Ards and North Down Borough Council Secures Over €5.6 Million to Deliver PEACEPLUS Local Area Action Plan

Ards and North Down Borough Council is proud to announce the successful approval of its PEACEPLUS Co-designed Local Area Action Plan, backed by significant funding of €5,681,833. Delivery of the plan will drive forward a range of innovative, community-focused programmes that aim to foster peace, reconciliation, and shared prosperity across the Borough.

The Ards and North Down Co-Designed Local Area Action Plan is a project supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB), part of a broader initiative to support peace and reconciliation throughout Northern Ireland and the border region of Ireland. Developed through an extensive co-design process with local residents and stakeholders, the Co-Designed Local Area Action Plan will help build positive relations, celebrate cultural diversity, and reimagine communities. It will do so by delivering over 20 impactful projects across three core themes:

Local Community Regeneration and Transformation
Thriving and Peaceful Communities
Celebrating Cultures and Diversity

Each project within the Plan is designed to be inclusive, ensuring the meaningful participation of diverse equality groups. To promote broad and equitable engagement, activities will be delivered in disadvantaged areas and will actively include targeted groups. A cross-community dimension will be central to all projects, fostering collaboration, understanding, and mutual respect.

Chair of the Ards and North Down PEACEPLUS Partnership Alderman Mark Brooks congratulated all those involved in shaping the Action Plan and said:

"I am delighted that the Council's Co-designed Local Community Action Plan has received approval. This vital funding will bring significant benefits to our community. The innovative programmes outlined in the Action Plan are the result of an extensive co-design process and genuinely reflect the needs and aspirations of our residents.

"This Action Plan is designed to create a lasting and tangible legacy of peacebuilding across the Borough. I look forward to seeing these programmes rolled out—building on the achievements of previous Peace initiatives while promoting enduring peace, legacy, and prosperity.

"The PEACEPLUS Partnership is confident that these projects will empower local communities, strengthen their capacity for development, and contribute meaningfully to peace and reconciliation—long after the funding period has ended."

SEUPB Chief Executive Gina McIntyre said:

"It is wonderful that Ards and North Down Borough Council have such exciting plans for their PEACEPLUS funded Plan for the council area. The projects to be implemented will boost cross-community collaboration and make a significant contribution to building positive relations.

"As with all the PEACEPLUS Council Action Plans, the important aspect is that they have been co-designed with local stakeholders, with the focus on regeneration, healthy relationships and prosperity at a grassroots level.

"In particular the Building Peaceful and Thriving Communities theme has at its core the goal of empowering communities to work together, cementing relationships through initiatives which sustain peace and leave a legacy of friendship and understanding."

This milestone marks a significant step forward in promoting a more inclusive, vibrant, and peaceful future for everyone in Ards and North Down.

Council's PEACE team can be reached via peace@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk

Find out more about the PEACEPLUS Programme in Ards and North Down: PEACEPLUS Programme - Ards and North Down Borough Council

Notes:

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.
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.