James Hagan receives the Freedom of the City of London

On 24 September, our founder and chairman James Hagan was formally admitted to the Freedom of the City of London at a ceremony at Guildhall. Members of the Hagan Homes team and friends were there to see it.

The Freedom of the City of London goes back to the 13th century. It once gave practical trading privileges to people doing business in the City. Today it is largely ceremonial, and it is given to people from all walks of life as part of one of London's oldest civic traditions. For James, it recognises almost four decades of building homes, regenerating communities, creating jobs and supporting charitable causes across Northern Ireland.

Where it all started

James founded Hagan Homes in Ballyclare in 1988. Since then we have delivered more than 5,000 homes across Northern Ireland and supported thousands of jobs for local contractors, consultants and tradespeople.

The idea behind that work has always been simple: build quality, affordable homes, and give people the chance to own a home and a part of Northern Ireland they can call their own.

James credits his parents, Jim and Peggy Hagan, with the values behind the business.

"More than anything, I think about Mum and Dad. I am who I am because of them," he said. "We had a brilliant upbringing and I learned from them every day - about working hard, treating people properly, being loyal to your friends and never forgetting where you came from. They would be so proud of what is happening today, and it is such a shame that they are not here to see it all."

Building where others wouldn't

Hagan Homes has often chosen sites that other developers overlooked. In the company's early years that meant building in Rathcoole and Ballybeen at the height of the Troubles. Later it meant investing in neighbourhoods still living with the conflict's legacy.

More recent developments such as 33 South in south Belfast and Mulberry in Ballysally, Coleraine, have brought new homes to areas that had gone without investment. Each one has given new generations the chance to put down roots in the place they grew up.

"One of the things I am particularly proud of is that we have built quality homes that ordinary people can aspire to own, including in communities that have faced some of the greatest challenges because of our past," James said. "There is something very powerful about being able to say, 'This is my home, this is my part of Northern Ireland.'"

James has also been a vocal advocate for the industry. He has challenged slow planning processes and disproportionate utility connection costs, and he has campaigned for better support for first-time buyers, because these issues ultimately affect what people pay for a home.

The Hagan Homes family

"Hagan Homes has never been about one person," James said.

Our team is 15 people. Two of them have worked alongside James for almost 40 years, and three more have each been with the company for over 20. Many of our contractors, tradespeople and consultants have stayed with us through good times and difficult ones too.

"When people have stood beside you for decades, they become part of the Hagan Homes family," he said.

Giving back

Alongside the business, James has used its success to support people and organisations across Northern Ireland. In recent years he and the company have supported more than 60 charities, organisations and individuals working in education, healthcare, homelessness, mental health, sport and children and young people.

Long-term partnerships include the Integrated Education Fund, Northern Ireland Hospice and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, which gives free books to young children. Funding has helped create or sustain frontline roles, including a community palliative care nurse for Northern Ireland Hospice, a volunteer co-ordinator at Start360 and an Emotional Wellbeing Support Officer at Ballyclare High School.

"Northern Ireland has my heart," James said. "It has been very good to me, and particularly as I have got older, I have felt an even greater responsibility to give something back. Whether that is helping a family own their first home, supporting a child's education, helping someone through illness or giving a young person an opportunity through sport, it all matters."

What comes next

Anyone who knows James will tell you he is more interested in what's next than in looking back. That focus remains, with the company having committed to invest £300 million in delivering a further 2,000 homes across Northern Ireland.

Congratulations, James, from everyone at Hagan Homes.