Shining a Spotlight on Youth Homelessness With Grand Opera House and MACS Partnership
The Grand Opera House, Belfast, has announced a new charity partnership with MACS, Northern Ireland’s only youth-specific homelessness charity.
Formed in 1990 as a service for young people leaving care, the organisation has evolved over the last three decades to support young people from all walks of life to move beyond homelessness and build positive, independent futures.
Whether transitioning from care, leaving custody, or struggling to maintain safe accommodation or tenancy, MACS provides vital services including supported housing, wellbeing support, education programmes and reintegration schemes. Alongside practical support, the charity works to challenge misconceptions and the narrative surrounding youth homelessness in Northern Ireland.
In 2025 alone, MACS supported more than 750 young people across Northern Ireland to avoid or move on from homelessness, yet the challenge continues to grow. According to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, 15,864 homelessness presentations were recorded in the latest reporting year¹, with the number of children in temporary accommodation increasing by 79% since 2020². Naturally this has significantly increased the pressure on services supporting children and young people.
Over the next two years, the Grand Opera House team will work with MACS to deliver an ambitious programme of fundraising and awareness activity. Alongside bucket collections and staff-led fundraising events, colleagues will take part in activities including the Belfast City Marathon Relay and the MACS’ annual Sleep Out.
Beyond fundraising, the partnership will focus on education, opportunity and empowerment. Theatre staff will provide mentoring, coaching and practical life-skills support for young people, including interview preparation and CV writing workshops. The collaboration will also create opportunities for young people supported by MACS to experience the arts and theatre, many for the first time, helping to build confidence, creativity and new aspirations.
Announcing the new partnership, Grand Opera House Chief Executive Ian Wilson said: “We are delighted to be working with the MACS team as our new charity partner. While fundraising will play an important role, this partnership is also about education, understanding and highlighting the complex challenges that many young people in Northern Ireland face.
“Through mentoring, skills development and opening access to the arts, we hope to create meaningful opportunities that build confidence and support brighter futures, while also shining a light on the vital work that MACS delivers every day.”
Kate Martin, Chief Executive Officer of MACS said: “We are incredibly honoured to be chosen as the Grand Opera House’s charity partner. This partnership represents a shared commitment to supporting our young people and raising awareness of youth homelessness. With the Theatre’s support, we can reach more young people at the right time and continue working towards our vision of ending youth homelessness in Northern Ireland.”
To donate today visit the Grand Opera House’s Just Giving page or find out more at macsni.org.