|PIC1|The work of The Salvation Army and other charities including St Vincent de Paul has been recognised with the planting of a tree in the grounds of Stormont Castle.
The planting of the Norwegian Spruce brought Northern Ireland First Minister Dr Ian Paisley and deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness together with the Leader of the Salvation Army in Ireland, Major David Jackson, and the Regional Administrator from the Society of St Vincent de Paul, Aileen Coney.
Dr Paisley said: "I believe it is appropriate to recognise and commend the important everyday work of charities especially at this time of the year."
He said that the efforts of both charities to bring festive gifts to children from underprivileged families over Christmas had been "very much appreciated".
Mr McGuiness said the tree was a "practical symbol of sustainability for years to come".
-
The story of St Patrick’s Day
-
'Sad news' as House of Lords approves abortion up to birth
-
Disestablishing Church of England 'will not be a priority' at next election, says Green Party
-
Archbishop of Canterbury will be attending abortion vote in Lords on Wednesday
-
The little-known story of the woman who rescued Mothering Sunday
-
Archbishop of Canterbury to embark on historic six-day pilgrimage
Most Popular
News
Scotland’s assisted suicide vote: a temporary victory?
It will be interesting to see if the Scottish government goes down the route of investing in quality palliative care, or whether Liam McArthur's defeated assisted suicide bill is simply resurrected in another form.
Nick Timothy stands by criticism of Muslim prayer in Trafalgar Square
Shadow justice minister Nick Timothy is standing by claims that a mass Islamic prayer in Trafalgar Square was “a declaration of domination” that should never be repeated.
Britain’s culture of giving is becoming more 'fragile' as donations fall
A major new report from the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) has raised fresh concerns about the state of charitable giving in the UK, showing that total public donations fell sharply in 2025 as fewer people gave and average gifts became smaller.
UK urged to press Nigeria on violence against Christians during historic Tinubu visit
A coalition of Christian and human rights organisations has called on the UK government to use President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to Britain to press for stronger protections for Christians and other vulnerable communities in Nigeria, amid continuing concern over deadly attacks and weak accountability.