Community and voluntary organisations across Northern Ireland are set to benefit from an expanded funding package after the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) confirmed an additional £1.5 million to extend its Connect Fund programme for a further two years.
With an ongoing emphasis on community cohesion, service access, and cross-regional partnership working, this move will create new options for local organisations to apply for funding intended to strengthen collaboration between organisations in Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
The expansion coincides with the second round of the Connect Fund, which awarded £550,000 to 22 companies. The initiative aims to promote East-West collaboration in the United Kingdom and support initiatives that directly include communities in Northern Ireland. It provides community and volunteer organisations with the tools they need to tackle common issues, enhance service accessibility, and build closer ties between areas.
One of the initiatives funded by the program is a collaboration between Equal Arts in Newcastle, England, and Arts Care in Belfast, which aims to increase the availability of creative arts services for individuals with dementia in care facilities.
According to Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Matthew Patrick the £1.5 million which we will be hugely beneficial for many community and voluntary organisations, enabling them to launch and develop projects to benefit communities.
“Congratulations also to the 22 fantastic projects which will be separately awarded over £550,000 funding through round two of the Connect Fund. I am so pleased to hear how this Connect Fund grant will enrich the lives of older people and those with dementia through art, and hope this project brings joy to participants while combatting isolation.”
Matthew Patrick
The Connect Fund continues to promote cross-community collaboration, with initiatives aimed at reducing isolation, strengthening social ties, and fostering long-term relationships between groups in Northern Ireland and Great Britain. According to officials, this method not only improves service delivery but also fosters long-term regional cooperation.
The current extension assures that this model continues, with other investment rounds scheduled in the future years. It is designed to provide a stable framework for community organisations wishing to build joint activities and share expertise across borders, highlighting the importance of voluntary groups in generating local impact.
Arts, Youth and Community Projects Drive Cross-UK Collaboration
Among the initiatives funded is a collaboration between Arts Care in Belfast and Equal Arts in Newcastle, which aims to increase access to creative arts for individuals with dementia. The project will include cross-community ceilidhs for care home residents, assisted living participants, relatives, and carers. It will also feature reciprocal visits between staff and participants to exchange creative health practices such as music, dance, and storytelling, as well as strategies for enhancing wellness through artistic engagement.
According to Arts Care CEO Barry Macaulay, the funding will “ensure close work with Equal Arts, a similar Creative Health Charity to ourselves, who operate in the North East of England.”
“Through the project we will host a series of reciprocal visits of staff, artists and participants from both organisations, to share mutual expertise in providing creative health to older people in hospital, residential and community settings with a particular focus on music and dance.”
Barry Macauley
He added that, “opportunities to share practice with colleagues and participants in England in this way are very rare and we are very excited at the prospect.”
Another organisation benefiting from the scheme is Belfast youth charity Springboard, which will use its funding to explore community cohesion strategies in Northern Ireland by learning from organisations in Manchester, London, and Bradford. The initiative aims to strengthen grassroots practice, improve outcomes for young people, and support more effective engagement between communities through shared learning.
Executive Director of Springboard Opportunities Steph O’Rourke highlighted that, “the Connect Fund, which will enable us to strengthen partnerships and enhance our practice in ways that directly benefit grassroots communities across Northern Ireland and Great Britain,” adding, “this investment will make a significant and lasting difference to the young people we work with.”
The Connect Fund is meant to facilitate long-term cooperation between organisations addressing common socioeconomic issues, assisting community organisations in forming enduring alliances and exchanging information across geographical boundaries. Additionally, the extension guarantees ongoing funding opportunities; submissions for round three will open later this year, with £500,000 allotted for 2027–2028 and £1 million for 2028–2029.
With a focus on useful collaboration, social inclusion, and community-led solutions, the program is positioned as a component of a larger initiative to improve civic ties between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
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