Lord Dubs welcomed almost 100 guests to the House of Lords on 20 November to celebrate the crucial role played by the IEF in Northern Ireland.
Lord Dubs, a long-standing supporter of Integrated Education and campaigner for child refugees, and a former Northern Ireland Minister, welcomed almost 100 guests to the House of Lords on Thursday 20 November to celebrate the crucial role played by the Integrated Education Fund (IEF) in Northern Ireland. The dinner was attended by major donors and supporters, as well as leading political figures and former students of Integrated schools. Supporters travelled from far and wide to enjoy the celebration.
David Montgomery, Campaign Chair of the Integrated Education Fund, talked of the impact of Integrated Education:
“’Our supporters came to celebrate the progress of Integrated Education, but also to represent the opportunity for the transformation of wider society.
Their aspiration is that many more of today’s children will grow up in a community where each other’s culture and religion are respected within a unique shared heritage and there is common cause of creating employment and prosperity for all.
The passion on display this evening is a tribute to the determination of our supporters, but also the talent and courage of parents, teachers, governors and Principals both of our existing schools and those schools that will surely transform to Integrated Education”
The IEF works to support the growth and development of Integrated Education in Northern Ireland. IEF Chair Peter Osborne outlined how as a charity the IEF relies entirely on the committed network of supporters and donors in order to be able to carry out this vital and important work. The exclusive London event was a chance to celebrate the successes and achievements of the Integrated Education movement over the past year. It also offered an opportunity to reflect on the challenges already overcome and the work yet to be done.
The special guest speaker was Katy Lynas Craig, Principal of Ballymena Integrated Nursery School and past pupil of Slemish Integrated College. Due to the evident parental demand in the nursery school community, a democratic ballot was held in 2023. The outcome of the ballot was that an overwhelming majority of 95.9% of the parents voted yes to the school transforming to Integrated status. Almost two years after the parental ballot, Ballymena Nursery School was delighted to get confirmation that the Development Proposal had been approved and opened its doors as an Integrated Nursery School in September 2025.
Katy explained that one of the many positive changes in the Nursery school since starting the journey of Transformation was the development of the new Ballymena Integrated Nursery School logo. She explained the significance of the elements contained within the logo:
“The logo includes a seedling which represents our nursery children, right at their stage of life. A tiny seedling, full of potential, ready to grow. With the right nurturing and environment.
The open book icon reinforces how all learning in our nursery is inspired by books. But more than that, it represents that Nursery school is just one chapter in a child’s life. It’s the beginning chapter. It sets the scene. And in an Integrated Nursery School, we truly believe that everyone has their own story to tell. Each of our children is the main character in their story. We as staff, and their nursery peers are the supporting roles.
An Integrated school is different as it’s a place where those stories cross over. It’s a chance to actively explore each other’s stories as they are being written. And that crossover creates a depth of understanding and learning that will last a lifetime.”
Paul Caskey OBE, Chief Executive of the IEF said:
“The IEF House of Lords dinner is a great opportunity to say thank you to many of our supporters. It is a tradition that started many years ago thanks to the support of Baroness May Blood, our late Campaign Chair. The evening brings together an eclectic mix of supporters from the world of business, politics, the community and the arts. It is a very diverse group of supporters but with one common aim – the desire to see more of our children and young people attend school together.”
The dinner was generously funded by Tony Carson, a successful entrepreneur and son of legendary comedian, the late Frank Carson.
The event was held in the Cholmondeley Room and Terrace of the House of Lords.
If you are interested in supporting Integrated Education, then please see: https://www.ief.org.uk/support-us/ for how you can get involved.
