Newry and Mourne District Council

22nd September 2009

Newry and Mourne Council’s cross-border Challenge of Change Project is
a finalist in the best Public/Public Partnership category of the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) 2009 Awards . This follows on from the project’s recent success in winning the Northern Ireland Local Government Award for Best Initiative Between Councils.

The awards attracted over 400 entries from councils across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Paul O’Brien, Chief Executive of APSE said: ‘The volume and quality of more than 400 entries for our awards shows the passion and commitment of local authority staff who are, quite rightly proud to demonstrate that what they do is both innovative and excellent’.

The Challenge of Change Project, funded by the EU Peace II Programme, is a joint initiative between Newry and Mourne District Council and Louth Local Authorities. The main focus of the Project has been to form a cross-border approach to addressing the barriers to providing services to the ethnic minority populations and to build progress towards an active, equal and intercultural society.

Through the project, the Councils also had the opportunity to develop a shared approach to learning about ethnic diversity and to share good practice in relation to service provision.

The Project has also worked with local and migrant communities in both areas in order to challenge prejudice and promote good relations, North and South.

Councillor John Feehan, Mayor of Newry and Mourne stated "As a Council we are committed to promoting equality and good relations in Newry and Mourne. The nomination for this award is further evidence of that focus and commitment and I congratulate all those directly involved with this already award-winning initiative. It sends a positive message to all members of minority ethnic communities telling them that they are valuable part of society here”.