Super Hero Grants for social action

Recession, depression, corruption and climate change - Ireland needs some super-heroes to save the day and the web-driven youth organisation SpunOut.ie is starting a nationwide quest to find them.

SpunOut.ie, a non profit youth organisation which provides information, support and opportunities to over 500,000 young people each year, is launching a unique new micro-grant scheme designed to support the country’s young people in becoming active to bring about social justice in Ireland. 

The ‘SpunOut.ie Super Hero Grants’ scheme, supported by The Atlantic Philanthropies, is designed to encourage young people to develop innovative and imaginative projects that tackle Ireland's many economic, social, health, political and environmental problems.

All young people aged between 15 and 25 who want to develop a new or existing project are invited to apply online for a Super Hero grant via the SpunOut.ie website. Successful applicants will be awarded a bursary to help turn their ideas into action and will be linked in to a national network of progressive young change makers. They will also be given a resource pack to support their project, as well as a pair of highly sought after tickets to the sold out April 13th POSSIBILITIES 2011 National Social Forum (www.possibilities.ie), which includes Nobel Peace Laureate The Dalai Lama and former President Mary Robinson as keynote speakers.

A selection panel made up of young people and community workers will be looking for the most imaginative and achievable ideas and will give preference to proposals that seek to make a real contribution to including young people in initiatives for social justice in Ireland.

The organisers expect that these projects will include those that focus on environmental protection, social justice activism and getting younger voices heard in the media, but all ideas, small and large, will be considered.

Grant recipients who successfully complete their project will then be considered for a ‘SpunOut.ie Super Hero of the Year Award 2011’, which comes with an additional bursary of €500 for the eventual winner.

Speaking as the quest for the super heroes begun, SpunOut.ie Founder Ruairí McKiernan commented:

"Ireland needs new ideas and new leadership like never before. If we want to see a transformation occur then we need to make urgent investments in our young people who are being offered a future of unemployment or emigration. It’s time to stop the crocodile tears for young people and offer them real opportunities and real support. Our micro grants scheme is a modest offering that will help people who are unemployed or on limited budgets pay for critical things like venue hire, photocopying and promotion. The Super Hero grants will help identify, acknowledge and sustain the people who are going to be instrumental in building a new Ireland.”

The Super Hero Grants scheme opens for applications on February 7th and applications are accepted until 5pm on February 28th. Applications will be accepted from both individuals and groups of young people. For further details and some ideas to set you thinking see www.SpunOut.ie.