Tasha McBride, Ruth Haire and Roger Cooke share updates, encouragements and prayer points related to Home for Good’s work across Northern Ireland.

The end of the road(show)

Tash and Roger had a great evening in Lisburn at the end of June to conclude the NI Roadshsow series. There were some great conversations with individuals and couples who are considering their own roles in finding and sustaining homes for children who need them. The event also opened-up new conversations and opportunities with the host church – Lagan Valley Vineyard. We are so thankful to LVV and to the other churches across Northern Ireland that have hosted these roadshow events over the past nine months. We’ve connected with lots of the existing Home for Good family, but we’ve also had conversations with over 30 people who exploring whether they could open up their homes through fostering, adoption or supported lodgings. Please keep praying for all those who have been inspired by these events and by our wider work in churches and at events.

Hope full - Book your place at the NI Summit

We’re delighted to share that booking is now available for the Home for Good NI Summit on Saturday 4 November. Early bookings are really helpful for our planning – so please do sign up and invite others to join you for the day.

The NI Summit is a day of inspiration, encouragement and connection for the whole Home for Good community in Northern Ireland. It's also a day for anyone wishing to explore how they or their church can play their part in finding and sustaining family homes for children who need them. The 2023 event will draw on themes of hope. Through a programme of teaching, worship, stories, seminars and sharing, we'll explore together how the Church can tell a better story about fostering, adoption and supported lodgings. 

Find out more about the NI Summit and book your place today.

Jonny’s road to Rome

Earlier this year, we heard from Jonny Nixon who shared about his fundraising endeavours for Home for Good.

“I decided to raise money for Home for Good after getting to experience first-hand the amazing work they do. My girlfriend’s family have been fostering for 14 years and currently care for an awesome 4-year-old. In my opinion, fostering is a much harder challenge than cycling to Rome. I have so much respect for all of you who are so self-sacrificial in this way!”

“To mark me turning 30, I decided to run the Belfast Marathon and to cycle from Belfast to Rome, which was something I’d wanted to do for several years. I cycled 2310 miles through 13 countries over 5 weeks and climbed the height of Mount Everest.  

Jonny completed his cycle challenge on 11 June and he’s raised over £3500 for Home for Good along the way. We want to say a huge ‘Thank You’ to Jonny - and to all who supported him and donated to the work of Home for Good.

Walk with me in Northern Ireland

If running marathons and cycling thousands of miles aren’t your things, how about a bit of walking?

During the summer months, Home for Good is inviting families and church groups across the UK to lace-up and step out for a community fundraising initiative called Walk With Me. A number of groups in Northern Ireland have already signed up, but there’s still time for more people to join in. It’s really quick and easy to sign-up and get your donations page set up. It’s just a matter of deciding how far you plan to walk – and when – and inviting others to support you via your donations page. Sign-up here for Walk With Me.

On Monday 28 August (Bank Holiday), Roger and Laura Cooke will be walking 30+ miles around the coast of Belfast Lough for their Cookes & Co Coastliner event. Why not plan a Walk With Me event in your area on the same day? We’d love to see events taking place across Northern Ireland – to give a sense of a wider community walking together. We’d encourage you to give your donation page the title ‘Walk With Me (NI)’ and use the following text as part of your story:

For children and young people journeying into and through the care system in Northern Ireland, 'moving' is a familiar experience: moving away from known people and places, moving to something different, somewhere new, someone else. The shortage of suitable carers means that many children experience multiple moves, often far away from their local area. Every move takes its toll.

Home for Good works with churches across Northern Ireland to find and sustain more local, family homes for children who need them. We want to inspire more people to step forward and play their part.

Even if you’re not able to organise your own Walk With Me event, do please donate to one of the Northern Ireland events that you know about.

Extending generosity

Together, we can find a home for children who needs one.

One of the most significant ways for people to play their part in realising this vision is by providing financial support to the work of Home for Good. Every donation is an investment in this mission of hospitality and hope. We are so thankful for the generosity of churches and individuals across Northern Ireland who support this work through regular giving or one-off donations.

We would love more people to partner with us in this way. And we’re delighted to share that, if you are based in Northern Ireland, your giving to Home for Good can go even further in 2023.

A generous donor has offered to add a 50% ‘top-up’ this year to donations from individuals or churches in Northern Ireland. Any new regular donation or increase to an existing regular gift will qualify, as will any single donation if you've not given before. If you have any questions, drop an email to [email protected] and we'll be happy to help.

Summer outs and abouts

In addition to working with the Southern HSC Trust on their summer recruitment programme, Ruth has been working closely with a church in Portadown, to help them engage more deeply in finding and sustaining family homes in their area. She’s also been connecting with volunteers across the Southern Trust area and developing our network of support groups.

Tash recently spent the weekend at the Nua Conference in Newcastle where she was warmly welcomed by a community that includes lots of members of the Home for Good NI family. This past week, she has been representing Home for Good at the Elim Wondrous conference in Belfast. She’ll also be speaking at the Castlewellan Holiday Week on 10th August

Roger and Tash hope to be at one or two days of New Horizon in Coleraine, wearing their Home for Good t-shirts and connecting with people across the site. If you come and say hello, they will treat you to a cuppa!

What can I be praying for?

Please continue to pray with us as we work together to find and sustain a home for every child who needs one in Northern Ireland. 

• Give thanks for the connections made and the conversations had at the roadshow events over the past year. Pray that God would continue to nurture seeds that have been planted along the way.
• Pray for the NI Summit – particularly for the final parts of the programme planning and for a good, early response with bookings for the day.
• Give thanks for Jonny Nixon and for all who raise money for Home for Good or donate to our work. Pray for the Walk With Me initiative across Northern Ireland, that it will be successful in raising awareness and raising funds.
• Pray for Tash, Ruth, Roger and our network of volunteers over these summer months, as they connect with people at events and conferences and as they make plans for the year ahead.

Check out our prayer resource, Let’s pray, for additional thoughts, inspiration and points to guide your prayers.

Are there any events happening soon that I can attend?

Head over to our Northern Ireland page to find out what is happening in the area and find all the local support groups.

Take me there

How do I get in touch with a member of the Home for Good team in Northern Ireland?

Tasha McBride heads up Home for Good's work in Northern Ireland and she would love to hear from you! You can contact her through the link below.

Email Tasha