NEWS

Almost 900 complaints were made to the Northern Health and Social Care Trust during a nine-month period, as new figures reveal a sharp rise in complaints across Northern Ireland’s health service. The Northern Trust recorded 896 complaints between April and December 2025 — 17% of the 5,222 received by all six Health and Social Care Trusts, including the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service. Across Northern Ireland, the total was up by 1,208 — or 30% — from 4,014 during the same

Inset: TUV councillor Jonathan McAuley TUV councillor Jonathan McAuley has expressed disappointment over what he says is a lack of progress by Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council on exploring alternatives to traditional fireworks at its Halloween events. The councillor raised the issue again during September’s Environmental Services Committee meeting, almost a year after suggesting that options including silent fireworks and drone shows should be considered. Concerns ove

PD Isco who helped discovere the seized haul Drugs valued by police at around £50,000 have been seized alongside weapons and approximately £5,000 in cash during searches in Ballymoney and Armoy. Two people were arrested following the operation on Monday 7 September. One was subsequently charged with drug-related offences and a firearms offence and remanded in custody after appearing in court on Tuesday. Knuckledusters, knives and taser batons were among the weapons recovered,

The Northern Ireland Prison Service has been awarded the Freedom of the Borough of Causeway Coast and Glens, honouring more than a century of public service and remembering the 32 members of the service who lost their lives while serving the community. The prestigious civic honour was conferred during a special ceremony at Roe Valley Arts and Cultural Centre on Saturday, attended by Prison Service representatives, members of the Lieutenancy, elected representatives and invite

Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Councillor Dawn Huggins, pictured with Paul Ross, whose Sky Blue Ribbon fundraising appeal was named Fundraising Volunteer Group of the Year at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising Northern Ireland Awards. A County Antrim father who has turned the devastating loss of his 21-year-old daughter into a fundraising movement that has raised more than £100,000 for Air Ambulance Northern Ireland has received special recognition from the Mayor of

Local woman Rebecca ‘Rebs’ Lightbody Lucy led the length of Ireland to raise money for Leukaemia & Lymphoma NI Co Antrim woman Rebecca ‘Rebs’ Lightbody had barely ridden a road bike when she decided to cycle more than 570 kilometres across Ireland alone. She wasn’t chasing a personal record or trying to prove she could do it. She was doing it for two of her best friends. Both women, friends since school, had been diagnosed with lymphoma within the space of just three years —

The scene of the collision in Co Antrim where emergency responders feared the worst upon arrival A driver escaped without life-changing injuries after being thrown through the sunroof of a car during a violent crash on a narrow rural road in Co Antrim. Police described the outcome as a “miracle” after officers from Ballymoney and Moyle arrived to find the badly damaged vehicle in a field, with clothing and personal belongings scattered around the scene. The single-vehicle col

Aerial view of the existing Guest House complex. A long-established guest house on the outskirts of Ballymoney could be converted back into a private family home after a planning application was lodged with Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council. The application seeks permission to change the use of Harmony Hill Guest House and Restaurant, at 60–64 Balnamore Road, from guest accommodation to a single domestic dwelling. A return to the building’s original purpose Planning do

County Antrim man Paul Ross picked up the Fundraising Volunteer Group of the Year award at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising Northern Ireland Awards. The loss of his daughter changed Paul Ross’s life forever. What followed has changed countless others. Just over two years after 21-year-old Lydia Ross tragically lost her life in a road traffic collision, the County Antrim father has transformed unimaginable grief into one of Northern Ireland’s most remarkable grassroots f

The interim chief executive of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust has offered reassurance to its international workers following recent civil unrest across Northern Ireland. Speaking at a meeting of the Trust Board at Antrim Hospital on Thursday morning, 25 June, Suzanne Pullins acknowledged the difficulties experienced by Trust staff during this period, particularly colleagues from the international community. “There is no place for racism in our society. I want to re

Children enjoy one of the many events at Ballymoney Museum Ballymoney Museum has been shortlisted for one of the UK’s most respected heritage awards after being recognised by families as one of the country’s most welcoming places to visit. The museum, located in Ballymoney Town Hall, has secured a place on the shortlist for the 2026 Kids in Museums Family Friendly Museum Award and is the only museum in Northern Ireland to make the final selection. The annual award, which has

Sue Ellen McAuley (right) pictured with Grainne Whyte and Leon Whyte. More than 100 children with disabilities across Northern Ireland are currently waiting to be matched with a short breaks foster carer, as one County Antrim woman urges others to consider what she describes as “the most rewarding thing that you’ll ever do.” With growing pressure on families caring for children with complex needs, foster carers are being asked to provide vital short breaks that give parents a

Ailbhe McCusker, Community Champion at Share Energy, and participants at the Ballymoney Show launch. Agricultural shows across Northern Ireland are facing growing financial pressure, but organisers behind this week’s Ballymoney Show say the events remain vital lifelines for rural communities, small businesses and the local economy. The Ballymoney Show returns on June 5 and 6 at Ballymoney Showgrounds, bringing together farmers, traders, families and rural organisations at a t

Mayor, Councillor Dawn Huggins (left) and Deputy Mayor, Alderman Sandra Hunter. Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has made history after appointing two women simultaneously to its top civic positions for the first time since the authority was formed. DUP Councillor Dawn Huggins has officially been installed as the new Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, while UUP Alderman Sandra Hunter has taken on the role of Deputy Mayor for the year ahead. The appoin

Murdered: Ballymoney man Steven Peck, described by loved ones as a “gentle giant”. The final chapter in the murder case of Ballymoney man Steven Peck was played out in court on Friday as three men and a woman were sentenced over offences connected to the brutal attack that claimed the 33-year-old’s life. More than five years after Mr Peck suffered catastrophic head injuries in Ballymoney, Coleraine Crown Court heard the final sentences handed down to those involved in the cas

Participants who gathered at 4am on Saturday morning in Ballymoney for the town’s second annual Dawn Walk More than 200 people stepped out onto the streets of Ballymoney before sunrise on Saturday morning, 16 May, as a growing community movement around mental health and connection returned for its second annual Dawn Walk. Organised by BEAM – Building Empowerment & Awareness to Mind, the early morning event saw participants gather at the Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre at 4am befor

Hannah Graham, Zarah Hutchinson, Lee Kane, Clare Doherty and Katherine Murphy led the BEAM Dawn Walk 2025, which saw over 250 participants walk through Ballymoney as the sun was rising, promoting positive mental health messages. A Ballymoney group focused on promoting positive mental health is continuing its 2026 programme with the return of its Dawn Walk and a series of community engagement efforts designed to strengthen connection, wellbeing and civic pride. BEAM – Building

Inset: North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston Mounting pressure on NHS dentistry in North Antrim has been laid bare in the Assembly, with warnings that the system is no longer sustainable and is being steadily replaced by private provision. Speaking during a debate this week, North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston said the current situation goes far beyond access issues, describing it as a structural failure that is already reshaping how dental care is delivered across communities includin

Pictured at the anniversary party for the Roddens A care home that has supported generations of families in Ballymoney has marked a major milestone, celebrating 55 years of service with a poignant reunion that brought its history full circle. The Roddens, which opened in 1971, commemorated its anniversary last month by welcoming back its very first care assistant, in a celebration that highlighted both its legacy and its continuing role in healthcare across Northern Ireland.

Centra Frosses Road – Exceptional Performance in Food Safety (L-R) Catherine and Oran McCloskey, owners of Centra Frosses Road with store manager Cathie Carton, Joanne Bertenshaw Musgrave NI Food Safety & Quality Retail Co-ordinator, and host Pete Snodden. Retailers in Cloughmills, Kells, Ballymoney, Toomebridge and Larne have been placed firmly at the centre of this year’s Musgrave Northern Ireland ‘Store of the Year’ Awards, as nine County Antrim stores were recognised for