# Health company makes first awards to charities

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2015/11/04/health-company-makes-first-awards-to-charities/
- Published: 2015-11-04T08:24:12+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Medtronic is to award six organisations in Ireland grants totally €180,000 to 
fund partnerships aimed at expanding access to healthcare for those in need.**

The six organisations are the Irish Cancer Society, the Irish Heart Foundation, 
GIY Ireland, Siel Bleu, Marie Keating Foundation and Dublin City University.

The grants are the first awards from the Medtronic Healthy Communities Fund, a three-
year programme dedicated to supporting non-profit groups that work to remove barriers
to healthcare services in Ireland in underserved communities.

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The Medtronic Healthy Communities Fund was established this year to encourage and
support innovative ideas and projects to improve health at the community level, 
especially for people who have been traditionally at risk for chronic diseases such
as heart disease or diabetes, or are challenged in accessing existing healthcare
services.

The Fund is a three year programme administered by [The Community Foundation for Ireland](http://www.foundation.ie).
Grants from the fund are given to organisations improving pathways to healthcare
services, promoting healthcare and wellbeing, and tackling healthcare inequality,
in line with the Government’s ‘Healthy Ireland’ framework.

> “The strong response to our call for applications attests to the commitment of
> charities and non-profit groups to improve healthcare outcomes in Ireland,”

said Dr. Jacob A. Gayle, vice president of Medtronic Philanthropy.

> “By establishing the Medtronic Healthy Communities Fund, Medtronic is recognising
> efforts to break down barriers to better healthcare.”

The Irish Heart Foundation’s Kids Active programme was awarded €50,000 to improve
physical fitness and movement skills in Irish pre-school children while the Marie
Keating Foundation’s ‘Your Health Your Choice’ campaign received €20,000 to help
women and men to detect cancer.

Health technology company Medtronic has established a €1 million grant fund to be
distributed over three years for health projects in Ireland.

 * **[Survey finds Irish charitable giving has increased slightly](https://fundraising.co.uk/2015/11/30/survey-finds-irish-charitable-giving-has-increased-slightly/)**(
   30 November 2015)
 * **[St Stephen’s Green Trust to open grants round in January](https://fundraising.co.uk/2015/12/15/st-stephens-green-trust-to-open-grants-round-in-january/)**(
   15 December 2015)
 * **[Core funding round opens for Irish national organisations](https://fundraising.co.uk/2016/01/19/core-funding-round-opens-for-irish-national-organisations/)**(
   19 January 2016)