We were delighted this week to mark the 65th anniversary of Inspire with a special birthday celebration at ICC Belfast, an event that brought together a broad range of service users, colleagues, peers and sectoral partners.
Aside from being an excellent opportunity to greet old friends and make new ones, the occasion also served as a perfect forum in which to launch our exciting exhibition, Inspired.
Inspired is centred on the stories of those who make Inspire what it is today: the people we support, the staff who work alongside them, the individuals who give us their time and effort. Storytelling reminds us of what has gone before. It places our mark on the present. It helps us to hope for a brighter tomorrow.
In the six decades since our founder, Lady Margaret Wakehurst, opened first Beacon centre, we have prospered. Our extraordinary progress is her legacy and this exhibition captures that story through a collection of ordinary items and audio testimonies. Each one is deeply personal. Yet, taken together, they chart the generational and societal changes around the treatment of, and attitudes towards, mental ill health, addiction and learning disabilities. The objects shine a light on the people who make us what we are and the memories they have to share.
Following an opening address from our Vice-Chair, Jill Harrower-Steele, Group Director of Insight, Engagement and Innovation Lisa McElherron introduced a video history of the organisation and then the exhibits themselves. “This has been a real labour of love,” she said. “We knew that the people in Inspire had incredible stories to share but we didn’t realise the full nature of their power and importance until we began to record them… They weave a path through moments that have shaped us all.”
Later, Inspire CEO Kerry Anthony addressed the gathering and praised “the beauty of this exhibition. It highlights the individuality and uniqueness of the stories and provides an insight into the diversity of the community within Inspire, the people who use our services and those who work, and volunteer, in each one.”
We were also honoured to host Belfast Lord Mayor Micky Murray, who selected Inspire as a nominated charity of his year in office. “Its reach is vast but the purpose remains personal,” he said during a keynote speech. “It provides care, understanding and support… By meeting individuals exactly where they are, Inspire creates life-changing impacts in ways that go beyond just statistics: they shape lives, giving hope and resilience.”
Before the close, Lisa and addiction Service User Reference Forum member Barry Vaughan discussed his time working with Inspire. He described the support he has received as “the building block, the foundation” of his recovery journey and pointed out that “Waking up every morning and feeling good about yourself is something you can’t put a value on.”
Barry’s own experiences are recorded by Inspired, a project he sees as a perfect chance to give back. “I continue to grab every opportunity Inspire presents to me,” he said. “Everybody’s story is invaluable and unique.”
We are extremely grateful to our charity partner ICC Belfast for hosting us and displaying the Inspired exhibition in the Belfast Waterfront Hall Bar 2 until January 25th 2025.
A collection of images from the day are available in the gallery below. We’ve also put together a video diary. Be sure to check them out.
