Community Events

FOR A UNITED NI IN A BETTER UK

Newtownards Event

27 May 2025

The ‘Our Union: Get the Facts; Shape the Future’ town hall, held on 27 May 2025 in Newtownards, was an interactive public meeting designed to debate strategies for promoting the Union. Hosted at the Queen’s Hall, the event featured a speaking tour by Professor Pete Shirlow and Lee Reynolds, who travelled across Northern Ireland to discuss how unionists could best advocate for the Union. They were joined by Philip Smith from Uniting UK and Alison Grundle from We Make NI, who chaired the proceedings.

Unlike a standard seminar, the event emphasised active participation, inviting attendees to question speakers and take part in a live interactive poll to share their views on the direction of Unionism. The discussion dissected facts, challenged myths, and explored economic and social opportunities for Northern Ireland within the UK. The organisers utilised the input gathered from the audience to help formulate a strategy for maximising Northern Ireland's potential and deepening partnerships across the UK.

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Envisioning the Future

19-20 October 2022 and 23 March 2024

The ‘Envisioning the Future’ conferences, held in 2022 and 2024, brought together pro-Union individuals from across Northern Ireland to discuss the region's future within the United Kingdom. Facilitated by the North West Cultural Partnership, these events aimed to challenge negative stereotypes of the pro-Union community by highlighting its inclusive, evolving, and constructive nature. The conferences focused on moving away from narratives of despair and inactivity toward a more optimistic approach, emphasising leadership, community empowerment, and the practical benefits of the Union in areas like trade, the NHS, and culture.

Key themes across the events included the economic and social case for the Union, the role of culture in civic leadership, and innovative approaches to educational under-attainment. Uniting UK’s specific contribution, led by John Hanna and Philip Smith, focused on ‘Our Story in the Making’, arguing for a grassroots movement (Vision2031) that appeals to younger generations and relies on strong, fact-based arguments rather than purely political rhetoric. The sessions ultimately sought to crowdsource solutions and build a unified strategy to better promote pro-Union identity and ideology in a modern, inclusive context.

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