Fifteen voluntary organisations including NGOs, local community groups and others have been awarded funding under the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s 2018 Communicating Europe Initiative.

The successful projects include the recording of a special Blindboy Podcast on Europe live at the MindField Arena at the Electric Picnic Festival, a Young Innovators for Europe project, and the launch of a Big Friendly Guide to the European Union website for primary schools, to complement the Department’s Blue Star EU education programme.

Announcing the funding allocation for 2018, Minister for European Affairs Helen McEntee said: “I believe the projects funded under this year’s Communicating Europe Initiative will encourage even greater participation in the national debate around Ireland’s place in a future Europe.

“I want to congratulate the 15 successful projects, all of which I am sure will make extremely valuable contributions with many having a strong regional dimension.”

The successful proposals encompass the following areas of activity:

Future of Europe discussions

- Centre for European Studies University of Limerick

- All together in Dignity (Dublin north inner city)

- First Fortnight (mental health focused)

- Women for Elections

Secondary schools

- European Youth Parliament

- The Graduate.ie

- Junior Achievement Ireland

Primary schools

- UCC

- Big Friendly Guide to the European Union website

Youth

- The Blindboy Podcast at MindField, Electric Picnic

- National Youth Council

- Young Social innovators

Civil society

- The Wheel EU capacity building project

Media

- Near Media public events and podcasts

- Audrey Galvin, University of Limerick Youth media project

Local community events

- Ballinderreen Community Centre, Galway

Further information is available from www.dfa.ie