PEACEPLUS Provides €5.6M For Ards And North Down

Ards and North Down Borough Council receives €5.6M PEACEPLUS funding for Local Area Action Plan

The Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) has announced more than €5.6m of funding for Ards and North Down Borough Council.xa0

The funding announcement on the Co-designed Local Community PEACEPLUS Action Plans Investment Area, throughxa0the €1.14bn PEACEPLUS Programme’s Building Peaceful and Thriving Communitiesxa0theme, will deliver sustained cross-community engagement with transformative peace and reconciliation impact, addressing the specific unique needs and challenges of the Ards and North Down area.xa0

This funding (€5,681,833)xa0will support a diverse range of projects, aimed at addressing local challenges and promoting peace and prosperity within the council area.xa0

The Action Plan proposes to deliver 23 projectsxa0spread across three themes – Local Community and Transformation, Thriving and Peaceful Communities, and Celebrating Culture and Diversity -xa0with the aim of engagingxa05,682 participants.

Under Theme 1,xa0Local Community and Transformation, the Plan’s proposed capital projects include:

• The Donaghadee Pump Park Shared Space, transforming an under-utilised area into a shared pump track.
• The Portaferry Parklands Shared Space, transforming a disused and run-down space in Portaferry into a social, cultural and heritage hub.
• The Bangor Cycle Park Shared Space, a cycle park with four separate cycling facilities (pump track, BMX racing track, accessible learn to ride area and cross-country mountain bike trails) and a community café and workshop.xa0

Projects planned under Theme 2, Thriving and Peaceful Communities, include:

• The Women’s Resilience, Inclusion and Empowerment programme.
• The Community Resilience, Inclusion and Empowerment programme.
• The Engagement and Leadership through Sports and Arts programme.
• The Shared Education Trips programme.
• The Education Programme for Older and Younger People programme.

Projects under Theme 3, are :

• Celebrating Cultures and Diversity, will includeThe Church, Faith, and Belief Initiative, aiming to build trust, awareness and understanding between different faith and beliefs across ANDBC through the celebration of different faiths and beliefs;
• a course looking at the role of the Ulster Scots community in shaping ANDBC;
• and the Exploring the Role of Women through the years in Peacebuilding project, exploring the history and leadership role of women through the years in peacebuilding in ANDBC. The Ulster Scots and Irish Language project, meanwhile, will develop and roll out accredited courses exploring Ulster Scots and Irish Language in the council area.
  
  Welcoming the announcement,xa0First Minister Michelle O’Neillxa0said:xa0“The wide variety of projects that will be delivered through the Ards and North Down PEACEPLUS Action Plan will bring people from many different backgrounds together.

“They will use our shared history, arts, culture and sport to empower communities, tackle disadvantage and promote peace and prosperity. I would like to thank everyone working to realise the goals of peace and reconciliation.”

Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said:xa0“This is a welcome funding announcement for Ards and North Down, which will see around £4.8million invested in the local area. By bringing people together to work on the issues that matter most to them, we know that Local Action Plans can have a transformative impact.

“And I have no doubt the projects delivered through this investment will make a positive difference to individuals and communities.”

The Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht Dara Calleary TD said:xa0“I am very pleased to hear that funding has been approved for the Ards and North Down Borough Council as part of the PEACEPLUS Programme Investment Area 1.1 Co-Designed Local Community Peace Action Plans.

“I would like to express my appreciation to all those who participated in the comprehensive consultations that contributed to the co-design of these outstanding action plans.

“I am delighted that my Department will be an Accountable Department for this investment area and I look forward to supporting these essential plans in each of the local authority areas and working with all parties, including the Special EU Programmes Body and The Executive Office in Northern Ireland, to ensure their delivery for the benefit of all.

“By allocating this crucial funding and enabling local authorities and their communities to select, to develop, and to execute priority cross-community projects and initiatives, we will further enhance local community regeneration while promoting peace and reconciliation within their respective areas. I wish every local authority success in their endeavours”.

SEUPB Chief Executive Gina McIntyre said:xa0“It is wonderful that Ards and North Down Borough Council have such exciting plans for their PEACEPLUS funded Plan for the council area.xa0The projects to be implemented will boost cross-community collaboration and make a significant contribution to building positive relations.

“As with all the PEACEPLUS Council Action Plans,xa0the important aspect is that they havexa0been co-designed with local stakeholders, with the focus on regeneration, healthy relationships and prosperity at a grassroots level.xa0

“In particular the Building Peaceful and Thriving Communities theme has at its core the goal of empowering communities to work together, cementing relationships through initiatives which sustain peace and leave a legacy of friendship and understanding.”

The PEACEPLUS Programme has been designed to promote peace and prosperity across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland, and has a total value of €1.14bn, to be delivered over the next five years.xa0

PEACEPLUSxa0is co-funded by the European Union, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Government of Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Executive.

The PEACEPLUS Co-designed Local Community Action Plans (LAAP) Investment Area supports projects developed and delivered by local councils in collaboration with their local communities.xa0

All 17 local authorities submitted a programme of local investment, aimed at addressing specific local challenges, designed in collaboration with residents and organisations within their area, and addressing certain needs such as local regeneration, building positive relations, and celebrating identity and diversity.