NEWS

Carolyn Tailford, Founder, Senior Director and Chair of A Safe Space to be Me . Adults with ADHD in Northern Ireland are being left without diagnosis, medication and support, according to mental health charity A Safe Space to Be Me, which has responded to the publication of the Department of Health’s long-awaited ADHD Needs Assessment. The report, published on Thursday, 12 February 2026, by the Department of Health, confirms significant gaps in provision for both children and

Eileen Russell, professional play therapist and founder of WayMaker Child Therapy, is pictured as the Ballymena-based child play therapy organisation unveils a therapeutic initiative combining digital storytelling and animation, practical support resources and sensory tools to support children’s emotional wellbeing. A Ballymena-based child play therapy organisation has launched a new therapeutic initiative, Little Bear, aimed at helping children navigate complex emotions thro

Des McKeown and other members of Back in the Game Ballymena, welcomes Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford. Back in the Game Ballymena welcomed a special guest to their annual presentation morning this week, as the Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Councillor Jackson Minford, attended the event during the group’s weekly football session. The presentation morning took place on Thursday morning, February 5, bringing together players and supporter

William Sayers A powerful first-hand account of the dangers faced on Northern Ireland’s farms will be shared in Ballyeaston tomorrow night, as William Sayers addresses a Farm Health and Safety talk hosted by the Ballyeaston Vintage Tractor Club. The free event takes place on Friday 6 February at 7.30pm, at 19 Trenchill Road, Ballyeaston, BT39 9SJ , with tea and refreshments served and everyone welcome. Organisers say the evening is aimed at farmers, families and the wider r

Monira Zahan (Delta Air Lines), Natalie, Fiona Oseibaffour (Delta Air Lines) A young woman from Ballyclare has been recognised for her resilience and determination after winning a prestigious award at the Northern Ireland final of The King’s Trust and TK Maxx Awards, held at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens. Natalie, 22, scooped the Delta Air Lines Breakthrough Award at the ceremony on Friday 30 January, an accolade which recognises a young person who has overcome personal bar

Emergency departments across Northern Ireland are under sustained pressure, with rising demand, sicker patients and long waits continuing to challenge the health service, new figures release today (Thursday 5 February 2026) from the Department of Health (DoH) show. The latest bulletin covers all new and unplanned attendances at emergency care departments (EDs) during October, November and December 2025. It provides a detailed picture of how long patients are waiting, how many

Robin Swann MP and John Stewart MLA have led a cross-sector delegation to Westminster to warn that proposed changes to UK funding arrangements could place Northern Ireland’s community and voluntary organisations at serious risk. The delegation travelled to London to challenge the planned replacement of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) with the new Local Growth Fund, raising concerns that the transition could result in a damaging gap in support for frontline services reli

Lucy McAleese was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease when she was a toddler. The disease is rare, affecting around 8 in every 100,000 children under the age of 5 in the UK. A young woman from Ballymena is speaking publicly for the first time about growing up with a rare and potentially life-threatening heart condition, in a bid to raise awareness that heart disease does not only affect older people. Lucy McAleese , 22, has lived with Kawasaki disease since she was a toddler — a

Justice Minister Naomi Long pictured with Nexus NI CEO Joanne Barnes at the annual conference of charity Nexus NI, which works with survivors of abuse, and which this year had the theme ‘Unmasking sexual abuse – uncomfortable truths’. Justice Minister Naomi Long has said that sexual abuse continues to thrive in silence, secrecy and discomfort, warning that confronting it requires sustained action from everyone across society. The Minister was speaking in Belfast at the annua

John Ferris (Ulster Bank), Stephanie, Gillian McCandless, Ruth McGilligan (both Ulster Bank) A Co Antrim woman who turned personal hardship into a thriving community business has been recognised with a prestigious award from The King’s Trust at a ceremony held at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens. Stephanie, 28, was named the winner of the NatWest Enterprise Award at the Northern Ireland final of The King’s Trust and TK Maxx Awards on Friday 30 January. The accolade recognises

Interim Chief Executive of the NI Ambulance Service (NIAS), Maxine Paterson Chest pain and stroke patients in Northern Ireland waited an average of two hours and 29 minutes for an ambulance last week, according to figures revealed by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS). The stark statistics were disclosed by NIAS Interim Chief Executive Maxine Paterson at last Thursday’s (29 January) board meeting of the Southern Health and Social Care Trust, where she warned that

Clive Fulton, of Clive Fulton Eyecare, announcing the special Nuance Audio Glasses demonstration morning on Wednesday 11 February Clive Fulton Eyecare (Galgorm) has announced the arrival of an innovative new hearing solution designed to transform how people with mild to moderate hearing loss experience sound in everyday life. Nuance Audio Glasses combine advanced hearing technology with modern, stylish eyewear, offering discreet hearing support without the appearance or fee

Joanne McCook in conversation with Northern Trust Clinical Nurse Specialist Yvonne McGraw. “Everyone should be cancer aware.” That is the clear message from Co Antrim woman Joanne McCook, who has shared her personal breast cancer journey ahead of World Cancer Day on Wednesday 4 February. Joanne, who lives in Ballybogey, was diagnosed with Grade 3 breast cancer in 2022 despite feeling well and having no warning signs. Now, through a partnership with the Northern Health and Soc

Cullybackey Community Partnership (CCP) has been awarded £59,000 from The Gallaher Trust. Pictured are CCP Trustees, Elizabeth Boyd, Ruth Orr and Community Development Officer, Samantha Peden, alongside James Perry MBE, a Trustee at The Gallaher Trust.    A Cullybackey-based community organisation is set to significantly expand its reach after securing £59,000 in three-year funding from The Gallaher Trust, enabling hundreds more local residents to benefit from wellbeing, ski

Inset: Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan, chair of Northern Ireland Health Committee Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan has said the introduction of minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol would help to save lives and reduce alcohol-related harm, after Stormont’s Health Committee agreed to formally back proposed legislation. The North Antrim MLA, who chairs the Assembly’s Health Committee, was speaking after members heard detailed evidence on the impact of excessive alcohol consumption

Staff members at Archway Community Mental Health Service pictured with the Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt. The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has strengthened its commitment to community-based mental health care with the opening of new bespoke facilities in Carrickfergus. The newly launched Archway Community Mental Health Service , located within the grounds of Carrickfergus Health Centre, provides assessment, diagnosis and treatment for individuals experiencing mental

Catherine Sherry, a 42-year-old mother from Co Armagh, died after being forced to travel to London for treatment that was available around 60 miles away in Dublin Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council is to write to the Health Ministers in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to seek progress on an all-Ireland provision of CAR T-cell therapy. The move follows a successful motion brought forward by Sinn Féin councillor Leanne Peacock at the council’s Corporate

A new free Digital Skills training programme aimed at people who are deaf or have hearing loss is being rolled out across Northern Ireland, with accessible sessions taking place in local libraries throughout February and March. The initiative, delivered by AdaptNI and supported by the Department of Finance, is designed to tackle digital exclusion by providing deaf-aware, visual and practical training tailored to the everyday needs of people who often face barriers when acces

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has backed a motion supporting the use of silent fireworks at council events and on council-owned property. The motion was proposed by Antrim DUP Councillor Paul Dunlop BEM at a meeting of the council in Mossley Mill, Newtownabbey, on Monday evening. Cllr Dunlop asked the council to note the “negative impact” the noise of fireworks can have on children, pets and livestock, and called for a council-led campaign to raise awareness of

(L-R) Professor Mark Lawler, Professor of Digital Health at Queen’s University Belfast and Co-Lead of the eHealth Hub for Cancer; Margaret Grayson, Patient Advocate, Northern Ireland Cancer Research Consumer Forum (NICRCF); Minister of Health for Northern Ireland, Mike Nesbitt; Miriam Staunton, Chairperson, United Cancer Advocates Network Ireland (UCAN); and Professor Aedin Culhane, Professor of Cancer at University of Limerick and Programme Co-Lead of the eHealth Hub for Can