District Councils Good Relations Programme

The District Council Good Relations Programme (DCGRP), is delivered as part of the Executive’s wider ‘Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC)’ Strategy. The key aims of the programme are to improve relations between and within District Council areas and to support local solutions to local good relations issues.

Showcasing the best of DCGRP

The 2017/18 Programme report and video showcase the excellent work the council’s Good Relations Officers have delivered through the District Council programme, over the funding year to address good relations issues in their areas.

With a strong focus on the outcomes delivered, the programme report highlights a specific case study from each council, each one linked to at least one of the key priorities of the T:BUC Strategy.

Download the programme report below or click on the link to view the online version.

Outcomes based approach

The DCGRP has a strong focus on the outcomes of delivery and answering the key question, what difference has the project made?

This means that every project funded by the programme has one or more defined and measurable outcomes from its delivery that contribute directly to one or more of the key aims of the T:BUC strategy.

Find out more about the outcomes based approach on the Fiscal Policy Studies Institute website.

Building a united community

Each council programme must be linked to at least one of the key themes of the T:BUC Strategy. These are:

Our Children and Young People
Our Shared Community
Our Safe Community
Our Cultural Expression

Find out more about the overall T:BUC Strategy at the link below.

Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC)

Programme delivery

The Programme is funded jointly by the Executive Office and the 11 District Councils. The Executive Office is responsible for the strategic direction of the programme.

Councils deliver agreed, outcome focused good relations projects supervised and managed by a team of Good Relations Officers (GROs). Examples of projects include:

Cross cultural events and information sessions
Awareness campaigns
Small Grants schemes
Schools programmes
Support for the Minority Ethnic community

Watch our interview with Fermanagh & Omagh District Council's Good Relations Manager, Tommy McLaughlin, as he talks about the role of Good Relations Officers and the impact the OBA approach has had on good relations delivery.

For information on the good relations programme in your area visit the District Council Good Relations pages below.

You can also contact the Good Relations Officer in your local council. Contacts for local councils can be found on the nidirect website.

Funding awarded to District Councils in 2019/20

The tables below, under each council heading, show the funding awarded to deliver programmes, linked to one of the four key aims of the T:BUC Strategy, and impacting the specified council area.

The funding information relates to programme costs only. Salary costs are allocated at a strategic level and are not included.

Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council

Project name	T:BUC Outcomes	Funding by council programme
Summer Intervention including BEAT, Youth Zone, Diversionary Activity and Grant Aid	Children and Young People	£17,000
Youth Diversity Programmes (to include Detached Youth Work and Bee Safe)	Children and Young People	£7,000
Grant Aid	Children and Young People	£5,000
Reclaiming space through animation programme	Shared Community	£10,203.56
Good Relations Engagement	Shared Community	£17,000
Education Programmes to include Adult skills programme, Schools skills programme and Moving Forward Together	Shared Community	£15,500
Grant Aid	Shared Community	£5,000
Citizenship and / or Accredited Training	Safe Community	£3,000
Diversionary Activity	Safe Community	£2,700
Grant Aid	Safe Community	£5,000
Hate Crime and Integration Group Programme	Cultural Expression	£1,600
Local Government Partnership on Traveller Issues	Cultural Expression	£650
Good Relations Events Programme (to include who do you think we are and GR Events	Cultural Expression	£18,400
Grant Aid	Cultural Expression	£5,000
Cultural Awareness Scheme (to include GR contributions to other Council run events).	Cultural Expression	£7,500

Ards & North Down Borough Council

Project name	T:BUC Outcomes	Funding by council programme
Shared Education	Children And Young People	£34,700
Shared Voices	Children And Young People	£1,000
Community Cup	Children And Young People	£1,000
Tackling Young Peoples Resilience Building	Children And Young People	£3,000
Community Relations through Sport	Children and Young People	£3,000
Allsorts	Shared Community	£300
Living History	Shared Community	£8,000
Holocaust and other genocides	Safe Community	£3,000
Holywood Culture Night	Safe Community	£300
No Hate Here	Safe Community	£4,000
Intergenerational Programmes	Safe Community	£1,400
Grants	Cultural Expression	£10,000
Cultural Expression Programme	Cultural Expression	£60,000
History Talks - Understanding ourselves and others	Cultural Expression	£2,000
Summer Schemes	Cultural Expression	£2,400
Getting to know your Councillors	Cultural Expression	£100

Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon District Council

Project name	T:BUC Outcomes	Funding by council programme
Communications	Shared Community	£8,000
Borough Wide Networks and DEA Forums	Shared Community	£8,000
Youth Programme	Children and Young People	£10,000
Women Making Connections	Shared Community	£16,069
Reactionary Fund	Safe Community	£25,000
Cultural Expression Programme	Safe Community	£50,000
Integration and Inclusion Programme	Shared Community	£20,000
Good Relations Events Programme	Cultural Expression	£30,000
Borough Wide Community Engagement	Shared Community	£18,000
Borough Wide Community Development Capacity	Shared Community	£24,000
Financial Assistance Programme FAP	Shared Community	£25,000

Belfast City Council

Project name	T:BUC Outcomes	Funding by council programme
Good Relations Small Grants	All Priorities	£220,500
St Patricks Day Celebration Grants	Cultural Expression	£30,000
Cultural Expression Programme	Cultural Expression	£50,000
Civil Engagement and Learning Programme	Cultural Expression	£20,000
Schools Intervention Programme	Children & Young people	£10,000
Good Relations preventing Hate Crime	Safe Community	£30,000
Engagement with communities living at interfaces	Safe Community	£40,000
Shared Space Programme	Shared Community	£32,000
Civic and Strategic Leadership	Shared Community	£15,000

Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council

Project name	T:BUC Outcomes	Funding by council programme
Education Networking Programme	Children & Young people	£16,000
Stick and Ball	Children & Young people	£10,000
Exploring Cultural Diversity	Children and Young People	£3,500
Building a United Community Fund	Shared Community	£15,000
Sharing our place	Shared Community	£10,000
Hear! Here!	Safe Community	£4,000
Community Cohesion	Safe Community	£7,500
Heritage of Rathlin, The Glens and Ballycastle	Cultural Expression	£10,000
Promoting Youth/Civic Engagement	Cultural Expression	£5,000
Through the Looking Glass	Cultural Expression	£7,000
Positive Promotion of Cultural Celebration	Cultural Expression	£8,000

Derry City & Strabane District Council

Project name	T:BUC Outcomes	Funding by council programme
Post Primary Anti-Prejudice and Training Initiative	Children & Young people	£20,000
Primary School Awareness Initiative	Children & Young people	£12,000
Engaging Youth in their Communities programme	Children & Young people	£12,000
Good Relations Grant programme	Shared Community	£200,000
Good Relations Staff and Councillor Experiential Learning and Trust Building programme	Shared Community	£6,000
Networking and Clustering	Shared Community	£12,000
Legacy and Commemoration Dialogues and Acknowledgement	Shared Community	£7,000
Officers Initiative/Critical Response	Shared Community	£12,000
Civic Leadership Programme – Challenging Prejudice	Shared Community	£1,250
Bonfires and Alternatives	Safe Community	£4,000
Interfaces and Contested Space	Safe Community	£10,000
Safe Children, Safe Community	Safe Community	£10,000
Ubuntu Global Festival	Cultural Expression	£20,000
Community Cohesion festival	Cultural Expression	£5,000
Community Relations Week	Cultural Expression	£15,000
Island Voices	Cultural Expression	£4,000
Traveller Awareness	Cultural Expression	£3,000
BME Support programme	Cultural Expression	£3,000

Fermanagh & Omagh District Council

Project name	T:BUC Outcomes	Funding by council programme
Our children and young people - a Schools Based Shared History Project	Children and Young People	£10,000
Our Shared Community - Welcoming and Shared Council Space Programme	Our Shared Community	£7,000
Our Cultural Expressions - Faith based Capacity Building and Dialogue Programme	Our Cultural Expression	£8,200
Our Cultural Expression. BMET	Our Cultural Expression	£22,000
Victims and Survivors Programme	Our Cultural Expression	£1,000
Our Cultural Expressions - Sense of Belonging Programme	Cultural Expression	£5,000
Our children and young people - Shared Education Programme	Our Children and Young People	£7,000
Our Shared Community - Good Relations Week	Shared Community	£1,500
Our Safe Community - PCSP Partnership Programme	Our Safe Community	£1,500
Our Cultural Expression - Shared History Cluster Programme	Our Cultural Expression	£10,000
Our Children and Young People - Holocaust Dialogue	Our Children and Young People	£3,000
Our Cultural Expressions - Ulster Scots and Irish Cultural Showcasing Programme	Our Cultural Expression	£11,000
Our Safe Community : Sharing our Space Programme	Our Safe Community	£15,500
Our Cultural Expressions: Mainstreaming Good Relations	Cultural Expression	£3,000
Our Cultural Expressions: Supporting Actions - Improving communications about good relations	Cultural Expression	£2,000
Our Shared Community: Small Grants and Resource Allocation Programme	Shared Community	£25,000

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council

Project name	T:BUC Outcomes	Funding by council programme
Youth Council Leadership & Development	Children & Young people	£10,000
Good Relations & Cultural Identity Grant	Our Shared Community	£30,000
Mediators Network	Our Safe Community	£8,000
Monitoring - Outcomes based accountability	Our Shared Community	£7,000
Community Relations & Cultural Diversity Week 2019	Cultural Expression	£6,000
Holocaust Memorial Day 2020	Cultural Expression	£4,000
International Children's Day June 2019	Children and Young People	£6,000
Arabic Awareness	Our Safe Community	£6,000
Irish Linen Centre & Museum Collaboration	Our Shared Community	£13,000
Young People & Story Telling	Our Children and Young People	£15,000

Mid & East Antrim Borough Council

Project name	T:BUC Outcomes	Funding by council programme
Promoting Diversity Through Sport	Children & Young people	£12,500
Formative Years Programme	Children & Young people	£3,000
Schools Engagement Programme	Children & Young people	£10,000
Exploring Spaces	Our Shared Community	£8,000
Safe Space Programme	Our Safe Community	£17,000
Integrate	Our Safe Community	£12,443
Participation in Regional Initiatives Programme	Our Cultural Expression	£11,000
Celebrating Culture Safely	Our Cultural Expression	£15,000
Building Capacity for Cohesion	Our Cultural Expression	£6,000
Our People, Our Heritage and History, Our Shared Borough	Our Cultural Expression	£12,000
EmbRACE	Cultural Expression	£15,000
Good Relations Grants Programme	Cultural Expression	£40,000

Mid Ulster District Council

Project name	T:BUC Outcomes	Funding by council programme
Young People Diversity Programme	Children & Young people	£15,000
Children and Young People Youth Diversity and Engagement Programme	Children & Young people	£10,000
Children and Young People MU Post Primary Schools Cross Community Programme Tender	Children & Young people	£25,000
Children and Young People MU Primary Schools Cross Community Programme	Children & Young people	£25,000
Shared Community Good Relations Small Grant Programme	Our Shared Community	£45,000
Shared Community Shared History and Decade of Anniversaries Programme	Shared Community	£25,000
Shared Community Shared Spaces	Shared Community	£1,000
Shared Community Clergy and Churches Leadership and Engagement	Shared Community	£5,000
Enabling Good Relations and Safe Communities	Safe Community	£12,000
Our Cultural Expression Celebrating Cultural Diversity of Ulster Scots and Irish	Cultural Expression	£35,000
Supporting BME Communities	Cultural Expression	£30,000

Newry, Mourne & Down District Council

Project name	T:BUC Outcomes	Funding by council programme
Youth Engagement Programme	Children & Young people	£7,500
Thematic Forums Programme	Shared Community	£6,500
Councillors Equality & Good Relations Reference Group	Shared Community	£2,000
Safer Community Programme	Shared Community	£5,000
Cultural Celebrations Programme	Safe Community	£90,000
Ethnic Minority Support Centre & BME Integration Programme	Cultural Expression	£14,000
Facilitated support for District Electoral Area (DEA) Forums	Shared Community	£86,000
Addressing DEA Good Relations issues via District Electoral Area (DEA) Forum Initiatives	Shared Community	£49,000
Good Relations Grant Aid Scheme	Shared Community	£27,000
Reactionary Programme	Shared Community	£10,000