Rural communities are set to benefit from the new PEACEPLUS funded Maximising Community Space – Inclusive and Connected Communities project.
Led by Rural Action, the project is supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).
It is set to transform how rural communities connect, collaborate, and thrive together. This visionary initiative places people at its heart, aiming to create inclusive, welcoming environments where relationships flourish and diversity is celebrated.
Funded by the PEACEPLUS Programme, through the Building Peaceful and Thriving Communities theme, this project aims to strengthen community connections by supporting local groups to make the most of their spaces. With a focus on rural areas, it will explore how community buildings are used, the activities they host, and the perceptions surrounding them, helping communities to reimagine these spaces as inclusive, vibrant hubs for collaboration, creativity, and belonging.
Encouraging cross community engagement and cross border collaboration, the project brings together a partnership comprising of Rural Action, Irish Rural Link and NI Rural Women’s Network (NIRWN).
The project has received funding of €2,753,293 and will work with 40 rural community organisations engaging them in a regional cross community and cross border programme of support. It will provide opportunities for sustained & meaningful contact to include needs analysis, mentoring, training, activity plans, study visits and events aimed at building wider community connections.
SEUPB Chief Executive Gina McIntyre said: “Peace and reconciliation are essential for socio-economic development and prosperity. Opportunities for interventions between communities are designed to enable and promote discussion and build mutual respect and trust.
“While we have come such a long way since the signing of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, our society still faces significant challenges.
“Through the Building Positive Relations Investment Area, the PEACEPLUS Programme will continue to support positive change, empower communities through initiatives which sustain peace and leave a legacy of friendship and understanding.”
Speaking about the project, Allen McAdam, Chairperson of Rural Action, commented ‘This goes beyond the bricks and mortar. In an era where division can often dominate headlines, Maximising Community Space offers an opportunity to explore community spaces, which are designed not just for use, but for meaningful interaction. Whether through community gardens, multi-use halls, creative hubs, or outdoor gathering areas, the project seeks to foster participation across all cultural backgrounds, traditions, and lived experiences.
The project will work closely with community groups and stakeholders to co-design spaces that reflect the unique character and needs of each community.’
The PEACEPLUS Programme has been designed to promote peace and prosperity across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland, and has a total value of €1.14bn, to be delivered over the next four years.
PEACEPLUS is co-funded by the European Union, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Government of Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Executive.
More information on the project will be available at www.ruralaction.co.
Notes to editors
The Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) is a North South Body with the statutory remit for managing EU funding programmes within Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland.
PEACEPLUS is a cross-border funding Programme designed to support peace and prosperity across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland. The total value of PEACEPLUS is €1.14 billion.
PEACEPLUS is co-funded by the European Union, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Government of Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Executive.
Maximising Community Space is funded through the PEACEPLUS Programme – Building Peaceful and Thriving Communities to the value of €2,753,293.
The project is led by Rural Action and includes partner organisations Irish Rural Link and NI Rural Women’s Network.
Rural Action was formed in 2019 as a not-for-profit social purpose company and became a registered charity in March 2022. It was established to meet an identified need for a regional delivery organisation with a focus on supporting grassroots communities. It seeks to make a positive contribution to the everyday lives of rural communities, with an ambition to achieve this, not only through working with others, but as an organisation to give back, to support and inspire rural communities to design, deliver and implement practical projects.
Irish Rural Link was formed in 1991 as a non-profit organisation, representing a national network of organisations of some 600 community groups with a combined membership of 25,000. With a focus on sustainable rural development, it seeks to support rural communities through a range of operational projects and programmes, through local community development approaches, engaging with key stakeholders and disseminating good practice at both a national and European level.
NI Rural Women’s Network is a membership-based organisation which was established in September 2006 and works regionally across NI. The organisation’s main remit is to support rural women across NI, regardless of background, providing advice, information, education and training, raising awareness of women’s needs and experiences, providing a platform for women’s voices. Through a range of programmes and projects, it supports collaboration between the statutory, voluntary and other sectors.