Projects to bring together young Northern Ireland performers and Welsh National Youth Opera alumni to stage operas, and to enable a local charity to work with the Eden Project in Cornwall, are among the latest nine projects to receive over £80,000 funding from the Northern Ireland Office’s (NIO) Connect Fund.
The Northern Ireland-based community and voluntary groups, including The Ulster Touring Orchestra from Belfast and Holywell Trust in Derry-Londonderry, are set to benefit from the latest allocation of round one of the Fund. The NIO initiative provides awards from a funding pot of up to £1 million to support groups working in sectors which directly affect Northern Ireland communities, helping them to tackle mutual challenges and opportunities which also affect communities in Great Britain.
NIO Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Matthew Patrick visited Belfast charity and early Connect Fund recipient Youth Action to announce the latest successful applicants. YouthAction will shortly use their funding to host a Youth Leader Summit in Belfast for young leaders aged 18-35. It will also hold a CEO Leadership Summit in England for partners across the UK to strengthen partnership working across Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and England.
Minister Patrick said:
As I continue to meet with Connect Fund projects in Northern Ireland, I’m struck by the variety of creative approaches to boosting East-West collaboration which the Connect Fund has encouraged.
From music to youth work and support for veterans, these projects are enriching their local communities through diverse initiatives.
With the second round of the Connect Fund now closed, I’d also like to congratulate the dedicated staff behind all of the successful applications, whose hard work has brought positive change to people in Northern Ireland and across the UK.
One of the latest successful applicants is the Ulster Touring Opera, whose project will enable 50 young Northern Ireland performers to stage three new operas at the 2026 Belfast Children’s Festival, supported by former members of the Welsh National Youth Opera.
Artistic Director of Ulster Touring Opera Dafydd Hall Williams said:
On 7th March 2026 Ulster Touring Opera (UTO) will kick-off the Belfast Children’s Festival with the world premiere of three new mini-operas inspired by the timeless Aesop’s Fables, connecting young performers from across Northern Ireland and Wales.
The Connect Fund has enabled UTO to establish a new East-West partnership, as alumni members of Welsh National Opera’s Welsh National Youth Opera will travel to Belfast to take part in this celebration of collective storytelling through music.
The young performers from Enniskillen, Belfast and Derry~Londonderry will rehearse and perform alongside their Welsh counterparts, nurturing inter-regional friendships and building the confidence of everyone involved.
Meanwhile, Holywell Trust in Derry-Londonderry will partner with the Eden Project in Cornwall to explore shared challenges such as regional regeneration, environmental sustainability and social inclusion. This project will also strengthen leadership skills, laying the groundwork for a long-term East-West Leadership Collective to promote joint working and explore future projects in the North West of Northern Ireland.
To date, there have been 21 successful recipients of the first round of the Connect Fund, whose projects fulfill objectives such as strengthening East-West connections by developing long lasting civic relationships; supporting the development of cultural, sports and people links; building leadership capability and facilitating constructive dialogue on shared opportunities and challenges facing UK communities. The applicants and their partner organisations are located across Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England.
ENDS
Notes to editors
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Connect fund round 1 closed on February 10th 2026, and Round 2 closed on February 12th 2026. Today’s announcement relates to the latest list of successful applicants from round 1.
- The Connect Fund is closed to new applications, the outcomes for round two applicants are being determined.
- The latest 9 successful applicants are:
- Community Places NI
- Kabosh
- Grow the Glens CIC
- The Women’s Organisation
- Ulster Touring Opera
- Photo Festival Belfast
- Live Music Now
- Holywell Trust
- Beat Carnival
- To date there have been 21 successful applicants for the first Round of the Connect Fund, totalling almost £500,000. A table showing all of the successful applicants is here
- The applications and their partner organisations span across a breadth of East and West, based across Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England.
