NEWS

Ballymena’s own Jack Mitchell has quite literally taken fundraising to new heights after completing a daring aeroplane wing walk to raise money for Air Ambulance Northern Ireland (NI). On October 4th, Jack travelled to Bristol to take on the bucket-list challenge with AeroSuperBatics Wingwalkers, experiencing the thrill of being strapped to the top of a flying aircraft for a breathtaking ten-minute flight. Despite stormy weather and challenging winds, Jack’s adventure went ah

Mid and East Antrim In Bloom Community Awards Winners and Runners-Up Mid and East Antrim’s green-fingered residents, schools, and community groups have been recognised for their outstanding contributions to the Borough’s beauty and biodiversity at this year’s In Bloom Community Awards. The special awards ceremony, hosted by the Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford , took place at Larne Market Yard and celebrated 19 winners and runners-up for their creativi

Asda has announced the return of its popular £1 ‘Winter Warmer’ café meal deal, designed to support people aged 60 and over through the colder months as many continue to face financial pressures. From 1st November until the end of February, anyone aged 60 or above can enjoy a bowl of soup, a bread roll, and unlimited tea or coffee for just £1 at any of Asda’s 212 cafés across the UK. Diners can choose between two soup flavours — Tomato or Chicken — offering a comforting and a

The new Wrightbus StreetDeck Ultroliner model, built in Ballymena, entering service on the Isle of Man The Isle of Man’s public transport network is set for a major upgrade as six new cutting-edge diesel buses built by Wrightbus prepare to enter service, replacing vehicles that have been serving the island’s communities for up to 14 years. The new StreetDeck Ultroliner models, designed and manufactured by the leading Ballymena-based engineering firm, will join the Bus Vannin

Children from Braidside Primary School, Ballymena, were joined by Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford, as they enjoyed a Forest School session recently. Primary school pupils from across the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council area are embracing nature as part of this year’s Forest Schools Programme, funded by Council and delivered by the Northern Ireland Forest School Association (NIFSA). With support from the Council’s Parks and Open Spaces team, the in

Pictured at the unveiling of the newly refurbished Bank Road Business Park in Larne are, from left, Phelim Sharvin, Head of Community Finance Ireland, Simon McDowell, Kilwaughter Foundation, Aoife Butler, Senior Business Manager at Danske Bank, Dr Norman Apsley OBE, LEDCOM Chairman, Jenny Ervine, Kilwaughter Foundation, Ken Nelson MBE, LEDCOM Chief Executive, Peter Houston, Head of North Business Centre at Danske Bank and Catherine Anderson, LEDCOM Business and Marketing Exec

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has announced the cancellation of its popular annual ‘Hallowena’ event at Ballymena’s People’s Park due to forecasted high winds and heavy rain. The decision was made following Met Office warnings of gusts of up to 56mph and persistent downpours on Thursday 30 October, which would make conditions unsafe for both attendees and council staff. A Council spokesperson said the difficult decision was based on public safety concerns: “With such h

Glenarm, County Antrim Mid and East Antrim councillors have voted against introducing additional car park barriers along the Antrim Coast, opting instead to retain the current arrangements. At Monday evening’s meeting of the council’s Environment and Economy Committee, held at The Braid in Ballymena, members agreed to keep the existing barriers in place, with none to be removed. The committee was told that access to some council-owned car parks had previously been restricted

Waterfoot Beach, County Antrim (Image: Angela McIlgorm) Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has endorsed plans to replace the damaged boardwalk at Waterfoot Beach with a compacted dust path. At October’s Leisure and Development Committee meeting, councillors were told that the existing boardwalk, installed in 2015, had deteriorated significantly and now poses safety and maintenance concerns. Members were presented with two replacement options: Option 1: A compacted dust

Councillor Alan Barr during a site visit to Carnlough Road, Broughshane, where there are community concerns over the speed of vehicles. Braid Ulster Unionist Councillor Alan Barr has called for urgent action to address serious road safety concerns on the Carnlough Road, Broughshane, following repeated complaints from residents about speeding vehicles and unsafe conditions for pedestrians. The stretch of road, located just outside the 30mph zone, currently carries a 60mph spee

Back row, from left, Matt Robinson, Volunteer Coordinator at ReStore Ballymena, Greg McKinley, Director of Operations at The Gallaher Trust and James Perry MBE, a Trustee of The Gallaher Trust. Pictured at the foreground is Isobel Kerr, ReStore Ballymena Manager.   The Gallaher Trust has announced a £170,000 commitment over the next three years to support Habitat for Humanity Ireland’s new Retail Ready at ReStore initiative in Ballymena — a project designed to equip local peo

Ballymena’s business community turned out in record numbers on Thursday night for the 2025 Ballymena Business Excellence Awards, marking a landmark year for the prestigious event. More than 480 guests packed into the Tullyglass House Hotel for the 22nd annual gala, which saw a record number of entries — including 37 businesses entering for the first time. Organised by the Ballymena Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry , the awards were once again sponsored by Mid and East An

McDonnell Shields for Head Boy and Head Girl presented to students Ruairi Hendron and Aleena Shiji St Patrick’s College, Ballymena has celebrated the achievements of its pupils during the 2024–25 academic year at its annual prizegiving ceremony, which featured an inspiring address by past pupil and businesswoman Mrs Johanna Montgomery . Mrs Montgomery, who trained as a kitchen designer before expanding into wider areas of home design, shared insights from her career journey a

Olivia and her cousin who made and sold bracelets to raise funds to support The Children’s Cancer Unit Charity through The Spooky Gardens Ballymena Young fundraiser Olivia Rose Mark inspires visitors as Halloween attraction returns to raise funds for vital children’s charity A young Ballymena girl has captured hearts this Halloween after raising £280 for The Children’s Cancer Unit Charity through her own handmade creations. Olivia Rose Mark, who previously donated money she r

Alliance East Antrim MLA Danny Donnelly on the Antrim coast Alliance East Antrim MLA Danny Donnelly has welcomed confirmation that long-awaited action will finally be taken to replace the dangerous and rusted railings along the Coast Road in Larne. The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) has confirmed that an external contractor has been instructed to assess seven sections of railings identified as being in a poor and unsafe condition, and to begin the process of replacing th

U is for Upside-Down Pineapple Cake! It's a retro 80s throwbacks for 'U'! This is a really moist sponge (know you all love that word S), and I actually think it's an underrated bake. Enjoy! Jill Stewart ( @jillbakes_ ) INGREDIENTS… For the upside down part: 50g butter, room temp 50g light soft brown sugar 7 pineapple rings in syrup or own juice, drained and keep 2 tbsp of the pineapple juice/syrup 7 glacé cherries For the cake: 200g butter, room temp 200g golden caster sugar

North Antrim TUV MLA Timothy Gaston taking part in a debate at Queen’s University North Antrim TUV MLA Timothy Gaston has said unionism is “stronger with variety” and warned that calls for a single unionist party would “weaken us in the long term.” Mr Gaston was reflecting on his participation in a Queen’s University Belfast Literific Society debate earlier this week on the motion “A Single Unionist Party.” The MLA said it was his first time at Queen’s and his first experi

Robin Swann MP during his Crumlin constituency surgery South Antrim MP Robin Swann has welcomed decisive action by local police to tackle dangerous driving across Crumlin and Nutts Corner. Concerns about reckless driving in the area were raised with Mr Swann by a local resident who attended his recent constituency surgery in Crumlin. The MP said he was encouraged by the prompt response from the police following these reports. Mr Swann stated: “I want to thank the Antrim and

Antrim Area Hospital Emergency Department The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has warned that it may be “difficult to provide all services whilst managing the expected increase in demand for unscheduled or critical care” as it launches its 2025/26 Winter Plan. Outlining the plan to board members during a meeting at Antrim Hospital on Thursday, Gillian Traub, Director of Operations , acknowledged that staff are “very anxious” about the coming months. She said planning

Remembering: Mrs Anna Irons A much-loved figure behind one of Ballymena’s most cherished family businesses has sadly passed away. Irons Home Bakery, a longstanding institution in the town, announced the death of Mrs Anna Irons on Sunday morning, 26 October. In a heartfelt statement, the bakery said: “Due to the passing of Mrs Anna Irons this morning, Irons Home Bakery will be closed until Wednesday as a mark of respect. “We aim to reopen on Thursday but we will update this pa