Celebrate 20 years of the Belfast Hills Partnership with an evening of spellbinding song, storytelling and history
2025 marks the twentieth year since the founding of the Belfast Hills Partnership. Since its inception, the Partnership has brought together different statutory bodies, community groups, members of the farming community for the betterment of the Belfast Hills.
Over 20 years ago the Hills were at threat from large scale illegal dumps, fly-tipping, mass commercialisation and housing threats, and anti-social behaviour so severe that people were almost afraid to park their car to enjoy any of the public sites.
It was out of this turbulent backdrop that the Belfast Hills Partnership was born back in February 2005 as local people came together to save and preserve the Belfast Hills.
Despite very limited resources, with hard work and dedication, a small team of three who had a vision to make things happen managed to drive the Partnership to what it is today.
Fast forward to 2025 and the organisation is going from strength to strength – expanding to a team of 11 dedicated staff and countless enthusiastic volunteers who care for the Belfast Hills, their wildlife and people. To mark this milestone year, the Partnership are acknowledging their achievements over the years and looking to the future.
With the help of more than 42,000 hours of volunteer time being dedicated to the Partnership, there have been over 237,000 trees planted, over 14km of hedgerows planted, and more than 19,000m2 of wildflowers planted. The Partnership has also engaged with over 32,000 young people; introducing them to the Hills and instilling a sense of appreciation for the natural world in future generations. The Belfast Hills have since become a refuge for the citizens of Belfast and beyond.
Belfast Hills Partnership Manager, Dr Lizzy Pinkerton, said: “For me what makes the hills and the work done in them so special cannot be captured by statistics – the Belfast Hills are loved by so many people: providing a place of respite, connection to nature and history, the feeling of home. It is the people of Belfast (and beyond) coming alongside us and getting stuck in that has made our achievements of the past twenty years possible.”
The Partnership are hosting a celebratory night of song, history and storytelling at Belfast Castle on Friday 29th August. Folk musicians Jane Cassidy and Maurice Leyden will be providing the entertainment, delving into the traditional songbook of the Belfast Hills. Audiences can expect to hear songs about the landscape of the Hills, folk hero and Hills Highwayman, Naoise O’Haughian, as well as the struggles of communities of mill workers that sprung up during the industrialisation of Belfast.
The compere for the evening will be Cave Hill Conservation Campaign’s Cormac Hamill, who also sits on the Board at Belfast Hills Partnership. For just £10, audiences will be treated to an evening of spellbinding entertainment in the majestic setting of Belfast Castle.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased via the Belfast Hills Partnership website: https://belfasthills.org
