Speakers March 2025

Club members greatly appreciated the addressees from the speakers at Club meetings during March 25: Clare Conlon, Grace O'Neill and Rachael Hasson and Honorary Consul for Hungary, Ken Belshaw.

The Club were again delighted to welcome the guest speakers from YouthAction NI to the Club meeting on Monday 31 March. YouthAction NI’s Senior leader Clare Conlon, Fundraising and Development Manager Grace O’Neill and last year’s Club funded Intern Rachael Hasson outlined YANI’s strategy for the future and Rachael’s experience as an Intern. President Ken was delighted to present Clare with the cheque for another Club sponsored Intern for 2025-26 which Clare advised they were very grateful for.

In his lively and entertaining address to the Club Monday 24 March, guest speaker Honorary Consul Ken Belshaw, who has been the Honorary Consul in NI for Hungary for the last 15 years, discussed the role of an Honorary Consul as well as some information about the Hungarian community in NI. He noted that traditionally HCs were in the Shipping Industry but 15 years ago the Honorary Consul for India, Lord Rana, formed the Consular Association of NI and now there are 30 HCs and 3 permanent Consul Generals for USA, Poland and China. He concluded his well-received address by noting that countries are now moving to having nationals as HCs in NI and he had decided to step down on 28 March.