10 Years of Championing Rights and Justice with the Northern Ireland Human Rights Fund

6 May 2025

This year marks a decade of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Fund (NIHRF) — a vital initiative established in 2015 to support and sustain human rights work across Northern Ireland. To commemorate this milestone, we held a celebration event to acknowledge the achievements of the Fund, the work of the grantees, and the enduring impact of rights-based work in the ever-evolving political and social context of Northern Ireland.

Since its inception, the Fund has played a critical role in strengthening the human rights landscape in Northern Ireland. Managed by the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland and through collaboration with key funders including the Baring Foundation, OAK Foundation, Social Change Initiative, and Sigrid Rausing Trust, the Fund has supported a diverse range of organisations dedicated to challenging inequality, exclusion, and injustice.

The NIHRF’s work aligns with the Community Foundation’s core mission of creating a fair and equitable society and its strategic focus on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Along with the Social Justice Fund, the NIHRF initially supported four cornerstone organisations:

• Participation & Practice of Rights (PPR)
• Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ)
• Public Interest Litigation Support (PILS)
• Human Rights Consortium (HRC)

Following a recent call for applications, the NIHRF has expanded to include new grantees who were successful in securing funding:

• Friends of the Earth
• Children’s Law Centre
• The Anaka Collective

Together, these organisations have weathered political stalemate, Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, consistently advocating for a fair, rights-based society.

Dawn Shackels, Director of Programmes at the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland, said: 
“The Northern Ireland Human Rights Fund stands as a testament to the power of collaboration, courage, and commitment to justice. Over the past ten years, the Fund has not only supported essential human rights work but also helped build strong networks and amplify voice on a range of human rights and social justice issues. We are proud to celebrate this milestone and look forward to continuing this work to create a more inclusive, fairer and more equal society for all.”

“We are delighted to welcome our new grantees and look forward to the impact their work will have in advancing human rights and strengthening the voices of the communities they represent. As the NIHRF enters its second decade, we remain firmly committed to supporting rights-based initiatives, empowering those most affected by inequality, and helping to shape a more just and resilient future for all in Northern Ireland.”