Good Relations

Good Relations challenges sectarianism, racism, celebrates our rich cultural diversity and tries to find ways for us all to be able to live, work and socialise together without fear or mistrust.

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council is committed to promoting equality and good relations for everyone in the district. Equality, inclusivity and diversity are placed at the core of all of the Council’s services and actions, as it strives to work towards achieving a shared future for all. The Council delivers the Good Relations Programme as part of the N.I. Executive Offices’ wider ‘Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC)’ Strategy. It is funded jointly by the Executive Office and the Council. The key aims of the programme are to improve relations between and within District Council areas and to support local solutions to local good relations issues.

The Good Relations Programme works towards building relationships and working with all communities across the Fermanagh and Omagh area. The Good Relations Programme is based on the Together: Building a United Community Strategy.

Good Relations Programme 2021/2022

To view the Good Relations Programme 2021/2022 please click here.

Our Vision

Our vision is for Fermanagh and Omagh District Council to be a welcoming, shared and inclusive district, where people and places are healthy, safe, connected and prosperous.

We work with community groups throughout the district on local projects which address local Good Relations needs. This is done in two ways

Direct delivery by Good Relations Officers
Grant Aid given to community groups to deliver Good Relations programmes in their own communities.

Together: Building a United Community Strategy

The Strategy outlines how Government, community and individuals will work together to build a united community and achieve change against the following key priorities:

Children and Young People

Children and young people was regarded as the top priority in the Good Relations Audit survey. We run a number of programmes such as ‘The Our Place’ project which aims to increase awareness among local pupils of their shared heritage and shared past through an interactive townlands programme.

Our Shared Community

The Council strives to make our communities feel welcoming, safe, shared and inclusive. It organises a number of large scale public events that aim to create a sense of belonging across the district, encourage social interaction and create a sense of place ensuring that Council spaces feel shared and open to all. We work closely with faith based organisations who help contribute to shaping a peaceful, just and inclusive community through a wide and varied programme including public conferences and discussion events.

Our Safe Community

We work with a number of organisations such as PCSP to reduce the prevalence of hate crimes and intimidation locally and help ensure that the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area feels like a community where places and spaces are safe for all. We organise conferences on our shared history which facilitates conversation and allows recognition of the different perspectives of our past.

Our Cultural Expression

We deliver a range of initiatives including our Irish Language and Ulster Scots programme that help people to learn more about celebrating the rich variety of languages, cultures and traditions which now exist within the Fermanagh and Omagh district. We work with groups and organisations to support the positive expression of culture through training and capacity building.

We work with groups and organisations to support the positive expression of culture through training and capacity building including:

The Erne District Chinese Families’ and Friends’ Association Address: 47 Devenish Manor, Enniskillen, BT74 5JD Telephone: 028 6632 4343 Email: Ernechinese@hotmail.com	Omagh Ethnic Communities Support Group Address: Omagh Community House, 2 Drumragh Avenue, Omagh, BT78 1DP Telephone: 028 8224 9750 Email: oecsg2@yahoo.co.uk
Goodwill Gifts Address: 6 George’s Street, Omagh, BT78 1DE Telephone: 07881347716 Email: rk.goodwillgifts@yahoo.co.uk	Hungarian Association of Northern Ireland Address: 73 Culmore Park, Omagh, BT78 5AF Telephone: 0771582 0565 Email: hunassociation@gmail.com
Aman Association Telephone: 0782569 9666 Email: amanfermanagh@gmail.com	Bulgarian Association of Northern Ireland Telephone: 078 17507811 Email: bulgarianassociation@abv.bg

Grant aid

Our grant aid supports local groups and cross-cultural organisations with funding for events, programmes and activities that promote and address good relations issues within their locality. Since April 2015 we have allocated £50,000 in Good Relations Grant Aid to 140 groups in addition to organisations funded through the Irish & Ulster Scots in the Community programme. Financial assistance is available to enable groups and organisations to carry out a diverse range of Good Relations projects throughout the year and to run events during Good Relations Week. If you have an idea for a Good Relations project for your Community Group get in touch!

If you are looking for support with Good Relations projects in your community get in contact!

Tel: 0300 303 1777

Email: goodrelations@fermanaghomagh.com

Participants’ comments

As part of the District Council’s Good Relations Programme all projects are evaluated on an outcome based approach including comments from participants on their thoughts on the projects they took part in. Below are examples of some of these comments;