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The Gallaher Trust works alongside a number of Delivery Partners servicing an array of sectors.
Details of the Delivery Partners and projects we have supported in the past and those we are currently supporting can be noted below. Click on the Partner logos to go straight to that section.
The Northern Ireland Hospitality School of Excellence
The Northern Ireland Hospitality School of Excellence was created in 2021 following collaboration with three local hotels – the Adair Arms, Galgorm Resort and the Tullyglass House Hotel. The Gallaher Trust invested £260,000 to help establish this Hospitality School of Excellence Ltd as a not-for-profit organisation to attract, train and retain employees within the hospitality sector.
The school has now created bar and food service academies, including the Chef Academy in 2022, with an additional £150,000 funding. At these academies, trainees receive accredited training at Northern Regional College or South Eastern Regional College and, upon graduation, are guaranteed a job with one of the above three hotels.
It is anticipated that by 2024, 80 new jobs will have been created through the NI Hospitality School.
Northern Regional College
In 2021, The Gallaher Trust committed £180,000 to establish Ballymena’s first Manufacturing Academy.
The Academy is the result of a collaboration with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Manufacturing Task Force, Northern Regional College and local manufacturing companies. It offers a five-week training programme for anyone within the wider Ballymena area who is seeking employment within the manufacturing sector.
Trainees will have the opportunity to boost their skills and secure employment with local manufacturing companies.
Through a number of programmes, training will be provided for sixty individuals, with all graduates being guaranteed at least one interview with a local manufacturing company.
So far, 19 trainees have graduated from the two training programmes which have already taken place, with nine of these securing jobs.
Habitat for Humanity NI
A total of £150,000 to be spent over the next three years, has been committed to Habitat for Humanity NI’s Building Impact project.
To date, The Gallaher Trust’s funding has seen 168 volunteers engaged with, 170 Open College Network (OCN) qualifications received and 34 volunteers going on to secure employment.
By the end of the project, it is hoped that a total of 300 volunteers will receive broader training and support, with 225 volunteers achieving Open College Network (OCN) accredited training and 60 volunteers securing jobs through Pathways to Employment.
Ballymena Business Centre
– Enabling Enterprise
In 2018, The Gallaher Trust committed £183,600 to support the Ballymena Business Centre’s Enabling Enterprise project to encourage local business start-ups.
Over the last four years, this funding has created a total of 37 new jobs by supporting 128 start-ups via £500 seed funding. It also provided free town centre retail test trading opportunities for 13 businesses and delivered 36 training workshops for 450 entrepreneurs.
Based on this success, The Gallaher Trust agreed to fund the Ballymena Business Centre with a further £101,000 to continue with this project for three years until December 2025. During this time, the project aims to support 120 businesses with seed funding and retail test trading and create 36 new jobs.
To date, through the support of 61 new seed funds and nine retail test trading opportunities, six new businesses have been established within the local area, which has led to 16 new jobs created.
Ballymena Business Centre
– 4i Innovation
In 2021, The Gallaher Trust committed £168,000 funding for the 4i Innovation project. This unique project is delivered by the Ballymena Business Centre and in partnership with Innovate NI.
The 4i Innovation programme provides in-depth support for small and micro businesses within the Ballymena area, to improve their innovation capabilities, create new products and services, and sustain their business growth and resilience.
Over a three-year period, this project aims to support 54 companies, provide skills training for their employees and create 54 new jobs. So far, the project has engaged with 38 businesses and the support of The Gallaher Trust has led to the creation of 26 new jobs in the area.
Triangle Housing
Triangle Housing is a charity which provides support to adults with learning disabilities, enabling them to find employment opportunities in the local Ballymena community.
In 2019, The Gallaher Trust committed £152,000 to the PARITY project.
Over the next three years, PARITY engaged with 240 individuals, with 34 progressing into transitional training/education and 12 progressing into employment. The project also engaged with 51 local businesses, securing 124 supply chain contracts and 15 jobs for those with learning difficulties.
In 2023, The Gallaher Trust committed a further £60,000 to Triangle Housing to support the opening of a new ‘Ballymena Artisan Centre’ within Ballymena town centre, offering an artisan retail and craft experience and providing additional training opportunities for 36 disadvantaged adults.
Prince’s Trust
The Gallaher Trust first partnered with The Prince’s Trust in November 2019, providing £160,000 support for The Prince’s Trust. The PROGRESS project helps young adults from the Ballymena area gain the qualifications and skills they need to secure sustainable employment.
Over a three-year period, the project engaged with 108 young adults, with 80 improving their skills, 17 receiving Development Awards, 13 progressing into further education, and 33 gaining employment.
Following this success, The Gallaher Trust has agreed to continue funding The Prince’s Trust with a further £150,000 for their three-year PROSPER project. To date, the project has engaged with 47 young people, helping to develop the skills of 31 young adults and awarding 19 development awards. It has also supported 20 young people to make the move into education and training whilst supporting four young adults in securing employment.
By December 2025, this project aims to engage with 120 young adults from the area, with 90 developing their skills, 60 receiving Development Awards, 30 entering further education, and another 30 securing employment.
Age NI
The Gallaher Trust has committed £85,000 to support Age NI’s Staying Sharp project which is a pilot project aimed at promoting healthy lifestyle choices and reducing the risk of developing dementia of older people who are living with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).
The funding will go towards effecting positive change in the lives of 254 older people with MCI in Ballymena and it will enable Age NI to test and build a service to scale across the whole of Northern Ireland.
Women’s Aid
In 2019, The Gallaher Trust provided £70,000 of funding to support Women’s Aid Reconnect project. This project secured the employment of a Reconnect worker and helped women affected by domestic violence reintegrate into their local and wider communities through personal development, training, education, and employment.
In the following three years, the project engaged with 467 women, with 275 reporting improved confidence and self-esteem, 330 achieving OCN accredited training and 24 moving into education or employment.
In 2023, The Gallaher Trust provided an additional £20,000 funding to support this project until December 2023. During this time, the Reconnect project will engage with a further 133 women affected by domestic abuse, provide training opportunities, including OCN accredited courses, for 93 women and enable seven women to progress into training /employment.
Harryville Men’s Shed
In 2023, The Gallaher Trust committed to providing Harryville Men’s Shed with £45,000 worth of funding over the next three years. Thus far, this funding has been used to employ a part-time project co-ordinator, and it is hoped that the Shed will continue to expand its scope of services within the Ballymena area.
Harryville Men’s Shed is a registered charity that supports men living in Ballymena by offering them a safe space to gather for social bonding, activities, healthy lifestyle projects and educational sessions.
Over the next three years, The Gallaher Trust hopes to support Harryville’s mission by increasing membership figures by 250%, particularly with those aged between 18-25 years old; raising the number of men engaged in healthy lifestyle projects from 10 to 30; and growing the number of members engaged in training, educational and awareness sessions from eight to 25.
By using their skills in a productive, friendly environment, Men’s Sheds are helping to combat the loneliness often associated with older age in men.
Scholarships
The Gallaher Trust has invested a total of £160,000 to establish three scholarships which will support 19 disadvantaged young adults within the wider Ballymena area.
In 2021, The Gallaher Trust partnered with the Northern Regional College to establish a Foundation Degree Scholarship. This scholarship supports two students per year who wish to study courses in Engineering, Business with Digital Technology, Computing and Creative Media, covering their course fees for two years.
In 2022, The Gallaher Trust partnered with Supporting Communities to establish a University Scholarship. The scholarship is supporting two students per year who wish to study STEM or business subject at either Queen’s University, Belfast, or Ulster University. This scholarship gives the recipients a £1,500 technology package and £2,000 per year for course fees.
In 2023, The Gallaher Trust partnered with the Ulster Farmers’ Union, providing £65,000 of funding to support Ballymena’s rural economy. The farming scholarships support two local students per year wishing to study at CAFRE (College of Agriculture and Rural Enterprise). This scholarship gives the recipients a £1,500 technology package and covers course fees.
Click on the Partner logos to see more details of the Delivery Partners we have supported in the past:
USEL
The Gallaher Trust has offered financial support to USEL, one of Northern Ireland’s leading providers in assisting individuals with disabilities or health conditions to gain employment.
Due to support from The Gallaher Trust, USEL was able to establish a circular economy recycling centre in Ballymena, providing a total of 35 jobs including 12 full time roles, for individuals suffering from disabilities or health conditions.
Not only does USEL provide these individuals with employment opportunities, the organisation’s Employment Support Division, also promotes skills development.
Samaritans
The Samaritans is a charity which provides support to those suffering from mental health issues, which is something the Gallaher Trust views as vitally important.
With support from The Gallaher Trust, the Samaritans in Ballymena was able to upgrade its facilities, enabling the organisation to continue providing essential services to the people of Ballymena.
Simon Community Northern Ireland
The Gallaher Trust has awarded £14,401 as a one-off sum to the Simon Community which was used to purchase furniture for the Ballymena site.
The Ballymena facility provides temporary accommodation and the opportunity to learn new skills for approximately 22 homeless people per year. The Trust’s funding will see the installation of bedroom furniture, small fridges and blinds.
Samaritans
The Samaritans is a charity which provides support to those suffering from mental health issues, which is something the Gallaher Trust views as vitally important.
With support from The Gallaher Trust, the Samaritans in Ballymena was able to upgrade its facilities, enabling the organisation to continue providing essential services to the people of Ballymena.
USEL
The Gallaher Trust has offered financial support to USEL, one of Northern Ireland’s leading providers in assisting individuals with disabilities or health conditions to gain employment.
Due to support from The Gallaher Trust, USEL was able to establish a circular economy recycling centre in Ballymena, providing a total of 35 jobs including 12 full time roles, for individuals suffering from disabilities or health conditions.
Not only does USEL provide these individuals with employment opportunities, the organisation’s Employment Support Division, also promotes skills development.
Simon Community Northern Ireland
The Gallaher Trust has awarded £14,401 as a one-off sum to the Simon Community which was used to purchase furniture for the Ballymena site.
The Ballymena facility provides temporary accommodation and the opportunity to learn new skills for approximately 22 homeless people per year. The Trust’s funding will see the installation of bedroom furniture, small fridges and blinds.
The Gallaher Trust works with a number of delivery partners which help to make a real difference to the lives of people living in the Ballymena area.
Click on the case studies below to hear how we were able to assist USEL, Triangle Housing and the Ballymena Business Centre.
In April 2021, The Gallaher Trust hosted a live webinar where charities, businesses and politicians were invited to learn more about the work of The Gallaher Trust.
The webinar heard from delivery partners, USEL, Triangle Housing and the Ballymena Business Centre alongside Sue Gray, former Permanent Secretary for the Northern Ireland Department of Finance. Click on the below video to watch.
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