Stakeholders were recently updated on the Society’s future plans during the summer visit by trustees. These plans, agreed by trustees, have shaped the Society’s new grants programme and future work plans as well. Please see the speech delivered by Alderman Keaveny on 02 June 2026
Good evening, everyone — and thank you for joining us.
It is a pleasure to welcome you to this summer reception, and to do so at a moment that matters for the Society: the launch of our strategy, and the opportunity to share clearly our vision, our mission, and the focus we will bring to our work in the years ahead.
The Honourable The Irish Society is a long‑standing charity, with a sustained commitment to the Northwest of Northern Ireland. The strategy describes the Society as a funder, a property and fishery owner, and a steadfast supporter of education — using the income from its assets, and the strength of its relationships, to support community benefit.
But what matters most is not how we describe ourselves — it is what we enable.
Our strategy sets a clear direction. Our vision is of a future where peaceful communities thrive, healthy waterways flourish, and connections are strengthened between the Northwest and London. Our mission is to empower communities through philanthropy, preservation and partnership. We will pursue that mission through values that are deliberately practical: collaboration; taking the long view; supporting diversity; mutual respect; and working towards a more equitable society.
From that foundation, we have four strategic goals: strengthening access to early years provision; improving our waterways; promoting culture and heritage; and growing our impact — including building the systems, partnerships and connections that allow good work to travel further, last longer, and reach more people.
A strategy is only credible if it reflects real work.
The strategy records that since 2018 the Society has distributed over £2.4 million invested in communities through gratns and rent rebates, supporting a wide range of initiatives including education, community activity, environmental conservation, and cultural life.
Let me offer four short examples that reflect the breadth of that work — and the focus of the strategy.
First, the London relationship. The Society’s model includes City and Livery partnership, trusteeship, and governance — a practical connection between London institutions and Northern Ireland communities, built on long‑term stewardship and credibility.
Second, education. The strategy notes grant-making that has supported schools — including targeted support during the pandemic — as well as scholarships and bursaries for further and higher education, and an increased strategic focus on early years provision as a foundation for long-term life chances.
Third, riverways and environment. The Society’s work has included practical environmental action — including the removal of tonnes of plastic waste from the River Bann — and it has supported community stewardship through the operation of sporting rights and partnership with angling clubs. The Society has also demonstrated conservation leadership, including adopting catch‑and‑release policy ahead of statutory requirements.
Fourth, culture and heritage. The strategy points to partnership with communities to bring historic buildings back into use, including in Culmore. Your locked impact framework also highlights the Culmore Community Partnership — including the role of community hub activity at Victoria Hall and the use of Culmore Fort for small‑group and one‑to‑one work with children and young people focused on mental health and wellbeing.
Those examples share a common theme: the Society’s role is to enable, connect and sustain — supporting community capacity, stewarding assets responsibly, and partnering with others so that good work can take root and endure.
As we launch this strategy, we do so with confidence in the direction — and with humility about the work ahead. We want this to be a strategy that is lived, measured, and improved through learning and partnership. That commitment is made visible this evening by the Society’s new website being available and our grants programmes agreed and visible to organisations and to communities in the county. These programmes will open for applications in the weeks ahead.
So this evening is also an invitation: to our community partners, to stakeholders, to supporters — and to those who may work with us for the first time — to engage with the Society in ways that strengthen place, widen opportunity, and build shared benefit over the long term.
Thank you for being part of this moment — and for the work you do, day in and day out, in the communities the Society exists to serve.