Over £200,000 of extra funding will be available for community projects that bring together diverse communities and different faiths, the Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has announced.
The DCLG said the £210,000 funding boost will be shared between Near Neighbours community projects in England.
Near Neighbours, which was set up in 2011 in partnership between the Church Urban Fund and the Archbishop’s Council, encourages people from different faiths to work together on the improvement of their communities.
‘Near Neighbours has a great track record in encouraging individuals from different backgrounds, faiths and cultures to come together, build understanding and make their neighbourhoods even better places to live,’ said Lord Bourne, minister for faith and integration.
‘This funding boost will help Near Neighbours projects to support individuals to develop important basic skills as well as support projects that encourage greater community integration.’
‘We are grateful to the Department for Communities and Local Government for their support in providing funding for Near Neighbours,’ said Church Urban Fund and Near Neighbours executive director Paul Hackwood.
‘Over one million people have now benefited from the work of the Near Neighbours programme where small grants have been used to strengthen local communities, build up trust and mutual support and begin to break down some of the barriers that can be so destructive of community relations.’
