Offaly community group receive €15,000 from Coca-Cola Thank You Fund

Offaly community group, The Acorn Project, have received €15,000 from the Coca-Cola Thank You Fund.

The group is one of 18 non-profit youth groups across the island of Ireland to receive grant share of €200,000.

Now in it's 14th year, the initiative continues its commitment to fostering education, employability, and environmental leadership among young people aged 16-25.

The Acorn Project is a youth diversion project aimed at supporting young people who are deemed at risk of anti-social or criminal activity.

The focus of the work is to steer these young people to more positive lifestyle choices and upskilling them in terms of employment prospects.

This funding will support 25 young people to participate in its Employability Programme which takes place over 9 months and includes a QQI accreditation as well as work experience.

Speaking about the importance of grant schemes such as the Coca-Cola Thank You Fund, Coca-Cola Ireland Country Manager, Agnese Filippi, said: “We are delighted to announce this year’s Coca-Cola Thank You Fund recipients.

"Together with our bottling partners, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland, we have made €200K in grants available, broadening the impact we can achieve with the Fund.

“This year’s applications highlighted the essential role that community resources play in empowering young people to build a better future for themselves.

"From initiatives that support education and personal development, to those enabling sustainable development and climate action, the diversity and creativity of the projects is truly remarkable. We would like to thank every organisation that applied this year and commend their efforts in making a lasting difference in their local communities.”