Supports During the COVID 19 Pandemic

August 2020

Oakfield Trust donated €130,000 in funding to initiatives working to combat the impact of Covid-19. The organisation was fortunate to have a surplus in its Risk Reserve Fund which enabled the company to help support a number of projects during the pandemic which has posed a huge challenge for many local organisations. In order to donate as much as possible, Oakfield Trust selected initiatives with Government match funding.

Contributing €75,000 to the Rethink Ireland Innovate Together Fund.

€75,000 was given to Rethink Ireland’s Social Innovation Fund which offers extensive wraparound supports to vulnerable social and community enterprises across Ireland. Funding will be matched by the Government – thereby doubling the amount available to these organisations – and will be targeted at support for projects in the South County Dublin area.

Rethink Ireland is a national organisation supporting innovative charities, social enterprises, and community organisations with cash grants and business supports. Every euro raised in philanthropy is matched by the Irish Government via the Dormant Accounts Fund. Since their first year of operations in 2016, they have created a €65 million social innovation fund.

In the past, Rethink Ireland has partnered with companies, trusts, foundations, families and individuals to create 30 different funds tackling issues such as inequality and educational disadvantage to support over 200 social innovations. These innovations have reached 300,000 people and enabled 864 people experiencing disadvantage to progress into employment.


“We saw first-hand the effect the pandemic had. The impact was devastating. People didn’t know what way to turn in these disadvantaged areas," explains Marie Duffin, Manager Oakfield Trust. "It was horrific to see. “It was important to us that we maximised what we could do with those funds, which is why we chose to invest in Rethink Ireland’s Innovate Together Fund. It seemed like a natural fit for us. Here was a way for us to be able to support communities across Ireland in the response to some of the biggest challenges we have ever faced.”

Thanks to the fund, Marie and the team at Oakfield Trust were able to help a wide range of people. “The projects that have been awarded through the fund are often working with marginalised communities and are tackling really critical issues - things which we aim to do through our own work at Oakfield - so we’re very pleased…”

Contributing €45,000 to The Children’s Rights Alliance Emergency Food Provision Scheme

This is aimed at addressing food poverty across Ireland and funding will be matched by the Government – thereby doubling the amount available to the organisations. It will be targeted at support for projects in the South County Dublin area. In addition to these funding schemes Oakfield Trust also donated one-off funding grants to local food charities in Neilstown and Killinarden as well as Saoirse Women’s Refuge in Tallaght, The Prevention and Early Intervention Network [PEIN] and Beacon of Light Counselling Services in Clondalkin.