Image Caption – (left to right):

Karen Ciesielski, CEO of Irish Environmental Network; Liam Caffrey, Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht; Gina McIntyre, CEO of SEUPB; John Smith, Deputy Secretary for the Communities, Place, and Local Government Group in Department for Communities, NI; Max Bryant, CEO at Northern Ireland Environment Link.

Northern Ireland Environment Link (NIEL) and the Irish Environmental Network (IEN) are delighted to announce the launch of the €772,593 CORE (Cross-border Opportunities for a Resilient Environment) project, a major cross-border initiative supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).

Led by IEN in partnership with NIEL, CORE is 100% funded by PEACEPLUS, the cross-border funding stream designed to advance peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland and along the border counties.

Though the island of Ireland is a single biogeographic unit with shared landscapes, water sources, flora, and fauna, Brexit introduced some barriers to effective collaboration between environmental NGOs on both sides of the border.

The CORE project seeks to minimise some of these barriers, strengthening capacity within the sector, and improving knowledge. The project will offer:

• Training to environmental NGOs, strengthening areas such as leadership, funding support, community engagement and advocacy
• Facilitation of strategic cross-border partnerships between environmental NGOs, enabling them to learn from each other
• Support for a series of pilot projects
• The establishment of a mentoring programme

Through the programme, a funding guide for NGOs, and an online knowledge sharing hub, will be created.

PEACEPLUS is co-funded by the European Union, the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Government of Ireland, and the Northern Ireland Executive.

The CORE project launch event in Carlingford was attended by funders, environmental NGOs, public bodies, researchers, and community groups, from both sides of the border.

Speakers at the event included John Smith from the Department for Communities, SEUPB Chief Executive Gina McIntyre, NIEL CEO Max Bryant, and IEN CEO Karen Ciesielski, as well as a video message from Jerry Buttimer TD (Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht).

The Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Dara Calleary TD, and Minister of State with Responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Jerry Buttimer TD, welcomed the announcement. 

Minister Calleary said: “I would like to convey my sincere appreciation to everyone who has helped the CORE project progress. It is heartening to know that this wonderful project will continue to be supported by my Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, in cooperation with the Special EU Programmes Body and the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland.”

Minister Buttimer added: “Through cooperative efforts, the Institutional Capacity Development Programme guarantees that issues pertaining to leadership and trust are supported. The goal is to increase organisations’ ability to create innovative service delivery models that promote harmony and peace.”

SEUPB Chief Executive Gina McIntyre said: “We are delighted to support projects that bring organisations together around common interests and shared goals. The environmental sector has a long history of working collaboratively, often bringing people into constructive dialogue through local action and community engagement.

“By strengthening leadership, improving governance structures, developing networks and encouraging innovation, the CORE project will leave a lasting legacy within the organisations involved and it aligns strongly with the wider objectives of PEACEPLUS and ensure that the environmental sector is better prepared for the future.”

NIEL CEO Max Bryant said: “We are thrilled to launch the CORE Project, in partnership with colleagues at the Irish Environmental Network. By building on extensive consultation throughout the environmental sector across the island of Ireland, the project will support NGOs by increasing capacity and leadership skills, enabling the development of stronger, more resilient, more well governed organisations. In helping organisations develop through training, partnerships and mentoring, the CORE Project aims to help the environmental sector go from strength to strength. We are overjoyed to see the project launched, and we look forward to working together with our colleagues to ensure its success.”

IEN CEO Karen Ciesielski added: “We are delighted to partner with our colleagues at NIEL on the CORE project. Cross-border collaboration is vital in the environmental sector. The CORE project was developed through many years of collaboration between the IEN and NIEL, to understand the need to expand capacity within non-governmental organisations. We are grateful to SEUPB for funding this essential initiative through PEACEPLUS, and will look forward to working together across both jurisdictions, supporting cross-border working across the island, and strengthening the sector as a whole.”