About us
We are a charity designed to promote Irish identity, culture and heritage and to improve the quality of life of the Irish community and others in Luton.
Luton Irish Forum is a registered company limited by guarantee with a fully accessible community centre where our welfare, cultural, social and volunteering services are co-ordinated and take place.
Values
It is our vision and mission to support the Irish community in Luton to reach their full potential by providing welfare, social, cultural and volunteering opportunities for the Irish and all local communities.
Aims
To relieve people in need, poverty or distress, particularly, but not exclusively of Irish descent, through the provision of advice and information concerning health and benefits as well as other support.
To advance the education of the public, particularly in Irish music, drama, arts, the Irish language and through the holding of an annual St Patrick’s Day festival.
Other charitable purposes, particularly the provision of facilities for the benefit of the public, particularly but not exclusively for persons of Irish descent in the interests of social welfare with the object of improving the conditions of life for those people.
At Luton Irish Forum we are:
- Caring, compassionate and considerate
- Committed to quality and innovation
- Candid — honest and transparent
- Connected to Irish identity and traditions
- Champion of communities and volunteers
Noelette Hanley Chief Executive Officer
Nicola McLaughlin Welfare Case Supervisor
Heather Roy Welfare Case Officer
Sue Curran Project Manager and Tutor
Elleesa Rushby Communications, Information and Systems Officer
Nuala Ely Office Manager & Social Activities Lead
Skye Gough Trainee Welfare Advisor
Pat Wallace Cleaner
Clodagh Lynch Welfare Advisor
Lucie O'Donnell Welfare Case Officer
April Bowman Welfare Advisor
Tom Scanlan Chair
Mary Winter Vice Chair
Marion Curtis Secretary
Luke Kitching Treasurer
Dave Crean Trustee
Dee Drennan Trustee
Siobhan Rooney Trustee
Pauline Sylvester Trustee
Tom Shanley Trustee
Teresa Smith Trustee
JP Smith Trustee
- Exploring Irish Migration to Luton in the Post-War Period, 2019 by Georgia Marcantonio
- Generation Irish, 2019 by Fiona Martin
- Analysis of 2011 Census Data Irish Community Statistics, England and Selected Urban Areas, 2014 by Louise Ryan, Alessio D’Angelo
- The needs of the local Irish community in Luton, 2004, RehabCare
- Time – Space Patterns of Second wave Irish Immigration into British Towns, 1979 by Bronwen Walter
- The Long-term Sustainability of Luton Irish Forum: A Minority Group Community Service Provider, 2010 by Jonathan McElhatton
- Tradition and Ethnic Interaction – Second wave Irish settlement in Luton and Bolton by Bronwen Walter
- Ethnicity and Irish Residential Distribution, 1985 by Bronwen Walter
- Irish Studies Symposium 2015 Aspects Of Diaspora by Professor Mary Hickman
- Irish Studies Symposium 2015 Easter 1916; Family Remembrance and Identity: An Irish Studies Journey by John MacDonough
- Decade of Commemorations – Leveraging the Past to Impact on the Present by Pauline Lavin