2022 felt like LIF's year! We were able to get back to a bit of normal after Covid and we know how much our members welcomed this! 
 

In February three Cardinal Newman High School Sixth Form Students travelled with LIF staff to attend a Future Leaders Conference in Belfast, in partnership with Co operation Ireland. It was pure Baltic!

The students joined other young people from the whole of the island of Ireland, learning negotiation skills and hearing a key note speech by Neil Gibson, Permanent Secretary, Department of Finance. 

There was time for a tour of Belfast's Peace Walls and a visit to the Lagmore Youth Project. At Lagmore the LBGTQ teens roped all of the LIF visitors into some fun team games.  Then it was onto Derry, where the students visited the Bogside to look at how murals illustrated and commemorated Bloody Sunday and The Troubles. 

All of the CNS students enjoyed their visit and it was great for LIF to work with such confident and engaged young people. 

In June LIF celebrated Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee with our own street party. The weather smiled on us and we were able to hold the event outside. 

Vice Lord-Lieutenant Christopher Sharwood Smith MBE and Deputy Lord-Lieutenant Professor Gurch Randhawa joined in the fun along with over one hundred LIF members. 

To get everyone in the party mood, The Wilsons performed and brought a touch of 50s glamour to the day.

It was a great time to share memories of royal encounters. Our own Cathy told her story of how she had met all of the royals over the years, starting with a visit by Princess Margaret to Cathy's school in Monserrat. 

It was a great opportunity for LIF members to get together after so long apart and to raise a toast to Queen Elizabeth II.