Wishing our followers, friends and funders a Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and hearty New Year. Thank you for your support in 2025. We're looking forward to new projects, new partnerships, new connections, new opportunities and numerous events in 2026.

Final opportunity to respond to our 20th survey - forms.gle/uPLGuj6Sh1cg... Your knowledge & experience of what is happening on the ground has been at the heart of our interactions with those responsible for maintaining the conditions for us all to #cooperate & build #relationships across #borders.

The UK will rejoin the Erasmus+ scheme in 2027 as part of a £570m deal allowing students to spend a year studying at European universities as part of their UK degree courses. "This is about... future skills, academic success, and... the best possible opportunities" www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Every so often I venture south of the border, and Day 11 of my botanical #adventcalendar is the amazing Large-flowered Butterwort - native to SW Ireland, but occasionally introduced in England, including this population in Edale Like @bsbibotany.bsky.social, I couldn't stop grinning! #wildflowerhour

Brexit issues for Northern Ireland haven't gone away. Cars and veterinary medicines are two known issues from 1 Jan 2026, but also watch out for EU plans on steel, carbon border adjustment, and de minimis - all of which will have consequences www.thetimes.com/business/eco...

'Borders Calling' photo competition European Network Remembrance and Solidarity and B-SHAPES are inviting pupils and students aged 15-19 to photograph a border or 'borderlandscape' in their everyday environment and explain its story in 100 words. Apply by 31 January. enrs.eu/borders-call...

Botanical Skills NI: New Year Plant Hunt - Citizen Science in a Changing Climate 🔎 Experts at @bsbibotany.bsky.social will help scientists and enthusiasts understand how wild plants, from Daisies to Gorse, are responding to a changing climate. Webinar details: www.tickettailor.com/events/botan...

"Further areas of informal, local and community-level cooperation may not have been captured by this exercise" (Department for Exiting the European Union's 'Technical Explanatory Note: North South Cooperation Mapping Exercise') Let us know what you think about cooperation: forms.gle/uPLGuj6Sh1cg...

We aren't surprised by this article in which a top lawyer says that cross-border employment is a 'minefield' - it has been a longstanding challenge for workers & employers contacting @borderpeople.bsky.social. Delighted to have secured significant #PEACEPLUS funding: crossborder.ie/news/ccbc-se...

We're measuring the success of, and issues around, North-South & East-West Cooperation. The Centre's 20th Quarterly Survey on conditions for North-South & East-West Cooperation (October-December 2025) is open for responses at docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... #crossborder #cooperation #collaboration

My piece discussing young people's attitudes to potential lynx and wolf reintroductions in the UK and the Republic of Ireland is out @uk.theconversation.com today Warning ⚠️: perspectives may vary 🤯🤔 @qubelfastofficial.bsky.social #coexistence #Rewilding #conservation #socialscience 🌳 🌿 🌍🦤🧪🦊📚💙

Plant ID apps: how useful are they? In this week's @bsbibotany.bsky.social webinar, Hamlyn Jones demonstrates, reviews & compares free plant ID #apps, and their suitability for different applications - from citizen science to academia. www.tickettailor.com/events/botan... @daera-ni.gov.uk #plants

Why don't you get involved in our latest research? We're exploring the challenges organisations face when insuring cross-border activities. We would like to hear from you if your business, organisation or local authority carries out work in another jurisdiction. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

At yesterday’s Banking Roundtable at Stormont, our Governance & Charity Advice Manager continued to press for better banking services for charities, community groups & voluntary organisations. Reviewing banking options? Our updated NI charity bank account comparison table may help: bit.ly/41gDOrV

𝗪𝗲’𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱, 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗜𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀. 🌐 💻 Find out more: communityfoundationni.org/grants/the-i...

East Border Region Ltd held its Annual General Meeting today - the local authority cross-border network celebrates its 50th year in 2026. Focus on a PEACEPLUS Change Maker, & outgoing Chair Alderman Alan McDowell has congratulated incoming Chair Cllr PJ O’Hanlon & Vice Chairman Cllr Tim McClelland.

Louth County Council welcomed the #Swiss Ambassador, her Excellency Jenny Piaget, to Louth this week. Ms Piaget was greeted by Chief Executive, David Conway, and was given a presentation by members of the executive on the council’s work and the major development prospects emerging across the region.

Does insurance affect how you deliver services and goods? We're researching cross-border insurance and would like to hear from businesses, community and voluntary sector organisations, social enterprises and local authorities. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... #research #Brexit #crossborder #survey

Weekly dose of inspiration from yesterday’s conference on #peatlands, co-hosted by the Consulate General for Ireland, UoE, ECCI, and @crossborder.bsky.social - highlighting amazing and ongoing collaborations across the arts/humanities and sciences, and the impact of research across borders

Can you spare 5 minutes? Help us assess insurance challenges for business and community groups by completing a short anonymised survey. We would like to know if your organisation provides goods or services, or staff attend events, across the NI/Ireland border. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Creative Ireland has funding of €4.6 million to support creativity, connection and wellbeing across the island of Ireland. Information Sessions: 📌 15 Dec - Online 📌 14 Jan - Belfast 📌 22 Jan - Dublin www.creativeireland.gov.ie/en/creative-... Applications close at 1pm on 27 February 2026.

What a hugely successful and generative event today at the Shared Island Innovators Conference in Dublin.  Highlights of the morning included:

"... every activity, has an external partner or collaborator. Some of these are other public sector agencies, whilst there’s a large number we cooperate with in the community and voluntary sector. We have worked hard to build relationships across the island." crossborder.ie/newsite/wp-c...

Global Ireland Young Leaders Competition Pupils will experience the world of diplomacy & foreign affairs through workshops, discussions on international NGOs, peace & reconciliation on the island of Ireland & an embassy visit in the 3-day programme. www.gov.ie/en/departmen... #leaders #diplomacy

UK-Italy Young Leaders Programme The programme aims to deepen understanding and collaboration between Italy and the UK and to create lasting bilateral dialogue at the highest level... and build a generation of 21st-century leaders. gov.uk/government/n... #Leadership #diplomacy #UK #Italy #Leaders

Tomorrow's @bsbibotany.bsky.social webinar at 7pm is on Clubmosses of Ireland and Britain, with Fred Rumsey. Fred introduces the fascinating lifecycle and ecology of clubmosses and provides practical guidance on identifying the species. www.tickettailor.com/events/botan... @daera-ni.gov.uk

Cross border electric car drivers ask for EV tax 'detail' - www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... "Electric vehicle users in NI are calling for more clarity on what a new tax announced in the Budget will mean for those who regularly cross the border" "cross border concerns needed addressed" #Budget

We need your views! The Centre's 20th Quarterly Survey on the conditions for North-South and East-West Cooperation has opened for responses - helping us to understand the extent to which the necessary conditions for North-South cooperation are being maintained. crossborder.ie/news/20th-qu...

Congratulations to the latest cohort of learners who have completed 'Getting Started with Cross Border Collaboration' with facilitator Anthony Soares. Find out about the self-guided and 6-week guided courses at crossborder.ie/what-we-do/p... or email [email protected] with your enquiry.

Aidan Campbell, the Centre's Research Programme Development Manager, is at the EPIC Futures NI 'Inform, Influence, Inspire' conference in The Guildhall, Derry. Prof Kristel Miller, Principal Investigator of the £4.8 million policy action group project, has welcomed delegates. epicfuturesni.org

Get involved in our latest research on cross-border insurance at docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... Have your premiums changed considerably since Brexit? Does insurance affect how you deliver services & goods? Does your cross-border partner look after the insurance for your project? #research

🎟️ Shared Island Innovators' Conference: 2 December Aidan Campbell (Research Programme Development Manager, @crossborder.bsky.social) will join Celine McStravick (NICVA) and Suzie Cahn (The Wheel) to discuss innovative cross-border collaboration. Tickets still available at wheel.ie/training/202...

The latest article on our research platform is 'How community education can pave the way out of economic inactivity' by Claire Lavery, Knowledge & Communications Lead at the Centre for Effective Services. It sets out findings from 2 research projects on lone parents. crossborder.ie/guest-contri...

Sometimes we don’t know what we don’t know. Our self-guided course provides a framework on how to make the most of your cross-border project. crossborder.ie/what-we-do/p... Register at centre-for-cross-border-studies.learnworlds.com/course/getti...

The Community Connections and Well-being Project (CCWP), a €9.6 million cross-border PEACEPLUS initiative, has been launched in Monaghan. Read more: www.seupb.eu/latest/news/new-eu96-million-cross-border-mental-health-and-well-being-project-launched

Be policy aware. Knowing the policy can help focus your funding, effort, and energy. crossborder.ie/what-we-do/p... Get started today: centre-for-cross-border-studies.learnworlds.com/course/getti...

Ireland fears UK will drive migration through Belfast back door (remember in Brexit the Brexiteers concerned invisible border would mean non-EU nationals getting to UK over border into NI and over to GB. Turns out the other direction is the issue) www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...

Cross-border research: survey on air fryers Are you over 18, living on the island of Ireland and using an air fryer? Safefood needs your help. The research survey will help the researchers understand how people use air fryers at home. Get involved: cardiffmet.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Show your impact. The key to communicating successfully is defining your message, your audience, and your timeframe. crossborder.ie/what-we-do/p... Register for the 'Getting Started with Cross Border Collaboration' course today: centre-for-cross-border-studies.learnworlds.com/course/getti...

The official word - Dundalk Institute of Technology to become a college of Queen's University Belfast www.qub.ac.uk/News/Allnews... #SpéirGhorm Quite a mie on from our using ISDN lines to teach a Masters to Armagh.

Take time out to explore the issues, identify solutions, and define the impact. Place cross-border work at the core of your project. crossborder.ie/what-we-do/p... Register for free: centre-for-cross-border-studies.learnworlds.com/course/getti...

Social media companies not co-operating with police, says PSNI Chief Constable

Stop guessing. Keep your project on track with expert cross-border advice, support and resources on our self-guided course. crossborder.ie/what-we-do/p... Register for free: centre-for-cross-border-studies.learnworlds.com/course/getti... #voluntarysector #communitysector #training #skills

Quick survey on cross-border insurance Are you involved in a cross-border project or service? Have your premiums changed considerably since Brexit? Does insurance affect how you deliver services & goods? Are employees or volunteers impacted? Is advice good? docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

'The World We Live In: Models & Perspectives of Cross-Border Cooperation in Central-Eastern Europe' Last week, our Director Anthony Soares was in Bogdan Vodă University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, to take part in a conference on cross-border cooperation on scientific, academic & economic collaboration.

Fascinating contributions about the level and quality of cross border cooperation combatting economic crime @CCBSCrossBorder Quigley Lecture: Combatting economic crime on the island of Ireland - The Centre for Cross Border Cooperation | CBS crossborder.ie/news/quigley...

Get involved 📢 We're examining cross-border insurance and would like to hear from businesses, community & voluntary sector organisations, social enterprises & local authorities What impact has #Brexit had on your cross-border policy premiums? docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Almost a quarter of a million people living in the UK applied for an Irish passport last year, the highest number since the UK formally left the European Union

Combatting economic crime on the island of Ireland: the work of the Police Service of Northern Ireland and An Garda Síochána Commissioner Justin Kelly from An Garda Síochána & PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher gave a joint presentation at this year's Quigley Lecture. crossborder.ie/news/quigley...

Serious issue. Genuinely don't know what drives people to film incidents while people are clearly in need of help. Road deaths: Call for crash videos and photos to be illegal in NI - BBC News