Belfast City Council has opened applications for Belfast-based community and voluntary organisations to seek grants for projects aimed at ending violence against women and girls.

Administered by the council, the Local Change Fund is one of 11 local funds supporting the Northern Ireland Executive's Strategic Framework to End Violence Against Women and Girls (EVAWG).

At a launch event on Friday, The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Roís-Máire Donnelly, told attendees: "Is ábhar bróid é do Chomhairle Chathair Bhéal Feirste na deontais seo don Chiste Athraithe Áitiúil a thabhairt amach. Tá súil againn go mbeidh na deontais seo lárnach san fheachtas le stop a chur leis an fhoréigean in aghaidh na mban agus na gcailíní inár gcathair.

"Belfast City Council is proud to administer these local change fund grants, which we hope will play an important role in ending violence against women and girls in our city.

"This money helps community and voluntary sector organisations create effective programmes which engage whole groups of women, girls, boys and men to not only understand what this violence can look like, but give them the tools to recognise it, call it out and stop it. "I am hopeful that the projects delivered through this fund will get people talking about EVAWG and will ultimately play a part in ending violence against women and girls living in Belfast."

Funding is available for initiatives that seek to change the culture, behaviours and attitudes that enable violence against women and girls. Projects that specifically involve men and boys to raise awareness of the EVAWG strategy, promote positive masculinity and encourage allyship are particularly welcome.

An online information session will be held on Thursday 24 September from 6.30pm to 7.30pm. To attend, please email the address provided on the council's website.

This is the third year the council has delivered EVAWG Local Change Fund grants. Previous rounds have supported projects that changed minds, raised awareness and educated people across the city, including work with sports teams, discussion-based learning, educational game design and the creation of EVAWG Ambassadors. Projects funded this year must be delivered by the end of March 2027.

Find out more about the council's actions at belfastcity.gov.uk/endviolence. Read the guidance and apply at belfastcity.gov.uk/funding.