A balmy summer’s evening in a home designed for hosting in Cheswick, England, was an unlikely setting for a gathering of familiar faces under the banner of the Integrated Education Fund (or IEF).

For those who don’t know, the IEF believes that the mixing of communities through a more integrated education system is essential to building a more reconciled society in Northern Ireland.

The education of young children, born without prejudices, is provided in an environment where the symbols, ethos and traditions of the entire community are valued and respected equally. In an environment where religion is no longer a factor as to how you are educated, reconciliation is being born through the next generation.

The current divide in Northern Ireland is shocking. Ninety-three per cent of schools reflect largely one religious or cultural tradition, there are two separate education systems – one for Catholics and one for Protestants – two separate statutory planning authorities for schools and two separate teacher training colleges. If ever there was a recipe for division it is obvious in how we develop our young people.

The IEF is determined to address this division. As previously reported on Northern Slant, it certainly has the support of parents: in March this year a poll by LucidTalk suggested that 67% of parents said they would back a proposal for their child’s school to become officially integrated.

So where does Cheswick come into this? Maxine Mawhinney, award-winning journalist, broadcaster, writer and host of The Moment with Maxine Mawhinney amongst many other roles, hosted a select gathering at her home to promote the activities of the IEF and also to celebrate the retirement of Baroness May Blood from the House of Lords.

Baroness Blood of Blackwatertown in County Armagh, the first woman in Northern Ireland to be given a life peerage, is the IEF Campaign Chair and has worked tirelessly to promote integrated education across Northern Ireland.

Liam Neeson was just one of the characters to interrupt Maxine’s drinks and nibbles with a personal video message for Baroness Blood – he couldn’t be there in person but he’s a keen supporter of the IEF.

Throughout the evening the murmur of Northern Irish accents was interspersed by the typical local squeal of delight when after 15 minutes of chatting you had come up with a mutual friend and in many cases were close to finding mutual relations. The best was when I phoned my mum and was telling her about the evening – her comment to me was “Ah, May Blood, she is good friends with your Auntie Gladys.” What a small world we Norn Iron people live in.

With the IEF there are lots of opportunities to bring about a better future. Even in the absence of the Assembly, in April the IEF launched its ‘Alternative Manifesto’ at Stormont setting out how the education system might be reformed whenever normal legislative and ministerial service resumes. “A manifesto with a sense of urgency,” according to Northern Slant’s Jamie Pow.

Further information about getting involved can be found here, and you can follow the IEF on Twitter here.

And thanks, Maxine, for your support for such a worthy cause.