The British government is to give £1.5 million to a fund for the victims of the North's Troubles.
Northern Secretary Peter Hain announced the allocation yesterday following the appointment of Bertha McDougall as the interim commissioner for victims.
The fund, which operates as an independent charity, was set up by the British government in 1999 for projects which help relatives of people killed in the Troubles and survivors to cope with everyday life. A total of £7 million has been allocated to date.
Among the projects the Northern Ireland Memorial Fund has supported are a small grants scheme to help victims and survivors in financial difficulty, education and training grants, and programmes for wheelchairs, amputees and those suffering chronic pain.