inform-residents-newsletter-winter-2016 (2)

Inform Winter 2016 15 When you buy products with the Fairtrade Mark it means that the Fairtrade ingredients in the product have been produced by small-scale farmer organisations or plantations in the developing world that meet Fairtrade social, economic and environmental standards. The standards include protection of workers’ rights and the environment, payment of the Fairtrade Minimum Price and an additional Fairtrade Premium to invest in business or community projects. The Council is actively supporting and promoting Fairtrade with an aim to achieving Fairtrade status for the district in the near future. To become involved or to receive more information on what the Council is doing towards achieving Fairtrade status for the district, contact Charlotte Daly on 0300 303 1777 or email charlotte.daly@fermanaghomagh.com . For further information on Fairtrade, visit www.fairtrade.org.uk. Council’s ‘Green’ fleet wins top award! The Council recently scooped the ‘Green Fleet of the Year 2016’ award at the annual Sustainable Ireland Awards. The award, which was presented to the Council Chairperson, Cllr Mary Garrity, recognised the success of the introduction of electric vans to our fleet of vehicles – the first Council in Northern Ireland to implement such an initiative. The Council’s fleet of electric vehicles is good for the environment and good for ratepayers, with a saving of approximately £3,000 per electric van over five years compared to their diesel equivalent. The Council is committed to protecting and creating quality places in the district and strives to improve how we do things by taking into account new and innovative ways of working where possible. In brief Investing in Fermanagh & Omagh Delivering Priority 6 of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme The Fermanagh and Omagh district has been allocated a project budget of £6.8 million under Priority 6 of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme (NIRDP) 2014-2020. Schemes through which funding will be administered are: • Rural Business Investment Scheme: £3 million • Rural Basic Services Scheme: £1.8 million • Village Renewal Scheme: £1.25 million • Rural Broadband Scheme: £250,000 • Co-operation: £500,000 The Fermanagh and Omagh Local Action Group (LAG) Ltd is the delivery mechanism for Priority 6 in the area and will be opening a call for Theme 3 (Tourism) of the Rural Business Investment Scheme in the new year. The LAG will host funding workshops across the district to promote this call. These will be widely advertised closer to the time. For further information about the programme please contact Fermanagh and Omagh Local Action Group (LAG) Ltd on 028 8225 0202 . Invest Fermanagh Omagh Mobile App The Council recently launched a free to download innovative Mobile App, ‘Invest Fermanagh Omagh’ aimed at promoting the district as a place to live, invest in and visit. It contains a raft of information on the district’s infrastructure, valuable information on potential investment opportunities and sites, tourism information, a comprehensive interactive map plus much more. To download the App visit the App Store or Google Play Store and search for ‘Invest Fermanagh Omagh’. Fermanagh County Museum at Enniskillen Castle re-opened to the public on 25 August following a £3.5 million refurbishment programme which has transformed the Enniskillen Castle complex into a state of the art visitor attraction, flagship events space, and tourism and heritage gateway. The museum boasts a number of new galleries which tell the story of the local area from prehistoric to modern times. There is also a stunning new purpose built Visitor Centre which includes tourist information for the local area and beyond, a café and shop. The £3.5 million refurbishment programme received funding from the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund; the European Regional Development Fund under the European Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland and administered by Tourism Northern Ireland; the Department for Communities – Historic Environment Division; Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and the Friends of Fermanagh County Museum. Admission to Enniskillen Castle includes entry to Fermanagh County Museum, the Maguire Story in the Castle Keep and the Inniskillings Museum. To plan your visit to Enniskillen Castle check out www.enniskillencastle.co.uk or telephone 028 6632 5000 . £3.5m redevelopment heralds new era at Enniskillen Castle The Community Premises Support project, which is funded by The Executive Office through the Social Investment Fund, enables community and voluntary groups from the Fermanagh and Omagh district to apply for financial assistance of up to £20,000 to enhance their community buildings. Closing date for applications is 12 noon, 30 January 2017. For further information on eligibility criteria, the application process and more visit our website or telephone us on 0300 303 1777 . The Council issues two calls each year for grants and bursaries, where voluntary clubs, societies, community organisations and individuals can apply to the Council for financial assistance to undertake a range of activities and initiatives. Under our first call, which took place at the start of 2016, the Council awarded £236,339.85 in financial assistance to many community groups, projects and individuals, making a significant contribution to supporting local communities across the district. A second call for 2016 - 2017 closed at the end of September, with a budget of £82,500 and 283 applications received. As we go to press these are being assessed and will be awarded in the coming weeks. Applications for funding must be made before an event or project takes place. Grant aid will not be provided retrospectively. For further information on what grants are available, and for advice on application, please contact us on 0300 303 1777 or email grants@fermanaghomagh.com . Grants and bursary programme Financial assistance to upgrade community premises We aim to award over £318,000 by the end of this year Supporting Fairtrade