NEWS

From left participant Jacqueline Dickson with Hayley Barr Labour Market Partnership, participant Denise Harris, Annie McSparron, CEO Kelli McRoberts, Denise Mayo Labour Market Partnership, Paul Truscott General Manager Harbourview Hotel Ten people across Mid and East Antrim have completed a targeted hospitality training programme, collectively securing 24 accredited qualifications as efforts intensify to tackle unemployment and skills shortages in one of Northern Ireland’s fa

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Minford Jackson, announces the launch of the new ‘Craft to Commerce’ programme. A new council-backed initiative launching next month is set to give aspiring crafters across Mid and East Antrim a direct pathway from hobby to income, offering hands-on experience, market exposure, and business support in a push to unlock local creative potential. The ‘Craft to Commerce’ programme, beginning in June 2026, is designed to help hobby-craft en

Rail Cool Rules! Translink has joined forces with Rail Safe Friendly, an accredited UK-wide programme, to spread the vital message of rail safety in Northern Ireland. Pictured at the partnership launch are (L-R) Abigail, Luke and Izabel from Oakwood Integrated Primary School with Chris Conway, Translink Group Chief Executive and Kathryn Ogdin, Director of Operations, Rail Safe Friendly. A new rail safety campaign aimed at Primary 7 pupils has been launched across Northern Ire

Community mental health teams across the Causeway Coast and Glens are being positioned at the centre of a major shift in how care is delivered, with health officials signalling they are ready to align with a new model designed to bring services closer to people’s homes. Members of the Causeway Hospital Partnership Board heard this week that existing community-based services are already well placed to support the Department of Health’s Neighbourhood Model of Health and Wellbei

Farming families across Northern Ireland are being urged to take immediate, practical steps to protect children on farms this summer, as safety experts warn that preventable accidents continue to cause serious injuries and fatalities every year. The call comes from Bryan Monson, Deputy Chief Executive of the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI), who has drawn on his own upbringing on a family farm to highlight the hidden dangers children face in what can a

The former Northern Regional College building at Trostan Avenue in Ballymena Frustration is mounting in Ballymena after it emerged there is still no timeline for the demolition or redevelopment of a derelict former college site on Trostan Avenue, despite ongoing reports of vandalism, trespass and fire-setting. The Department for the Economy has confirmed that the former Northern Regional College campus remains tied up in a disposal process and is still awaiting valuation, mea

Pictured at the first SNUS Awareness training event at Ballymena Showgrounds are Chair of Mid and East Antrim Policing and Community Safety Partnership (MEA PCSP), Councillor Lauren Gray, alongside Elena Brewer, MPH Training Services Officer at ASCERT, and Chantal Ford, Irish Football Association Safeguarding and Welfare Manager. The growing use of snus and nicotine pouches among footballers and young people in Mid and East Antrim has prompted a targeted community safety resp

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons pictured with Julia Cleeland, Operations Director, Mid & East Antrim Community Advice Service, and Paul Frew MLA at a recent visit to Mid & East Antrim Community Advice Service. Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has confirmed a key funding programme designed to help people access debt advice earlier and more easily will continue into 2026-27, following strong early results across all 11 council areas in Northern Ireland. The Integrated Advice

Mid and East Antrim councillors have approved the borough council’s response to a Department for Communities (DfC) consultation on draft regulations covering notice-to-quit periods for landlords and tenants in the private rental sector. A report presented to a recent meeting of the council’s Neighbourhoods and Communities Committee outlined that, at present, the minimum notice period landlords must give tenants is four weeks for tenancies of less than 12 months; eight weeks f

Waterstone’s Ballymena has revealed its latest Top 10 bestselling books, with a strong mix of contemporary fiction, crime thrillers and memoirs leading the way — alongside a packed schedule of book clubs and a standout storytime event featuring a local author. With readers continuing to seek out both escapist fiction and thought-provoking titles, this week’s chart reflects a broad and evolving range of interests across the Ballymena community. Top 10 this week A blend of best

A major cross-border initiative is encouraging people across Mid and East Antrim to get moving this May, with a growing programme of free, weekly community walks designed to boost physical health, mental wellbeing and social connection. The Walking for All programme, led by Outscape and supported by PEACEPLUS, is inviting residents to mark National Walking Month by joining organised walks taking place across the borough, with no cost, no equipment required, and routes tailore

Dog owners visiting Northern Ireland’s most scenic outdoor locations are being urged to keep their pets firmly on leads, as NI Water warns that failing to do so could put livestock, wildlife, and livelihoods at serious risk - and may result in fines of up to £1,000. With warmer weather drawing increasing numbers of visitors to beauty spots across the region, the public body has issued a clear message: keep your dog on the lead, whatever their breed. Spring brings heightened r

Pictured is the Bluebell Arts Project, one of last year's grant recipients Arts organisations and creative groups across Northern Ireland have been given a fresh opportunity to secure significant funding, with grants of up to £75,000 now available to support projects aimed at growing and diversifying participation in the arts. The Arts Council of Northern Ireland has officially opened applications for its National Lottery Project Funding programme, offering awards ranging fro

Zak Moore and Jack Strange, Sauna Masters at Galgorm, who were crowned Team Performance Champions at the 2026 UK Aufguss Championships, hosted at Galgorm’s Thermal Spa Village A standout double success for a Ballymena-based spa team has put Northern Ireland firmly on the international wellness map, after two Galgorm Sauna Masters claimed top honours at the 2026 UK Aufguss Championships on home soil. Zak Moore and Jack Strange were crowned Team Performance Champions following

Young people across the UK are facing mounting pressure ahead of GCSE and A-Level exams, with new figures revealing the scale of stress being carried into exam season. Childline delivered 1,679 counselling sessions linked to exam and revision stress between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, highlighting a sustained demand for support as students struggle to cope with expectations, workload and anxiety. The figures show a sharp peak in May, coinciding with the start of exams, wh

Ballymena Sinn Féin councillor Bréanainn Lyness with local resident Donna McElroy A long-awaited return of a community amenity has been realised in Ballymena, with a new bench installed at Devenagh Way in the Rectory Estate - replacing a previous seat removed years ago due to vandalism. The installation, completed in time for the summer months, marks a small but significant improvement for residents in the area, restoring a place to rest and gather that had been missing for s

Action for Children staff Rosie Moore, Lorna Ballard and Franci Simpson with Jon Burrows MLA A North Antrim MLA has praised the “real difference” being made by a local early years service after seeing its impact first-hand during a visit to Ballymena. Jon Burrows visited Ballymena and Little Steps Antrim Sure Start on Doury Road on Friday, 1 May, where he met staff, parents and young children benefiting from the programme. The service, which operates across three sites in the

Hannah Graham, Zarah Hutchinson, Lee Kane, Clare Doherty and Katherine Murphy led the BEAM Dawn Walk 2025, which saw over 250 participants walk through Ballymoney as the sun was rising, promoting positive mental health messages. A Ballymoney group focused on promoting positive mental health is continuing its 2026 programme with the return of its Dawn Walk and a series of community engagement efforts designed to strengthen connection, wellbeing and civic pride. BEAM – Building

Only six fixed penalty notices for dog fouling were issued across Mid and East Antrim during 2025, new figures have revealed, despite continued concerns from councillors and residents about the scale of the problem. The figures, released by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council in response to a Freedom of Information request under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, show that five fines were issued in Ballymena and one in Carrickfergus over the 12-month period. No p

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford and Maureen Pimley, Chairperson of the Islandmagee Community Development Association with representatives from the Islandmagee Community Gardening Group and the Islandmagee Community Fridge. A memorial stone marking the last witch trial on the island of Ireland has been given a new home in a community garden on the Islandmagee Peninsula, placing a centuries-old story at the heart of a modern space focused on wellbeing,