Back in January of this year, fifty-eight charity and community organisations across Ireland were awarded a total of €140,000 through the 2025 Aviva Broker Community Fund.
ELI and the Aviva Ireland Community Fund award
After extensive deliberation, National College of Ireland’s Early Learning Initiative were named joint winners of the Charity Award, alongside St. Joseph’s Foundation in Cork. They each received €15,000.
ELI were shortlisted from 155 nominated entries nationwide; the finalists gave presentations outlining how the funding would support essential services and deliver meaningful local impact.
Rebecca Moore, ELI Director, shares, “Through the Early Learning Initiative, we support children and families to develop strong foundations in language, literacy, and numeracy from the early years. The Maths Mentor programme builds on those foundations, helping young people in the inner city develop the mathematical skills and confidence they need to progress and realise their ambitions.”
Expanding impact with this award
ELI offers free after-school online/in-person tuition support in mathematics for students sitting their Junior and Leaving Certificate exams. In safe and supportive small group environments, students get extra support under the instruction of experienced tutors.
Rebecca Moore, ELI Director, goes on, “Our work through the Maths Mentor programme is part of a much wider commitment within the Early Learning Initiative to tackling educational disadvantage from the earliest years onwards. We know that strong foundations in language, literacy, and numeracy can shape a child’s confidence and opportunities throughout their education. By supporting young people with maths at key transition points, we are building on that early investment and helping students carry their skills, aspirations, and confidence through to the Junior and Leaving Certificate and beyond.”
Using the €15,000 grant awarded by the Aviva Broker Community Fund, ELI plans to expand the programme to include integrated education guidance and mentoring for students and increased parental support for navigating the educational landscape in Ireland.
A student who has taken part in ELI's Maths Mentoring has said, "When it came to maths in a bigger class, it was much harder to really absorb the information, so when you have a sort of one-on-one tutorship, it really helps!"
Another shared, "I liked talking with the mentors. They gave me insight into different jobs and learned that it's okay to take your time. Overall, I liked it very much and found it engaging and helpful."
A parent of a student taking part shared, "ELI's maths tuition support is a free opportunity for students in Dublin's Inner City. Having this support in the local area that does not cost anything is a godsend. Many families don't have the extra money to spend on private lessons, but they want their children to have all the support they need. I knew that I wanted my son to have every opportunity to go to college. The tutor was fantastic; my son loved it."
Brigina O’Riordan, ELI Assistant Director of Community Services Programmes, shares, “Maths Week is a fantastic opportunity to remind young people that maths is not just a subject they study at school, it is a skill that opens doors to further education, careers, and opportunities. For students in the Dublin Inner City, building confidence in maths can make a real difference to how they see their own potential.”
At National College of Ireland, it is uplifting to see the positive feedback coming in from students and their parents and guardians after they have taken part in ELI's Maths Mentoring Programme. Many students find maths challenging; it is one of those subjects that can cause a lot of anxiety during examinations, so it is wonderful to see that so many young people have found this tuition so helpful. Congratulations to ELI on this award. It has been remarkable to see how the ELI team have expanded their support to young people and their families using the grant awarded by the Aviva Broker Community Fund, and we look forward to seeing how the Maths Mentoring Programme continues to evolve.