Secretary of State, Fellows, it is an absolute pleasure to stand before you this evening as a product of the Fellowship Programme. By no means a finished product but a product nonetheless!
I have enjoyed this journey far too much. As a public representative for over twenty years, my everyday is listening, advocating, and problem solving but as I have said to some of you more than once, I don’t routinely get enough time to just soak up other people’s knowledge and experiences. This programme allowed me to do that through the many scheduled classes, lectures, residentials, and through our project meet-ups; and I have learned a lot!
This Fellowship has been so important as I stepped up from local government to the Northern Ireland Assembly as an MLA back in January, the preparation that it provided for me could not have come at a better time. Design thinking and actively contributing to our group project has been a fantastic experience and I have used these lessons and skills on many occasions in Stormont.
I thank those who made this possible. I thank the deputy First Minister for inviting me to consider joining the Class of 2026. I thank Eva and Zac for their sterling efforts in shaping, coordinating, and delivering this programme. I thank the sponsors FinTrU, Camlin Group, NIE Networks, Fujitsu, Ulster Carpets, The UK Government and Irish Department of Foreign Affairs and others who, without your support, input and guidance, this would not be possible.
It was a real honour to be asked by Eva and Zac, along with Kathleen, to speak tonight and in their words ‘represent the experience and voice of the cohort.’
Honestly, I have found nothing to dislike about this group of people. It has been a real pleasure to have gotten to know you all to some degree and, of course, through our project groups it has been possible to really focus on and build relationships that I know will last for years.
I have likely asked too many questions, likely asked too many of you to tell me your back stories. It’s so important to take some time and understand people and their perspectives and whilst undoubtedly the regularity of this cohort’s engagements will reduce, I take not insignificant delight in knowing that there are some of you that I won’t be able to shake off!
The experience of creating our BUILD project and presenting it a few weeks ago was so memorable and this work continues to occupy our thoughts and will do in to the future.
Thinking of our projects, I would do my project team a massive disservice if I did not refer to them tonight so please indulge me. It has been great to get to know you all: thanks to Matt O’Neill who was so thoughtful in gifting me with a pen to use when signing the Northern Ireland Assembly register; to the absolute powerhouse that is Claire McBride who brightened up my Stormont office with a very easily cared for plant (it’s still living); to Meadhbha Monaghan who has been very instructive in Irish forenames and is only too happy to voice note me to translation safety if ever required; Wendy Blemings for showing the power of your voice when delivering a presentation; Michael Boyd for his eternal positivity, insightfulness and very calm approach; and last but not least, to Anna McClung who just blends quietly in to the background (not!). Anna got to know me well when her car broke down after the class at Allstate. As an independent trail blazing woman she insisted I took the train home and left her to it. Leave Anna stranded on the 4th floor of a multistory car park? That would have been wrong on so many levels! I didn’t get the train, but rather I phoned my mechanic and with some ‘design thinking’ we got back on the road!
I know we all feel that this is such a rich programme because it gathers such a broad collection of people, personalities, mindsets, skills, ambitions, and interests, and through the selecting of a not so inconsiderable challenge, enables every single Fellow to grow and learn outside of their normal everyday routine.
The process of listening, thrashing out ideas, dealing with busy everyday lives and schedules, and finding the time to get together either online or in person has shown me what’s actually possible when a group of people come together with a ‘solve it’ mindset.
The ever-expanding network of people that the Centre for Democracy and Peace draws together has already proven so useful to me in my public representational role.
The breadth of skills, talent, and experience that you all bring to the table cannot be allowed to dissipate and I encourage everyone, after graduation, to remain connected. I do feel the Class of 2026 will remain connected and it has always been clear to see amongst the cohort there is a foundation of respect even when conversations got ‘slightly’ lively.
Personally, and in closing, I hope that you might have a different perception of elected representatives. Sometimes we do get bad press. Maybe I have reinforced a view you already held, but hopefully I have given you a different perspective. Who knows, maybe public representation is something you might consider in the future!
On behalf of the Class of 2026, thank you to everyone who made this journey so memorable and impactful.
I will finish with a quote from our very own Joanna Braniff who said in her piece published on the Fellowship website,
Don’t build a bigger wall, build a longer table. That simple idea captures something profound about leadership. Leadership is not about protecting territory, it is about extending the invitation and creating spaces where people who might never normally meet can share ideas, perspectives, and experiences.
Thank you and enjoy the rest of your evening.
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