NEWS

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. A major programme designed to help people access debt advice earlier and more easily will continue into the next financial year after strong early results across Northern Ireland. Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has confirmed that the Integrated Advice Partnership F

North Antrim Alliance MLA Sian Mulholland Families across North Antrim could face deeper hardship if welfare spending is reduced to boost defence funding, according to Alliance MLA Sian Mulholland. The party’s poverty spokesperson said calls from senior DUP figures to divert money away from welfare budgets were “catastrophically out of touch” with the pressures facing households during the ongoing energy crisis. Her comments follow remarks from DUP leaders Arlene Foster and

More than 55,000 electricity customers across Northern Ireland are set to see their bills rise from April after two suppliers confirmed significant tariff increases. Click Energy will increase its electricity tariff by 9.5%, while Share Energy customers will face a much larger rise of 26.4%, with both changes coming into effect on 1 April 2026. The increases mean a typical Click Energy household could pay around £108 more per year, while a typical Share Energy customer could

Inset: North Antrim MLA Paul Frew Concerns raised by new mothers in the Ballymena area about postnatal care arrangements have prompted intervention from North Antrim MLA Paul Frew , who sought urgent clarification from health officials after reports that women were being asked to attend clinic appointments just days after giving birth. Mr Frew said he had been contacted by constituents worried about a move towards centralised postnatal appointments within the Northern Health

North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston has warned that proposed changes to special educational needs (SEN) support could place classroom assistant jobs at risk and increase pressure inside classrooms. Speaking in the Northern Ireland Assembly on Monday, Gaston paid tribute to the “vital role classroom assistants play” in supporting pupils but said staff and families are increasingly worried about how the proposed reforms may work in practice. The Tr

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons pictured with Head Boy, Jake Quigley, Head Girl, Emma-Louise White and Richard Williams, Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Screen at his recent visit to Antrim Grammar School to see Northern Ireland Screen’s creative education and careers pipeline. Young people in Northern Ireland could find their future careers in the rapidly growing screen and creative industries, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said during a visit to Antrim Grammar Sc

South Antrim MP Robin Swann outside Parliament A looming funding crisis threatening vital community services across Northern Ireland has prompted South Antrim MP Robin Swann to challenge the Prime Minister to intervene directly. In a letter sent to 10 Downing Street, Mr Swann warned that thousands of vulnerable people could lose critical support unless changes are made to the UK Government’s new Local Growth Fund, which will replace the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The MP said

PSNI PD Jess A remarkable police dog who helped take more than £1 million worth of drugs, cash and firearms off the streets has retired after an eight-year career with the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Retired police dog Jess, a nine-year-old Labrador, joined the PSNI as a search and detection dog in 2018 and worked alongside her handler Sarah throughout a distinguished career that saw her repeatedly uncover hidden criminal caches. Now, after hanging up her harness at t

Managing director William John O’Donnell at WJ O’Donnell & Sons, and Elaine Brannigan from Cruse Bereavement Support Northern Ireland A special Christmas remembrance evening in Ballymena has raised £2,510 for Cruse Bereavement Support Northern Ireland, thanks to the generosity of local residents and businesses. The “True Meaning of Christmas – Special Community Gathering Night”, hosted by WJ O’Donnell & Sons Funeral Directors, took place on Sunday 7th December at the family-r

Pictured are Claudia Jones, Northern Ireland Hospice Corporate Relations Manager, with Menarysstaff members Melissa Gormley, Marketing Manager, Aileen Murnion, Area Manager, and Linda Thompson, Store Manager at Menarys Lisburn. A well-known Northern Ireland department store group has launched a new year-long partnership aimed at supporting specialist hospice care for families across the region. Menarys has named Northern Ireland Hospice as its Charity of the Year for 2026, wi

Mark McKane (middle) after scooping the club lifted Ulster Squash Club of the Year 2025, with Ben and Daniel McKane, representing Ballymena Squash Club at Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club. A squash club formed just two years ago is already reshaping the sport locally — with Ballymena Squash Club crowned Ulster Squash Club of the Year 2025 and its driving force Mark McKane recognised nationally as Squash Ireland Volunteer of the Year . The double recognition marks a significant m

Pictured launching a new initiative aimed at stamping out smoking on hospital sites are Northern Trust Medical Director, Dr George Gardiner; Round Tower Integrated Primary School and Nursery Unit Principal, Mrs Monica Turner with pupils from P2 and P5 Local schoolchildren are being invited to lend their voices to a new campaign aimed at discouraging smoking outside hospital entrances — with the hope that hearing a child’s message could make smokers pause, reflect, and even co

Gary Hegarty, owner of Mindful Gardens reflects on the benefits of changing his career and returning to education by studying Horticulture at CAFRE Greenmount Campus. After nearly two decades designing sports pages for a national newspaper, Gary Hegarty found himself facing a turning point — one shaped by rapid technological change and a growing desire to work closer to the natural world. Today, he runs his own garden design business, Mindful Gardens. But the path from newsr

Shutters down: The changing face of Ballymena town centre. Church Street, Ballymena. Business leaders across Mid and East Antrim have issued a stark warning to councillors: town centres are entering a period of accelerating decline — and without urgent intervention the damage could become irreversible. In coordinated correspondence sent directly by email to Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s elected representatives, the chairs of Larne Business Forum and Ballymena Business

A community standing and walking together in memory of Chloe Mitchell and in solidarity with the Mitchell and McDowell families. A moving vigil in Ballymena has brought a community together once again to honour the memory of Chloe Mitchell and show solidarity with her family ahead of the continuation of court proceedings later this week. The gathering, held in the Harryville area on Sunday 8 March, coincided with International Women’s Day and drew members of the local communi

Senior officials from the Department for Communities will face further scrutiny at Stormont this week after a key Assembly committee criticised the department’s latest update on tackling child poverty as “wholly inadequate”. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has recalled departmental representatives to provide fresh oral evidence on Thursday, 12 March, amid mounting concern about the pace of progress on the Child Poverty Strategy in Northern Ireland. The move follows a stro

Some of the team of Martin & Hamilton Construction at their Ballymena head office handing over the cheque to Jessica Steele from Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice A Ballymena construction company has helped deliver a significant boost for families facing some of life’s toughest challenges after raising £15,000 for Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice. Martin & Hamilton Construction presented the cheque last week after naming Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice as its Charit

Galgorm Collection is donating funding to Braidwater Seniors to enable them to knit hats and blankets for babies in Antrim Area Hospital. Tara Moore, third from left, Associate Director of Spa Operations at Galgorm Collection and Julie Elliott, nurse practitioner at Antrim Area Hospital are pictured with members of Braidwater Seniors . A group of Ballymena knitters are preparing to spend the coming months crafting tiny hats and blankets for newborn babies in hospital — a

The first 1,000 days of a baby’s life can shape their future health, education and wellbeing — and experts say getting support right during that window is critical. Leaders from across Northern Ireland’s health, education and community sectors gathered to launch a refreshed Infant Mental Health Framework and Action Plan designed to strengthen support for families from pregnancy through to a child’s third birthday. The updated framework, announced by Health Minister Mike Nesbi

A special event at Stormont will bring together survivors and families affected by terrorism to mark European Day for Victims of Terrorism, with powerful personal testimonies set to highlight the lasting human cost of violence. The annual commemoration, organised by Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV), will take place in the Senate Chamber at Parliament Buildings at 11am on Monday 9 March, with refreshments available from 10:30am. Announcing the event, TUV MLA Timothy Gaston sa