International Fund for Ireland announces £4.2m/€5m financial assistance to deliver a wide range of peace building, integration, and reconciliation interventions

The International Fund for Ireland has confirmed financial assistance of £4.2m/€5m that will support peace building, integration and reconciliation projects in Northern Ireland and the six southern border counties. Since it was formed in 1986, the Fund has provided almost £700m/€840m to a wide variety of projects that focus on promoting social and economic advance and creating the conditions for Unionists and Nationalists to learn, work and live together as part of a peaceful and shared future.

This latest funding announcement was made following the Fund’s recent Board Meeting in County Cavan. One of the interventions to benefit from this latest funding package is the Peace Walls Programme. The programme aims to deliver a range of confidence and relationship building interventions within and between interface communities to help communities arrive at a position where they feel it is safe and appropriate for the removal of peace walls to commence.

Having announced the new Peace Walls Programme in January 2012, the Fund is very pleased that this first tranche of funding, totalling £1.2m/€1.45m, will enable the recipients to take the first steps that will hopefully lead to real and positive community transformation.

Dr Adrian Johnston, Chairman of the Fund, said:

“The Peace Walls Programme will allow communities to progress at their own pace and tackle local issues with local solutions. The Fund will also liaise with government departments and other funders to help communities to lever additional funding for the physical removal of peace walls and any associated infrastructure and community regeneration needs when the required levels of confidence have been established through the programme.”

He added: “This latest funding announcement is in line with our strategy to deliver real and positive community transformation by helping to address some of the most significant remaining challenges to securing lasting peace and a shared future.”

The Chairman also took the opportunity to thank the international donors to the Fund – the European Union and the Governments of the United States of America, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand – for their support.

The latest funding package amounts to £4.2million/€5million and, in addition to the Peace Walls Programme, it includes specific allocations to a number of the Fund’s key programmes and projects, including:

• The final allocation of funding through the Integrating Community Organisations Programme will distribute a further £1,121,760/€1,346,111. This will see 11 new cross-border/cross-community projects funded under the final phase of this very successful programme including Castlederg Youth Forum in partnership with Gleann Fhinne Teoranta and Castlederg Young Loyalist Flute Band. Additional funding was also approved to extend four existing projects aimed at developing strong relationships in areas where there has been limited cross-community interaction.
• The Community Based Economic & Social Regeneration Programme will provide £515,000/€618,285 in additional assistance to extend or enhance five projects. A further £190,000/€228,600 has also been provided for additional training and mentoring for groups who participated in the Maximising Community Space Programme.
• The Community Leadership Programme will receive up to £650,000/€779,000 to continue building leadership and management capacity in community-based organisations and networks in Northern Ireland and the southern border counties and in turn develop stronger community infrastructure.  This will enable community organisations to play a stronger role in the development of sustainable social, economic and community relations.
• £347,811/€417,373 will go towards the Leaving a Legacy Programme. The YMCA Lurgan will receive support towards youth and community relations activity to coincide with the opening of its new shared space centre on the interface in Lurgan. Holywell Trust, in conjunction with a number of other community and community relations organisations in Londonderry/Derry, will receive  funding to help develop new facilities that support and promote community relations efforts. 
• A further 10 pre-schools in counties Cavan and Monaghan will  benefit  from additional funding of £33,295/€39,954 for the very successful Respecting Differences Programme.
• £150,000/€180,000 has been committed towards the Community Relations in Schools (CRIS) Programme.

Further information about all the beneficiaries from the International Fund for Ireland’s latest funding package is available at the International Fund for Ireland’s website: www.internationalfundforireland.com

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