IMMA & ECO-UNESCO win Movement for Good large grant awards

Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) and ECO-UNESCO are amongst the 31 charities that were chosen by a panel of judges to receive a share of €500,000 in grants. These are larger grants intended to support longer-term projects in four key sectors: community; education and skills; environment and climate; and heritage and arts.

Home to the National Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art, IMMA is a space where contemporary art and life connect, challenge and inspire one another through a world-class exhibition programme and innovative community engagement. They will receive a grant of £15,000 (euro equivalent) which will allow the charity to present Unseen Traces, a community outreach project developed in collaboration with New Communities Partnership, Ireland's largest independent migrant-led national network. Scheduled to take place at IMMA in Spring/Summer 2023, this project will increase the relevancy of the Museum to under-served audiences, engaging with community groups across Ireland.

ECO-UNESCO is Ireland's leading national youth environmental education organisation that works to conserve the environment and empower young people. The £50,000 (euro equivalent) grant will allow the charity to reach more young people in schools, youth organisations and clubs around the island of Ireland and give them the skills to address the ongoing climate and biodiversity emergency. The funding will also enable them to continue the Young Environmentalist Awards, which is the only all-Ireland environmental awards programme that recognises and rewards young people who engage in action projects to improve the environment and raise environmental awareness amongst their peers, schools and communities.

The Movement for Good awards is designed to help charities make a real difference in their communities. More than 500 charities applied for the funding, which is being put towards the advancement of heritage and arts, education, rural and community, climate, human rights and equality. The winning projects were selected against four criteria: impact and effectiveness, sustainability, innovation, and care and compassion.

Speaking of the Awards, Annie Fletcher, Irish Museum of Modern Art Director, said: “Since its inception in 1991, IMMA has been a centre for creativity and innovation. Now, thirty years on, we seek to be a radically public space that encourages public engagement with the arts in a culturally meaningful way. By connecting with community networks through Unseen Traces in collaboration with New Communities Partnership, and with support from the Movement for Good Awards by Ecclesiastical Insurance, we hope to reemphasise this aim and foster a space that is reflective of contemporary Irish society. By experiencing Unseen Traces in the gallery, we hope beneficiaries will witness the relevancy of the many diverse cultures in Ireland mirrored in what IMMA celebrates.”

Elaine Nevin, National Director, ECO-UNESCO, added: “We are thrilled to be recipients of the Movement for Good Awards. This award supports our work to engage, educate and empower more young people to take action, raise awareness and develop creative solutions to protect the environment and raise environmental awareness in communities all over Ireland. The Young Environmentalist Awards is the perfect opportunity for young people to get involved, learn new skills and be a part of the solution to creating a more sustainable planet for their future, and the Ecclesiastical funding will help us reach more people.”

David Lane, Managing Director of Ecclesiastical Insurance, proudly part of the Benefact Group said: “We believe business should be a force for good. More than ever, charitable causes need sustained support and a sense of financial stability. Through the Movement for Good larger-grant awards, we are championing a more imaginative way of supporting charities so that they can have some certainty in these challenging times. We know our funding can be a lifeline to those who are struggling with the current cost-of-living increases.”

“To be able to help ECO-UNESCO continue to reach more young people to address the ongoing climate crisis and also help IMMA present the Unseen Traces project, is wonderful for the entire team here in Ecclesiastical as we know a grant of this scale can make a huge difference to the incredible work these charities do.”

For more information about Movement for Good, including how to take part, visit www.movementforgood.com

Movement for Good is funded by EIO plc, part of the Benefact Group.