Waterways Ireland Events Programme (Formerly Sponsorship Programme)

Overview

The Waterways Ireland Events Programme aims to promote the sustained use of the waterways under our remit by supporting events on the basis of:

• Potential of the Event to introduce new users to the waterways in an active capacity, i.e. not just as spectators;
• Encouraging cross-border participation;
• The event Location and the nature of the Event;
• An even distribution of Events across all activities and all waterways;
• Applications are particularly welcome which include participants from some of the groups listed; people of different ages, political opinion, race, religious belief, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, people with dependents, people with a disability, and members of the traveller community.

New criteria have been introduced to assess how events can grow sustainable or ongoing participation:

• Greater consideration will be given to events that demonstrate how they would increase participation in long term sustainable waterway related activities;
• Events must demonstrate how they will promote Waterways Ireland;
• Applicants applying for the same type of event (or where there is limited change in the event programme) over a period of years should note that any funding awarded, will be on a reducing scale.
• Applications will be accepted from individuals, public, private or voluntary sector organisations/businesses or legally constituted clubs/associations. (That is; a group that has a legal structure). For some groups this means they will require a constitution and officers (who make the application) and have a bank account into which any funds awarded will be paid. If setting up an association or club and unsure of what format to adopt, please contact the following bodies

Northern Ireland: http://www.nicva.org/resource/setting-association

Republic of Ireland: https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/

This Programme supports activity on waterways under the remit of Waterways Ireland. These are:

• Barrow Navigation
• Royal Canal
• Grand Canal
• Erne System
• Shannon Navigation
• Lower Bann Navigation
• Shannon-Erne Waterway

Criteria

The Event must:

1. Be water-based or a waterside activity on one or more of the seve nwaterways under the remit of Waterways Ireland;
2. Attract new waterway users in an active capacity and not just as spectators;
3. Give due regard for the environment, ecology, natural and built heritage and biodiversity of the waterways;
4. A developmental element that enables us to grow events with key partners
5. A focus on underutilised areas of our navigation,
6. Enabling communities to run their own events
7. Promote Waterways Ireland
8. If a previous applicant, show how this event is different, improves or enhances the previous event.