Project supported by PEACE III Programme managed for the Special EU Programmes Body by Donegal County Council

Press Release

€900,000+ Peace and Reconciliation Grants Awarded

The Donegal CDB Peace and Reconciliation Partnership have awarded €906,454 in Small Grants to 37 different organisations around the county.

The Small Grants Scheme, supported by the European Union European Regional Development Fund, is the first in a series of elements of the Donegal Peace and Reconciliation Action Plan 2008-2010 that will be rolled out over the next 2 years to organisations in Donegal working to deepen and strengthen the Peace Process at a local level.

The Small Grants awarded range in size from €6,450 to a maximum of €30,000 and it is estimated that at least 3,500 people will be engaged to different degrees in cross community and cross border activity aimed at developing better relationships at a local level and reinforcing progress towards a more peaceful and stable society.

A key element of all the funded projects is to challenge the attitudes that persist among people around the issues of sectarianism and racism, over ten years after the Good Friday Agreement. Reflecting the commitment of organisations in Donegal to working on a cross border basis, almost 50% of the grants, €440k, will support cross-border work.

€91,500 will be spent on projects that improve collaboration between schools in the county, tackling stereotyping and prejudice before it has a chance to take root.

The communities to benefit range from Clonmany and Muff in Inishowen to Ballintra and Pettigo in the south of the county. Overall 40 different towns, villages and rural areas in Donegal, mostly those in proximity to the border, will be supported by the Small Grant Scheme.

Chairman of the Donegal CDB Peace and Reconciliation Partnership, Cllr Francis Conaghan, said:

‘The Donegal CDB Peace and Reconciliation would like to congratulate all of the successful applicants to this Small Grants Scheme and wish them the very best in carrying out their very important work over the next two years. Some of the most important and effective peace work is done in small and quiet ways and we know that this grant scheme will produce very effective results in terms of reconciliation and peace into the future.’

Details of the successful projects are available to view on the Donegal County Development Board website www.donegalcdb.ie

For further information contact Fearghal O Boyle, Peace III Office, Community and Enterprise Section, Donegal County Council, Station Island, Lifford, Co Donegal. Ph: 074 91 72229