Integrated Education Fund

We at the Integrated Education Fund (IEF) are saddened to hear of the death of our friend Frank Carson.  Frank will be greatly missed by the IEF as one of its greatest advocates and most generous supporters.

His close association with the IEF began almost 10 years ago when his son Tony, a major donor of the Fund, invited Frank to meet another friend of the IEF, Terry Cross, at a special event at his Chateau De La Ligne in Bordeaux.  Frank’s involvement in the work of the Fund was at every level.  He not only came to meet the pupils and teachers at integrated schools, and performed at almost every fundraising event organised but he also was a very generous donor.   On numerous occasions Frank would pick up the phone to his ‘celebrity buddies’ and simply insist they too do something to support the cause.  Therefore it was no surprise to see famous personalities like Sir Norman Wisdom, Chris Tarrant and Jimmy Ellis lend their time and support to the Fund. (more…)

We’re on the home stretch as we gear up for 2012’s major fundraising event – the Integrated Education Fund Gala Ball on the 16th March.

The highlight of a year of commemorations, the Gala at the Europa Hotel in Belfast marks 30 years of integrated schools in Northern Ireland.  The party will bring celebrity guests, music, food and entertainment together with the Fund’s friends and supporters in a dazzling evening of celebration.   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. (more…)

The Millbrook Lodge Hotel in Ballynahinch provided the venue for the second in our series of community engagement events. The Integrated Education Fund and Rural Community Network partnered locally with the East Down Rural Community Network to host a discussion on education for the Down District Council area.

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Students at Malone Integrated College quizzed Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary, Vernon Coaker, when he visited the South Belfast School. The trip was arranged by the IEF Campaign Chair, Baroness May Blood, after Mr Coaker had said he wanted the first school he visited in Northern Ireland to be integrated .

Mr Coaker – a former teacher and vice-principal himself – toured the classrooms and got in a quick game of table-tennis before being shown the computer suite.  Principal Gerry Price described the history of the school which was founded in 1997 by a group of parents and initially supported by the European Peace Fund and the IEF.  After seeing lessons in action, Mr Coaker faced a group of A-level pupils for a question and answer session. Topics ranged from traditional divisions in Northern Ireland, through the lack of sports facilities,   to career opportunities for young people and university fees. (more…)

The latest round of grants under the IEF Promoting a Culture of Trust (PACT) scheme is now open for applications. The PACT programme, which is now in its thirteenth year, encourages cross-community projects which explore and celebrate diversity.

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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.

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