THE Peace Centre will continue its work and launch new projects after receiving more than £200,000 from two international cash injections.

Rotary International presented the Tim Parry Jonathan Ball Trust with a $100,000 (£54,000) cheque last Wednesday, while American-based company, Atlantic Philanthropists, which helped fund the centre's construction in 2000, will donate a further £175,000 in three instalments over the next two years.

This renewed financial support from the US will be spent on general upkeep, while the Rotary donation will subsidise the Tim Parry Project until 2006 and the Johnathan Ball 'Tiny Steps For Peace' Project, which is due to begin this autumn.

Clare White, trust director, said: "This is all fantastic help to the trust and the centre. Already we have been able to appoint a full time leader for the Tiny Steps Project so we can concentrate on developing it.

"We're going to buy children's resources and hope to use some of the money to work with young people from more troubled countries to challenge stereotypical prejudices and think about tolerance and acceptance."

The Tim Parry Project, established four years ago, is a youth exchange for 11-year-olds from England, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland that aims to confront issues of violence, eliminate discrimination and identify interests that unite them.

The Johnathan Ball 'Tiny Steps for Peace' Project will go into Warrington and Oldham primary schools to work with younger pupils and encourage acceptance of others before seeds of prejudice are sown.

Mrs White added: "In addition, we aim to use some funding to develop a youth programme bringing Palestinian and Iraqis together to address conflict they've experienced.

"But it is only in discussion stages at present."

The cash from Rotary International is the grant fund accompanying their Award for World Understanding and Peace given to a project focused on goodwill, international understanding and peace.

Past recipients include Pope John Paul II, Nelson Mandela and former US President, Jimmy Carter.