News

On Christmas Eve, 250 years ago, following more than a decade of fundraising, planning and building, Clifton House, formerly the Poor House of Belfast, opened its doors for the first time. As part its 250th anniversary celebrations, Belfast Charitable Society announced today that it will make a significant donation to the Black Santa appeal. The familiar sight of Black Santa on the steps of St Anne’s Cathedral has become synonymous with the giving spirit and generosity of the people of Belfast. An ideal also close to the hearts of past and present members of Belfast Charitable Society (BCS). This year, for the [...]

Celebrating 250 Years of giving to Belfast On Christmas Eve, 1774, following more than a decade of fundraising, planning and building, Clifton House, formerly the Poor House of Belfast, opened its doors for the first time. On this particular winter’s day, members of the Belfast Charitable Society met in the Market House (now the Assembly Rooms) and agreed, with ‘immediate effect’, that ‘as many of the Begging poor as the Poor House can at present accommodate be received as soon as possible’ and that ‘as many of the sick poor as can be provided for in the Infirmary be also taken [...]

New Education Resource will delve into the history and development of Belfast Belfast Charitable Society has launched a pioneering education resource for KS2 pupils (P5 – P7) in Northern Ireland, at its home in Clifton House, the former poor house of Belfast today Wednesday 19 June. This unique resource, which has been developed as part of Clifton House’s 250th Anniversary celebrations, will help pupils explore the history of Belfast and its development. Norma Sinte, Chair of the Mary Ann McCracken Foundation, explained: “The story of Belfast Charitable Society and its home, Clifton House, is intrinsically linked to the story of Belfast. [...]

How the radical women of 18th century Belfast shaped the town Belfast Charitable Society Presents: ‘Women, Radicalism and Eighteenth-Century Belfast: Mary Ann McCracken and Martha McTier’ This week Belfast Charitable Society explored the influential roles of radical women in eighteenth-century Belfast through a fascinating talk which was delivered by renowned historian Dr Catriona Kennedy, Reader in Modern British and Irish History at the University of York. The talk delved into the lives of Mary Ann McCracken and Martha McTier, two remarkable women whose charitable work allowed them to participate in and influence Belfast's radical public sphere during an era of religious [...]

In the wake of the unveiling of the Mary Ann McCracken statue in the grounds of Belfast City Hall, the Foundation, which continues to build on her legacy, has announced a third and final year of bursaries for post primary schools in North Belfast. For the past two years the Mary Ann McCracken Foundation, in conjunction with Belfast Charitable Society, The James Kane Foundation, Hunter Smyth Fund and Raj Darshna, has supported a bursary programme for all twelve post primary schools in North Belfast. This initiative, first launched in February 2022, has gone from strength to strength, as evidence of the [...]