RTÉ Toy Show Grants Announced

Children in Every County Benefit

The lives of children across Ireland will be improved in multiple ways through 147 RTÉ Toy Show Appeal grants announced today, and which were made possible by the generosity of viewers of last November’s Late Late Toy Show. 

 The response once again from Late Late Toy Show viewers to the appeal will help transform the lives of 1.2 million children, young people and their families, with every county on the island benefitting from grants totalling almost €4million. 

 Charity partner Community Foundation Ireland, which manages the grant process on behalf of RTÉ and its viewers, says that the competition for funding across the sector is intense, given the impact of cost of living on donations across the sector.  The range of projects receiving funding are indicative of the range of challenges that children can face, but also of the innovative, practical and really valuable work being done by charities large and small, that are helping to make a difference.   

Grants are being provided under three main areas of support:  

 Addressing Essential Needs assists those children in every country who face the greatest challenges.  Projects include: afterschool care to children at risk of food poverty, improving the lives of children in emergency accommodation (Galway), and the development of specialist resources for children with Down Syndrome.   

Health and Wellbeing focuses on supporting children facing living with health challenges or disabilities. In total over €1.9M is being awarded this year to provide health, disability supports, mental wellbeing and therapy services for more than 100,000 children and their families. Grants include funding a developmental trauma interventions for the Irish Foster Care Association, supports for children with a cancer diagnosis (Cavan), therapeutic care services (Kerry) and monthly home care support hours for life limited children (nationwide).   

 Creativity and Play will bring colour, creativity and fun into young lives all over Ireland, many of whom have faced adversity. Examples include: Exploring the World of Languages is a programme which will engage pre-school children (nationwide), the provision of musical instruments for children traumatised by the war in Ukraine (Mallow), the upscaling of a palliative care unit (Cork), and the creation of the first accessible surf centre for children with disability (Donegal).  

 Full details of all 147 Grants can be accessed Here  

Announcing the grants Dee Forbes, outgoing Director-General of RTÉ said: 

“Children’s voices have always been at the very core of The Late Late Toy Show. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our viewers, thousands of children are now being supported in so many different ways.  

To everyone who donated a huge thank you; this will help so many young lives in the year ahead and is a remarkable testimony to Ireland’s renowned generosity.

 Denise Charlton, Chief Executive of Community Foundation Ireland added: 

 “The RTÉ Toy Show Appeal continues to make an enormous contribution to our mission of Equality for All in Thriving Communities.

Over three-years with the distribution of €17.6 million in total viewers have impacted on young lives in every part of our country.

Children’s lives are being transformed thanks to the generosity shown by family, friends and neighbours who respond during the Toy Show to ensure the magic continues all year round.” 

END

Note to Editors 

 RTÉ Toy Show Appeal 

Founded in 2020, the RTÉ Toy Show Appeal has raised over €17.5m for children’s charities to date.  Over the past three years 359 grants have been provided to 226 children’s charities across the island of Ireland.  It is estimated that the Appeal has helped over 1.1million children and family members annually since its inception.  

Community Foundation Ireland 

 Community Foundation Ireland, its donors and supporters are on a mission to ensure Equality for All in Thriving Communities. Since the year 2000 the Foundation has been a philanthropic hub working with 5,000 voluntary, community and charitable partners. It has been the charity partner of the Toy Show appeal since its establishment in 2020.