The West Cavan and West Fermanagh Social, Community and Enterprise Regeneration Project was launched today by Brendan Smith, T.D., Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, at Blacklion in Co. Cavan. Ms. Mary Southwell, Board member of the International Fund for Ireland, the principal funder of the project (€391,510), also spoke at the event. Other funders include the Cavan County Enterprise Board (CCEB), Cavan County Enterprise Fund, and Fermanagh Enterprise Ltd. CCEB is the lead partner in the project.The project partners will work together to address the obstacles to social, community and economic prosperity and enterprise development in the area. The project will address the critical underdevelopment of the local economy of this disadvantaged cross-border area. This will be done through the co-ordinated provision of opportunities for fostering improved relationships, the development of a shared vision for the area and cooperative action for economic change. Launching the project, Brendan Smith, T.D., Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, said: “The government is proud to support this worthy project and I would like to commend all those involved for their efforts in seeing this project through to fruition. It offers a real opportunity to communities on both sides of the border to avail of invaluable supports such as training, mentoring, networking, and information seminars.” Speaking at the launch, Mary Southwell, Board Member for the IFI, said: "This project will facilitate the regeneration of communities that once thrived in this locality, but, once their markets were divided, became starved of investment, employment, and confidence in the future." Ms Southwell also recorded the Fund’s appreciation for the international donors to the IFI - the US, EU, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, who had made possible the Fund's support for this project and many others. Mr Vincent Reynolds, CEO, Cavan County Enterprise Board said, “This project has the capacity to make a significant contribution towards the regeneration of an area which suffered considerable social and economic disadvantage over a number of decades. The potential to create, and strengthen, cross–border business, community and social networks is a particularly attractive feature of the initiative.”Mr Reynolds also thanked the International Fund for Ireland for their generous financial contribution towards the project and their continuous support of local initiatives in the area over the past twenty years.

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