Peace project led by Rio Ferdinand charity to receive €1.2m in funding

A cross-border peace academy led by the Rio Ferdinand Foundation is to receive more than £1 million (€1.2 million) in funding.

The charity project, which partners with Sligo Rovers and Glentoran football clubs, will deliver a platform for young people to take part in cross-community engagement through sport and media interaction.

The former Manchester United footballer established the Rio Ferdinand Foundation in 2012 to promote opportunities for young people to achieve their potential through participation, and it has worked in Northern Ireland and the Republic since 2016.

The project will receive £1,064,911 (€1,253,574) in Peaceplus funding.

Peaceplus is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) and represents a funding partnership between the European Union, the UK and Irish governments and the Northern Ireland Executive.

Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly have welcomed the allocation of £29,210,173 (€34,385,137) to 15 projects to support peace and reconciliation on both sides of the border.

The funding will deliver projects that benefit more than 50,000 people, the SEUPB said.

Some of the other projects to receive funding include:

– CONNECT (€2,081,985). Led by the British Council, the project seeks to foster positive relationships within communities and support peacebuilding efforts in Northern Ireland by challenging destabilisation and misinformation, mistrust among communities, social isolation, discrimination, and inequalities affecting vulnerable groups.

– Framing the Legacy of our Irish and Scottish Heritage (€1,817,377.89). Led by Ulster University, it aims to develop positive community relations and support peacebuilding in Northern Ireland