Welcoming our new Peace Impact Programme Development Officer

29 Mar 2021

Shauna Deery has been appointed PIP Programme (Peace Impact Programme) Development Officer at the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland based in Derry.  She will be responsible for managing the relationships with groups and projects throughout Northern Ireland funded under the Peace Impact Programme which the Foundation manages on behalf of the International Fund for Ireland.

After 18 years with Creggan Neighbourhood Partnership, during which she completed a degree in Professionalised Community Development from Ulster University, Shauna saw the role with the Foundation as a natural career progression.  She said:

“Much of the work I was doing at the Partnership directly related to the Peace Impact Programme.  Peacebuilding is an area that interests and excites me and is so important here, so when the opportunity came up, I knew I wanted to work with the Community Foundation.

“In the short time I’ve been working with them, I’ve been struck by the scope of the IFI Funded programmes, their reach and sensitivity.  In my first week, I met all the leadership team at the Foundation to understand what they did.  I’ve been so encouraged by the professionalism, the structure and the support available to me and I’m very excited about the future.”

Dawn Shackels, Director of Peacebuilding and Communities at the Community Foundation for Northern Ireland said:

“This is an exciting role in the Foundation and we are delighted to welcome Shauna. We are passionate about achieving our vision for a peaceful, prosperous, shared and just society.  Our mission of connecting people who care to causes that matter is making a real difference and we want to do more.  We want a society where everyone can prosper and live in peace; we want to encourage and support those who want to give and empower the local community to effect change.  We want to help communities thrive after the conflict and our work under the Peace Impact Programme and the role of Development Officer is key in helping us achieve this.”