Local groups awarded £200k funding

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council announced the recipients of funding under its PEACE IV Small Grants Programme at an event held in the Bawnacre Centre, Irvinestown in early November.

Through the Small Grants Programme, a total investment of £200,000 has been awarded to 11 community organisations and groups who have each secured a grant ranging from £5,000 up to £25,000 to deliver a peace-focused project.

The Small Grants Programme is one of 16 programmes identified in the Fermanagh and Omagh PEACE IV Local Action Plan to benefit from a total funding package of £2.8m to deliver projects across three key strands; Shared Spaces and Services, Children and Young People and Building Positive Relations at a Local Level.

This project is supported by the European Union’s PEACE IV Programme, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), designed to support Peace and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border Region. Matching-funding for this element of the PEACE IV Programme has been provided by the Executive Office in Northern Ireland and the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government in Ireland.

Speaking at the event, Chairman of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Howard Thornton said:

“I would like to congratulate the 11 community organisations who have been successful in securing funding through the PEACE IV Small Grants Programme. I am confident the groups, who represent a diverse section of the community, will make a lasting and positive change to their areas by bringing communities together and building positive relations.”

The Chairman of the Fermanagh and Omagh PEACE IV Partnership, Councillor Errol Thompson, said:

“While the timeframe for delivery of the Small Grants Programme is anything up to 12 months, I am sure that the impact of the activities and initiatives delivered will last significantly longer.  Not only will each project bring together people from all religious backgrounds, but it will also help challenge attitudes, break down barriers of division and create a better understanding and respect for diversity.”

Groups/organisations in receipt of a PEACE IV Small Grant include Community Rhythms; Creggan Education and Research Services; Families Moving On; Fermanagh Rural Community Network; Lakeland Community Care; Omagh Forum for Rural Associations; Music Services for Pipes and Drums; South East Fermanagh Foundation; Strathroy Harps Football Club; Trillick Arts and Cultural Society and Youth Sport Omagh.

For further information on the Small Grants Programme please contact Ms Roisin Montague, PEACE IV Small Grants Support Officer, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council on 0300 303 1777 (calls charged at local rate) or by emailing roisin.montague@fermanaghomagh.com.