Western Care Association has been chosen by people in its local community to receive €20,000 through the fifth annual AIB Community €1 Million Fund, helping the charity continue its important work across County Mayo.

The announcement reflects community support from across Ireland, with AIB customers, the wider public and employees spotlighting the charities making a real difference in the places where they live, work and volunteer.

Since it was first launched in 2022, the AIB Community €1 Million Fund has supported almost 300 charities across Ireland. This year, the Fund will again share support with organisations that are deeply rooted in their communities, from local services and volunteer-led groups to charities responding to everyday needs.

Through the Fund, AIB is allocating €700,000 to charities nominated by customers and the wider public, with funding distributed across each of the four provinces and a dedicated category for charities in the Greater Dublin area. A further €300,000 will be donated to charities selected by AIB employees.

To mark AIB’s 60th anniversary, the Bank has made a once-off contribution of €60,000 to the Fund. This will provide an extra €10,000 for each region, helping even more community projects and initiatives reach the people who need them most.

The charities supported through this year’s Fund will also be featured on the donation feature in the AIB Mobile App, delivered in partnership with Payzone, giving customers a simple way to continue supporting their work throughout the year.

Speaking about the support, Interim CEO Anne Chambers of Western Care Association said: “We are delighted to receive this funding from the AIB Community €1 Million Fund and particularly grateful to everyone throughout Mayo and beyond who nominated Western Care.

“This funding will allow us to create a dedicated sensory room in our newly developed day service in Castlebar. It will provide a calm and welcoming space where people can take time out when they need it and recharge throughout their day. We sincerely thank AIB for making this possible.”

Western Care Association’s newly developed day service on John Moore Road in Castlebar will form part of its network of services supporting more than 700 children and adults with intellectual and associated disabilities across County Mayo. The €20,000 award will fund an innovative, state-of-the-art sensory room for the people who attend the service.

Speaking about the Fund, AIB Managing Director of Retail Banking, Geraldine Casey said: “Every community has organisations that quietly make a huge difference to people’s lives, and the AIB Community €1 Million Fund is an opportunity to recognise and support that work. The charities selected this year were nominated by the people who know their impact best: the communities they serve.

As AIB marks its 60th year, we are proud to provide additional funding to support even more local organisations. Congratulations to all of this year’s recipients and thank you to everyone who helped shine a light on the charities, volunteers and community groups making such a positive difference across Ireland.”

For more information onWestern Care Association visit www.westerncare.com.

For more information on AIB’s work in the community visit www.aib.ie/community.