Belfast Charitable Society hosts Bank of England Community Forum
Governor of the Bank of England, Andrew Bailey, hosted a Community Forum for Belfast, in conjunction with Belfast Charitable Society, at Clifton House yesterday (19th February).
Each year, the Bank of England schedules a small number of community forum events across the UK in order to gain a better understanding of how the economy is working for ordinary people, particularly those whose voices are not always prevalent in the accumulation of national data and statistics.
As Belfast’s oldest charity, and with numerous community partnerships across the city, Belfast Charitable Society (BCS) was invited to host the latest forum event in Northern Ireland. Invited attendees included Dr Ciara Fitzpatrick representing Ulster University and the Northern Ireland Anti-Poverty network, Damien McNairney from The People’s Kitchen, Judith McCracken, Vice Principal of the Boys’ Model School, Elfie Seymour from Anaka Women’s Collective, and Elaine Burns and Cahal Clarke from the Ardoyne Association. Additional senior figures from the Bank of England, including local agents Frances Hill and Gillian Anderson, were also in attendance.
Andrew Bailey, Governor of the Bank of England commented “It was a pleasure to visit Belfast and to take part in such an open and constructive discussion at Clifton House. Regional visits like this are so important to our work, they give us the chance to hear directly from the people and organisations who live the realities behind the economic data. I am grateful to the Belfast Charitable Society and all the attendees for sharing their insights so candidly. Conversations like these help ensure that the voices of communities across the UK are reflected in our thinking and in the decisions we take”
Discussion points during the session included increasing rates of poverty, limited employment opportunities, general economic concerns, and the financial pressures that many charities are currently facing.
Dr Ciara Fitzpatrick, representing Ulster University / Northern Ireland Anti-Poverty Network highlighted that Northern Ireland’s childcare support lags behind the rest of the UK and fails to reflect rapidly rising costs. She warned that the draft childcare strategy is based on current prices and risks channelling significant public funding into a largely private, profit-driven childcare market without controlling fees or future price increases.
Damien McNairney from The People’s Kitchen reported unprecedented demand for homelessness support and warned that homelessness cannot be solved by housing alone. He stressed the urgent need for wrap-around services to address addiction, mental health, and care-leaver transitions, in order to create real pathways off the streets.
Judith McCracken, Vice Principal of Belfast Boys’ Model School, outlined the deep impact of poverty, mental ill health and substance misuse on young people and families in her school community. She emphasised the importance of breaking down barriers to learning and raising aspirations so pupils can access further education, higher education and high-quality employment.
Angila Chada, focusing on youth and employment, warned that the shift from revenue to capital funding under the new Local Growth Fund represents a 64% cut to vital frontline services, putting hundreds of jobs and support for over 11,000 vulnerable people at risk. She highlighted the growing number of young people not in education, employment or training and, drawing on evidence from Resolution Foundation False Starts report (2025), which warned that without targeted investment more young people will face long-term exclusion from the labour market, with serious economic and social consequences.
Paula Reynolds, Chief Executive of BCS said. ““It was a privilege to host this important forum. The Society works closely with many individuals and organisations who are carrying out vital on-the-ground work on a daily basis, and this was an invaluable opportunity for them to voice the economic challenges facing their communities today. We enjoyed an open and productive discussion with Governor Bailey and his team, and hopefully the insights they acquired will contribute to future policies and decision making that will make life easier for the communities we try to help.”
