Adrian O’Neill, Irish Ambassador to the UK, visited the Birmingham Irish Association this month to meet the Irish community and promote the good work they do in the West Midlands.
The Ambassador met with staff and volunteers from Birmingham Irish Association and was briefed on their continued good work in the community including their healthcare team, benefits advice team, dementia centre project, the development of their Irish event app and website, and a growing partnership with the St Patrick’s Festival.
Ambassador O’Neill met with volunteers and clients of the adjacent St Anne’s Centre; a support centre run by Birmingham Irish Association providing cultural care to elderly Irish people:
“I was delighted to visit the Birmingham Irish Association. This was my first visit to the organisation and I was pleased to experience the range and breadth of services provided by the BIA first-hand. I am very proud that through ESP we support the Birmingham Irish Association, who play a pivotal role in bringing the Irish community together.
The range of frontline services, advice and welfare programmes run by the Birmingham Irish is truly impressive. The dementia project, which I was able to see first-hand during my visit, provides care and support for some of the most vulnerable members of the community. The value of the work you do here cannot be overstated.
I would like to express my deep admiration and appreciation for the work that all of you do throughout the year. Thank you to Pat and Maurice, and all of the volunteers who selflessly give their time to the organisation for everything that you do – Beidh mé ar ais arís!”
Maurice Malone, CEO of Birmingham Irish Association gave the ambassador a tour of the premises, and briefed him on the current success and the ongoing projects of the organisation:
“It was an honour to host a visit from Ambassador O’Neill, and we hope he enjoyed his trip. We are all very proud of the service we provide to the community and the hard work of our staff and volunteers, and we hope that the Emigrant Support Program will continue to support us for years to come.”
Birmingham Irish Association is the Midlands’ leading charity providing welfare and cultural services to the Irish community. Based in the Irish Quarter in Digbeth, Birmingham. Their aspiration is to be the service of choice for all Irish people seeking advice, support and information.
