Minister Muir celebrates Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme awards of £1.65million
Date published:
DAERA Minister Andrew Muir has welcomed his Department’s investment of £1.65million through the 2025/26 Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme (RMCGS) to 1,029 rural voluntary and community sector organisations.
Capital grants of between £500 and £2,000 were available to assist rural voluntary and community organisations to purchase capital items or undertake minor works addressing locally identified poverty or social isolation issues.
Minister Muir was speaking during a visit to Glens Red Squirrel Group, a community-led organisation established to protect and help maintain the population of red squirrels in the Glens of Antrim. The group have received funding of over £11,500 through the scheme since they first applied in 2015, to support environmental improvements and to purchase equipment to help protect wildlife in the Glens and enhance the group’s community engagement work.
Minister Muir commented: “I am delighted that over 1,000 rural voluntary and community organisations have benefitted from funding totalling £1.65million from the Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme (2025/2026).
“This scheme is a key initiative delivered through my Department's Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation Framework that supports rural community-led, voluntary organisations in identifying and implementing projects that address locally identified poverty, isolation, loneliness and health and wellbeing issues.
“It was great to meet the volunteers today from Glens Red Squirrel Groupand hear how the scheme is supporting their work to protect and help maintain the native red squirrel in the Glens of Antrim, as well as raising public awareness of the plight of the red squirrel and encouraging young people in supporting conservation.”
Minister Muir added: “I express my sincere gratitude to all voluntary and community organisations for their commitment to providing a wide range of opportunities through the scheme for their local rural communities.”
The scheme is delivered by Rural Support Networks on behalf of DAERA. Speaking at the event, Breige Conway, Manager of Northern Area Community Network (NACN) added: “The Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme has helped community and voluntary groups deliver practical, locally driven projects that make a real difference in tackling rural isolation and disadvantage. The funding has supported groups to build capacity, improve shared spaces and create more opportunities for people in rural communities to stay connected.”
Notes to editors:
- The Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme (RMCGS) is funded through the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs’ Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI) Framework.
- Glens Red Squirrel Group has benefitted from the scheme since 2015, successfully applying for 11 grants totalling £11,701.46.
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