Integrated Education Fund

Looking back over thirty years of integrated education….and looking to the future. The BBC’s David Meade, “mentalist” and Courtenay Fitzpatrick, past pupil of New Bridge Integrated College, recently popped dpwn to the Europa Hotel in a DeLorean car to launch the Integrated Education Fund’s Gala Ball.

Integrated education began thanks to the efforts of a small group of parents whose dedicated campaigning led to the opening of Lagan College in September 1981 – the same year that the first DeLorean cars rolled off the production line in Belfast.

The highlight of a year of commemorations, a 30th anniversary Gala on 16th March will bring celebrity guests, music, food and entertainment together with the Fund’s friends and supporters in a dazzling evening of celebration, including music from the fantastic soul singer, Mirenda Rosenberg. We’re hoping as many of our friends and supporters can join us as we mark an important birthday and look forward to a shared future for our young people.

David says “The achievement of those parents more than thirty years ago shows what you can do if you put your mind to it….the movement has snowballed, with 61 integrated schools around Northern Ireland training young hearts and minds and bringing children of all denominations together. The movement towards greater sharing can only mean a brighter future for Northern Ireland.”

Courtenay, who is this year’s Clubworld Travel Miss Ulster, says “I have personal experience of the value of integrated education, having first been to Bridge Integrated Primary school, and having left New Bridge IC with good qualifications and friends from all kinds of cultural and religious backgrounds. I’m really looking forward to what promises to be a great party, celebrating the success of the integrated movement over the past thirty years.”

The pair borrowed the iconic DeLorean car from Robert Lamrock, chair of the NI DeLorean Owners’ Association, who generously lent his support.

Lagan College, the first planned integrated school in Northern Ireland, opened with just 28 students; now there are more than twenty thousand pupils in integrated schools.

Tickets for the 30th Anniversary Gala Ball on the 16th March can be obtained from Brian or Gemma at the IEF: 028 9033 0031 or gemma@ief.org.uk / brian@ief.org.uk