Department for Communities reopens Grant Programme

The Department for Communities (DFC) has reopened its Uniting Opportunities small grants programme, which is being delivered as part of the Executive’s Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC) Strategy.

Uniting Opportunities aims to promote good relations and reconciliation through sport and creativity by addressing barriers to community participation that some young people face.  DFC recognises that the life experiences of young people varies widely and there are those who face multiple barriers when it comes to engaging with their local community.   To help support those most in need, the Uniting Opportunities programme will target young people, aged between 11 and 24 years, who identify with the following groups: 

• Young People who are Homeless
• Young People who are Refugees or Asylum Seekers
• Young People with a Disability
• Young People in Care
• Young People with Poor Mental Health
• Young People who Offend or at risk of Offending
• Young People at risk of Rural Isolation

Uniting Opportunities has been specifically designed to support the DFC’s core Uniting Communities programme.  As such, it only seeks projects from where the core programme is being delivered, or is scheduled to be delivered.  Our current and scheduled delivery areas are:   

• Ardoyne and Greater Ballysillan (North Belfast)
• Fountain, Bogside and Bishop Street (Derry~Londonderry)
• Ballymoney District Electoral Area (North Antrim)
• Derg District Electoral Area (West Tyrone)

If your organisation has capacity to work with any of our target groups and can deliver innovative projects in any of our delivery areas (above), the Department for Communities would welcome an application from you.  Applications to the Uniting Opportunities Programme follow a two stage process.  Further information on the programme is available here.

Stage One of Uniting Opportunities closes 16^th August @ 4.00pm.  

Notes to editors: 

1. Media enquiries to DfC Press Office on 028 90 823516 or email Press Office. Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer on 028 9037 8110.
2. Follow us on Twitter @CommunitiesNI

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