndonagh, with the Carndonagh Trader’s Association. Using the resources of the FabLab, funding from the Creative Ireland project and the design creativity of the participants we created a bespoke Christmas decoration that was given as a gift to people who shopped local. Participants also availed of a series of workshops in the FabLab to help create items that would help them within their own businesses

Healthy Ireland

This fund is enabling Spraoi to deliver a number of resilience workshops for young people which will increased the proportion of people that are healthy at all stages of life, reduce health inequalities and help to create an environment where every individual and sector in society play their part in achieving a healthy Ireland.

Covid Supports

We are very grateful to Donegal County Council for ensure we received funding under the different covid supports funding that was available.

Donegal County Childcare Committee

We value the ongoing support which we received from Donegal County Childcare Committee. The annual funding for our Parent & Toddler Group means we can always bring new classes and invest in new toys and resources.

Community Foundation of Ireland

Work continues with our Biodiversity Audit of Carndonagh in partnership with Inishowen Development Partnership and ECO Carn. This audit when complete will be a huge asset for this area and will map out what needs to be done locally to improve the biodiversity of our area.

Foras na Gaeilge

For almost 10 years we have delivered after-school events and summer camps through the Irish language which have been supported by Foras na Gaeilge under their Youth Events Scheme and Summer Camp Scheme. Our families love that their children have an opportunity locally to use the Irish language outside of the school setting.

We also availed of support under the Business Support Scheme.

Donegal ETB

Each year we enjoy the support of Donegal ETB who provide funding for several evening classes including interior design, dressmaking and flower arranging.

We are also supported annually by their youth club grant which is vital in ensuring we can continue to invest in new services and equipment.

Age & Opportunity

Each year we are fortunate to received funding from Age & Opportunity to deliver physical activity for older people.

North Inishowen School Completion

We work closely with our local schools to ensure that our range of activities can be accessed by everyone.

Department of Education

Every summer we provide group Summer Provision to over 20 children and teenagers with a disability and/or autism. This provision provides critical support for 10 hours per week for 4 weeks. It gives our children and teenagers an opportunity to engage in fun activities in a safe and secure environment and helps keep the routine of school.

HSE Service Reform Fund

Our two year “Alternative Respite” project ended in December 2020. Over the course of the two years 10 teenagers with a disability and/or autism availed of over 4,000 hours of daytime respite. This project was a lifeline for the teenagers who took part. It taught them many independent life skills and provided opportunities for them to take part in recreational activities for their choosing as the programme offered individualised support. A blueprint of the project was created as a legacy.

LEADER

LEADER funding during the year has enabled us to invest in facilities upgrades to ensure we can best protect our services users from Covid. We have installed ventilation units throughout our centre, and we have also invested in new equipment and resources and we look forward to delivering new and exciting workshops.

Rethink Ireland

Spraoi has flourished since becoming an awardee of the Social Enterprise Development Fund in 2019. Funding from Rethink Ireland enabled Spraoi to invest in resources which has been key to Spraoi receiving €9.5 million in partnership with Donegal County Council in April 2021. This funding turn two derelict sites into a Coworking Hub, enhanced FabLab facilities, a youth space for teenagers, community kitchen, sensory garden, and Creative Makers Hub.

Irish Youth Foundation and VHI

Spraoi has flourished since becoming an awardee of the Social Enterprise Development Fund in 2019. Funding from Rethink Ireland enabled Spraoi to invest in resources which has been key to Spraoi receiving €9.5 million in partnership with Donegal County Council in April 2021. This funding turn two derelict sites into a Coworking Hub, enhanced FabLab facilities, a youth space for teenagers, community kitchen, sensory garden, and Creative Makers Hub.

Extended thanks..

Spraoi would also like to extend our thanks to the following businesses and organisations for their generous donations:  

Brookfield Renewables, Buncrana Credit Union, AIB Carndonagh, Carndonagh Community School, Action Inishowen, Letterkenny Babies, Inishowen Methodist Church, People First.

Thanks to Patricia McCarron for organising the perfume draw in December. This raised money to support our alternative respite programme for children and teenagers with a disability and/or autism.

And finally, thanks to Ronan Campbell of 3D Issue, Letterkenny, for kindly converting this report into their fantastic ‘Experios’ format.  We love the fantastic interactive digital magazine version!