€154,000 awarded to Louth projects under new PEACEPLUS funding
The two Louth-linked projects form part of the wider PEACEPLUS Change Maker Funding Programme
Two projects with strong links to Louth are among 22 community initiatives sharing more than €1.5 million in funding aimed at strengthening cross-border relationships, inclusion and peacebuilding.
The Narrow Water Music Project 2026, led by Oriel Traditional Orchestra in partnership with Cultúrlann Caisleán Ruairí, has been awarded €96,680 to connect communities in North Louth and South Down through music, with the new Narrow Water Bridge serving as both a practical and symbolic focal point.
The project will bring participants together through music workshops, rehearsals, a collaborative musical composition and public performances. It aims to strengthen relationships between communities while celebrating their shared cultural, historical and musical connections.
Meanwhile, the Connected Futures: Cross Border Youth Mental Health and Peacebuilding Initiative has received €57,469, with the Boomerang Centre & Youth Cafe in Drogheda acting as project partner.
The initiative will connect young people from Drogheda and Newry through creative and educational workshops, planning sessions and exchange visits. It is designed to build relationships and trust, reduce isolation and promote social inclusion, community cohesion and cross-border engagement.
The two Louth-linked projects form part of the wider PEACEPLUS Change Maker Funding Programme, which is providing a combined €1,554,118 to 22 grassroots projects across Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland.
The newly funded projects bring together schools, community organisations, youth groups, arts and cultural organisations, environmental groups and voluntary groups to tackle issues including social isolation, community cohesion, youth engagement, wellbeing, disability inclusion, cross-border cooperation and intercultural understanding.
Through activities ranging from STEM learning and environmental stewardship to music, sport, creative arts, storytelling, family support programmes and mental health initiatives, the projects will create opportunities for people from different backgrounds to build relationships, develop new skills and strengthen understanding across communities.
The Change Maker Funding Programme provides support for small-scale grassroots projects that help strengthen relationships between people and communities while promoting inclusion, cooperation and mutual understanding.
Welcoming the funding announcement, SEUPB Chief Executive Gina McIntyre said: "Congratulations to all involved in the latest 22 projects awarded funding through the PEACEPLUS Change Maker Funding Programme.
"What is particularly encouraging about these projects is the wide variety of approaches being used to bring people together. Using sport, culture, education, wellbeing, environmental action or creative engagement, each project is creating opportunities for people to connect, learn from one another and build positive relationships. At the heart of PEACEPLUS is the belief that meaningful peacebuilding happens through everyday interactions and shared experiences.”
The Change Maker Funding Programme is delivered by Pobal on behalf of SEUPB and provides accessible funding for local initiatives that strengthen relationships, promote inclusion and encourage participation. 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.