Cross border achievements celebrated Over 50 organisations were celebrated and six special Bridie Sweeney, Riverbrooke Cross-Border Project - This project recognition awards presented at the first Daily Ireland Cross sprang from a ten year association between communities in Border Achievement Awards at the Slieve Russell Hotel Riverstown Co. Sligo and Brookeborough, Co. Fermanagh, driven in Co. Cavan in March. by a mutual desire to build a relationship of understanding and trust. Sponsored by the Special EU Programmes Body and Bank of George Newell, Ballymacarret Arts & Cultural Society - Based in Ireland, the awards recognised organisations and individuals east Belfast, Ballymacarret Arts & Cultural Society has been pioneering who had made a valuable contribution to cross-border social programmes of social and cultural regeneration since 1996. It has and economic relationships. Guests at the event were addressed developed a number of partnerships between community and youth by Minister of State Brendan Smith, TD for Cavan, Pat Colgan, groups and schools in east Belfast and the border counties. Chief Executive of the Special EU Programmes Body and Sir George Quigley, Chairman of Bombardier Aerospace. Atlantic Drift - In 2003, Donegal County Council and Limavady Borough Council joined forces to launch the Atlantic Drift Six special recognition awards were presented to: Bunscoil Cross-Border scheme, to boost the ferry connection between an Iúir - established in 1989, this Newry primary school has Magilligan in Derry and Greencastle in Donegal and improving moved from humble beginnings to modern facilities. Over 100 pupils tourism in the area. attend, from the Newry City, south Down, south Armagh and north Louth areas. The school has helped to create a new generation Dr. Barney Toal, Digital Media Works - this partnership between of fluent Irish speakers. the North West Institute of Further and Higher Education and the Letterkenny Institute has created a business incubation unit to assist Avril Crawford, Arts & Disability Forum - founder of a number the development of the digital multimedia industry in the northwest. of groundbreaking initiatives, the Arts & Disability Forum was established in 1993 to promote disabled people in the arts sector. Details of the people and projects are contained in a magazine The forum works closely with the Arts Council of Northern Ireland downloadable from www.dailyireland.com and Arts Council / An Chomhairle Ealaíon and runs a gallery in Belfast, an awards scheme and a number of other projects. PEACE INTERREG Cross Border Achievements Celebrated... Fifty organisations were honored at the Daily Ireland awards ceremony celebrating cross border achievements. Pictured are, Pat Colgan, Chief Executive of the Special EU Programmes Body and (left) Bridie Sweeney, Riverbrooke Cross-Border Project, Sligo and (right) George Newell, Ballymacarret Arts and Cultural Society, East Belfast. Your EU! ISSN: 1750-6719 Published by the Special EU Programmes Body www.seupb.org To submit ideas, material and photographs for the next issue, please email [email protected] by 10 April 2006. Special EU Programmes Body Belfast EU House, 6 Cromac Place, Belfast BT7 2JB tel: +44 (0) 28 9026 6660 Omagh EU House, 11 Kevlin Road, Omagh BT78 1LB tel: +44 (0) 28 8225 5750 Monaghan EU House, Castle Meadow Court, Dublin Road, Monaghan tel: +353 (0) 477 7003 Editorial Production Management: Dolores Vischer, DVPR [email protected] Photography: www.michaelcooper.com Design: www.whitenoisestudios.com Print: W&G Baird Your An update on European Union PEACE and INTERREG programmes EU! Spring 2006 TALL SHIPS Return! Nick Price on good food ■ Dentists get their teeth into training Plus all the latest project news! Part-financed by the European Union Spring Contents Welcome Project News Creative enterprises 08 come together Welcome to the first issue PSNI and An Garda Síochána 10 launch cross border diversity of our magazine Your EU! training Birthday marks Taughmonagh’s Your EU! brings together within The magazine is also available 12 £1 million investment the one publication news of the wide to view online at www.seupb.org range of projects that are funded Taoiseach visits cross community by the European Union’s Programme Your EU! will be published four youth project 19 for Peace and Reconciliation and times a year. If you are involved with an exciting or successful project and would Harmony in Action teams INTERREG IIIA Programme. 29 improve community like others to read about it in these green spaces The European Union is often seen as pages, then we’d love to hear from a huge, impersonal organisation that is you. Contact us at [email protected] Cameras roll for Louth, Newry far removed from everyday life. The aim and Mourne Film Commission Similarly, we need to know about 26 of this publication is to recognise the forthcoming events for a new calendar Castleregh students award contribution EU funding is making list. Please complete a simple form The Corrs to communities and individuals. We 35 online at www.seupb.org to register have spoken to dozens of individuals your event. throughout Northern Ireland and the border counties of the Irish Republic We would also welcome your Real Life Interviews about their personal experiences feedback and views on this first of EU funded projects. Marie helps women follow issue of Your EU! 06 in her footsteps and return In these pages, you will read about to work or education Please also send any suggestions many wide-ranging EU funded project you have for improving it. activities. As part of a new ‘Real Life John and the ‘Gate 14 to Plate’ farm initiative Interview’ feature, we interviewed four I hope you enjoy reading Your EU! individuals involved with, or whose lives IT Express supported have changed as a result of taking part Roger Hope 22 Greg’s return to work in, an EU project or training course. Editor Carers course helped Mae 30 Front cover photograph: Taughmonagh woman Marie McGarry helps women in her area return to work or education. 2 Your EU! Spring 2006 Projects part-financed by the European Union “ FOREWORD ” Since their introduction, the as a source of inspiration and encouragement within the EU European Union’s PEACE and as its newest members, particularly those in border regions, INTERREG programmes have seek to overcome their own past, building better societies and been instrumental in bringing economies. With the support of the EU, we have been able to people together to work towards work towards genuinely beneficial cross-border partnerships improved economic and social - a theme that sets the tone for future EU funding programmes. conditions for all. As we reflect on the success to date of cross-border Success has been based on an ethos of partnership collaboration, we recognise that there is still much to do within encompassing business, the voluntary and community Northern Ireland and the border region if we are to achieve sectors, government and other agencies and, fundamentally, our goal - a peaceful and more economically and socially between people. These partnerships, many of which have stable society where diversity is accepted as the norm. been on a cross-border basis, have resulted in engagement, participation, consultation and trust. The European Union is a jigsaw of border areas, many of which are areas of social need. The experience and skills developed on the island of Ireland over the past number of years, particularly Pat Colgan in relation to cross-border collaboration and the ability to work Chief Executive towards improving competitiveness and employment, is viewed Special EU Programmes Body The Special EU Programmes Body is a North/South Implementation Body sponsored by the Department of Finance and Personnel in Northern Ireland and the Department of Finance in Ireland. The Body was established on 2nd December 1999, under the Good Friday Agreement 1998 and the British Irish Agreement, establishing implementing bodies. The Body reports to the North/South Ministerial Council. The Special EU Programmes Body’s principal function is to act as the Managing Authority for certain European Union Structural Funds, such as the €182 million INTERREG IIIA Programme, the EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation (PEACE II and extension), worth over €994 million, and other community initiatives. Projects part-financed by the European Union Spring 2006 Your EU! 3 News & Info confidence in the EU is to press ahead with a practical agenda, including economic reform, Communicating Europe better regulation, the creation of jobs, tackling climate change and other environmental issues. The European Union overlooked or, at the very to live, work and study Another challenge is has a major impact on least, taken for granted. in other parts of Europe. to explain why the EU the lives of its 459 million continues to be relevant citizens. Yet opinion polls It is therefore worth Working together EU in the 21st century. show that more and more restating some of the countries are able to people know little about main achievements. come up with solutions As far as Northern Ireland the EU or about what it to shared problems such is concerned, an increased has achieved over the Successive enlargements as environmental pollution awareness of and dialogue last 50 fifty years. have helped transform or cross-border crime. about European policies Europe underpinning and programmes is also vital s media attention has democracy, stability Yet despite the successes, if the province is to continue A inevitably focused on and economic prosperity there are increasing doubts to derive maximum benefit differences between member across an ever greater about what Europe is for from EU membership. states over big issues such part of the continent. and where it is heading. as the future financing of Eddie McVeigh the EU and the challenge of The single market has made For the European Head of the European globalisation, the relevance it much easier for companies Commission, the best way Commission Office of the EU is in danger of being to trade and for many people of overcoming this crisis of in Northern Ireland announcement of Preparing for the New EU Programmes the programmes.