# Youth programme provides £1 million in grants

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/05/30/youth-programme-provides-1-million-grants/
- Published: 2017-05-30T08:20:42+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**The International Fund for Ireland (IFI) has announced grants of nearly £1 million(
€1.2 million) to a range of voluntary organisations under its Personal Youth Development
Programme (PYDP).**

 PYDP was launched in late 2015 within the Fund’s Community Consolidation-Peace 
Consolidation 2016-2020 strategy. The Programme aims to help at risk young people
build and develop life skills that foster good relations, build confidence and resilience
and make them more employable. 

PYDP seeks to connect young people aged 16-25 to personalised learning, skills and
employment opportunities with a central focus on good relations and preparing young
people for the world of work. It is interested in engaging young people that are
vulnerable to polarisation/recruitment to organisations opposed to the peace process
and face barriers to participation in mainstream provision.  

## Advertisement

The programme engages with young people who face a range of issues including; leaving
the education system early; substance abuse; affected by homelessness; difficult
family backgrounds; been in or close to criminal justice system; suffer from poor
health or mental health issues; mistrust of statutory institutions; not participated
in civic society in a positive manner; and come from communities with a negative
view of their future.

> [pic.twitter.com/hJmH5OPJ0u](https://t.co/hJmH5OPJ0u)
> — The International Fund for Ireland (@FundforIreland) [May 24, 2017](https://twitter.com/FundforIreland/status/867319266693054465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)

 
11 organisations recently received support in this round of funding including 
£76,000 for a 18th month project which will engage young people in west Donegal,
£68,000 for skills training for 10 young people in Drogheda and £106,000 for Shankill
Women’s  Centre in Belfast.

The [International Fund for Ireland](http://www.internationalfundforireland.com)
was established in 1986 by the US government, EU, Canada, Australia and New Zealand
to support the peace process and funds work in Northern Ireland and the border counties
of the Republic of Ireland. To date, it has distributed over £700 million (€904 
million) with its current strategy running to 2020.
 

## **WATCH: Celebrating 30 years of the International Fund for Ireland** ⏎  

 * **[National Citizen Service & Scout Association announce three-year partnership](https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/07/31/national-citizen-service-scout-association-announce-three-year-partnership/)**(
   31 July 2017)
 * **[Big Lottery Fund in NI makes changes to grant programme](https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/09/08/big-lottery-fund-ni-makes-changes-grant-programme/)**(
   8 September 2017)
 * **[New youth funding from N Ireland government](https://fundraising.co.uk/2017/09/13/new-youth-funding-n-ireland-government/)**(
   13 September 2017)