The Northern Ireland Office’s (NIO) Connect Fund has awarded over £80,000 to nine community and voluntary projects aimed at strengthening connections between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. The latest funding round supports initiatives ranging from youth leadership and arts collaborations to environmental and social projects, reflecting the Fund’s goal of fostering civic engagement, cultural exchange, and inter-regional partnerships.
Among the recipients are The Ulster Touring Opera from Belfast and Holywell Trust in Derry-Londonderry. The Ulster Touring Opera will bring together 50 young performers from Northern Ireland to stage three new operas at the 2026 Belfast Children’s Festival, collaborating with alumni from the Welsh National Youth Opera. This project aims to nurture inter-regional friendships, enhance confidence among participants, and celebrate collective storytelling through music inspired by Aesop’s Fables.
Holywell Trust will work in partnership with the Eden Project in Cornwall to explore shared challenges such as regional regeneration, environmental sustainability, and social inclusion. The collaboration also aims to strengthen leadership skills and establish a long-term East-West Leadership Collective, promoting joint working and preparing the ground for future projects across the North West of Northern Ireland.
NIO Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Matthew Patrick highlighted the diversity of projects supported by the Connect Fund, noting their role in boosting East-West collaboration and enriching local communities through initiatives in music, youth work, and veteran support. Since the first round of the Fund, 21 projects have received funding totaling almost £500,000, supporting partnerships and activities that span Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England.
The Connect Fund, which closed its second round in February 2026, aims to build lasting civic relationships, develop cultural and sports links, enhance leadership capacity, and facilitate dialogue on shared opportunities and challenges facing communities across the UK. The latest nine successful applicants include Community Places NI, Kabosh, Grow the Glens CIC, The Women’s Organisation, Ulster Touring Opera, Photo Festival Belfast, Live Music Now, Holywell Trust, and Beat Carnival.
