NEWS

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford, and Mayoress Allison Minford, pictured with Karen Bruce from Council’s Community Health and Wellbeing Team and DEA Manager, Janet Shearer, to launch the Dementia Safeguarding Scheme for Mid and East Antrim. Families caring for loved ones with dementia across Mid and East Antrim are being offered new peace of mind through a safeguarding scheme designed to help vulnerable residents return home safely if they become lost

A man in his 60s was confronted by a burglar armed with two knives during a terrifying break-in at a home in Ballymena early on Thursday morning. Police said the intruder, who had his face covered and was dressed in dark clothing, entered a property in the Francis Street area at around 7:50am before confronting the occupant inside the house. The incident has left fresh concern in the local community following another serious burglary involving elderly residents in Ballymena e

An elderly man and woman were left badly shaken after masked intruders tied them up during a terrifying overnight burglary at a home in County Londonderry. The ordeal unfolded in the early hours of Saturday morning, 23 May, at a property in the Formoyle Road area of Macosquin, where a man in his 70s and a woman in her 60s were confronted inside their own home by two masked men. Police said the couple were ordered to hand over money before the intruders stole mobile phones, a

The Gallaher Trust has committed £100,000 to Mid and East Antrim Agewell Partnership’s Delivering Options through Tailored Solutions (Dots) social enterprise. Pictured are, from left, Chrissy Havelin, Finance and Systems Team Lead, Rebecca Rea, Dots Service Coordinator, Jenny Marshall, Executive Director of Community Programmes and James Perry MBE, a Trustee at The Gallaher Trust. More than 550 older adults across the Ballymena area are set to receive expanded practical supp

A care home provider has revealed staff were dismissed and others referred to professional bodies following the death of an 85-year-old resident at a Lisburn nursing home that later led to a criminal prosecution and £10,000 court fine. Healthcare Ireland, which also runs Slemish Care Home and Braefield Care Home in Ballymena, issued the statement after Healthcare Ireland (no.2) Limited appeared before Lisburn Magistrates Court over failings linked to the death of William Moor

Pond Park Care Home A care home provider operating in Northern Ireland has been fined £10,000 following the death of an 85-year-old resident who suffered a significant head injury after not being checked in line with his care plan. Healthcare Ireland (no.2) Limited, part of the wider Healthcare Ireland Group, was sentenced at Lisburn Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to a health and safety offence linked to the incident at Pond Park Nursing Home in Lisburn. The prosecut

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.

Stephanie Scott, Age Friendly Coordinator, and newly appointed Walking for All Officer, Colleen Martin, with participants from Cloughmills Community Action Team during a session promoting Age Friendly and Walking for All initiatives. A renewed push to help older people stay active, connected and heard is gathering pace in Cloughmills — with new efforts focused on turning the village into a truly age-friendly community. In a joint initiative led by Causeway Coast and Glens Bor

Chair of Mid Ulster District Council, Councillor Frances Burton (DUP) , has revealed she is having sleepless nights over the plight of three elderly residents she knows well who are in desperate need of home care. The Clogher Valley DEA representative made the comments at the Development Committee meeting of Mid Ulster District Council on December 3, where she argued that recent grant funding from the Department for Communities (DfC) should, at least in part, be used to train

Yvonne Carson, Northern Trust, Rural Health and Wellbeing Manager, Valerie Cubitt, Eurospar, Cullybackey, Leona Rock, Community Staff Nurse, Cullybackey Medical Practice, Marion Orr, District Nursing Coach, Joanne Brown Kerr, Development Officer, Bann Maine West with volunteers Helen and Samantha from Cullybackey Community Partnership. The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has joined forces with Bann Maine West Community Cluster to bring festive cheer to some of the most

Pictured are Anne O’Reilly, Chairperson Northern Trust, Jackie Burns, Ethel Glasgow, Iris Burns and Suzanne Pullins Chief Executive Northern Trust Cookstown woman and former nurse Ethel Glasgow, aged 93, has been announced as the winner of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust’s 2025 Christmas card competition, after her hand-drawn festive design captured the hearts of judges. Mrs Glasgow, who attends Cookstown Day Centre, created a charming winter scene featuring a robin

Asda Antrim Community Champion helped secure an Asda Foundation grant for Randalstown Ulster Scots Cultural Society Asda has relaunched its ‘Happy to Chat’ initiative across Northern Ireland in a bid to support older people facing loneliness and isolation during the festive season. The move comes as part of the retailer’s latest Christmas Community Tracker, which surveyed more than 2,000 people across the UK. The research revealed that for many over-60s, the “lack of human in

Free dementia support clinics are returning to branches of Nationwide Building Society in Ballymena, Derry, Newry and Bangor this December, with Dementia UK urging people to be aware of the early signs and symptoms of the condition. Hosted by the charity’s specialist Admiral Nurses, the face-to-face clinics will offer confidential, tailored advice to anyone concerned about dementia—whether for themselves or a loved one. Appointments can be booked online via the Dementia UK w

Mayor and Mayoress of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford and Allison Minford, pictured with Margaret Cowie Carrickfergus Museum came alive with colour and creativity as it hosted Margaret’s Later Life Hobby Exhibition and a special Paint with Numbers Workshop on Saturday 25 October, celebrating wellbeing, connection, and lifelong learning as part of Positive Ageing Month. The exhibition showcased a stunning collection of paintings by Margaret Cowie , whose passio

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

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons pictured with Age NI Head of Advice and Advocacy Services Brenda Kearns (left) and Director of Pensions, Disability, and Carers at Department for Communities NI Leonora McLaughlin. Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has encouraged people over the State Pension age to check whether they qualify for Pension Credit, warning that many older residents could be missing out on vital financial help during the ongoing cost of living pressures. Pension

Northern Regional College Staff and Level 3 Creative Media Practice students at the showcase of their short film Love Later Life. Northern Regional College’s Creative Media students have teamed up with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council to produce a moving short film that celebrates the power of positive ageing. The film, titled Love Later Life, was officially launched on Tuesday 30 September, showcasing the talents of the College’s Level 3 Creative Media Practice students.

(L-R) Sabrina Lynn, Northern Health and Social Care Trust, Wenda Gray, Volunteer Now, John Mitchell, Volunteer Now, Marjorie Hawkins,...

L-R: Gordon Cruikshanks (Regional Managing Director, Lidl Northern Ireland), Linda Robinson (Chief Executive, Age NI) and campaign...

Police have arrested three people after quick-thinking building society staff intervened to protect a vulnerable older person from...