Integrating

This cluster of programmes aims to improve opportunities for sharing the spaces where people live, for young people to participate in shared educational experiences and for the sharing of a range of community activities.

Housing

The Fund is supporting a three year Re-imaging Communities Programme managed by the Shared Communities Consortium, the central purpose of which is to contribute to the re-imaging of communities in order to make them more welcoming to all.

The Consortium, comprised of members drawn from the International Fund for Ireland, the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Ministers, the Department for Social Development, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, has established a regional mechanism to provide an integrated and co-ordinated approach to addressing the issue of flags, emblems and sectarian symbols. Projects which will be supported include:

• the removal of redundant flags and murals
• support for local charters for flag management
• the removal of aggressive sectarian/racial murals and graffiti
• support for cultural awareness and the development of community arts projects

The Programme is administered on behalf of the Consortium by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

For more information on the Re-imaging Communities Programme please contact:

The Arts Council for Northern Ireland
Mac Niece House
77 Malone Road
Belfast
BT9 6AQ
Tel: (028) 9038 5200
Fax (028) 9066 1715
www.artscouncil-ni.org

Education

The Sharing Education Programme, a 3 year pilot programme jointly funded by Atlantic Philanthropies, has been developed to provide opportunities for cross-sectoral partnerships between schools, and will be developed in a way that is also intended to enhance the academic achievements of all the schools involved.

Each of the 12 participating Schools (i.e 12 post primary designated by the Department of Education of Northern Ireland as having particular expertise in the teaching of a curricular subject) is required to develop a number of partner schools (including cross-sector), to collaborate together in a number of ways, to provide opportunities for contact, mutual understanding and reconciliation between the school communities.  

For more information on the Sharing Education Programme, please contact:

Northern Ireland: 
International Fund for Ireland
PO Box 2000
Belfast BT4 1WD
Telephone:+ 44 (0) 28 9076 8832 
Fax: + 44 (0) 28 9076 3313

Ireland:
International Fund for Ireland
PO Box 2000
Dublin 2
Telephone: + 353 1 478 0655
Fax: + 353 1 475 1351

Northern Ireland Rural Development Council
17 Loy Street
Cookstown
BT80 8PZ
02886766980

Sammy Douglas
9 Pommern Parade
Belfast
BT6 9FX
Tel: (028) 90585072
Email: sammy@eastbelfast.com

Mr Greg Curry
International Fund for Ireland
Suite 25
 Mespil House
 Sussex Road
 Dublin 4
Tel: 01 231 4628
Fax: 01 231 4642
E-mail: curryg@indigo.ie

Community Groups

The Fund will support community organisations from both sides of the community and which are located in the same geographical area to move towards joint working or indeed, to merge.

For more information please contact:

Northern Ireland:
International Fund for Ireland 
PO Box 2000
Belfast BT4 1WD
Telephone:+ 44 (0) 28 9076 8832 
Fax: + 44 (0) 28 9076 3313

Ireland:
International Fund for Ireland
PO Box 2000
Dublin 2
Telephone: + 353 1 478 0655
Fax: + 353 1 475 1351