Derry projects receive vital IFI Peace Funding

A total of nine projects who will provide much needed support to communities across the Derry area have received funding through the latest allocation by the International Fund for Ireland (IFI).

The funding aims to support some of the most vulnerable communities in Northern Ireland and the southern border counties and the latest package of €4,884,800 / £4,322,833 will provide support to 25 projects across the IFI’s four programmes, all aimed at delivering tailored support to communities who need it.

The funding allocation comes at an important juncture in peace and reconciliation across the island of Ireland, with local communities dealing with a range of challenges that are impacting community relations and prosperity.

Six projects were allocated funding under the IFI’s Personal Youth Development Programme (PYDP):

1. £164,833 to HURT targeting 15 young people in the Moor and Waterside areas of Derry City who are not in employment, education, or training. The project aims to enable young people to gain new skills and knowledge to boost their employability, as well as build their confidence and self-esteem.

2. £157,278 to Maghera Cross-Community Link for the 21-month cross-community ‘Link Youth Achievement Programme’, engaging with 15 at risk young people from the Mid Ulster area to help develop their personal development skills and improve employability through training and placement opportunities.

3. £187,395 to Roe Valley Residents’ Association for the 21-month ‘Building Brighter Futures’ project, working with 15 hard-to-reach young people who have been identified at risk of involvement in paramilitary behaviour or sectarianism and are facing a range of issues in their lives. The project aims to provide skills development, training, and employability support.

4. £183,875 to St Columb’s Park Reconciliation Trust for 21 months to deliver the ‘IgnYte’ project, providing 15 vulnerable young people in Derry/Londonderry City with support, learning, skills, work placements and direction to help build their confidence and help them reach their full potential.

5. An allocation of £352,189 will go to Catalyst to deliver their cross-community ‘Innovation for All’ project, engaging with 30 at risk young people in Belfast and Derry aimed at reducing barriers to employment and provide Level 4 Advanced Personal Development, Training and Employability Support Programme.

6. £171,427/€193,713 to Creggan Enterprises Limited for the 21 month ‘Lifehack’ project, to engage with disenfranchised young people from hard to reach groups in Creggan, Brandywell, Bogside and surrounding areas in Derry, providing skills, personal development and employability training

A further three projects receieved funding through the IFI’s Communities in Partnership Programme (CiPP):

7. AGD Gweedore and Waterside Theatre Project will receive €79,450 under the IFI’s Communities in Partnership Programme (CiPP) which will support a 16 month ‘Cross-Border Creative Arts Programme’ in County Donegal and the Waterside of Derry. The project has been designed to support community dialogue across a range of themes which connect Unionist and Nationalist communities, through history, language, and cultural heritage.

8. Rathmullan The Way Forward CLG and Enterprise Causeway Limited will use €242,006, allocated to deliver an 18-month cross-border ‘Coasts, Hills, and Glens – Connecting Communities’ project in Rathmullan in County Donegal and Coleraine in County Derry. The project is focused on Community Innovation and aims to connect groups, committees, and their representatives in meaningful ways to enable joint working on community needs, issues, and challenges.

9. Northwest Cultural Partnership will partner with Inishowen Development Partnership to deliver a cross-border Cultural Collaboration Programme across the Derry City and Strabane District Council and Donegal County Council areas. The project will provide creative opportunities to develop effective and meaningful relations across border communities allowing participants from both sides of the border to engage and become empowered. The local project received £130,000 through the IFI’s Communities in Partnership Programme (CiPP)

IFI Chair Paddy Harte said: “Unfortunately, we have seen the threat of paramilitary recruitment and antisocial behaviour persist in many communities. In the last year, the IFI’s programmes have included specialised interventions to divert young people away from the threat of paramilitary recruitment. In 2022, 23,033 participants took part in accredited training, education, and capacity building programmes, delivered by IFI funded projects.

“Projects funded across our four core programmes have been working hard to support local communities who are struggling. The cost-of-living crisis has put a significant financial burden on people, add to that a general lack of investment in some communities and ongoing tensions relating to the recent Windsor Framework and ongoing political instability, and you can see why this support is so vital. 

“This latest round of funding further demonstrates the wide range of support offered by IFI funded projects, tailored to specific needs of a particular community. From engaging at risk young people, to delivering conflict transformation initiatives, delivering important employment, and training opportunities to working in hard-to-reach areas struggling with paramilitary and coercive control.”  

The Peace Impact Programme (PIP) will receive €591,876 / £523,784 across two separate projects, delivering work through sensitive interventions in communities that have not previously, or have only partially, participated in peace building and reconciliation activities.

€3,166,102 / £2,801,860 has been allocated to 16 projects within the Personal Youth Development Programme (PYDP), supporting some of the most at-risk young people in society, developing their personal and professional skills with an aim to improving their future prospects.

The Peace Barriers Programme (PBP) which has been operating since 2012 will receive €357,388 / £316,273 funding across two projects who will work towards facilitating and supporting communities living on or near an interface to consider and engage on the potential removal of peace walls.

The newest of the IFI’s four programmes - Communities in Partnership Programme (CiPP), set up in 2022 focuses on building resilience and empowering communities to develop strong cross-border partnerships. A total of five projects will share €769,434 / £680,916 funding.

The IFI Chair added: “In this important year, as we reflect on the achievements and challenges which the IFI has faced since the signing of the Good Friday/ Belfast Agreement in 1998, we must also consider how we ensure that the next twenty-five years sees those communities which the IFI supports fully realise the dividends of the Peace Process.

“It is important to acknowledge the ongoing support from our international donors who recognise the importance of the work of the IFI and the incredible commitment of the funded groups and the individuals leading them. Their interventions and engagement in some of our most hard to reach communities shows just how important local leadership is.”

The IFI was set up by the British and Irish Governments as an independent international organisation in 1986. It delivers a range of peace and reconciliation initiatives across Northern Ireland and the southern border counties. It currently supports a total of 47 projects in Northern Ireland and 19 in the southern border counties.