Eleven innovative projects across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland have been awarded nearly €300,000 under the first round of the PEACEPLUS Change Maker Funding Programme. The programme, administered by Pobal on behalf of the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), will distribute €40 million in tranches over three years to community and voluntary groups focused on cross-community and cross-border initiatives that promote peace, reconciliation, and social cohesion.
The successful projects span a wide range of activities, including arts and theatre, sports, heritage, STEM, and cultural engagement. Initiatives such as The White Handkerchief, Kintra na nÓg, and Social Introduction and Integration of our Clubs Communities aim to foster collaboration among youth, athletes, and community members, while projects like Voices Across the Border and Talks & Tours employ digital storytelling and historical exploration to bridge divides. Other initiatives, including Roots of Peace in Aughnacloy, Shared Stages in Belfast, and Thriving Together in Rasharkin, focus on building understanding and trust between historically divided communities through educational, intergenerational, and STEM-based activities.
The Change Maker Fund is designed to enhance community cohesion by supporting grassroots projects that strengthen existing relationships, establish new networks, and engage people from diverse backgrounds in meaningful collaboration. Co-operation Ireland, in partnership with Rural Action and East Border Region, provides free support to applicants, helping ensure accessibility for smaller organisations.
Government officials, including Communities Minister Gordon Lyons and Irish Ministers Dara Calleary and Jerry Buttimer, highlighted the importance of these grants in enabling smaller organisations to make a direct contribution to peacebuilding and reconciliation. They emphasized that the initiatives would have a positive, lasting impact on communities and encourage further participation from eligible groups.
SEUPB Chief Executive Gina McIntyre noted that these first Change Maker grants represent a significant milestone in building lasting peace and inclusion. By supporting people-to-people initiatives that cross generations, backgrounds, and borders, the programme seeks to foster deeper understanding and stronger relationships at the grassroots level, forming the foundation for a more inclusive, resilient society.
Pobal CEO Anna Shakespeare underscored the imaginative approaches of the funded projects, which bring together youth, schoolchildren, farmers, and community members around themes such as sport, arts, maritime heritage, agriculture, and digital education. She encouraged eligible organisations to apply for future calls and emphasized the programme’s potential to create a transformative impact on cross-community and cross-border collaboration.
The next funding call for the Change Maker Funding Programme will open on 15 October and close on 10 December, offering grants ranging from €20,001 to €60,000 under Investment Area 1.2 and €40,001 to €60,000 under Investment Area 6.2, further supporting the goals of building peaceful, thriving communities and fostering partnerships and collaboration.
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