A book which tells the story of Captain Francis Crozier, a Banbridge-born explorer who was part of the North West passage expedition in 1821, was launched this week by secondary school students as part of a shared education project supported by Clanmil Housing.  

The book, Captain Francis Crozier: Banbridge’s Arctic Voyager was created by students from Banbridge High School and St Patrick’s College. 

The content for the book was developed during a series of interactive workshops, facilitated by Drogheda-based children’s author Nicola Pierce.  

GCSE art students at Banbridge High School studied the painting Starvation Cove, Crozier’s Last Stand by Julius Von Payer and produced their interpretations of it along with other drawings for the book.  

The 28-page publication will be used by primary schools in the Banbridge area as a learning resource.  It will also be available in an online format and in the town’s tourist information office.  

Click here to view a PDF of the book.

Speaking at the launch, Carol McTaggart, Group Chief Executive of Clanmil said:
“This project is a great example of what partnership working can achieve and has brought people of all backgrounds together to celebrate shared culture and history.  
At Clanmil we are committed to delivering more shared neighbourhoods and we want to give people the choice of living alongside neighbours from many backgrounds and traditions. Well done to all the young people involved in creating this resource and thanks to our Community Cohesion Team and all at Clanmil who were involved in the delivery of the project.” 

Education Minister Michelle McIlveen was also present at the event and commented:  
“Congratulations to the pupils from Banbridge High School and St Patrick’s College on the publication of Crozier, a fantastic example of the success of shared education. Projects such as this promote good relations and improve educational outcomes across different community and socio-economic backgrounds, leading to long term benefits for society. Well done to Clanmil Housing Association for their contribution to this project, highlighting the value of working in partnership to invest in the education of our children and young people.”

The Minister continued:
“Today’s publication of the ‘Mainstreaming Shared Education Strategy’ outlines the long-term vision for Shared Education. This important strategy is an acknowledgement of the pivotal role that Shared Education plays in promoting better community relations to make Northern Ireland a better place for all.” 

Katy Feeney, Principal of Banbridge High School added: 

“This project is a perfect example of how beneficial shared education is, not only for our schools but also our local community. To have the opportunity to participate and produce something that will be used and enjoyed by many is fantastic. It also helps build partnerships locally and supports our ethos that our schools are an integral part of the Banbridge community and beyond. We are extremely thankful for the relationship we have with Clanmil, without which our joint projects would not be as enriching and impacting on the community as a whole.” 

Charlie, a student at Banbridge High School described his experience of being involved in the project: 
“It was very interesting and great fun to research a local unsung hero from Banbridge with St Patrick’s College as part of a celebration of our shared history.” 
Tara, a GCSE Art and Design student from St. Patrick’s College, Banbridge added: 
“I really enjoyed learning about Crozier and I am looking forward to seeing our illustrations of Crozier in the book.” 

The book launch took place during the Community Relations Council’s Good Relations Week, an NI-wide programme of events that celebrates peace building and cultural diversity work from September 20th-26th.  

Clanmil currently has seven shared housing developments across Northern Ireland and is promoting a further two. The Hawthorn Gardens (Banbridge) Good Relations Plan includes ‘Bridging’ events which are delivered to the wider community to encourage a range of good relations outcomes which include health and wellbeing, education and training. 

Clanmil  supported the publication of the book as part of a wider ‘shared’ programme in the Hawthorn Gardens Good Relations Plan.  Hawthorn Gardens is one of the initial 10 T:buc developments, which were a headline action in the NI Executive T:buc Strategy.  The shared housing development opened in 2019. 

Clanmil Housing continues to work in partnership with the local Advisory Group stakeholders, and with residents to develop the scheme’s Good Relations Plan. The project is supported through the NI Executive Together: Building a United Community Strategy, which reflects the Executive’s commitment to improving community relations and continuing the journey towards a more united and shared society.  The Hawthorn Gardens shared housing development is also supported by the Department for Communities and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive’s ‘Housing for All’ Shared Housing Programme. 

A total of £2,402,000 was invested in the shared housing development and associated five-year Good Relations Plan. This includes the Housing Association Grant of £2,059,000 and Good Relations Support of £343,000

For information about the Together: Building a United Community, visit: The Executive Office - Together: Building a United Community . For more information about the Shared Housing Programme, visit: Department for Communities - Shared Housing Programme