Archways is one of over 170 organisations benefitting from the latest round of RTÉ Toy Show Grants which been made possible by the generosity of the annual television spectacle.
The announcement of grants has been made by Community Foundation Ireland which works to turn donations by viewers into actions on the ground which benefit children and their families.
Archways is receiving support of €40,000 to fund a KiVa Anti-Bullying Programme facilitator across 18 schools in Dublin, Kildare and Meath which will protect mental health gains for 4,187 disadvantaged children – reducing bullying, strengthening resilience and preparing for Ireland’s first national rollout of this programme.
Hugh Doogan, CEO at Archways in welcoming the grant said:
‘We are delighted to once again receive funding support from the RTÉ Toy Show Grants through Community Foundation Ireland. This is our fourth year to receive the funding, and it has enabled us to bring the KiVa Anti-Bullying Programme to more schools and more children that would have been possible’.
Denise Charlton, Chief Executive of Community Foundation Ireland added:
“Being entrusted to turn the €4.3 Million provided by generous RTÉ viewers into actions which deliver benefits for children across Ireland is both a huge honour and responsibility. The Foundation uses insights and knowledge from community partners across the country, best in class research and the insights of top child advocates to inform our decisions. The result is another year when children in every part of our country will benefit. On behalf of the Community Foundation, I want to congratulate everyone who will benefit from the latest grants. We look forward to being updated on your work ahead as we all seek to improve the lives of children and their families. To the viewers who have made all of this possible, Thank You.”
Founded in 2020, the RTÉ Toy Show Appeal has raised over €31 million for children’s charities to date. Each year it is estimated that the Appeal helps more than 1 million children and family members. The RTÉ Toy Show Appeal exists as a Donor Advised Fund with registered charity The Community Foundation for Ireland (Registered Charity Number: 20044886). Grant applications from the 2025 RTÉ Toy Show Appeal were independently assessed following an open application process which opened in early 2026.
The KiVa Anti-Bullying Programme is an evidence-based initiative developed at the University of Turku in Finland. The goals of the KiVa Anti-Bullying Programme are to prevent bullying, to effectively tackle bullying cases, and to minimise the negative effects of bullying.