€50,000 to be given to local causes from Athlone court 'poor box' fund

Nine non-profit organisations in Athlone and surrounding areas are to receive grants totalling €50,000 from the 'poor box' contributions made by defendants in the district court this year.

The amounts paid out from the poor box fund, which is administered by district judge Seamus Hughes, have been impacted by Covid-19 both last year and this year.

A statement issued by the local courts service explained that most poor box income comes from defendants prosecuted for having small amounts of drugs, such as cannabis.

Typically, the charges are struck out once the defendant makes the payment, which can range from a couple of hundred euro to €1,000 or €2,000, depending on the severity of the offence.

"The majority of such prosecutions arise from Garda operations carried out during two music festivals held in Westmeath yearly.

"However, due to the coronavirus pandemic those festivals were cancelled this year and, accordingly, will severely impact the available funding in the court poor box in 2021," the statement said.

In 2019, almost €65,000 was donated to groups in the Athlone area from the court poor box, but that amount was reduced to €50,500 last year, and to €50,000 this year.

As was the case in the previous two years, the Esker House Women's Refuge and Support Service in Athlone is to receive the biggest individual amount from the poor box in the town.

However the amount Esker House will receive this year, €17,500, is reduced from the €20,000 received last year.

The ALF Project, which provides support services for young people, is to receive the second largest sum, of €9,000.

Since the appointment of Judge Seamus Hughes as presiding judge in counties Longford and Westmeath in 2011, more than €2.5 million has been made available through the poor box to worthy organisations and causes in both counties.

* The recipients of funding from the Athlone District Court Poor Box, 2021, are as follows:

- Esker House - €17,500

- ALF Project - €9,000

- Society of St Vincent De Paul - €5,000

- Midlands Simon Community - €4,000

- Athlone Tidy Towns - €4,000

- Summerhill NS Autism Unit - €3,500

- Athlone (Midland) Rape Crisis Centre - €2,500

- Athlone & Midlands Samaritans - €2,500

- St Colmcille's Sports Park Ltd (Ballinahown) - €2,000

Total - €50,000