Agenda item

            The Committee considered the undernoted report:

“1.0      Purpose of Report/Summary of Main Issues

1.1       The purpose of this report is to provide Members with an update in relation to the Shared Island Initiative, and the role of officers in securing funding opportunities for the Council and also promoting these opportunities with organisations across the City.

2.0       Recommendation

2.1       It is recommended that the Committee notes:

·        that an online information session was held for local organisations on 22 July 2024, with presentations on the Shared Island Initiative, Shared Island Civic Society Fund and Reconciliation Fund provided by officials from the Shared Island Unit (SIU) and Department of Foreign Affairs (DfA), the presentation slides are provided at Appendix A for Members information;

·        two successful bids between Belfast City Council and Cork City Council under the Community Climate Action Fund (CCAF) Strand 1A; and

·        that local organisations have recently been successful in received funding under the Shared Island Creative Youth Partnerships funding.

3.0       Main Report

3.1       The Committee will recall that it has received two presentations and updates on the Shared Island Initiative, in June 2022 and February 2023, delivered by the SIU which operates within the Department of the Taoiseach. As well as these presentations the Committee has received updates on Belfast City Council Shared Island projects in September 2023 and February 2024.

            Shared Island initiative

3.2       The Shared Island initiative is a whole of Government priority to engage with all communities and political traditions to build consensus around a shared future on the island, underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement. The Shared Island initiative is backed by the Government’s Shared Island Fund, with at least €1 billion out to 2030 ring-fenced for delivery of all-island investment commitments and objectives in the Programme for Government and revised National Development Plan 2021-30; and informed by a programme of engagement with people across the island through the Shared Island Dialogue series and a comprehensive policy research programme, which provides a stronger evidence base and analysis of the island of Ireland across a range of economic, environmental and social areas.

            Shared Island Civic Society Fund Round 3 – Online Information Session

3.3       Following the announcement by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DfA) of a third round of the Shared Island Civic Society Fund at the end of June. Officers engaged with departmental officials to arrange an online information session for Belfast organisations to provide guidance to local organisations on the process for applying to this fund, which closed on 2 August 2024.

3.4       The information in relation to this funding opportunity and online session was also circulated to all elected members to disseminate across their local community networks. Allowing for the holiday period this session was well attended with a number of local organisations represented. During this session officials from the DfA and SIU delivered presentations on the Shared Island Initiative, Shared Island Civic Society Fund and the Reconciliation Fund.

            Community Climate Action Fund Strand 1A

3.5       The Committee is also invited to note the recent confirmation that two Shared Island bids between the Council and Cork City Council under CCAF Strand 1A have been successful. The successful projects are:

·        Solar-Powered Community Services in Cork and Belfast €87,024 total for both cities with €46,620 to install solar PV on Donegall Pass Community Centre.

·        Delivery of capital-only community gardening and growing elements of the food proposal €30K in total (€15 for Belfast City Council)

            Following these awards officers will engage with partners to progress the delivery of these projects.

            Creative Youth on Shared Island

3.6       The Committee are also invited to note that last week the Taoiseach, Simon Harris TD, and Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Catherine Martin TD, announced the awarding of funding to six successful Creative Youth on a Shared Island projects as part of the Creative Ireland Programme 2023-2027. The successful projects were created as a result of direct consultation with children and young people. Successful projects involving Belfast organisations include:

• ‘The Shared Island Songwriting Project,’ a series of residential 'hot houses' with children and young people from Laois, Offaly, and across Northern Ireland. Led by Music Generation Laois the project will culminate in the creation of twelve original compositions that will be showcased at festivals and arts centres.

• ‘Macnas’ ‘Future Parade,’ bringing together young people from Belfast and Galway for a series of workshops and residential experiences to create parades that celebrate their collective creativity.

• Extern Northern Ireland, working with twenty young people from Greater Belfast and Dublin, who have multiple and complex needs by providing a safe space for them to tell their stories using Theatre of the Oppressed techniques.

• ‘Creative Connections - Shared Writing Across the Island’ with Fighting Words, which will engage children and young people aged 15-24 from communities up and down the island through connected creative writing initiatives, including scriptwriting, poetry, prose, and songwriting.

3.7       Financial and Resource Implications

            None associated with this report.

            Equality or Good Relations Implications/

            Rural Needs Assessment

            None associated with this report.”

            The Committee adopted the recommendations.