Bank of Ireland is to spend over €1 million on its Enterprise Town programme this year, an initiative which brings together local businesses, education, sports and cultural organisations and aims to boost the local economy of each community.

This year 100 communities will join in, up from 50 last year, with 600 Bank of Ireland staff supporting the initiative and 7,000 businesses, almost 4,000 sports and community groups, and some 200 first and second level schools expected to participate.

In each enterprise town, a schedule of events is developed by a local committee of residents, businesses and organisations. This programme runs over two days and includes business, sports and community expos, participation by local schools, and a range of family-friendly activities. Each town undertakes a fundraising drive for a local cause — and donations up to €1,000 are matched by Bank of Ireland through its ‘Give Together’ charity initiative.

In addition to supporting each town with funding, charitable donations, event organisation, business mentoring, the bank will provide well-known guest speakers, including Gavin Duffy, Rachel Allen, Mickey Harte, John Giles and Henry Shefflin, for many of the events.

David Merriman of Bank of Ireland commented: “The feedback from communities involved in this programme since 2013 has been overwhelmingly positive. This is why we are doubling our numbers for the coming year."

In Association with

Over last weekend, Killorglin in Co Kerry and Thurles, Co Tipperary, were the settings for the first events this year, with an ‘Enterprise Campus’ also taking place at University College Cork.

Photo: David Merriman, Head of Enterprise Development at Bank of Ireland, with Patrick Lambe, owner of The Green Sheep artisan foodstore in Thurles. (Pic: Naoise Culhane)