*Photograph: John Mangan

Emergency funding worth over €73,000 has been approved by the Clare Local Community Development Committee (LCDC).

Community and voluntary groups will benefit from the COVID-19 emergency fund which was approved earlier this week. Groups directly involved in the Community Call initiative were invited through a closed call to apply for funding in the sum of €73,704 prior to the deadline on April 30th.

Over 26 applications for funding totalling €180,164 were received by the Chief Officer of the LCDC. Chair of the LCDC, Andrew Dundas acknowledged that in the “significant volume of applications”, they were all “deserving of the funding and very worthwhile which made the task of distributing the limited resources all the more difficult”.

Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr Clare Colleran Molloy (FF) praised the timely distribution of the funds. She said the groups involved in the commuity call “have a very clear focus as to the needs of the most vulnerable”.

Hardship, food requirements and psychological support were the clear countywide needs that emerged in the funding requests, Chief Officer of the LCDC Bernadette Haugh admitted.

The list of grant beneficiaries is as follows:

• Ballyvaughan Community Development Group
• Clare Care
• Clare Haven Services
• Clare Local Development Company
• Clare Women’s Network
• Irish Red Cross – Clare
• Killaloe Ballina FRC
• Lisdoonvarna Failte CLG
• Love Shannon Group
• Mounshannon Community Council
• New Quay Community Development
• Newmarket on Fergus GAA
• North West Clare Family Resource Centre
• Obair Newmarket on Fergus CLG
• Ogonnelloe Community Centre CLG
• Scariff Community Council
• Scarriff Bay Radio
• Shannon Family Resource Centre
• Tuamgraney Development Association
• Tulla Reaching Out Heritage Group
• West Clare Family Resource Centre.