In a period where community relations is facing renewed challenges, over £1.25 million in crucial funding has been directed to help build reconciliation and foster stronger community ties across the region.
The Community Relations Council (CRC) is delighted to announce that 28 organisations will be receiving support and investment from its Core Funding Scheme for the 2025/26 year.
These 28 Core Fund organisations span the entire region and are strategically positioned to address the key themes of The Executive’s T:BUC (Together: Building a United Community) strategy, promoting understanding, respect, and shared spaces within our local communities. This investment serves as a beacon of hope, empowering grassroots efforts that are more critical now than ever.
The Core Funding recipients were announced at a special event at Belfast YMCA on Tuesday 24 June 2025, where the crucial role of local peacebuilders in navigating complex community dynamics was recognised.
Speaking at the launch of this year’s scheme, CRC Chair, Martin McDonald MBE, said:
“In these turbulent times, with recent tensions a stark reminder of the continuous work required for true peace, the Community Relations Council's Core Funding stands as a vital investment in our resilience. This funding empowers the extraordinary grassroots organisations who are the bedrock of reconciliation. Their courageous and transformative work, carried out in the heart of our communities, is more than just about healing past divisions: we’re actively building a more inclusive and hopeful future for all.
“As the entire region faces renewed complexities, particularly with the recent flare-ups of community tension, the Community Relations Council is more committed than ever to empowering those who build peace. This significant core funding is a tangible vote of confidence in the tireless efforts of local peacebuilders.”
Peter McNiece, YMCA Belfast, CRC Core Funding Recipient, said:
“Thanks to Core Funding from the Community Relations Council, Belfast YMCA has expanded the reach of our peacebuilding efforts across our city. Over the past year, our Ubuntu dialogue project has engaged almost 1,000 young people, each one learning about differences and positive community relations. Being part of a network of core-funded groups has connected us with dedicated practitioners with a shared vision for peace. We are deeply grateful to CRC for their partnership in working towards a lasting peace.”
Kate Clifford, Rural Community Network, CRC Core Funding Recipient, said:
“This Core Funding support from the Community Relations Council helps sustain the tireless work happening in rural areas to foster reconciliation and create welcoming, open communities. It enables us to respond to the changing nature of rural Northern Ireland and to value the diversity and new cultures that are enriching our towns and villages. With this funding, we can support rural communities to see value in diversity, support training in peace and reconciliation, and support communities to develop enhanced cultural awareness.”
The CRC Core Funding Scheme supports organisations considered of strategic importance in promoting community relations work across the region. This work includes, for example, peace and reconciliation centres; those involved in mediation and conflict transformation training; community arts; church-based work on reconciliation themes; cultural organisations and interface projects.
Find out more about the Community Relations Council here: www.community-relations.org.uk
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