A run in the park

VHI sta , participants and volunteers at the Kilkenny parkrun, where Vhi hosted a special volunteer take over on Saturday morning. Vhi are proud presenting partners of parkrun and will be hosting dedicated sta volunteer take over days at various parkruns in the coming months. parkrun in partnership with Vhi support local communities in organising free, weekly, timed 5km runs every Saturday at 9.30am. To register for a parkrun near you visit www. parkrun.ie.

More photos Page 10 year increases in the grant since 2014. is funding will help facilitate older people and disabled people in Kilkenny to live independently in their own homes. Of the 2023 funding allocation of €1.99m for Kilkenny, the Exchequer will provide €1.59m while Kilkenny County Council will provide the remaining €398,215. Grants of up to €30,000 are available to assist disabled people in carrying out necessary works to make a house more suitable for their needs. Additionally, grants of up to €8,000 are available to assist older people to have necessary repairs or improvements carried out on their homes. Grants of up to €6,000 are available for mobility aids. e funding, which supports home adaptations for older people, those with a disability and people with mobility issues, provides 80% Exchequer funding through the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. e remaining 20% in funding comes from the relevant local authority.

Minister Noonan said: “I am delighted to allocate increased funding in 2023 to deliver Housing Adaptation Grants for Older and Disabled people in Kilkenny. is allocation will build on the success of last year where we exceeded the number of home adaptations initially targeted nationally.

“We want to empower and enable people to live independently in their own homes for as long as possible – these grants help us to do just that. ey also provide a boost to the local economy in Kilkenny, creating employment opportunities for local contractors.”