Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Andrew Muir has confirmed that an additional £2 million in funding is being made available for the Northern Ireland Community Infrastructure Fund (NICIF).
He made the announcement while visiting Ballylone Rural Development Association (RDA), a rural organisation awarded funding under the NICIF.
The minister said: “This £2 million contribution reflects my department’s ongoing commitment to supporting rural communities.
“I welcome the collaboration with the Department for Communities that is helping to deliver real, tangible improvements for people in rural areas.”
The NICIF – delivered by the Department for Communities and supported by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) – provides capital grants to help community and voluntary organisations across Northern Ireland improve their existing community buildings.
Rural life
Minister Muir said: “Community facilities play a vital role in sustaining rural life, providing shared spaces that support social connection, wellbeing and local services.
“That is why I was pleased to provide £2 million in additional funding from my department to help meet the significant demand for the Northern Ireland Community Infrastructure Fund in rural areas, to help ensure as many rural organisations as possible can benefit from this fund.
“With almost 60% of Letters of Offer issued to rural organisations overall, the fund is already demonstrating strong rural reach, supporting the places where communities come together and helping local services to thrive.”
During the visit to Ballylone RDA, Minister Muir heard how the NICIF funding will support rural dwellers through improvements to local facilities that can help bring communities together.
Ballylone RDA has been awarded £40,000 for a range of improvements to their building, including improved accessibility, and a new kitchen to support a more varied range of activities.
“The improvements being delivered for Ballylone will help ensure that their rural community facility is more accessible, more resilient, and better equipped to serve the local community for years to come,” the minister said.