Organisations in Northern Ireland share almost £1.5mn from dormant accounts

22 organisations from the voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector in Northern Ireland have received a share of £1,472,885 from the Dormant Accounts Fund NI.

The funding is delivered by The National Lottery Community Fund with the Department of Finance.

One of the groups awarded funding from the Dormant Accounts Fund NI is the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (USPCA) who is using a £100,000 grant to become more financially sustainable.

Nora Smith, Chief Executive of USPCA, said:

“With so much demand in the day to day, long term financial planning isn’t always possible. This Dormant Accounts grant gives us the resources, skills and time to take our charity to the next level through developing our services and increasing membership, allowing us to better support the wellbeing of the many animals in need across NI.”

Another recipient, Youth Action NI, has received a £50,096 development grant to forward plan and help secure future investment in the youth work sector in Northern Ireland.

Dr Martin McMullan, Chief Executive Officer, Youth Action NI, said:

“Thanks to this grant, we are bringing voluntary youth work organisations together to make connections, carry out research and work together with colleagues from the statutory youth sector and Department of Education to transform the youth work sector.”

“This grant will create a more resilient and sustainable youth work sector with a common vision and collaborative approach that will benefit young people and local communities across NI.”

During phase one of Dormant Accounts Fund NI, £16.5 million has been awarded to 191 organisations to help support the long-term sustainability of the VCSE sector.

Kate Beggs, NI Director, The National Lottery Community Fund, said:

“This grant programme closed earlier in 2023, but we will continue to make decisions on received applications over the coming months. We’re currently working with the sector to develop the next phase of the programme.”