Kerry Motor Club’s hopes of running future COVID-19-compliant events received a boost this week thanks to funding from Kerry County Council.
The Tralee based club cannot run its Circuit of Kerry Rally in April this year and has not yet made a decision on the Kerry Winter Rally in November. Regardless, if the club can organise an event this year or has to wait until next year, they now know they can do so in the confidence that their next rally will be COVID-19-compliant thanks to the new funding.
The grant will be released to the club through the Kerry Recreation and Sports Partnership in conjunction with Kerry County Council and Sport Ireland.
The grant is specifically for the purpose of purchasing COVID-19 safe-distance signs and other outdoor signage connected with the running of an event where crowds could gather.
This COVID-19 Club Small Grant Scheme is designed to support clubs in implementing COVID-19 related protocols.
“We are very grateful to Kerry County Council and the Kerry Recreation and Sports Partnership for their support in this matter,” said club chair PJ O’Dowd. “We are already running rallies at a break-even point and the purchase of these signs would have put a considerable strain on our budgets. Now, once we get the green light to run events, we can do so in the confidence that we will have the correct signage in place and that we are taking steps to make sure that our events are as safe as possible for everyone.”
The COVID-19 Club Small Grant Scheme is part of a programme from the Government of Ireland, implemented through Sport Ireland and its network of Local Sports Partnerships to support the sports sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.