NEWS

Northern Ireland Ambulance Servi ce staff Estelle Smyth, Michael Patterson , and Derek Hamilton supporting Northern Trust colleagues on tree planting initiative Holywell Hospital in Antrim is set to undergo a major environmental transformation under a new Northern Health and Social Care Trust scheme that will see 7,000 native trees planted across the site over the next seven years. The large-scale planting programme, announced as part of the Trust’s wider sustainability strat

Evelyn Harris from Ballymena achieved six Distinctions in her VetSkill VTEC Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing (Companion Animal) course which she studied at CAFRE. The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) has celebrated the achievements of its latest veterinary care and veterinary nursing graduates, with Ballymena among the towns represented by top-performing learners recognised at a major awards ceremony in Antrim. Held at Greenmount Campus on Friday

Garden enthusiasts from across the borough and beyond are being invited to Antrim Castle Gardens this month for a free spring event featuring thousands of plants, specialist growers and expert advice, as Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council launches the countdown to one of Northern Ireland’s best-known home and garden showcases. The Spring Plant Fair will take place on Saturday 11 April 2026, running from 10am to 5pm in the picturesque Parterre Gardens at Antrim Castle Gar

Students from St Oliver Plunkett Primary School Toome are pictured on their recent tour of NI Water’s Moyola Water Treatment Works. With World Health Day fast approaching on Monday, 7 April, NI Water is once again opening the doors of its water treatment works to schools across Northern Ireland, offering pupils a rare opportunity to see first-hand the science and expertise that keeps the region’s drinking water safe. The initiative comes as this year’s global World Health Day

Cancer services in Northern Ireland remained under intense strain at the end of 2025, with the latest Department of Health figures showing that almost all key waiting time targets continued to be missed despite an increase in the number of patients beginning treatment and a sharp rise in breast cancer assessments. The newly published Accredited Official Statistics cover the quarter ending December 2025 and set out waiting times for patients accessing cancer services at hospit

Retired Irish League footballers Jeff Hughes Patients receiving care at Holywell Hospital are taking part in a new 12-week football coaching programme designed to support mental health recovery, build resilience and reduce social isolation. The initiative, launched by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust , is giving service users meaningful time away from the ward through structured coaching sessions led by former Irish League footballers and fully qualified coaches. The

Lilianna McKeown and Mollie McCrea (Cliftonville), Ava Upritchard and Alice Shaw (Crusaders), Maci Davidson and Megan McCabe (Linfield), and Aleah Neill and Sophia Currie (Glentoran) are pictured at Coronation Garden, Hazelbank Park, as the Budget Energy SuperCupNI confirms its 2026 Girls’ Sections line-up. Liverpool will make a landmark first appearance in the Girls’ Premier section of this summer’s Budget Energy SuperCupNI, in what is shaping up to be one of the tournament’

Co Antrim woman Aisling Gallagher shares her personal story of bowel cancer A County Antrim woman has shared her deeply personal experience of bowel cancer in the hope it encourages others to seek help early and potentially save lives. As April marks Bowel Cancer Awareness Month, the Northern Health and Social Care Trust has teamed up with social media influencer Aisling Gallagher from Crumlin to raise awareness of the symptoms people should never ignore and the importance o

A milestone year for one of Randalstown’s best-loved community organisations has turned into a powerful act of generosity, with Randalstown ARCHES Association raising £5,500 for two cancer charities during its 30th anniversary celebrations. The funds, raised through a series of events across the anniversary year, have been shared equally between Marie Curie and Charis Cancer Care, with each organisation receiving £2,750. The charities were chosen for deeply personal reasons —

Motorists travelling through Ballyclare tonight are being urged to plan ahead, with a key road set to close for several hours as investigators carry out further testing linked to a fatal collision. Ballyeaston Road will be closed from 9.30pm tonight (Wednesday) until 1am on Thursday, 2 April, to facilitate scene testing as part of an ongoing investigation into a fatal collision which occurred in the area on Friday, 15 August, 2025. The closure will affect the stretch of road

Antrim Area Hospital Emergency Department Emergency departments across the Northern Health and Social Care Trust remain under significant pressure, interim chief executive Suzanne Pullins told a board meeting last week. Ms Pullins said the Trust’s emergency departments “remain under pressure from the number of people coming through the system”. The Northern Trust has reported a 12 per cent increase in emergency department (ED) attendances by patients aged over 75 at Causeway

Blue household recycling bins replaced in Antrim could soon find a new home in Mid and East Antrim. Members of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Environment and Economy Committee were told at a meeting in March that a director would contact neighbouring Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council to make enquiries about the potential reuse of the wheelie bins. A triple-stack wheelie box system was rolled out to 25,000 households across the Antrim, Randalstown, Crumlin, Temple

It was a packed hall with 1000 guests attending EA’s Music Spring Gala hosted in partnership with Ulster University in the Diamond Hall at its Coleraine Campus. More than 500 young musicians from across north Antrim and mid Ulster have taken to the stage in a powerful celebration of music, community, and collaboration — marking a major milestone for youth music in the region. The EA Music Spring Gala 2026, held on Thursday 26 March at Ulster University’s Coleraine campus, bro

L-R: Declan McAleer MLA, Deputy Chair of the AERA Committee; Robbie Butler, MLA, Chair of the AERA Committee; Kathleen McBride, CEO of Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Co‑Operative Society; Michelle McIlveen MLA, AERA Committee member and Dr Janice Thompson, Committee Clerk. The scale of the crisis engulfing Lough Neagh was laid bare this week as Stormont committee members heard stark warnings from local fishers who say their industry is “dying” amid environmental decline, collapsing

An action plan is set to be implemented by the Northern Health and Social Care Trust at Whiteabbey Hospital by the end of next month in a bid to improve theatre efficiency. Trust board members were presented with a report on theatre performance at the end of February, which showed that performance in the Trust’s “peripheral” hospitals — Whiteabbey and Mid Ulster — is below target in terms of both operating and run times. Operating times refer to the time spent on each patient

Antrim Area Hospital Emergency Department (ED) Body-worn cameras will now become a permanent feature in the Emergency Department at Antrim Area Hospital, following what health officials have described as a “meaningful and constructive” pilot scheme. The decision, approved today (Thursday, March 26) by the Board of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, also paves the way for the technology to be introduced at Causeway Hospital’s Emergency Department in the near future.

Three people have been taken to hospital following a three-vehicle road traffic collision in Crumlin that caused significant disruption during the morning commute. The incident happened on the Dundrod Road shortly after 8.15am on Wednesday, 25 March, prompting an emergency response and the closure of the route for several hours. Road closed for hours after collision The Dundrod Road was shut to traffic as emergency services attended the scene and dealt with the aftermath of t

Families across Antrim and Glengormley are set for a treat this Easter as Bluey — the global children’s TV sensation — arrives on the big screen with a special cinema event designed to delight audiences of all ages. Landing in local cinemas on Friday 27 March, Bluey at the Cinema: Playdates with Friends Collection offers an hour-long experience packed with laughter, imagination and heart, just in time for the school holidays. A big-screen celebration of play, friendship and f

Money taken from criminals is being channelled back into communities across Northern Ireland, with a fresh £389,000 funding boost set to support dozens of crime prevention projects. Justice Minister Naomi Long has confirmed the additional investment through the Assets Recovery Community Scheme (ARCS), bringing renewed momentum to efforts aimed at tackling crime and reducing the fear of crime at a local level. Turning criminal profits into community protection The funding—mad

Northern Ireland will be fully included in the UK’s landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill, following a firm Government commitment secured during a House of Commons debate led by South Antrim MP Robin Swann. The former Health Minister pressed for clarity on whether the legislation would apply equally across all four nations, warning that consistency is crucial to protecting public health and avoiding divergence within the UK. ‘Common-sense’ legislation for future generations Speakin