Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP, has today announced an additional £250,000 of UK Government funding to tackle the underlying causes of sectarianism and violence and to build a stronger society.

The financial package is a further contribution by the UK Government to support the work of the International Fund for Ireland. The new money builds on the financial package put in place under the Fresh Start agreement which allocated £500 million to assist the Executive in tackling issues unique to Northern Ireland, including support for their programme to remove peace walls.

Announcing the additional funding, the Rt Hon James Brokenshire MP said:

By working towards the removal of peace walls, preparing young people from all walks of life to become economically and socially engaged and promoting shared education, the International Fund for Ireland makes a vital contribution to overcoming division within Northern Ireland society. They are helping to create a genuinely shared future for people in Northern Ireland.

This extra money from the UK Government will support this important work.

Under the Fresh Start Agreement in November 2015, the UK Government undertook to provide £60 million over 5 years in support of the Executive’s delivery of confidence and relationship building measures between communities which would provide the conditions to allow for the removal of peace wall and the creation of a shared future.

Welcoming the announcement by the Secretary of State, IFI Chairman, Dr Adrian Johnston commented:

We are grateful for the generous support and encouragement from the UK Government. Along with the Irish Government, they have enabled the Fund to support many communities that have become marginalised and divided as a result of the conflict. The value of the Fund’s international support and the independence it fosters has never been greater nor has our willingness to take measured risks for a lasting peace. The achievements of our approach are significant and set us apart from other funders.

The event included a meeting with Kikit, a West Midlands-based group that works with mosques and communities to provide mentoring and support for individuals who are vulnerable to terrorist recruiters.

The Home Secretary also attended a workshop run by Families Against Stress and Trauma (FAST) who encourage and empower family members to intervene where they fear their loved ones may be at risk of becoming radicalised or committing acts of terrorism.

The Home Secretary said:

After the horrific Westminster attack last month, groups and communities across the country came together and continued to challenge the threat of terrorism.

I came to Birmingham today to meet with some of the individuals who are at the forefront of this vital work, and see how they responded in light of the recent attack.

I am impressed and grateful for the determination of groups such as Kikit and FAST to work together within their communities to make sure those who prey on the vulnerable will not succeed.

British Muslim communities are delivering inspiring work to tackle extremism. This is a job for all of us and we stand together in rejecting all forms of extremism including Islamist and extreme right wing, to ensure terror attacks are not exploited by those who would seek to divide our society.

From engineering support to the UN in South Sudan, to helping counter the threat from terror in Somalia, the Minister was able to see the breadth of the UK’s role in Africa.

In Mogadishu, Mr Penning met British troops working with the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which is building stability, and tackling the threat posed by Al-Shabaab.

Following travel to Bentiu and Malakal, the Minister was greeted by UK military personnel providing support to the UN Mission in South Sudan, which is working to achieve stability in the East African nation. Up to 400 personnel will deploy this year – making it one of the UK’s largest operational deployments in the world – enabling the building of a field hospital to support UN peacekeepers.

As the visit moved to Uganda and Kenya, Mr Penning watched pre-deployment training of their military personnel, many of who go on to serve in AMISOM.

Minister of State for the Armed Forces Mike Penning said:

It has been a privilege to see our Armed Forces operating across multiple countries, in different environments, in support of our African partners. The training and support provided by our dedicated men and women clearly demonstrates that Britain has genuinely global reach. This is no less so in South Sudan where we are playing a major role in the international peacekeeping effort, meeting the commitment made by the Prime Minister last year to double our support to the United Nations.

In Uganda, Armed Forces Minister Mike Penning met UK troops supporting pre-deployment training for the African Union Mission in Somalia. Crown Copyright.

Throughout the visit the Armed Forces Minister met with Government ministers and UN representatives to help deepen Defence relationships, and discuss shared interests and regional challenges.

In Somalia, The Minister met President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed Farmajo, Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khayre, National Security Minister Mohamed Abukar Islow, and Mr Penning became the first international Minister to meet Somalia’s new Defence Minister Abdirashid Abdullahi Mohamed. He also spoke with UN Special Representative Michael Keating.

After leaving Bentiu and Malakal, the Minister travelled to Juba and met Defence Minister Kuol Manyang Juuk, UN Special Representative David Shearer, and Commanding Officer of the UK engineers in South Sudan Lt Col Jason Ainley.

Uganda and Kenya provide important contributions to AMISOM, and in both countries Mr Penning saw UK delivered pre-deployment training.

In Uganda, the Minister saw Ugandan troops receiving training at the Peace Operations Training Centre, Singo, before meeting Defence Minister Adolf Mwesige in Kampala.

Finally, in Nairobi, the Minister met personnel from the British Army Training Unit Kenya, which trains thousands of UK troops every year.

Mr Penning also visited the Humanitarian Peace Support School and British Peace Support Team Eastern Africa, which deliver AMISOM pre-deployment and other training to international military personnel, before meeting Kenyan Defence Minister Raychelle Omamo.

Armed Forces Minister Mike Penning’s visit included Kenya, where he met Kenyan Defence Minister Raychelle Omamo. Crown Copyright.

The Prime Minister and President of the European Council Donald Tusk had talks this afternoon in Downing Street following last week’s Article 50 notification.

The PM reiterated the UK’s desire to ensure a deep and special partnership with the European Union following its exit and noted the constructive approach set out by the Council in its draft guidelines published last week.

She said the UK looked forward to formally beginning negotiations once the 27 member states agreed guidelines. Both leaders agreed that the tone of discussions had been positive on both sides, and agreed that they would seek to remain in close touch as the negotiations progressed.

The PM also made clear that on the subject of Gibraltar, the UK’s position had not changed: the UK would seek the best possible deal for Gibraltar as the UK exits the EU and there would be no negotiation on the sovereignty of Gibraltar without the consent of its people.

With the UK also remaining a full and engaged member of the EU for the next 2 years, the PM and Donald Tusk also discussed the agenda for the next EU Council meeting.

The Environment Agency is appealing for information in the Andover area following a pollution incident on the River Anton.