The Coca-Cola Company, and its strategic bottling partner Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland, have teamed up with rising stars of the Irish podcast scene, Talking Bollox, to mark the launch of the 2024 Coca-Cola Thank You Fund.
The Coca-Cola Thank You Fund encourages non-profit community groups that empower young people through programmes of learning and sustainable development, to apply for funding at www.coca-cola.com/ie/en/social/tyf before Friday, 24th May at 6pm. Now in its 14th year, the initiative continues its commitment to fostering education, employability, and environmental leadership among young people aged 16-25 across Ireland and Northern Ireland.
The Coca-Cola Thank You Fund launched today with a special one-off live recorded episode of Talking Bollox recorded in Bradog Youth Service in Dublin 1. Hosts Terence Power and Calvin O’Brien sat down with youth advocates Darren Kenny, Director with Just A.S.K and Hilary Copeland, Director of Fighting Words Northern Ireland, to discuss a range of topics including the challenges faced by young people today, the role of youth services, and the importance of mentorship, guidance, and support in youth development. Previous recipients of the Coca-Cola Thank You Fund joined the audience as guests to this special live event.
Over the past 14 years, the Coca-Cola Thank You Fund has awarded more than €1.5 million to 164 non-profit organizations, making a significant impact in communities across the island of Ireland.
This year, an all-island fund of €200,000 is once again being made available to support community-based projects and programmes. The Fund is focused on empowering young people to become skilled and engaged citizens with a specific emphasis on organisations that promote learning and sustainable development.
Speaking about their own experiences growing up in the north inner city of Dublin, as well as the role of the Coca-Cola Thank You Fund, Talking Bollox hosts Terence Power and Calvin O’Brien said: “The Coca-Cola Thank You Fund is giving local groups in communities the ability to help vulnerable young people build positive relationships and develop skills that will have a lasting impact on their future and their communities, but also on our environment, and that’s something that’s very important to us. We stand as proud examples of the impact that local projects can have on young people and want to encourage as many groups as possible from all across the island of Ireland to apply for funding.”
Commenting at the launch, Coca-Cola Ireland Country Manager, Agnese Filippi, said: “As we launch this year's Coca-Cola Thank You Fund, we're reminded of the profound impact that community voices can have when given a platform. It's crucial that we not only support but also amplify the voices of those the Fund aims to empower.
I want to commend our podcast partners Terence Power and Calvin O'Brien for hosting such an engaging episode; their dedication to facilitating meaningful conversations aligns perfectly with the spirit of the Coca-Cola Thank You Fund. We're thrilled to partner with them to kickstart this exciting initiative once again this year. Through the pillars of learning and sustainability we want to continue to empower young people to be the change that will make a difference both in their communities, but critically also for their own future. We look forward to receiving applications and learning more about the great work happening right across the island of Ireland."
Davide Franzetti, General Manager, Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland went on to say: “We are committed to fostering the potential of young people across the island of Ireland so they can achieve their goals and contribute positively to society. We believe that community-based youth groups have the expertise and experience to transform the lives of young people in their communities. Our role is to support and empower that development with a focus on learning and sustainable development.
“Having awarded more than €1.5m over the past 13 years, we’re delighted to be in a position to once again make €200,000 available to non-profit organisations through the Coca-Cola Thank You Fund. The Fund is designed to support communities and champion young people across Ireland and Northern Ireland to become skilled and engaged citizens and advocates for sustainable development.”
Operated in partnership with the Irish Youth Foundation (IYF), Lucy Masterson, Chief Executive closed by saying: “It’s never been more important to empower our young people with the skills and confidence they need to take a more active role in communities across the island of Ireland. With a shared commitment to improving the future for young people, we’re thrilled to once again be part of this year’s Coca-Cola Thank You Fund.
As the operating partner of this year’s Fund, we’re aiming to provide grants to community-based projects and programmes that drive real change within the community. In 2024, we’re particularly focused on programmes that empower young people through education, help them into employment and encourage our youth to become the next generation of environmental leaders. We would encourage community leaders to apply for the Coca-Cola Thank You Fund today.”
Applications for this year’s Coca-Cola Thank You Fund can be submitted via www.coca-cola.com/ie/en/social/tyf until 6pm on Friday, 24th May, with entries assessed under the categories of learning and sustainable development. Applicants are encouraged to visit the website for further details and full terms and conditions.
