Community-21 – series of conversations reflecting on community work over Covid-19, funded by the Community Relations Council‘s Media Grant Scheme.
If there was a Hall of Fame for good relations (which there absolutely should be!), Kathy Wolff and Magi Hogg of Glengormley’s Barron Hall would be at the forefront.
The Community Relations Forum is a peace and reconciliation centre situated within the Barron Hall – a listed building which at different times has served as a church, school, courthouse and heroically as a canteen for soldiers in the Second World War. Since 1993, the CRF has become the epicentre of good relations in the Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council, fastly approaching its 30th anniversary as a thriving community centre.
Kathy and Magi have been involved in different capacities since the beginning, recognising the need to build better relations across Northern Ireland and quickly got to work bringing people together through a range of cross-community, good relations and intercultural projects. They had a vision for Northern Ireland – a place where all people could live and celebrate their diversity together. Since that time, they have certainly made positive advances towards this goal and the Borough is a much better place for it.
The same was true over Covid. These women banned together to deliver food parcels and care for members of their community that were vulnerable over the pandemic. They continued their pertinent work in spite of the health risks to make sure their community was properly cared for. To those that know them, this comes as no surprise. We could certainly use a few more Kathys and Magis today!
Beyond the essential services they provided communities, they also brought a load of laughs through Magi’s ‘Chair Campaign’. Magi – like many of us – grew tired of not being able to see people during the pandemic and tied a lawn chair to her front yard. Nearly everyday, a new person she had missed would come and sit in the chair (socially distanced, of course) and they’d have the craic – and perhaps some wine – and forget about the pandemic for a while. Magi would then share their good time with a picture of the visitor in the chair across social media. It was a semblance of normality in an otherwise bleak time. ‘The Chair’ became so famous it made its way onto a BBC interview, springboarding Magi to national fame.
This is the story of two brave ladies who care deeply for their community.
Take a peak and #StayTuned for more on ‘Community-21‘!!!!
