New posters launched in Northern Ireland to strengthen Ending the Harm campaign

A new series of posters have been launched as part of the Executive Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime's ongoing ‘Ending the Harm' campaign.

They highlight the ongoing need to tackle paramilitary and criminal gang exploitation in local communities.

The latest posters introduce a two-part message: ‘We must end – We can end', a reference to the positive impact and change in communities that has come from EPPOC projects, initiatives and interventions. 

For the first time, the campaign explicitly references both ‘Criminal Gangs' and ‘Paramilitaries', acknowledging the diverse perspectives on how such organisations are described. From Monday 20 October, posters will be displayed across a wide range of outdoor advertising sites as well as featuring online and on social media.

Justice Minister Naomi Long said: “Paramilitary groups and criminal gangs exploit, intimidate and harm our communities. They are not defenders or protectors, they are criminals. The new posters make it clear that, whatever name they use, their actions are unacceptable and must end. However, the work delivered by the Executive Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime has shown that we can end this harm and together, we can build safer, stronger communities for everyone.”

Notes to editors:

1. The new campaign posters will begin to roll out on Monday 20 October 2025. You can access the new campaign materials (posters and gifs) at the following link: https://we.tl/t-A81EIboC3r
2. These new posters will complement the existing campaign posters that were launched in October 2024. To find out more about the existing campaign here: Campaign to highlight paramilitary harms is making a difference - Ending The Harm
3. The Ending the Harm Campaign is part of the Northern Ireland Executive's Programme on Paramilitarism and Organised Crime, which involves Government Departments, law enforcement agencies, local councils and community and voluntary sectors working together to break the cycle of violence and prevent yet another generation of young people from being exploited and abused by paramilitaries.
4. EPPOC currently invests in approximately 100 evidence-based and evaluated interventions delivered through a network of 7 NICS departments, 15 statutory agencies, 89 public bodies and voluntary and community sector partners. It has delivered groundbreaking work to embed trauma-informed approaches across justice, education, and community sectors.
5. The Programme takes a clear, evidence-based approach to reducing violence and harm. By working with different agencies, it has gathered solid information about the scale and nature of the problem. This means the actions taken are based on data and facts and are more effective. Significant and positive outcomes are being seen across multiple domains. This includes major disruptions to criminal groups, increases in protective factors for those vulnerable to criminal exploitation and measurable reductions in risk, intent to engage in violence, and complex trauma.