NEWS

Pictured at the launch of Armed Forces Day 2026 at Coleraine Town Hall; Councillor Tanya Elder, Captain Robert Gibson BEM, Royal Logistic Corps 152 (North Irish) Regiment, Wing Commander Jacqueline Rankin (RAF), Deputy Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Alderman Richard Brown Stewart, Commander Tom Wardley, Senior Naval Officer NI, Councillor Dawn Huggins, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council's Veterans' Champion, Councillor Philip Anderson, Deputy Veterans Champion And k

Classic car owners from across Northern Ireland are preparing to descend on Glenarm Castle this weekend for a major vintage motoring event that blends heritage, community and charity — with thousands of pounds expected to be raised for Childline. Organised by the Ulster Vauxhall Opel Classic Community (UVOCC), ‘Drive it Day’ will take place on Sunday 26 April , bringing together historic vehicles and families for a scenic run along the Antrim Coast Road, culminating in a publ

Rob with his wife Danielle and 5 sons (Alfie, Rueben, Jacob, Carter and Cooper) A Portstewart father-of-five who once faced a life-threatening stage 4 cancer diagnosis is preparing to take on one of Northern Ireland’s toughest endurance events — as he raises vital funds for a charity that supported him through his journey. Rob Humphrey will take part in the Mourne Wall Challenge on 15 August 2026 in aid of Cancer Focus Northern Ireland, drawing on his own experience of diagno

(L-R) Stephen Baillie, Treasurer, Ballymena Table Tennis Club, Martin Mann, Vice-Chair of Ballymena Branch of Parkinson’s UK, Winifred McHugh, member of the Ballymena Branch and Bran Shannon, member of Parkinson's Bat ‘n’ Chat in Ballymena. A community initiative supporting people living with Parkinson’s in Ballymena has received a timely boost, after Ballymena Table Tennis Club donated £480 to help sustain and grow the popular Bat ‘n’ Chat sessions. The funding will support

Pic: Phill McAlinney at Irish Transport Heritage Dozens of historic and modern buses will take to the roads of Northern Ireland this weekend as leading manufacturer Wrightbus marks the start of its 80th anniversary year with a major public rally culminating at Stormont. The large-scale event on Saturday, April 25 will see a convoy of heritage buses and coaches travel from the Ulster Transport Museum in Cultra to the Stormont estate, bringing together decades of engineering hi

The winning team from the Rotary Club Generation Chef competition, are pictured with, from left, Georgie Briota, Business Development Manager at Galgorm Collection, Iris Houston, General Manager, Adair Arms Hotel, Gary Stewart, Judge and Chef Tartine of Distillers Arms, Chad Shaw, Northern Ireland Hospitality School, Samantha Wade, Quinn Merrigan, Northern Ireland Hospitality School, Eddie McGarvey, Judge and Chef at Salt House, Debbie Chestnutt, President of Ballymena Rotary

19-year-old Jamie Matthews from Antrim has been selected to represent the UK at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 A 19-year-old apprentice from Antrim is set to compete on one of the world’s biggest stages for vocational talent after being selected to represent the UK at WorldSkills Shanghai 2026 — a global contest where elite young professionals go head-to-head in high-pressure, precision-based challenges. Jamie Matthews, who is training with Mivan and studying a Level 3 Apprentice

Gallaher Trust’s Chairman, Ian Paisley, alongside Trustees, Lauren McAteer and James Perry MBE . A major funding push aimed at driving job creation and skills development across Ballymena has been launched, as The Gallaher Trust reopens applications for 2027 projects alongside a landmark event marking the town’s 400th anniversary. Business leaders, social enterprises and charities are being urged to step forward with new ideas as £400,000 in funding becomes available, with or

A new public health campaign urging people to protect themselves from harmful UV exposure has been launched across 500 community pharmacies in Northern Ireland, as figures show more than 4,000 people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year. Running throughout April and May, the ‘Care in the Sun’ initiative is being delivered through the Living Well pharmacy service, a partnership between the Public Health Agency (PHA), Community Pharmacy NI (CPNI), and the Department of Hea

Northern Ireland U17 international and tournament graduate Chloe Beckinsale and Charlotte Havern are pictured alongside Ballymena United Minor Section players Curtis McKeown and Isaac Dixon, with former Northern Ireland international and current Northern Ireland U21 Manager Tommy Wright and Karl Bradley from Budget Energy at the official draw for the 2026 Budget Energy SuperCupNI. The stage is set for one of Northern Ireland’s biggest sporting events of the summer, after the

Glass strewn over the local play park Fresh safety concerns have been raised at Fisherwick Play Park in Ballymena after glass was deliberately broken and scattered across the site over the weekend, prompting a strong response from a local councillor. The incident comes after the park underwent a significant upgrade recently, funded by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, and has left residents worried about the safety of children using the popular community facility. Damage a

Antrim Area Hospital ED, and Ballee Cemetery, Ballymena More than 1,000 people in Northern Ireland are estimated to have died in 2025 after waiting 12 hours or more in Emergency Departments, according to a major new report warning the system is no longer functioning safely. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) said 1,032 excess deaths were associated with long waits last year — the equivalent of almost 20 lives lost every week — as pressure inside hospitals contin

Fibrus specialist with students in Mount St Michael’s Primary School, Randalstown. A new campaign to help children across Northern Ireland navigate the risks of the digital world has been launched, with a key rollout event taking place at Mount St Michael’s Primary School in Randalstown. Full fibre broadband provider Fibrus has begun delivering its “Surf Smart Stay Safe” initiative in primary schools, aiming to equip pupils with practical skills to stay safe online — from

A new Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) campaign is urging the public to recognise the warning signs of stalking after nearly 1,000 arrests were made since the offence was criminalised, with officers warning that behaviours often dismissed as romantic can escalate into serious harm. Launched to coincide with National Stalking Awareness Week (20–26 April) , the campaign uses a two-minute “romantic comedy” style trailer to challenge misconceptions around stalking, highl

A free eight-week training academy aimed at preparing local people for careers in GP practices is returning to Ballymena, after delivering strong employment outcomes and sustained job placements for participants over the past year. The Northern GP Federation Support Unit (NFSU) has confirmed the second year of its Medical Administration Training Academy, delivered in partnership with Mid and East Antrim Labour Market Partnership (LMP) and funded by the Department for Communit

Residents, businesses and visitors are being invited to have their say on the future of Carrickfergus, as a major £42.2 million regeneration scheme moves into its next phase with a new public consultation event later this month. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has confirmed it will host a free drop-in session on Thursday 23 April 2026 at Carrickfergus Museum & Civic Centre , giving the public an opportunity to view the latest designs for the Carrickfergus City Deal Regene

Hannah Scott MBE who received the Freedom of the Borough at a special civic ceremony at Coleraine Town Hall. (Pics: Steven McAuley/ Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council) Coleraine’s Olympic gold medallist Hannah Scott MBE has been awarded the Freedom of the Borough — the highest civic honour available — in recognition of her historic achievement at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The honour was formally conferred by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council during a special

Waterstone’s Ballymena has revealed its latest Top 10 bestselling books, with local author Jan Carson taking the top spot in a chart that reflects a strong appetite for gripping fiction, memoir and practical lifestyle reads. Carson’s newest novel Few and Far Between leads the list, underlining the continued support for Northern Ireland writers, while bestselling thrillers, cookbooks and contemporary non-fiction round out a diverse and engaging selection for readers this week

Ballymena Causeway Credit Union (BCCU) on William Street, Ballymena Ballymena Causeway Credit Union will begin operating under a new trading name, Evolve Credit Union , from 30 April 2026, marking a significant shift following years of expansion and the integration of members from across multiple local credit unions. The move comes after a period of sustained growth and a series of Transfers of Engagement that brought together members from Causeway, Antrim, Randalstown and su

North Antrim MP Jim Allister KC A call for urgent Government action on lobular breast cancer research has been made by Jim Allister KC MP , who warned that patients are continuing to receive treatments not designed for their specific disease due to decades of underinvestment. The North Antrim MP said that while recent engagement between Ministers, senior scientists and the Lobular Moon Shot Project is welcome, it has so far failed to deliver the decisive commitment needed to