Visit from the Education Minister

What an incredible milestone Saturday 30th May was for the BlueHouses!

To everyone who joined us, packed out the room, and shared a cuppa – thank you. Your presence made the day deeply special. To those who couldn’t make it, you were greatly missed, but you are very much a part of this next chapter.

We were privileged to be joined by the Education Minister, Mr Paul Givan, who shared his heart for youth and community work. He spoke powerfully about its vital importance, noting that it is crucial not just for raising education levels, but for truly transforming lives.

During the launch, our Centre Director, Pete, then shared a message that captured the absolute heart of why we do what we do, and why we need you. We wanted to share a piece of that reflection with you today:

“On page 18 of our strategy document it says: ‘Together, we will build on this legacy and shape a future filled with hope, belonging, and transformation.’

TOGETHER. It takes a village to raise a child. The village is here. You have already played a significant role, but there is so much more to do. We call you not just to get behind this strategy, but to take ownership of it. It is your community – full of purpose, potential, and promise.

Jesus shapes the values and vision of this organisation. In the book of Matthew he says, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.’

It’s possible.
Because of the BlueHouses, people are still walking the earth when they felt they shouldn’t.
Because of the BlueHouses people are leaving their rooms despite their trauma, their neurodiversity, their fears, anxieties, and overwhelm to attend a youth programme.
Because of the BlueHouses, young people are able to engage in the education system who previously couldn’t do one homework.

John wrote of Jesus:
‘The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.’ 

We have that verse on the back of our Belfast Marathon t-shirts. The BlueHouses is also known as the Lighthouse on the Hill. As the BlueHouses continues to exist, we believe that the light will overcome the darkness and together, with you, we will shape a future filled with hope, belonging, and transformation.”

Discover the Full Vision
While many of you picked up our 8-page Executive Summary on Saturday, we are thrilled to officially share the complete, unabridged version of our 2026–2031 Strategic Plan.

This document is so much more than a roadmap; it is filled with real stories of hope, a look at the 10 areas of impact and growth we’ve witnessed over the last 5 years, and our bold vision for the next five.

Click Here to Read the Full 2026-2031 Strategy Document

Thank you for being our village. Thank you for helping us turn presence into possibility.