NEWS

Northern Regional College, Ballymena campus Northern Regional College is celebrating a major achievement after being shortlisted in four categories at the 2026 OCN NI Learning Endeavour Awards, recognising both the success of individual learners and the College’s wider contribution to education and skills development across Northern Ireland. The College has been named as a finalist for the coveted Provider of the Year award, while three learners have also secured places on th

Motorists and town centre visitors are being advised to expect traffic disruption in Ballymena this Saturday as Mid and East Antrim Pride returns to the town, with road closures, a parade through the town centre and a heightened police presence planned throughout the afternoon. The event is due to take place on Saturday, June 20, with participants assembling in the Waveney Road area from approximately 1pm before the parade begins at 2pm. Police have confirmed that a number of

DAERA Minister Andrew Muir launches the Northern Ireland Seabird Conservation Strategy with partners at RSPB West Light Seabird Centre on Rathlin Island. (L-R) David Quinney Mee, Rathlin Development Community Association, Erin McKeown, LIFE Raft Programme Manager, Joanne Sherwood, Director of RSPB NI, Andrew Upton, Head of British Trust for Ornithology Northern Ireland, Dr Annika Clements, Queen’s University Belfast, Will Hawkins, National Trust and Dr Mathieu Lundy, Ulster

Muckamore Abbey Hospital A landmark public inquiry into abuse at Muckamore Abbey Hospital has concluded that vulnerable patients were abused, families were repeatedly let down, and a series of systemic failures across Northern Ireland’s health and social care system allowed poor practice to continue unchecked for years. The final report of the Muckamore Abbey Hospital Inquiry, published on Thursday, delivers a stark verdict on the treatment of people with learning disabilitie

More than 200 hospitality and food service businesses have closed across Northern Ireland since the beginning of the year, industry leaders have claimed, as support grows for a proposal to cut VAT to 10 per cent in a bid to protect jobs and struggling local firms. The Northern Ireland Food to Go Association (NIFTGA) has publicly backed South Antrim MP Robin Swann’s call for a Northern Ireland hospitality VAT pilot, arguing that businesses are facing unprecedented financial pr

Past CAFRE student William Burnett, alongside Nicola, Abigail, Matthew and Callum Turner viewed the dairy calves at Greenmount Campus. Thousands of people stepped behind the gates of CAFRE campuses at Enniskillen and Greenmount over the weekend as this year’s Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend combined hands-on learning, family fun and a closer look at Northern Ireland’s farming and food industries. From primary school pupils meeting farm animals for the first time to families

Green flag for Armoy Road Races 2026. Pictured at Dunluce Castle are, from left, Gareth McAuley, AMRRC Chairman, Bill Kennedy MBE, AMRRC Director, William Munnis, Clerk of Course (seated), alongside road racer, Marcus Simpson and Trevor Kane, title sponsor and owner of Bayview Hotel. The countdown is officially underway for the 2026 Armoy Road Races, with organisers expecting thousands of spectators from across the world to descend on the County Antrim village next month for

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Thomas Gordon launched the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council Performance Improvement Plan 2026/27 Recycling performance has fallen, town centres are perceived to be in decline and almost half of households across Mid and East Antrim are affected by long-term health conditions or disabilities. Those are among the challenges identified by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council as it unveiled a year-ahead improvement plan that includes a maj

Translink’s Ballymena Rail and Bus Centre Northern Ireland’s bus and rail network is preparing for a summer-long showcase of community pride, environmental action and workplace excellence, with several facilities across the Ballymena and East Antrim area among 37 locations entering the 2026 SPIRIT of Translink Facility Awards. Among the local facilities taking part are Ballymena Bus and Rail Centre, Whitehead Station, Larne Buscentre, Larne Town railway station, Greenisland S

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has raised concerns over the potential cost of proposed animal welfare changes that could require pet cats to be microchipped. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) is carrying out a public consultation on a series of proposed reforms to animal welfare policy in Northern Ireland. The department is seeking views on measures including increased dog licence fees, the regulation of rescue and rehoming organisation

For many men, ADHD can go unrecognised for years, leaving them struggling with work, relationships, confidence and mental health without fully understanding why. A major event in Belfast this week, organised by ADDNI Children’s Charity, aims to change that by opening up a conversation that organisers say has been overlooked for far too long. Men & ADHD: Let’s Start the Conversation will bring together clinicians, mental health professionals and men with lived experience for a

South Antrim MP Robin Swann South Antrim MP Robin Swann is calling for a major tax intervention that he says could help struggling hospitality businesses survive mounting financial pressures, safeguard jobs and breathe new life into town centres across Northern Ireland. The Ulster Unionist MP has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) in the House of Commons urging the Treasury to introduce a pilot scheme that would reduce VAT on hospitality services in Northern Ireland from the cu

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Thomas Gordon is pictured with Breige Mulholland, Head of Finance and Operations at Air Ambulance NI and Samantha Booysen, Director of Operations at Rural Support from the two charities he has chosen to support during his term in office. Mid and East Antrim’s new Mayor has pledged to use his year in office to support two charities that provide critical help to people facing some of the most challenging moments of their lives. Alderman To

Stock image Becoming a first-time mum can be overwhelming, isolating and frightening. For one Ballymena mother, support from a local SureStart programme proved so transformative that she now describes it as being “integral to my survival” during some of the most challenging years of her life. “The past four years have been the best of my life,” says Ballymena mum Paige*. It is a statement she does not make lightly. During that time, she has also faced significant personal cha

Mrs Valerie Alexander, Dunclug College What began as a journey from Ballymena to some of the poorest communities in India has grown into a life-changing mission that has transformed opportunities for countless young people — and earned one local teacher national recognition in The King’s Birthday Honours. Mrs Valerie Alexander, a driving force behind Dunclug College’s long-standing partnership with the ASHA Society in New Delhi, has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM)

Sabrina Lynn, Head of Service, Louise Gillespie, Programme Delivery Officer, Suzanne Pullins, Northern Trust Chief Executive, and Lynsey McVitty, Health and Wellbeing Locality Lead, prepare to cut the celebration cake at the ‘thank you’ event. Hundreds of patients and service users across Northern Ireland benefit every year from the time, compassion and dedication of volunteers working within the Northern Health and Social Care Trust — and this week those volunteers were reco

The UFU is encouraging consumers to question the origin of the beef they purchase this World Cup. Local beef farmers are being urged to put the spotlight on the origin of the meat on consumers’ plates this summer, as the Ulster Farmers’ Union launches a new campaign amid mounting concerns over imports, falling farmgate prices and growing pressure on the beef sector. The UFU’s ‘Where Is Your Beef From?’ campaign is running throughout the FIFA World Cup and aims to encourage sh

The Police Service of Northern Ireland has strongly defended its handling of the recent nights of public disorder across Belfast and beyond, insisting officers “acted appropriately and undoubtedly saved lives” amid scenes that saw homes and vehicles set alight, families forced to flee, and dozens of officers injured. The robust response comes amid criticism of policing tactics during the unrest, which erupted in the days following the attempted murder of a man in Belfast’s Ki

NIFRS On-Call Crew Commander at Ballyclare Fire Station, Sam Todd A firefighter from Ballyclare who has spent nearly four decades serving his local community has been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours, highlighting a lifetime of public service both on the frontline with Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service and through his long career with Translink. Sam Todd, an On-Call Crew Commander at Ballyclare Fire Station, has been awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in rec

DUP Bannside Councillor Tyler Hoey A proposal inspired by a Ballymena child who became overwhelmed before attending a community event is set to bring sensory support boxes into council buildings across Mid and East Antrim after receiving unanimous backing from local councillors. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council voted in favour of a motion brought forward by DUP Councillor Tyler Hoey during a meeting at The Braid on Monday, June 8, paving the way for officers to examine the