NEWS

The Mayor of Mid & East Antrim Cllr Jackson Minford joins with Women’s Aid CEO Gillian Creevy and St Colmcille’s Primary Vice Principal, Miss Catherine Stewart to launch Women’s Aid Heading For Healthy Relationships Primary School programme funded by the EVAWG Change Fund. A new preventative education initiative aimed at helping young people build healthy, respectful relationships has been launched at St Colmcille Primary School in Ballymena. The Heading For Healthy Relations

Santa arriving in Ballymena last weekend Mid and East Antrim is set to sparkle this weekend as the festive season continues in full swing, with Larne and Carrickfergus preparing to burst into life with music, markets, parades and magical Christmas cheer at their annual Christmas Lights Switch-On celebrations. Both towns will host a wide range of family-friendly entertainment, live performances, festive characters and crafts – with the much-anticipated arrival of Santa adding

Good Boy Olly who can't contain his excitement to meet Santa Paws at Dogs Trust Ballymena's Christmas Fair Festive fun is on the way to County Antrim as Dogs Trust Ballymena prepares to host its much-loved Christmas Fair on Saturday 6 December, complete with a special appearance from the one and only Santa Paws. The annual event is a firm favourite with local supporters, and this year promises to be no exception as the team welcomes families, dog lovers and their four-legged

Robert Scott from KCA Motors, winner of the Best Marketing Campaign (Independent Dealer) Award at the 2025 NI Motor Industry Awards, presented by Valerie Ludlow from award founders ASG . Ballymena-based KCA Motors has driven away with one of the top honours at this year’s Northern Ireland Motor Industry Awards, securing the coveted Best Marketing Campaign (Independent Dealer) title. The independent dealer was among dozens of businesses recognised at the prestigious ceremony,

Dr Emily McIntosh, a Care of the Elderly Consultant based at the Causeway Hospital With flu-related hospital attendances already rising, the Northern Health and Social Care Trust is calling on the public to take simple steps to protect themselves and help reduce growing pressure on local health services this winter. Dr Emily McIntosh, a Care of the Elderly Consultant at Causeway Hospital , said the Trust is seeing a concerning spike in flu cases far earlier in the season. “We

Lapwing nest in the Antrim Hills The 2025 breeding season has delivered a significant boost for some of Northern Ireland’s most threatened wading birds, thanks to a close partnership between RSPB NI, local farmers and landowners across the Antrim Hills. RSPB NI staff and volunteers have spent recent months surveying, protecting and monitoring key species across a number of sites, working hand-in-hand with the agricultural community to improve habitat conditions and give vulne

A County Antrim engineering company has been fined £10,000 after a worker suffered severe foot injuries during an unsafe lifting operation at its Coleraine premises. Maine Surface Finishing Ltd was sentenced today at Laganside Crown Court, Belfast, after earlier pleading guilty to a single health and safety offence following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI). The court heard that the incident took place on 29 August 2023, when an

(L-R) David Jackson, CEO of Causeway Coast and Glens District Council, Ellvena Graham, Chair of Tourism NI, Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Chief Championships Officer at The R&A, David McMullan, deputy chair of the championships committee at Royal Portrush Golf Club and Aine Kearney, Director of Events at Tourism NI announce that £280 million in economic benefit was provided to Northern Ireland by The 153 rd Open at Royal Portrush. The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush has generated an ex

We've made it to 'V' for Victoria Sponge - SAVE this all time classic, failsafe recipe. This is a recipe you should have up your sleeve for birthdays and celebrations - everyone will love you! Sometimes the classics are just the best. I went for a flavoured vanilla cream but you could also use buttercream. I guarantee this will go down well. Only 4 more recipes to complete the A-Z! Jill Stewart ( @jillbakes_ ) INGREDIENTS… Serves 12-14 For the sponge: 225g butter or spread, s

Ballymena is set to come alive with festive cheer as the much-loved Jingle All the Way campaign returns for 2025, with the Ballymena NI Hospice Support Group preparing to host its eagerly anticipated Jingle Day in aid of the Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice. Taking place on Saturday 6th December , from 10:00am to 3:30pm , the event promises a packed programme of family-friendly entertainment across Harmony Hub (the Bandstand) and Greenvale Street , bringing the communit

Asda Antrim trolley porter, Tony Burns Customers at Asda Antrim say they are “in safe hands” thanks to porter Tony Burns , whose quick thinking and kindness have earned him a reputation as a car park hero. The father of seven, who has worked at the store for almost a decade, has helped a string of customers in need — from changing tyres to rescuing a baby accidentally locked in a car. Tony, described by colleagues as someone who always “goes the extra mile”, has become a fam

Dobbies’ Senior Plant Buyer, Claire Bishop, with Poinsettias. (Images: Stewart Attwood Photography) Dobbies’ Lisburn and Antrim stores are ushering in the festive season with the arrival of their highly anticipated annual delivery of poinsettias. The popular garden centre chain is expecting strong customer demand this year, particularly for the traditional red variety, as nostalgic Christmas décor trends continue to dominate. The delivery marks the start of a blooming festive

Pudsey and Asda Antrim's Ashley Ritchie visited local schools in aid of BBC Children in Need Colleagues at Asda Antrim have helped raise an impressive £2,100 for BBC Children in Need after teaming up with customers and local schools to support the annual charity appeal. The fundraising effort was led by the store’s Community Champion, Ashley Ritchie , who organised a series of activities including tombolas, raffles, in-store bucket collections and visits to nearby primary sch

Waterstone’s Ballymena has revealed this week’s Top 10 bestselling books, alongside fantastic half-price offers, festive storytime fun, and the highly anticipated romantasy release Brimstone by Callie Hart. This Week’s Top 10 Bestsellers Exit Strategy – Lee Child & Andrew Child Jack Reacher is back in this high-octane thriller as he pursues a dangerous conspiracy with his trademark resourcefulness and grit. A gripping addition to the bestselling series. Always Remember – Char

Lough Neagh, County Antrim Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council’s Economic Development Committee has deferred a decision on acting as a site host for The Gateway Project, a new initiative developed to support early detection of blue-green algae bloom in Lough Neagh. A report was presented to a meeting of the committee at Mossley Mill, Newtownabbey, on Tuesday evening. Members were told that Helix8 Ltd, a Larne-based technology company, has secured funding under the Belfast

Mural artists Friz (Marian Noone) and Gerry Norman with the new mural unveiled at the Telegraph Building in Donegall Street A vibrant new mural celebrating Belfast’s musical heritage has been unveiled on Donegall Street, marking four years since the city became a UNESCO City of Music – the only city in Ireland to hold the prestigious title. The large-scale artwork, commissioned by Belfast City Council, was created by acclaimed artists Friz (Marian Noone) and Gerry Norman. Str

Meat and other foodstuffs are among the items most frequently stolen from shops in Mid and East Antrim, according to crime prevention officer Paul Black. The PSNI officer told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that there has been “a big increase in shoplifting” in the borough since the pandemic. “There are two types – those who are desperate for food and those who are stealing to order,” he said. Speaking at a public meeting of the Mid and East Antrim Policing and Comm

A puffin makes history on the Isle of Muck Nature Reserve, off Islandmagee – the first to nest here in Ulster Wildlife’s 25 years of managing this seabird sanctuary. (Images & Video: Ronald Surgenor) For the first time in a quarter of a century, puffins have been recorded nesting on Ulster Wildlife’s Isle of Muck Nature Reserve, off Islandmagee in Co. Antrim — marking a significant milestone for seabird recovery in Northern Ireland. The discovery, made during routine surveys

Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s (PSNI) Organised Crime Branch have taken part in a major UK-wide crackdown on organised crime groups exploiting high street businesses, as part of the second phase of Operation Machinize. The National Crime Agency (NCA)-led initiative, supported by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), brought together police forces and partner agencies across the UK for a month-long intensified period of action throughout October

Northern Trust dietetic colleagues Kathryn Duff, Shelley Hannon, Michelle Graham Steele, Ursula Quinn, Katherine Hudson and Elizabeth Armstrong received the ‘Community Nutrition Professional of the Year’ award at the 2025 Complete Nutrition (CN) Awards in recognition of their innovative work around community nutrition care. A team of dietitians from the Northern Health and Social Care Trust has been named ‘Community Nutrition Professional of the Year’ at the 2025 Complete Nut