Ireland’s leading organics recycling firm, Natural World Products (NWP) has launched a new ‘Sustainable Communities Fund’, seeking to provide financial support to community groups within the West Belfast and Keady areas.
The fund aims to support groups and projects that demonstrate community involvement and benefit with an aim to create opportunities and empower local people.
In line with NWP’s wider business, the funding initiative will have a strong focus on sustainability, providing assistance to groups and projects that can outline how they will make a positive contribution to sustainability at a local level.
The Sustainable Communities Fund is open to a variety of initiatives including but not limited to sports clubs, youth groups, music groups, gardening clubs and beyond.
Patrick Kelly, General Manager at NWP said:
“Contributing positively to the communities in which our facilities are located is vitally important to us. Our Management Team all come from local working-class backgrounds and we want to make sure, wherever possible, we are giving something back to help people on the ground who are battling every day to create opportunities for young people and others in communities that have increasingly been starved of support from central government.
“We currently donate premium-quality peat free compost to numerous initiatives right across Northern Ireland and have witnessed first-hand the hugely positive impact this activity has had.
“With this in mind, we are now pleased to be launching our Sustainable Communities Fund, which we feel represents the next step in our community development efforts.
“Without members of the local community using their brown bins to discard their household food and garden materials, we would not be able to carry out the work that we do.
“The idea of this fund is to say thanks and try to give back to the communities we’re from and who we ultimately depend upon.”
NWP delivers over half of all household recycling in Northern Ireland.
Household waste processed by NWP is converted into organic soil conditioner used by councils, agri-growers and the horticultural sector to return organic matter to heavily farmed soils and to contribute to a reduction in peat-based growing media products, making a significant carbon capture contribution in the fight against climate change.
Alderman Glenn Barr, former Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon added:
“Over the past number of years Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council has developed a strong working relationship with NWP, allowing us to fully appreciate the positive impact that the business has had locally.
“Creating sustainable communities is just as important as creating a sustainable environment, and the NWP Sustainable Community Fund will undoubtedly help to further these efforts within Keady and surrounding areas.”
South Belfast MLA Kate Nicholl, former Belfast Lord Mayor commented:
“NWP makes a significant contribution towards recycling efforts here in Belfast and across Northern Ireland.
“By launching this newest community funding initiative, NWP is once again exemplifying its commitment to bettering local communities in a sustainable way.
“I am confident that the Sustainable Communities Fund will create further positive impact within the West Belfast area and would like to encourage all eligible local groups to submit a funding application.”
Further information can be found at – www.naturalworldproducts.com/nwp-launches-sustainable-communities-fund