Other News In Brief

Executive Office Calls For Applications For Central Good Relations Fund

The Executive Office has issued a call for applications to the 2024/25 Central Good Relations Fund (CGRF), which supports constituted voluntary and community sector groups to deliver good relations projects which contribute to the key priorities of the Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC) Strategy: Children and Young People, Shared Community, Safe Community and Cultural Expression.

Making the call Chris Gardner, Director of Good Relations and T:BUC explained: "Since 2016, the fund has awarded over £25 million enabling the delivery of over 780 projects and supporting more than 260,000 people across the region.

"The fund, which is designed to support delivery of projects in areas where there is a Good Relations need can make a positive difference to both participants and the wider community.

"Groups can use a wide range of activities such as sport, music, drama, arts and crafts, to engage with and make a difference in local communities by building peace and reconciliation. Projects can also provide important opportunities to develop new skills, gain qualifications, build self-confidence and develop new friendships, while celebrating and embracing cultural diversity.

"I would encourage all groups to apply."

Mr Gardner said that applications are particularly welcome for good relations projects that include a focus on:

• Developing the capacity within and across communities to build good relations;

• Involving the most hardest to reach participants ie those from areas of GR need who have not previously participated in GR projects;

• Delivering against the T:BUC Key Priority – Our Safe Community;

• Environmental activities and benefits; and

• Social Action activities; and

In addition, applications from the Mid Ulster District Council and Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon District Council areas are particularly encouraged.

Concluding Chris Gardner said: "This annual fund is extremely competitive with funding sought always exceeding available resources. Last year, there was £1.4m available, however, we received 201 applications seeking a total funding of £7.36m. Consequently, in any year, it is not possible to support all worthwhile projects and difficult decisions had to be made.

"While a budget has not yet been confirmed for 2024/25,  TEO wants to ensure that we are in a position to give whatever support we can to the Fund, which is why we are asking for expressions of interest now."

Further information and guidance on how to apply can be found at - www.executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk/articles/central-good-relations-fund

The closing date for applications is Monday 22 January 2024 at 4pm.

PRONI Innovative Roadshow Comes To Enniskillen Library

Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) will continue its innovative roadshow, as it arrives in Enniskillen, where it will showcase a letter wishing "God speed" to two young Fermanagh women who emigrated to Michigan in the 1880s.

Coming on the back of last month's successful visit to Derry Central Library, where a letter by renowned poet Seamus Heaney and passenger logs from emigration ships from the 1800s were put on display, PRONI will visit Enniskillen Library on Thursday, 14th December.

The innovative roadshow, which includes further visits to Larne and Lurgan libraries on 22 January and 20 February respectively, has been organised in partnership with Libraries NI.

It is part of an ongoing schedule of events to mark the centenary of PRONI which is the official archive of Northern Ireland and a division of the Department for Communities.

Documents of local interest available to view at Enniskillen Library include:

• A very large parchment pedigree from 1635 entitled 'Genealogy of the right worshipful and worthy Captain Sir William Cole of the Castle of Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh, in the kingdom of Ireland' (digital version only).

• A 1772 map of the town of Enniskillen with land reference (digital version only).

• A register of female pupils attending Enniskillen Model National School, 1888-1918 (digital copy available).

• A register of cases of successful vaccination against Smallpox in Enniskillen between January 1889 and July 1889 (digital copy available).

• An index to an Outdoor Relief Register covering parts of Counties Fermanagh, Cavan and Tyrone between 1847-1848 and 1865-1899 (prepared by Dr D. R. Elliott, c. 2009).

• A letter written by the Rev. A. Williamson, rector of Magheraculmoney, Ardress, Kesh, County Fermanagh, on 12th August 1885, vouching for the character of Isabella and Anne Weir, two young women who emigrated to Michigan in the United States, in the late-1880s.

Isabella and Anne are described as "daughters of a most respectable family of my parishioners... well-disposed and high principled young persons... most sincerely do I wish them God speed, and every blessing in the distant land they are going to."

• A letter from Lizzie Lucas in Corunna, Shiawassee County in Michigan, passing on family and social news to her cousin Isabella Weir in Michigan.

PRONI officials will also be available on the day to help visitors to Enniskillen Library uncover details of their family tree, delve into the history of the local area, and answer questions about the vast array of records held by the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.

New Vertiv Assured Skills Academy Announced

A new Assured Skills Academy with Vertiv has been announced by the Department for the Economy.

Funded by the Department, the Vertiv Electrical Switchgear Assured Skills Academy, delivered in partnership with North West Regional College (NWRC), will see 15 successful applicants undergo a seven-week training course providing practical knowledge and real-world experience required to work in the electrical installation sector.

Training will include five weeks' intensive training at NWRC and two weeks' work-based training at the Vertiv site in Derry-Londonderry, blending college learning with experience in a working environment.

Highlighting the opportunity, Graeme Wilkinson, Director of Skills at the Department for the Economy, said: "The Department is committed to building the local skills base as a key part of our economic recovery and Assured Skills Academies have a proven track record of success in this area. This Electrical Switchgear Academy with Vertiv and NWRC will see people train in the important area of electrical installation and receive industry-recognised qualifications that position them strongly for a career in this sector.

"Successful applicants to the Academy will receive £175 per week training allowance, along with travel expenses and childcare assistance if eligible, and will be well placed to compete for a job upon completion. I urge anyone who is eligible and interested to apply for this exciting opportunity and wish all the participants the very best as they start their learning in this exciting industry."

Philip O'Doherty, Managing Director at Vertiv, said: "This Assured Skills Academy, supported by the Department for the Economy, offers a vital contribution to the North West region by providing industry standard pre-employment training in Electrical Switchgear. As a local employer, we are delighted to offer this opportunity for participants to work towards much sought-after qualifications in electrical installation. But this is just the beginning – Vertiv has plans for further recruitment and plans to bring over 180 jobs to the North West region which will have a significant impact on the lives of local people and the overall economy."

Successful participants in the Electrical Switchgear Academy will work towards a Level 2 entry level qualification in Electrical Installation (EAL) for work in the electrical switchgear sector and are guaranteed a job interview for a permanent operative with Vertiv. Offers of employment will be solely at the discretion of the company following the interview and any further employment checks the company may make.

No previous experience is needed but applicants must:

• be at least 18 years old by the first day of training.

• have a right to work and to undertake Assured Skills Training in the UK and not be disqualified from doing either by reason of their immigration status. Proof of this will be required.

Applications for the Vertiv Electrical Switchgear Assured Skills Academy are open until midnight on Thursday 25 January 2024.