St Canice’s Credit Union has held a very special event attended by a large audience drawn from community groups and volunteer associations. The event was held to mark their 60th anniversary, with the presentation of the 2024 Community Connect grant funds to 22 local community groups.
Funds totalling just over €130,000 were presented on the night with representatives of each group attending along with some special guests.
Evanne ni Chuilinn acted as MC and chaired a panel discussion on topics related to volunteering, activism and funding for community groups. She was joined by former Kilkenny hurling manager Brian Cody, Minister for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan and Rachael Quinlan, Head of Employee Experience in Clunetech for what turned out to be a lively and informative chat.
Focus soon turned to the main action of the evening with the presentation of funds to 22 community groups from around Kilkenny, Laois and Carlow. The audience heard about the plans each group have for their funding and several representatives also spoke about their projects and their connection with St Canice’s Credit Union. The projects ranged from the purchase of ice skates, to solar panels and batteries, from recycled plastic benches to community gardens and everything in between.
St Canice’s Credit Union CEO Carmel Butler spoke about the importance of the connection with communities for a credit union. She referenced the founders who in 1964 began a small community credit union which has grown to be the largest of community CU in the country but still with a volunteer board and committee charged with its governance.
“Community remains at the heart of our credit union, and we were delighted to have so many attendees on the night to celebrate that fact because without the support of its members St. Canice’s could not exist.”
Successful groups from areas in Kilkenny included:
- Brandon Hill Cross Committee for upgrade works on the cross
- Callan Handball and Racquetball Club for solar panels and batteries
- Kilkenny Storm Ice Hockey Club for equipment
- Keep Kilkenny Beautiful for work on the new Closh Community Space
- Kilkenny Aqua Canoe Club for a new changing room
- Kingsriver Community for LED lighting
- Freshford Community Playground for inclusive equipment
- Ossory Youth for refurbishment of the stage in Desart hall
- SOS Kilkenny for the county’s first dementia café
- Kilkenny Cricket Club for equipment and upgrade works
The Community Connect fund has injected almost €600,000 into local initiatives over the past 6 years and presenting the funds from the 2024 round was a fitting way to celebrate 60 years of St. Canice’s supporting its local communities.
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