Communities invited to submit ideas for co-designed local PEACEPLUS Plan

Around 240 people and 140 organisations across the Derry City and Strabane District Council area took part in PEACEPLUS workshops in May and June to help the early stages of planning a funding bid of around £8 million. 

 

This first phase of 'co-design' remains open until 5pm on Friday 19^th August 2022 which is the deadline for return of 'concept forms' to the council to put forward relevant ideas for consideration.

 

The process is specific to one element (Theme 1.1) of the forthcoming PEACEPLUS funding programme which is anticipated to be signed off by the EU in the near future. Theme 1 is 'Building Peaceful and Thriving Communities'. Under Theme 1.1 there are 'Co-designed Local Community PEACE Action Plans' with a provisional figure of €90m spread across the participating local councils in Northern Ireland and the border counties. Under the previous PEACE programme, PEACE IV, Derry City and Strabane District Council received £6.7million which was distributed over 65 projects and benefitted around 7000 local people. The scale of PEACEPLUS is expected to be slightly larger. This current process is an essential part of building a submission to the SEUPB (Special EU Programmes Funding Body) for funding to bring benefit to local people and communities.  

 

'The level of engagement with Phase 1 of our Co-design was huge,' says Derek Moore, Chair of the PEACEPLUS Board. 'Already we've gathered significant information on local needs and potential project ideas from across the city and district. The concept form that we've issued is an opportunity to put forward slightly more detail on some of those ideas. We'd encourage groups to consider it carefully over the next weeks and to submit responses.'

 

'It's about putting forward specific ideas for cross-community projects that bring people together for a sustained amount of time with a reconciliation purpose,' says Jacki Connolly, Co-Chair of the PEACEPLUS Board. It's not an application for a grant. A wide range of approaches can be considered eg. culture, environment, arts, heritage, sports, community development, social prescribing, community training etc. At this point of the process there is no funding secured, so it's about thinking in the public interest rather than being specific to an organization. Ultimately, once funding is secured, all projects will be publicly procured through tenders.'

 

For individuals and organizations wishing to know more, information is available on:

https://www.derrystrabane.com/Subsites/PeacePlus/Take-Part/Co-Design-Submit-An-Idea

 

After 19^th August 2022 new ideas will not be considered unless there are clear gaps in the ideas put forward which are directly relevant to the findings from workshops in Phase 1.

 

In late September and October there will be a further round of Co-Design workshops building detail around potential projects most appropriate to the bid. Anyone wishing to receive information directly about those workshops is encouraged to sign up to receive direct information by e-mail on: https://www.derrystrabane.com/Subsites/PeacePlus/News-Letter-Sign-Up The Peace Team in council can be reached via peace@derrystrabane.com

 

The PEACEPLUS Programme is an EU funded programme designed to support peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the border region.  It is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). Match-funding for this element of the PEACEPLUS Programme has been provided by the Executive Office in Northern Ireland and the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government in Ireland. 

Around 240 people and 140 organisations across the Derry City and Strabane District Council area took part in PEACEPLUS workshops in May and June to help the early stages of planning a funding bid of around £8 million. 

 

This first phase of 'co-design' remains open until 5pm on Friday 19^th August 2022 which is the deadline for return of 'concept forms' to the council to put forward relevant ideas for consideration.

 

The process is specific to one element (Theme 1.1) of the forthcoming PEACEPLUS funding programme which is anticipated to be signed off by the EU in the near future. Theme 1 is 'Building Peaceful and Thriving Communities'. Under Theme 1.1 there are 'Co-designed Local Community PEACE Action Plans' with a provisional figure of €90m spread across the participating local councils in Northern Ireland and the border counties. Under the previous PEACE programme, PEACE IV, Derry City and Strabane District Council received £6.7million which was distributed over 65 projects and benefitted around 7000 local people. The scale of PEACEPLUS is expected to be slightly larger. This current process is an essential part of building a submission to the SEUPB (Special EU Programmes Funding Body) for funding to bring benefit to local people and communities.  

 

'The level of engagement with Phase 1 of our Co-design was huge,' says Derek Moore, Chair of the PEACEPLUS Board. 'Already we've gathered significant information on local needs and potential project ideas from across the city and district. The concept form that we've issued is an opportunity to put forward slightly more detail on some of those ideas. We'd encourage groups to consider it carefully over the next weeks and to submit responses.'

 

'It's about putting forward specific ideas for cross-community projects that bring people together for a sustained amount of time with a reconciliation purpose,' says Jacki Connolly, Co-Chair of the PEACEPLUS Board. It's not an application for a grant. A wide range of approaches can be considered eg. culture, environment, arts, heritage, sports, community development, social prescribing, community training etc. At this point of the process there is no funding secured, so it's about thinking in the public interest rather than being specific to an organization. Ultimately, once funding is secured, all projects will be publicly procured through tenders.'

 

For individuals and organizations wishing to know more, information is available on:

https://www.derrystrabane.com/Subsites/PeacePlus/Take-Part/Co-Design-Submit-An-Idea

 

After 19^th August 2022 new ideas will not be considered unless there are clear gaps in the ideas put forward which are directly relevant to the findings from workshops in Phase 1.

 

In late September and October there will be a further round of Co-Design workshops building detail around potential projects most appropriate to the bid. Anyone wishing to receive information directly about those workshops is encouraged to sign up to receive direct information by e-mail on: https://www.derrystrabane.com/Subsites/PeacePlus/News-Letter-Sign-Up The Peace Team in council can be reached via peace@derrystrabane.com

 

The PEACEPLUS Programme is an EU funded programme designed to support peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the border region.  It is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). Match-funding for this element of the PEACEPLUS Programme has been provided by the Executive Office in Northern Ireland and the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government in Ireland.