Northern Ireland, already impacted by political and religious divisions, was deeply affected by these events and many local people took part in the Spanish aid campaign, including Belfast activists Alderman Harry Midgley, Betty Sinclair, Sam Haslett and Sadie Menzies. The window is in dedication to the king’s tribute to Ulster’s contribution in the First World War, particularly to the courage and valour of the 36th Ulster Division. The window depicts a medieval warrior and female figure in front of a stone monument headed with the Royal coat of arms. At the bottom is the Ulster flag between the flags of the allies from the First World War; Britain, France, USA and Ireland. In the centre is the following inscription, “their name liveth for evermore”. Underneath is the king’s message that reads, “Your prompt patriotic answer to the nation’s call to arms will never be forgotten. I shall continue to follow with interest the fortunes of your division. I pray that god may bless you in all your undertakings”. George I. The memorial window was unveiled by his Excellency the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, Field Marshall the Viscount French of YPRES. K.P., G.C.V.O., K.C.M.G. on the 26 July 1920, and was created by Ward and Partners, Belfast. Belfast City Hall is located right in the heart of the city in Donegall Square. It’s a 5-minute walk from St George’s Market and a 25-minute walk from both Crumlin Road Gaol and the Botanic Gardens. 2. Opening hours and admission City Hall is open daily from 7am to 7pm during the winter months and from 7am to 9pm in the summer months. It’s completely free to enter the City Hall and there are even free public tours available as well. 3. The tour

In September we tend to do a need assessment with the charities and the food banks we support. The demand definitely seems higher with certain organisations,” said Shah. Your support changes lives. Find out how you can help us help more people by signing up for a subscription The vair-along with the supporting wolf-is taken from the arms of Sir Arthur Chichester, the founder of Belfast as it exists today, who obtained the city's charter from James I in 1613. The ship tells of Belfast's pre-eminence as a seaport, as do the seahorses, and the bell is canting. The motto means "What return shall we make for so much?", and is a paraphrase of a verse from Psalm 116.

This year will be Wrap Up’s eighth year with collections running from November 7 to 21. Last year the group collected over 5,200 coats and supported 38 charities covering almost 23,000 people. Get the latest news and insight into how the Big Issue magazine is made by signing up for the Inside Big Issue newsletter What if I don’t have a spare coat to donate? Now in its fifth winter, Take One Leave One is returning in 2022 with the same simple concept that made it such a hit in previous years.

We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from how much the Belfast City Hall tours cost to what hotels are near Belfast City Hall. We’re anticipating that there is going to be more demand. There’s the fact that there are more people who are not from the homeless community, not from refugee communities. These are people who have homes who probably have relatively low income jobs who are also in need of coats and also in need of support in one way or another. It’s not something we are typically used to. It’s quite unprecedented.”

For more information on how to donate a coat, find or run a local collection or volunteer at a WrapUp London coat sorting hub, head here.

In 1888 Queen Victoria granted Belfast the status of the city and it was agreed that a grand and magnificent building was required to reflect this new status. City Hall opened its doors on the first of August 1906, at a time of unprecedented prosperity and industrial might for the city. Supporters: Dexter, a wolf proper, ducally gorged and chained or; sinister, a sea-horse gorged with a mural crown proper. Although a visit to Belfast City Hall is fairly straightforward, there are a few need-to-knows that’ll make your visit that bit more enjoyable. 1. Location The coat of arms of Thomas Hibbotts, a burgess mentioned in the original charter - Three fleurs-de-lis piercing through the heads of gargoyles appear on a silver and green shield with blue medieval armour above. The historic tablet below states “1688 charter annulled by James II and a new one issued but the original charter was restored by king George II”

The coat of arms of Henry Le Squire, Constable of the Castle of Belfast - A silver and green shield with the head of three swans with crowned blue medieval armour above. Below the arms is displayed the first of the historic tablets in which it is written “1613 Belfast constituted a borough by charter of King James I on 27 April. John Vesey, first sovereign”. Alexandra Regina - Historic tablet below reads “1892 the style and title of Lord Mayor conferred by Her Majesty upon the Chief Magistrate of the City of Belfast 20th May Daniel Dixon, first Lord Mayor” The official Belfast City Hall tours are the best way to uncover the history of the city’s iconic building. The free tours are led by expert guides who take you through the main parts of the grounds to give you a complete look into the history and features of the building. The official Belfast Coat of Arms was adopted in the late nineteenth century. An extract from the Grant of Arms issued by the Ulster King of Arms on the 30th June 1890 reads as thus:

Only a Pavement Away’s Winter Warmth campaign runs through the National Winter Warmth Week from November 14 to 20. Start a Take One Leave One rail in your neighbourhood. All you need is the green light from your community, a rail and a banner to let people know what you’re doing. Or you could volunteer with one of the coat donation projects mentioned above.

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The Belfast City Hall tours take about an hour and are led by an experienced guide who explains the interesting history of the building and grounds. There is also an audio guide that you can use for the visitor exhibition. Tours are free but donations are welcome. 4. The Bobbin Coffee Shop There’s also several yearly events that take place here, like the very popular Belfast Christmas Marketsand the Lightening event. 1. Take a guided tour (not running in 2021) Belfast City Hall was commissioned to celebrate Belfast’s status as a city granted by Queen Victoria in 1888. It was designed by Alfred Brumwell Thomas in the Baroque Revival style and built out of Portland stone. It took 8 years to construct the building and the project was led by an architect by the name of Sir Alfred Brumwell Thomas. Why was the City Hall in Belfast built?