£6M Peace IV funding awarded to Derry City and Strabane District Council

Over £6 million in PEACE IV funding has been awarded to Derry City and Strabane District Council. 

The European Union funding is directed at projects which aim to promote reconciliation and challenge prejudice.

Council’s Peace IV team will be responsible for the delivery of a ‘PEACE Action Plan’ focusing on three key areas: ‘Children & Young People’; ‘Shared Spaces and Services’ and ‘Building Positive Relations’.

Gearóid Ó hEára, Chair of the Peace IV Partnership Board, said:

“Our programme, which was developed in direct consultation in the spring with local communities, includes grant aid opportunities for local community organisations and tendered programmes with community and youth impact as well as a number of council led initiatives for children and young people, sports development, capital works, community planning and community development."

The Peace IV Programme is an EU funded programme designed to support peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the border region.

The programme is expected to run on the ground from June 2017 to December 2020.

Sue Divin, Programme Manager for Peace IV explained:

“Projects will include opportunities for youth to engage in employment, democracy, community and citizenship programmes.

"There will also be a broad range of cultural, sports and environmental programmes as well as specific programmes to develop shared spaces in parks, interfaces and contested rural areas.

"Issues such as bonfires/alternatives to bonfires; sectarianism, racism and dealing with the past are tackled throughout the programme. All programmes are on a cross-community basis, encouraging people to meet and develop friendships across identities and to engage in a sustained way with diversity.”