Communities Minister has announced that his
department's Developing Women in the Community Programme Phase
Three is now open for applications.
This is the third phase of the programme following on from the
pilot scheme that completed in March 2022 and Phase Two which
will complete in March 2025. These previous phases, Advisory
Panel recommendations and Queens University Belfast
evaluations, have helped to shape and set the direction for phase
three.
The project is part of the Executive Programme on Paramilitarism
& Organised Crime.
Welcoming the opening of the application process for Phase Three,
Communities Minister said: “I am
pleased to be able to launch the third phase of this important
programme, which will provide training and support to women of
all ages. The programme will give women the tools to develop
themselves as leaders, allowing them to take on key roles and
drive change and improvement within their communities.
“I am committed to delivering this programme to equip
women with the knowledge, skills and confidence to become
involved in community development, particularly in areas most in
need.”
Key elements of the Developing Women in the Community Programme
Phase Three include:
- Providing participants with the opportunity to partake in
volunteering roles and to develop and deliver a small programme;
- Providing Family Support; and
- Delivering modular training relating to personal, community
and families resulting in personal progression, reducing
individual risk factors and strengthening the women's confidence
to engage with their communities.
- Delivery organisations to adopt a trauma informed approach
and promote The Ending Violence Against Women & Girls
Strategy (EVAWG)
Applications are invited from areas which have been identified as
those most in need.
Full details on funding, eligibility and the application process
can be found at: www.communities-ni.gov.uk/articles/developing-women-community-programme-phase-three-2025-2027
Notes to editors:
- The Fresh Start Agreement of November 2015 sets out the
Executive's commitment to tackling paramilitary activity and
associated criminality and includes a commitment for the
‘development of a programme to increase the participation and
influence of women in community development
- The Department for Communities has been allocated £403,750
funding to deliver the third phase of the programme in the
2025/26 year with budget for 2026/2027 subject to availability.
- Applications will be invited from identified areas only i.e.
those with the highest number of recorded paramilitary related
incidents
- Further information about the EPPOC is available at
www.northernireland.gov.uk/articles/executive-programme-tackling-paramilitary-activity-and-organised-crime-0
