PeacePlayers International NI has been awarded a £99,941 grant from the Dormant Accounts Fund NI. They are one of 15 projects receiving grants totalling £1,303,790 to secure their long-term future.
The Dormant Accounts Fund NI, delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund in conjunction with the Department of Finance, is supporting the Voluntary Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) sector to be more resilient and prepared for the future.
PeacePlayers International NI is using the funding to build capacity by restructuring the organisation and developing a long-term income strategy.
Over three years the project will develop a central hub in Belfast with regional hubs across Northern Ireland, including one in Mid and East Antrim. Staff will be able to work more strategically including financial planning, training and development, programme planning, data collection and evaluation, policy reviews, and income generation.
Gareth Harper, Managing Director of PeacePlayers International NI said:
“Thanks to this funding we will be able to future proof PeacePlayers to make it fit for purpose and able to continue to run community relations through sport programmes in an efficient and effective way.
“As an organisation we want to develop our capacity and give staff the opportunity to develop their skills and experiences to help take the organisation forward and provide the best service we can.
“Northern Ireland has continuing issues and organisations like PeacePlayers – who are using sport as a tool for peacebuilding - are still needed, now and in the future. We want to ensure that we have the skills and structure to ensure our programmes are reaching their full potential and can contribute to making Northern Ireland more peaceful.”
Since the programme opened in January 2021, the Dormant Accounts Fund for Northern Ireland has awarded £6,883,194 to 73 organisations including arts, sports, charities and community-based organisations with the money being used to help build long-term sustainability.
Paul Sweeney, The National Lottery Community Fund’s NI Chair, said:
“The Dormant Accounts Fund NI has been open for applications for one year now, and we continue to be impressed by the range of organisations applying for funding, looking beyond their day-to-day operational role to plan their long-term future and sustainability.
“Dormant Accounts money continues to make a significant difference in building resilience in non-for-profit organisations addressing social and economic need in our local communities.”
Dormant accounts are UK bank and building society accounts that have been untouched for 15 or more years, where customers who own the accounts cannot be traced. As part of this first phase of Dormant Accounts Fund NI support, organisations can apply for up to £100,000 as part of a flexible and responsive grant programme.
For more information on Dormant Accounts Fund NI visit:
· Dormant accounts are defined in the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008 as those which have seen no customer-initiated activity for at least 15 years.
· Under the Dormant Bank and Building Society Accounts Act 2008, the Reclaim Fund releases funds from dormant bank accounts to the National Lottery Community Fund for distribution to good causes across the UK.
· The Reclaim Fund Ltd. (RFL), which was established in March 2011 to receive and invest dormant account balances across the UK, transferred the first tranche of monies from dormant bank and building society accounts to the National Lottery Community Fund on 2 August 2011.
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