Patrons

Robert Henry Alexander Eames, Baron Eames, OM is an Anglican bishop and life peer, who served as Primate of All Ireland and Archbishop of Armagh from 1986 to 2006.

Sir Nigel Hamilton was Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service until 2008. He became a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in the 2008 New Year Honours. Hamilton was made an Honorary Graduate of the University of Ulster and awarded a Doctor of the University (DUniv) on 3 July 2008 in recognition of his contribution to public administration in Northern Ireland especially during the years of the Northern Ireland peace process.

“There is nothing more important than ensuring that our children have both the skills and the values to help them through life. It is a privilege for me to be associated with Equipping for Life and I would encourage as many as possible to become involved in practical ways to support the ministry.”

Ruth Patterson, OBE (born 1944), was the first woman to be ordained to the ministry of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland in 1976 and is a director of the charity Restoration Ministries; a faith driven organisation that aims to restore and strengthen broken persons and broken society through prayer, listening, hospitality and teaching.

“Every child is a promise, but not every child has the resources or the environment to realise their dream. It is a privilege to be associated with Equipping for Life whose work enables young people to begin to dare to dream in the present moment.”

Rev. Jim Rea MBE was a Methodist Minister and former President of the Methodist Church in Ireland and is now engaged with media. He is a Religious Presenter at Downtown Radio and contributes a religious column to Newsletter Northern Ireland Daily Paper. He also is an occasional presenter of BBC Radio Ulster Thought for the Day.

“Equipping for Life is addressing the serious problem of under achievement in North and West Belfast. It is helping young people to value education through one-to-one mentoring. This programme, the vision of Brother David Jardine, is exciting. It has the potential to bring new hope for an upcoming generation.”

David Jeffrey MBE is a former Irish League Footballer and Manager. He began his professional playing career in the Youth and Reserve Teams of Manchester United before returning home to Northern Ireland where he played for, and captained, Linfield, Ards and Larne. David went on to be the longest serving Manager of both Linfield (1997 – 2014) and Ballymena United (2016 – 2023). Alongside his career in football, David had a career in the caring services, having trained professionally in both Youth and Community and Social Work. David was awarded a MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2021 for Services to Association Football and to Community Relations in Northern Ireland. David is a Grade VIII flute player and cites his parents as the biggest inspiration in his life.

“Our Children of today are the future of our tomorrow. Equipping for Life strives to support children in being the ‘Best they can be’ while challenging them to NEVER accept anything less than 100% from themselves. To be associated with and invited to become a Patron of EfL is both a privilege and honour for which I am humbly grateful.”