Thank you! Kilkenny addiction centre for young people gets funding boost

A Kilkenny-based addiction treatment centre for young people is among 18 non-profit youth groups across the island of Ireland who have been awarded a shared grant of €200,000.

And Aiséirí Aislinn is one of just 10 groups in the Republic who received funding as part of the 2024 Coca-Cola Thank You Fund, which awards grants to youth groups who work ‘to empower young people through transformative programmes of learning and sustainable development’.

Now in its 14th year, the initiative continues its commitment to fostering education, employability, and environmental leadership among young people aged 16 and 25.

In the Republic of Ireland, the nine recipient organisations aside from Aiséirí received grants of between €8,000 and €15,000. These are Cork Foyer (Cork), Gaiety School of Acting (Louth), Way 2 Work Ireland (Dublin), STAR Tuam (Galway), The Acorn Project – Youth Work Ireland Midlands (Offaly), Engage in Education (Limerick), Student Volunteer Ireland (Limerick), Mayo North East (Mayo), and Spraoi agus Spórt Family Centre (Donegal).

Coca-Cola Ireland Country Manager, Agnese Filippi, said: “We are delighted to announce this year’s Coca-Cola Thank You Fund recipients. Together with our bottling partners, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland, we have made €200,000 in grants available, broadening the impact we can achieve with the Fund.

“This year’s applications highlighted the essential role that community resources play in empowering young people to build a better future for themselves. From initiatives that support education and personal development, to those enabling sustainable development and climate action, the diversity and creativity of the projects  is  truly remarkable. We would like to thank every organisation that applied this year and commend their efforts in making a lasting difference in their local communities.”