Northern Ireland’s largest community and civic pride campaign, Live Here Love Here, has announced the return of its Small Grants Scheme following a record-breaking year in 2024, when it awarded £196,342 to 115 projects, all with the ability to increase civic pride and boost biodiversity. Last year also saw 4,500 volunteers come together to transform forgotten or underused spaces across Northern Ireland, demonstrating the importance of community in tackling environmental challenges and promoting stewardship.
Delivered in partnership with ten local councils, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, and Belfast Harbour, applications for the 2025 Small Grants Scheme are open until August 18. Community and volunteer groups, schools, not-for-profit organisations, and un-constituted groups are invited to apply, with successful applications awarded grants from £500 to £3,000.
In 2024, Walkway Community Association received funding from Belfast City Council to transform the Bloomfield Walkway into a vibrant, community-managed garden. Volunteers planted new beds, and trees, installed bins, and created a dedicated ‘Grab & Go’ facility allowing residents to access tools for ongoing maintenance. The space now serves as a hub for outdoor learning and environmental action and has inspired local young people from the area to lead clean-up efforts.
As Sophie McGarrity, Community Support Worker at Walkway Community Association explains, the project has sparked a strong sense of pride and inspired wider community action. She said, “The Live Here Love Here grant has enabled us to create a garden space that brings people together and inspires residents of all ages to take pride in their local area. The Community Grab and Go Shed, in particular, has helped residents keep their areas clean while connecting them with vital services and information we can offer them. As a result of this, our young people have launched a successful Dog Fouling Campaign, and regular community clean-ups have grown in popularity. We’re incredibly grateful to Live Here Love Here for helping us build a space that fosters responsibility, learning, and a real sense of community.”
Live Here Love Here is currently hosting Connecting Communities events across Council areas in Northern Ireland allowing people to meet with volunteers in their area and find out more about how to apply for a Small Grant in 2025.
Orla McGrady, Grants Officer at Live Here Love Here highlighted the array of benefits the Scheme brings to Northern Ireland. She said, “Our Small Grants Scheme continues to prove its role in delivering tangible, long-lasting environmental benefits to urban and rural communities. With 378 applications last year, it’s clear the scheme encourages and empowers people to show the pride and passion they have for where they live. In addition to boosting the environment, we have found that the scheme also supports improved community health and wellbeing as these new shared spaces become places everyone can participate in.
“We look forward to communities submitting their plans this year in hopes we can help more villages, towns and cities across Northern Ireland come together to leave a positive legacy.”
Newmills Cultural Group in Tyrone was awarded a grant to transform a two-hectare space into a community wildlife zone complete with pollinator-friendly gardens, a willow dome for natural play, and colourful wildlife-themed murals crafted by local children. Over 600 residents from across the entire village worked together with the zone now serving as a hub for cross-community educational workshops and gardening sessions.
Meanwhile, Higher Ground Community Group in Dromore, which has over 70 volunteers, used its grant to sow seeds, nurture plants, run litter picks, and create a vibrant community area in a mammoth project surpassing 1,500 hours in volunteer time.
Lynda Surgenor, Live Here Love Here Manager, said, “The Small Grants Scheme continues to demonstrate the extraordinary impact funding can have when placed in the hands of passionate local people. Over 100 projects completed across Northern Ireland last year, and over 1.2 million in improvements have been delivered as a result of the scheme to date. The impact ranges from community allotments to school gardens, and biodiversity workshops to urban clean-ups – the sheer variety of noble ideas waiting to be supported, and the ongoing commitment of communities never ceases to amaze us. We look forward to delivering another successful year with the support of our partners in 2025.”
To apply for the Small Grants Scheme, or for more information on the Connecting Communities Events, visit liveherelovehere.org/smallgrants.