Eleven projects across Northern Ireland and the southern border counties have received funding of £1,172,890 / €801,925 from the International Fund for Ireland (IFI), aimed at supporting them to deliver peace and reconciliation efforts in local communities.

The funding, which will be allocated through three of the IFI programmes – Personal Youth Development Programme, (PYDP) Peace Impact Programme (PIP) and Communities in Partnership Programme (CiPP) will be used to further support important peacebuilding and community relations efforts.

The funding includes a blend of extensions to existing projects aimed at advancing important work while other projects are being funded for the first time after identifying need in local areas.

Chair of the IFI, Paddy Harte welcomed the latest allocation of funding:

“Supporting people working in their local communities consistently demonstrate their ability to understand and address the needs of their local area. We are seeing more projects identifying innovative and creative opportunities for engagement and dialogue between communities, encouraging cooperation and relationship building.

“We are continuing to see tensions between and within communities in Northern Ireland and the southern border counties, specifically relating to culture, identity, and legacy, further exasperated with the lack of the Northern Ireland Executive. Our young people continue to be at risk from paramilitary recruitment and criminal influence and this funding will ensure that support is targeted at those who really need it.

“This grassroots support is critical to developing sustainable peace and reconciliation, particularly in some of our most divided communities and the IFI is committed to supporting these projects.”

The Peace Impact Programme (PIP) received £419,967/€556,074 across five projects which will deliver sensitive interventions in communities that have not previously, or have only partially, participated in peacebuilding and reconciliation activities.

The Personal Youth Development Programme (PYDP) received £405,927/€129,236 allocated across three projects. The focus for these projects will be to improve confidence and personal resilience in young people, helping them develop a better understanding of culture and identity, and grow practical skills to offer better employment opportunities.

The Communities in Partnership Programme (CiPP) was allocated a total of £346,996/€116,615 which will go to three projects aimed at helping to build resilience and empower communities to build stronger, meaningful cross-border partnerships.

The eleven projects will work across communities in Armagh, Tyrone, Leitrim, Louth, Antrim, Fermanagh,  Cavan, Derry-Londonderry, Donegal, and Monaghan.

The IFI was set up by the British and Irish Governments as an independent international organisation in 1986 and is supported by international donors – British and Irish Governments, government of the United States of America, European Union, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The organisation delivers a range of peace and reconciliation initiatives across Northern Ireland and the southern border counties, currently supporting a total of 46 projects in Northern Ireland and 20 in the southern border counties. 

The funding award is as follows:

Peace Impact Programme

• Leitrim / Fermanagh - €193,797 to Ballinamore Area Council for 24 months aimed at facilitating and consolidating the developing relations between Ballinamore, Co Leitrim and their cross-community neighbours in Fermanagh.
• Louth - €219,119 to Áit na Daoine for a 24-month project to further engage with residents, families and young people in the Muirhevna Mor, Dundalk area and increase their involvement with community development.
• Cavan / West Fermanagh - €143,158 to Ballyconnell – Cavan County Local Development for an 18-month project aimed at facilitating and enabling the development of community relations in Ballyconnell, Co Cavan and neighbouring Fermanagh targeting disaffected and disengaged young people, women and men.
• Antrim - £213,335 to Twaddell Woodvale Residents Association for a 24-month programme of activity that will focus on the Twaddell and Woodvale area as well as Greater Ballysillan. Addressing Conflict in Communities is the core work of the Twaddell Woodvale Residents Association (TWRA) carrying on from the legacy of the protest site at Twaddell Avenue.
• Derry-Londonderry / Tyrone - £206,632 to Creggan Neighbourhood Partnership for 24 months, focusing on the Derry/Strabane District Council area with a primary focus on the Creggan area. This project will target those who have not yet engaged in peacebuilding and will support and develop the community's strongest asset which is the women that live in the Creggan Estate.

Personal Youth Development Programme

• Louth - €129,236 to Ardee Mid Louth Consortium for an 18-month project involving with three community groups who are coming together to develop opportunities for young people locally to train and work towards gaining employment in the emerging energy technologies sector. The three partners include Ardee and District Community Trust, Dunleer Community Development Board (DCDB) and Irish Sustainable Communities Together (ISCT).
• Tyrone - £226,733 to Derg Valley Care Limited for 24 months, operating in Castlederg and will incorporate the broader rural areas of Newtownstewart, Killeter, Sion Mills, Claudy, Victoria Bridge and Ardstraw. The project will work with 15 young people aged 16 to 25 years on a cross-community basis and participants will be those who are currently not in education or employment.
• Antrim - £179,194 to R City Youth for 24 months targeting young people in North Belfast, in particular the interface communities of Shankill and Ardoyne. R City Youth plan to work with 20 hard-to-reach, disengaged young people aged 16 to 21 years on a cross-community basis. They will target those who have experienced negative upbringings and limited development opportunities and are not in employment, education and training.

Communities in Partnership Programme (CiPP)

• Derry~Londonderry / Donegal / Tyrone - £203,824 to Bogside and Brandywell Initiative for 24 months targeting areas of East Donegal Border region, Derry City and Strabane, to include Muff, Killea, Lifford, Buncrana, Culmore area of Derry City and its adjoining area of Quigley’s Point. The funding represents an extension to the existing ‘Better Together project’ and will aim to build on the lessons learned and experience gained over the last year to reinforce the relationships that have been established and expand these both geographically and thematically.
• Derry-Londonderry / Donegal - £143,172 to Ballinascreen Community Forum for 18 months aimed at developing the relationship between the Ballinascreen Community Forum in Co Londonderry and partner organisations in Glenties, Co Donegal through events and activities.
• Monaghan / Armagh - €116,615 to Monaghan Integrated Development for an 18-month project which will operate in the Monaghan and South Armagh border areas. The project will build relationships between both communities and promote peace and reconciliation through shared learning and common interests and address the challenges of parenting in a border region in relation to education in particular and will bring together parents and school communities across the border.