Northern Ireland's community and voluntary sectors are set to benefit from an additional £1.5 million in grant funding, following the Northern Ireland Office's (NIO) decision to extend its successful Connect Fund programme for another two years.

This announcement follows the distribution of £550,000 to 22 different organisations under the programme's second round. These projects are focused on strengthening East-West relations by facilitating collaboration between groups in Northern Ireland and Great Britain, with a particular emphasis on community cohesion and improving access to the arts for older people and those living with dementia.

Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Matthew Patrick announced the new funding package during a visit to Arts Care in Belfast, one of the organisations awarded support. Highlighting the impact of the investment, he said: "The £1.5 million which we have just announced will be hugely beneficial for many community and voluntary organisations, enabling them to launch and develop projects to benefit communities. "Congratulations also to the 22 fantastic projects which will be separately awarded over £550,000 funding through round two of the Connect Fund. I am so pleased to hear how this Connect Fund grant will enrich the lives of older people and those with dementia through art, and hope this project brings joy to participants while combatting isolation."

Arts Care is using the funding to partner with Equal Arts in Newcastle, England. The collaboration involves reciprocal visits for staff, artists, and participants to share expertise in creative health, specifically focusing on music and dance for those in hospital, residential, and community settings. Arts Care CEO Barry Macaulay remarked: "Opportunities to share practice with colleagues and participants in England in this way are very rare and we are very excited at the prospect."

Also receiving support is the Belfast youth charity, Springboard, which plans to use the funding to learn from community cohesion strategies currently in place in Manchester, London, and Bradford. Steph O'Rourke, Executive Director of Springboard Opportunities, said: "We are delighted to have been awarded support from the Connect Fund, which will enable us to strengthen partnerships and enhance our practice in ways that directly benefit grassroots communities across Northern Ireland and Great Britain. This investment will make a significant and lasting difference to the young people we work with."

The additional £1.5 million will support the next phases of the programme. Round three of the fund is scheduled to open for applications later this year, with £500,000 in grants available for the 2027/28 financial year, followed by £1 million for round four in 2028/29.