• Energy Event for Gorey Town SMEs - staff from the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) and South East Energy Agency (SEEA) will outline the grants available to SMEs, and the process to obtain an Energy Efficiency Grant and / or an Energy Audit.

• European Climate Pact Ambassadors - everything you need to know about becoming an Ambassador; what you will do in your role; what’s in it for you; what the requirements are and how to apply.
  
  
• Community Foundation Ireland's Biodiversity Fund 2025 - details of & how to apply for grants for communities seeking to draw up their own local Community Biodiversity Action Plan (CBAP) by working with an ecologist, or communities that already have a CBAP and are now ready to make it happen.

• Teagasc / FBD Environmental Sustainability Award 2025 won by Wexford man,  Don Somers from Oylegate - "an outstanding example of how environmentally conscious farming can be effectively integrated with profitable, productive systems".

European Climate Pact Ambassadors are people who commit to informing, inspiring and supporting climate policy and action in their communities and networks.

Does that sound like you? 

If so, applications are now open to become a Pact Ambassador! Join its community and help make Europe’s biggest climate movement even stronger. Applications are open until 15th October, 2025.

For further information and details of how to apply, please click here

Community Foundation Ireland (CFI) and its donors are on a shared mission of equality for all in thriving communities. Together with 5,000 voluntary, community and charitable partners, its is a philanthropic hub for Ireland which is a source of knowledge, expertise and information to ensure effective and strategic giving.

CFI’s Biodiversity Fund opened on 8th September and will close at 4pm, 17th October. 

Full criteria documents are available on its website – Apply For Funding - Community Foundation Ireland

There are two strands to this year’s grant round:

1. Community Groups are invited to apply for a grant to engage an ecologist and develop a Community Biodiversity Action Plan (CBAP) for their local area.
2. Organisations that have a CBAP are invited to apply for up to €12,000 to implement its recommendations. This strand is also for groups seeking to renew their CBAP.

A ‘Help Guide’ is available on the webpage with information on how to access and complete the application form. Applicants can email info@foundation.ie if they have any queries.

Applicants are encouraged to check the Actions for Biodiversity website and to consult their local Biodiversity Officer before applying.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application in January 2026.

Don regularly inspects soil structure and earthworms, recycles over half his straw (2022–2023), and grows cover crops on all spring crop land. These practices reduce fertiliser needs, prevent nitrogen leaching, improve soil structure, aid seedbed preparation, and enhance water absorption.

Precision technology, including yield maps and nitrogen sensors, allows variable nutrient application, improving efficiency and crop health while reducing environmental impact. Catch crops and riparian buffers protect the River Slaney, and integrated pest management supports biodiversity. Don has reduced chemical N use by 20% in the last few years.

Further details of the awards and finalists are available on the Teagasc website.