Northern Ireland Community Relations Council - About Us - Press Releases - Community Relations Council releases Annual Report

09 October 2008

The Community Relations Council has released on to its website its Annual Report for last year (2007-08). In his foreword to the Report the new Chair of the Council, Tony McCusker, said: ‘While the Council has a wide ranging role including advising the government on all good relations matters, it is its work in support of community-based initiatives which remains at the core of building a shared society here. The list of grants awarded and projects supported is a testimony to the commitment and initiative of ordinary people in Northern Ireland in their determination to help create a better society where there is mutual respect and understanding. The Council is proud to have supported them in their work.’

The Council’s aim is to lead and support change in Northern Ireland towards reconciliation, tolerance and mutual trust. With the support of the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) almost £5 million was provided in 2007-08 to 634 projects through the Community Relations Council’s community relations and victim support grant schemes. In addition over £2.6 million was provided to 59 projects through the EU Peace and Reconciliation (Peace II extension: measure 2.1) Programme and almost £3 million in 2007 to 12 projects through the International Fund for Ireland’s (IFI) Community Bridges Programme. Both the EU Peace II extension measure (2.1: ‘Reconciliation for Sustainable Peace’) and the IFI’s Community Bridges Programme were managed by the Council.

Details of all grants paid last year are listed on the Council’s website www.nicrc.org.uk (under Annual Report).

Mr McCusker adds in his foreword to the Annual Report:

‘This work took place against a background of significant political development as a new power-sharing Executive was installed at Stormont in May 2007 led by the DUP’s Dr Ian Paisley and Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness. The symbolism of that partnership was encouraging to those already working to build bridges at community level. It remains to be seen how far the new partnership in government will translate into an overarching government strategy for building peace and reconciliation that can impact on all policy areas’.

For further information contact

Ray Mullan, tel 90-227500, email: rmullan@nicie.org.uk