Derry groups to benefit from £3.5m IFI funding

Community organisations across Derry - Londonderry are to benefit from over £3.5m in funding.

32 community projects across Northern Ireland will share the grant provided by the International Fund for Ireland (IFI).

The organisation was first established by the Irish and British Governments with a view to developing and funding initiatives that tackle segregation and promote integration to build a lasting peace in Northern Ireland and the southern border counties

Since its creation in 1986 the Fund have provided more than £715million to projects across Northern Ireland and Counties Donegal, Louth, Monaghan, Cavan and Leitrim.

Dr Adrian Johnston is Chairman of the IFI:

Derry/Londonderry Funding Allocations:

£77,342 - James Connolly Cultural Youth Group (JCCYG) to extend a project with Republican young people in the Derry City area for a further year.

£101,440 - Creggan Enterprises Limited (CEL) Unheard Voices to develop a one-year to project that will engage with Women around conflict-related issues on a cross-community and cross-border basis, creating the opportunity for their voices to be heard.

£97, 475 - Londonderry Bands Forum (LBF) to create a one-year project to build on the organisation’s outreach, engagement and education activities. The project aims to help build positive leadership and create new opportunities for building cohesion and intra/inter-community relations around difficult, challenging and divisive issues.

£39,000 - Rosemount Resource Centre to extend the Time2Choose project for a further six months across Londonderry/Derry City. The project works to support young people to transform their lives by providing alternatives to violence, crime and addiction.

£134,782 - Leafair Community Association (LCA) to undertake a dedicated two-year project that will work within the Galliagh/Shantallow area of Londonderry/Derry with additional cross-community activity involving Unionist communities within the Derry City and Strabane District Council area.

£62,591 - Strabane AYE (Access Youth Engagement) for a one-year project that will build on an AYE model and will establish a Regional AYE structure to establish projects in each of the target communities to help address the current feeling of abandonment amongst disengaged and marginalised young people across the region of Northern Ireland.

£98,577 – To extend the Bogside / Brandywell Initiative Peace Walls Programme. The project will work with key stakeholders and other service providers to bring about positive attitudinal change towards Peace Wall/barrier removal and/or reduction in interface communities.