Name: Twenty community organisations in Derry & Strabane shared a pot of almost a quarter-of-million pounds in allocations from Stormont’s Community Infrastructure Fund.
Uploaded: 2026-11-03T10:13:18.000Z
Duration: 2 min 6 s
Description: Twenty community organisations in Derry & Strabane shared a pot of almost a quarter-of-million pounds in allocations from Stormont’s Community Infrastructure Fund.

Twenty community organisations in Derry & Strabane shared a pot of almost a quarter-of-million pounds in allocations from Stormont’s Community Infrastructure Fund.

SDLP MLA Mark Durkan said: “I welcome the apparent success of the CIF. It appears to have been availed of by a wide range of clubs and organisations. It is probably a wider range than I initially anticipated benefiting from it.”

The capital grant scheme for community and voluntary organisations was launched by the Department for Communities last year.

It allows local groups avail of grants of up to £40,000 for refurbishments, renovations and capital works.

Mark H Durkan. Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press Eye

placeholder image — Mark H Durkan. Photograph by Declan Roughan / Press Eye

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons welcomed Mr. Durkan’s acknowledgment of the wide uptake at Stormont on Monday.

"I think that he is being sincere, so I appreciate the fact that he has recognised that the scheme is helping people in all communities — to borrow a phrase from the Prime Minister — in all postcodes across Northern Ireland. He will be pleased to hear that, in his council area, 20 organisations have benefited to the tune of £702,000.

"That will improve community facilities for people from different backgrounds who do all sorts of excellent work. Those organisations obviously scored highly in order to get through. That is to be welcomed, and it is something that I want to build on,” he said.

During the exchanges at the Assembly Mr. Durkan, however, spoke of the pressures on the resource budgets of community and voluntary groups across Derry and Strabane.

"While the capital assistance to clubs and organisations in the community and voluntary sector is welcome, organisations in the sector are struggling to keep the lights on. Will the Minister therefore tell us what impact the current Budget impasse is having on the community and voluntary sector?”

Mr. Lyons said: “I am talking about capital funding. The Member is referring to resource. I am well aware of and understand the challenges that many in the voluntary and community sector face, particularly as a result of longer-term uncertainty and the uncertainty in the shorter term because of the Budget difficulties.

"My desire is to make sure that those organisations can continue their work. I have provided the short-term assurance of funding that is coming.

"Ultimately, however, we need a Budget that meets the needs of people in Northern Ireland.”