FERMANAGH Trust and Cavan Local Development Company have been awarded £257,188 through the Communities in Partnership Programme (CiPP) for a 24-month cross-community, cross-Border project.

A total of 11 projects will receive support to continue their work with the most marginalised communities which have yet to receive any substantial dividends from the Peace Process.

The funding is part of a package of £3,515,211 to further support peacebuilding initiatives across Northern Ireland and the Republic's Border counties.

IFI Chair Paddy Harte, welcomed the latest financial package, saying: "This support comes at a critical time in our peacebuilding journey.

"Whilst we acknowledge much progress has been made since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement over 25 years ago, it is apparent that significant challenges remain.

“Our projects are working against a challenging backdrop. Tensions remain around increased paramilitary activity and recruitment of young people, sectarianism, criminal activity, anti-social behaviour, culture, and identity.

"We also understand that the fallout from the Windsor Framework has caused some communities to regress, creating further polarisation.

“The IFI remains one of the few organisations that can engage with the most marginalised in society.

"We are committed to working closely with communities through sensitive dialogue and conflict resolution to tackle the difficult remaining areas of peacebuilding.”