A new €7.7m PEACEPLUS Local Co-Designed Action Plan for Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Brough Council was launched at the Lough Neagh Discovery Centre on Wednesday 24 September 2025.
The project is supported by PEACEPLUS, a programme managed by the Special EU Programmes Body, (SEUPB). PEACE Programmes have played an important role in reinforcing progress towards a more peaceful and stable society here since they were established in 1995.
The council’s four-year programme will roll out a series of social, community, cultural and capital projects and events, with the aim of developing and promoting community relations, respect, diversity and active citizenship.
The common thread that runs through the 40 projects is a need to enhance local provisions and break down barriers, to create opportunities for people and communities across the borough to engage with each other. It is anticipated that 7,774 participants will engage with the programme.
Speaking at the launch of the PEACEPLUS Action Plan, Deputy Lord Mayor Councillor Jessica Johnston said: “This Programme of projects will provide an important opportunity to bring people and communities together through a wide variety of local engagement projects.
“The Action Plan has been carefully designed to align to Council’s Community Plan and more importantly, it reflects the input of a wide variety of stakeholders through the co-designed process.
“We are delighted that the new PEACEPLUS Action Plan is tailored to common needs and places a strong emphasis on breaking down barriers, improving community relations, providing cultural, recreation and training opportunities and creating spaces that all residents and communities can share.”
The creation of the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council Action Plan has been led by the collaborative efforts of the PEACEPLUS Partnership. The Partnership has worked closely with council officers to craft the Action Plan, employing a co-design process that allowed various stakeholders from the borough, including community organisations, residents, statutory providers, public bodies, council staff and more to provide input into its development.
The projects include:
- Enhancement of play spaces across nine strategically chosen sites within the borough
- Three community capital projects
- A series of mental health and wellbeing programmes
- Social Supermarket programme focusing on addressing food insecurity and social exclusion
- Community history and heritage projects and courses
- Capacity building and community training programmes
- Outdoor and environment programme, including forest schools and community growing projects.
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 wish to convey my sincere appreciation to all those who contributed to the formulation of the Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council’s PEACEPLUS Co-Designed Local Action Plan. I am delighted that this remarkable action plan will receive support from my Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, in partnership with the Special EU Programmes Body and the Executive Office in Northern Ireland”.
Minister Buttimer added: “I am confident that the regional community relations projects funded by this initiative will foster profound and meaningful interactions among individuals from diverse social, cultural, and political backgrounds. The successful execution of this plan will yield long-term benefits for the area”.
SEUPB Chief Executive Gina McIntyre said: “All local authorities within Northern Ireland and the border counties of Ireland have been allocated a PEACEPLUS budget to deliver locally tailored programmes that address specific challenges in their areas. The launch of the €7.7m PEACEPLUS Action Plan for Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council is a powerful example of this approach in action.
“The co-design process behind this Plan has placed inclusivity and shared decision-making at its heart, ensuring that the voices of residents, community organisations, statutory bodies and council staff have shaped every stage of development.
“These 40 projects, ranging from play space enhancements and mental health programmes to community heritage and environmental initiatives, are not just standalone interventions, they are catalysts for long-term, intergenerational change. By fostering new skills, strengthening relationships and creating shared spaces, this Action Plan will leave a lasting legacy of connection, resilience and opportunity across the borough.”
