One of the ways we support community education classes across County Donegal is through the annual Reach Fund. What does this Fund cover and how does it benefit local communities? In this month’s blog, our Adult Education Officer, Aidan McCloskey, tells us more about it.
Donegal Education and Training Board is once again pleased to provide funding opportunities to community education providers this year through the Reach Fund.
The aim of Reach funding is to provide support to the most educationally disadvantaged learners in accessing and participating in community education initiatives.
Introduced in 2020 to support the most disadvantaged learners throughout the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Reach funding continues to provide vital funds to assist Education and Training Boards and community education providers to widen and increase their capacity and ensure that they can support the participation of those who need it most.
Since 2020, Donegal ETB has administered Reach funding of €1.4m to community education providers, with €215,000 available for the current year, 2026.
Last year, the Reach Evaluation Panel approved funding for 57 community education projects that fulfilled the categories of funding detailed in the Reach Fund Guidelines.
There are four categories under which community education projects can be submitted:
- Widening and increasing participation of target groups in learning that offers non-accredited pathway courses or accreditation at National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) levels 1 to 3.
- Supporting learners to engage/participate in community-based educational programmes, mentoring projects, vouched transport costs for learners, or urgent educational responses.
- Projects that address topics such as climate justice education, education for sustainable development, or building climate literacy.
- Education outreach and pre-development work to support the most marginalised and disadvantaged groups.
Here are a few examples of projects approved around the county under previous Reach Funds:
Build your own Beehive
Those new to beekeeping were able to build their beehive from kits provided in this project, giving them the confidence and skills to be successful. Existing beekeepers shared their expertise and were able to purchase flat packs to increase their apiary size.
Thrive
A project with a holistic approach to health, wellbeing, and lifelong learning. Cookery classes brought the community together to learn new skills, foster healthy attitudes to food, reduce food waste, and much more. Learners were encouraged to pursue further classes in food, nutrition, and health in collaboration between Donegal ETB and the local Family Resource Centre.
Working with Wood
A project focused on introducing new learners to develop basic woodcraft skills. Reach provided funding for tools, equipment, and facilitated workshops where learners were introduced to new skills. Learners were informed of opportunities and encouraged to engage more with education and training opportunities in their local community.
Community Learning Hub
Reach Funding provided for the purchase of IT equipment and class materials for Community Learning initiatives, including IT and crafts. The hub offers facilities and support for lifelong learning, short courses, and opportunities to engage with Donegal ETB and others.
This funding support has always been warmly received by local communities, as one noted in their feedback:
“Funding from Reach 2025 gave us the opportunity to provide something new in our local community. We were able to buy the tools and materials that we needed for the project. Donegal ETB staff were very supportive in helping us to make sure our project was suited to the Reach Fund and that we were able to complete our project within the year.”
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If you are interested in submitting an application to the Reach Fund 2026, check out the Community Education page of Donegal ETB’s website here, where you can find the Guidelines in full and further information, including guidance on how to register and submit your application through the funding portal.
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Tacaíocht a thabhairt d’Oideachas Pobail tríd an gCiste Reach
Ceann de na bealaí a dtacaímid le ranganna oideachais pobail ar fud Chontae Dhún na nGall ná tríd an gCiste Rochtain bliantúil. Cad a chlúdaíonn an Ciste seo agus cén chaoi a dtéann sé chun tairbhe do phobail áitiúla? I mblag na míosa seo, insíonn ár nOifigeach Oideachais Aosaigh, Aidan McCloskey, tuilleadh dúinn faoi.
Tá lúcháir ar Bhord Oideachais agus Oiliúna Dhún na nGall deiseanna maoinithe a chur ar fáil do sholáthraithe oideachais pobail arís trí Chiste Rochtain 2026.
Tá sé mar aidhm le maoiniú Rochtain tacaíocht a chur ar fáil do na foghlaimeoirí is mó atá faoi mhíbhuntáiste oideachasúil chun teacht ar oideachas pobail agus páirt a ghlacadh ann.
Tugadh maoiniú Rochtain isteach in 2020 chun tacú leis na foghlaimeoirí is mó atá faoi mhíbhuntáiste le linn na ndúshlán a bhain le paindéim COVID-19, agus leanann sé le cistí ríthábhachtacha a sholáthar chun cuidiú le Boird Oideachais agus Oiliúna agus le soláthraithe oideachais pobail lena gcumas a leathnú agus a mhéadú agus lena chinntiú gur féidir leo tacú le rannpháirtíocht na ndaoine is mó a bhfuil sé de dhíth orthu.
Ó 2020, tá maoiniú Rochtain de €1.4m á riaradh ag Bord Oideachais agus Oiliúna Dhún na nGall do sholáthraithe oideachais pobail, le €215,000 ar fáil don bhliain reatha, 2026.
Anuraidh, cheadaigh Painéal Meastóireachta Rochtain maoiniú do 57 tionscadal oideachais pobail a chomhlíon na catagóirí maoinithe atá mionsonraithe i dTreoirlínte Chiste Roctain.
Tá ceithre chatagóir ann faoinar féidir tionscadail oideachais pobail a chur isteach:
- Tionscadail atá dírithe ar mhéadú agus leathnú rannpháirtíocht na spriocghrúpaí san fhoghlaim lena gcuirtear creidiúnú ar fáil ag leibhéal 1 go 3 CNC, nó ar chláir neamhchreidiúnaithe lena soláthraítear conairí soiléire chuig soláthar creidiúnaithe ag leibhéil 1 go 3 CNC,
- Tionscadail trína dtacófar le foghlaimeoirí chun bheith rannpháirteach/páirt a ghlacadh i gcláir oideachais phobalbhunaithe, tionscadail mheantóireachta, costais iompair d’fhoghlaimeoirí, freagairt oideachais phráinneach.
- Tionscadail lena dtugtar aghaidh ar thopaicí amhail oideachas ceartais aeráide, oideachas don fhorbairt inbhuanaithe agus tuiscint ar an aeráid a fhorbairt.
- Tionscnaimh a bhaineann le hoideachas for-rochtana agus obair réamhfhorbartha chun tacú leis na grúpaí is imeallaithe agus is mó atá faoi mhíbhuntáiste.
Seo roinnt samplaí de thionscadail a ceadaíodh ar fud an chontae faoi Chistí Rochtain roimhe seo:
Tóg do Choirceog Féin
Bhí na daoine nua i saol na beachaireachta in ann a gcoirceog a thógáil ó threalamh a cuireadh ar fáil sa tionscadal seo, rud a thug an mhuinín agus na scileanna dóibh a bheith rathúil. Roinn beachairí reatha a saineolas agus bhí siad in ann pacáistí cothroma a cheannach chun méid a mbeachlann a mhéadú.
Thrive
Tionscadal le cur chuige iomlánaíoch i leith sláinte, folláine agus foghlama ar feadh an tsaoil. Tháinig an pobal le chéile ranganna cócaireachta chun scileanna nua a fhoghlaim, dearcthaí sláintiúla i leith bia a chothú, dramhaíl bia a laghdú, agus i bhfad níos mó. Spreagadh foghlaimeoirí chun ranganna breise a dhéanamh i mbia, i gcothú agus i sláinte i gcomhar idir Bord Oideachais agus Oiliúna Dhún na nGall agus an tIonad Acmhainní Teaghlaigh áitiúil.
Ag Obair le hAdhmad
Dhírigh tionscadal seo ar fhoghlaimeoirí nua a thabhairt isteach chun scileanna bunúsacha ceardaíochta adhmaid a fhorbairt. Chuir Rochtain maoiniú ar fáil d’uirlisí, do threalamh, agus d’éascaigh sé ceardlanna inar tugadh isteach scileanna nua d’fhoghlaimeoirí. Cuireadh na foghlaimeoirí ar an eolas faoi dheiseanna agus spreagadh iad chun páirt níos mó a ghlacadh i ndeiseanna oideachais agus oiliúna ina bpobal áitiúil.
Mol Foghlama Pobail
Soláthraíodh maoiniú Rochtain chun trealamh agus ábhair ranga a cheannach do thionscnaimh Foghlama Pobail, lena n-áirítear TF agus ceardaíocht. Cuireann an mol áiseanna agus tacaíocht ar fáil d’fhoghlaim ar feadh an tsaoil, cúrsaí gearra, agus deiseanna chun dul i mbun oibre le Bord Oideachais agus Oiliúna Dhún na nGall agus le daoine eile.
Tá fáilte chroíúil curtha i gcónaí ag pobail áitiúla roimh an tacaíocht mhaoinithe seo, mar a thug duine amháin faoi deara ina n-aiseolas:
“Thug maoiniú ó Rochtain 2025 deis dúinn rud éigin nua a chur ar fáil inár bpobal áitiúil. Bhíomar in ann na huirlisí agus na hábhair a bhí de dhíth orainn don tionscadal a cheannach. Bhí foireann ETB Dhún na nGall thar a bheith tacúil ag cabhrú linn a chinntiú go raibh ár dtionscadal oiriúnach don Chiste Rochtain agus go raibhomar in ann ár dtionscadal a chur i gcrích laistigh den bhliain.”
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Má tá suim agat iarratas a chur isteach chuig Ciste Rochtain 2026, féach ar an leathanach Oideachas Pobail ar shuíomh gréasáin ETB Dhún na nGall anseo; ansin gheobhaidh tú na Treoirlínte ina n-iomláine agus tuilleadh eolais agus treoir maidir le conas clárú agus d’iarratas a chur isteach tríd an tairseach mhaoinithe.