10 NGO Projects Secure Funding To Tackle Gender Based & Domestic Violence

Apr 4 2025

Ten projects and initiatives led by non-governmental organisations have received funding of between €3,000 and €10,000 each, to be carried out by November. The aim is to enhance ongoing efforts to combat gender-based and domestic violence across Malta.

These initiatives form part of the Together We Empower programme, launched by the Commission on Gender-Based Violence and Domestic Violence in collaboration with the Parliamentary Secretariat for Equality and Reforms. A total of 17 organisations are taking part, with several working together on joint initiatives.

Parliamentary Secretary Rebecca Buttigieg said the €100,000 programme will further reinforce cooperation between the Commission and voluntary organisations, while contributing to a broader awareness campaign and sustained action against domestic violence.

She added that the initiative supports the goals of Malta’s third national strategy on domestic violence, Unite, Involve, Uplift, which embodies the collaborative spirit of this funding scheme.

Commissioner Samantha Pace Gasan noted that the selected projects address diverse areas, from training for children, youth and the elderly, to research on hate speech and prostitution, and support for victims of gender-based violence.

The chosen projects are:

Malta Girl Guides – Stop the Violence Leader Training
TAMA – TAMA
LGBTI+ Gozo – Safe Spaces, Strong Voices
Malta Women’s Lobby – Be the Voice of Change
Dar Merħba Bik – Where Silence Holds
Friends of Thouret Dar Hosea – Prostitution and Violence
SOS Malta – Care-Community Action to Reduce Elderly Abuse
YMCA Malta – Breaking the Cycle
Fondazzjoni Sagħtar – Flimkien Kontra l-Vjolenza
St Jeanne Antide Foundation – AURORA

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Żabbar St. Patrick & Mosta FC Fined & Penalised By MFA Board

Apr 4 2025

The Malta Football Association (MFA) announces that yesterday evening, the cases against Żabbar St. Patrick FC and Mosta FC were urgently heard before the Control, Disciplinary and Ethics Board.

The Board found both clubs guilty, imposing a fine of €5,000 each, along with a deduction of three (3) points. However, the points deduction is suspended until the end of the current season.

This decision is subject to appeal before the Appeals Board by the parties involved.

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Naxxar Parish Church Unveils Upgraded Lighting System

Apr 4 2025

The Collegiate Church dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Naxxar has undergone a €1.1 million upgrade, enhancing both its visibility and surrounding environment.

A newly installed lighting system now highlights the church’s façade, dome, belfries, and side elevations, offering a unified and dignified presentation of this historic monument.

The project follows EU co-funded restoration works on the church’s exterior and was designed to correct the longstanding visual disconnect caused by early 20th-century extensions. The new lighting scheme restores architectural coherence, allowing the church’s full form to be appreciated after dark.

Discussions were taken to relocate the fountain and to replace the existing concrete pavement surrounding the Collegiate church to traditional hardstone and porfido paving. Additionally to another issue regarding pigeon droppings, KPKK and SCH, the MTA decided to implement a pigeon proofing system on the 4 facades of the church.

This initiative is part of a broader effort to invest in Naxxar’s cultural heritage and enhance its appeal as a historic and community-focused destination.

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Architects Suspended Over Collapse That Took Miriam Pace’s Life

Apr 4 2025

The Chamber of Architects has suspended the professional warrants of two architects involved in the fatal 2020 building collapse that killed Miriam Pace, following a five-year investigation.

Architect Roderick Camilleri, responsible for the excavation site adjacent to Pace’s home, received a two-year, four-month suspension for failing to uphold professional standards.

He was found to have submitted “amateurish and hastily drawn-up” risk assessments and method statements, which the Chamber described as showing a “nonchalant attitude to risk.”

Although not found guilty of gross negligence, Camilleri had appointed an unqualified person to inspect neighbouring properties and entered into a 10% shareholding agreement with the site developer instead of charging professional fees — breaching the Code of Professional Conduct.

Anthony Mangion, who served as the site’s technical officer (STO), was handed a 14-month suspension. The Chamber ruled that he failed to fulfil his primary duty of enforcing compliance with the method statement.

It described Mangion as adopting a passive approach, visiting the site randomly and lacking coordination with the contractor.

He was also deemed to have been appointed solely to satisfy administrative requirements rather than to play an active role in the project.

Both architects were previously convicted of involuntary damage in criminal court and ordered to perform community service, though spared jail due to clean criminal records.

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