THREE groups based in Derry city and the county have between them received over £300,000 from the International Fund For Ireland.
The money is part of an IFI €3m/£2.6m of financial assistance to support a total of 22 community projects in the North of Ireland and the southern border counties of Ireland.
The funding, approved at the organisation’s recent Board Meeting in County Donegal, includes €1.8m/£1.5m for 10 Peace Impact (PIP) projects that will assist marginalised communities to resolve complex issues relating to identity and the conflict.
A further €1.2m/£972,000 has been awarded across 11 Personal Youth Development projects that aim to encourage young people to make positive life choices, take part in good relations activities and pursue further education and training provision.
Commenting on the announcement Dr Adrian Johnston, Chairman of the International Fund for Ireland, said:
“For more than 30 years, support from the Fund has helped reduce tensions and promote positive transformation during periods of social and political uncertainty. The Fund is focused on equipping communities, and young people in particular, with the means to resist and disrupt division and disaffection.
“We are pleased to award financial assistance to 22 projects and commend them for their willingness to take risks to support individuals and communities in challenging environments. Ground-breaking projects, like these 22, have been successful in tackling underlying causes of youth involvement in anti-social behaviour and the corrosive influence of sectarianism.
International Fund for Ireland Chairman Dr Adrian Johnston pictured
“We know there are risks that still need to be taken for a lasting peace and the quality of our interventions has never been more evident.”
Co Derry/Derry
€120,058 / £100,049 to Creggan Enterprises Ltd for a one-year project, entitled Lifehack, that will engage twenty 16-25 year olds who have left education with no or low qualifications or who left the education system early and who face a range of challenges in life.
Operating in the Creggan, Brandywell and Bogside areas of the city, the project aims to improve individual situations through a range of tailored activities including accredited and non-accredited training.
€107,712 / £89,760 to Glasgowbury for a one-year project entitled I AM (Inclusive Accessible Multimedia).
The Draperstown-based project will equip 15 young people from the Mid-Ulster area with the skills necessary to pursue a career within the Creative Industry.
Music and digital technologies will be used to encourage participants to address issues of isolation and to develop self-esteem and confidence.
€135,036 / £112,530 to St Columb’s Park Reconciliation Trust for a one-year project called ‘How We Tell our Story’. This innovative project aims to build the capacity of marginalised young people through the development of life skills, thinking skills and confidence to enable them to access improved opportunities through learning, leadership and employment.
Meanwhile in Co Donegal, €91,443/£75,898 is being given to Downstrands Family Resource Centre, County Donegal, for an 18-month project that will engage young people from Glenties, Ardara, Rosbeg, Portnoo, Fintown and Lettermacaward.
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