NEWS

Fionntán McGarvey As the countdown to Christmas begins, one Belfast family is urging people across Northern Ireland to talk openly about organ donation — a conversation they say helped them honour their teenage son’s final wishes and save the lives of others. On Organ Donation Discussion Day, Thursday 11 December, the Public Health Agency (PHA) is encouraging households to take a moment to consider their decision about organ and tissue donation and share that choice with love

The United Kingdom’s embrace of the digital realm has reached unprecedented heights, with 98 per cent of adults now online – a testament to seamless connectivity that has transformed everyday routines. Yet, as Ofcom’s comprehensive Online Nations 2025  report illustrates, this near-universal access is shadowed by widening disparities in app adoption and persistent digital exclusion. Drawing on surveys of more than 6,000 adults and detailed usage data from May 2025, the repor

Midwife Shelley Sheppard and Sister Elaine O’Boyle from Antrim Area Hospital maternity team The Northern Trust has enhanced its maternity services to better support autistic women and neurodivergent families, becoming the first maternity team in Northern Ireland to receive an autism-friendly accreditation. The Trust’s maternity team has implemented a series of improvements designed to make pregnancy, birth and early parenting more accessible, calmer and more personalised for

Northern Trust’s Farm Families Health Check team The pioneering work of Northern Trust’s Farm Families Health Check team has been recognised at the 2025 NI Farming Awards, with the programme receiving the prestigious Farm Safety Affiliate Award. The accolade highlights the team’s commitment to bringing accessible healthcare directly into the heart of rural communities, and its efforts to raise awareness of how personal health is closely linked to farm safety. For years, the F

Gavin and Elaine Lowry, with sons Timmy (left) and Joshua (right) A Ballymena family is rallying behind a much-loved father, husband, and classroom assistant as they take on an extraordinary endurance challenge to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer and vital funds for the charity NIPANC (Northern Ireland Pancreatic Cancer). The event, organised by Gavin Lowry’s daughter-in-law Megan with support from wider family and friends, has already raised more than £3,000 — with hope

(L-R) Northern Trust Day Opportunitues volunteers Lee, Kerry, Shop Manager Shirley Kearney, Chris, Annette and Sandra. A group of dedicated volunteers from the Northern Health and Social Care Trust’s Day Opportunities service are being celebrated for their commitment to supporting a local charity shop in the heart of Carrickfergus. Lee, Kerry, Chris, Annette and Sandra – described as the “fab five” – give up their time each week to volunteer at the Action Cancer store, where

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

WJ O’Donnell & Sons Funeral Directors have announced a special community event, “The Meaning of Christmas”, which will take place on Sunday 7th December 2025 at 7pm in their Ballymena funeral home (41–43 Mount Street, BT43 6BW). The gathering, open to everyone in the community, is intended to provide a space of peace, reflection, and comfort for anyone who finds the festive season difficult after the loss of a loved one. All voluntary proceeds will be donated to Cruse Berea

Home heating oil prices have dipped this week, according to the Consumer Council’s latest Home Heating Oil Price Checker , offering some short-term relief for households preparing for colder weather. The average cost of 500 litres now sits at £299.59, around £11.30 cheaper than last week, though still £12.45 more expensive than last month. The fluctuating figures highlight the ongoing volatility of the heating oil market, with prices changing daily and making it increasingly

Northern Ireland’s primary care system is “in crisis” and requires “urgent intervention” , according to a major new report from the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The Report on Access to General Practice in Northern Ireland outlines serious shortcomings in how patients access GP services and calls for radical reform of the system. The PAC report, based on evidence from health organisations, the Department of Health (DoH), and an unprecedented p

Flu cases across Northern Ireland have almost doubled in the past week, prompting an urgent call from Health Minister Mike Nesbitt for eligible people to come forward for vaccination. Positive influenza cases have risen sharply to 954, with flu-related hospital admissions also nearly doubling to 264. During a visit to the Ulster Hospital vaccination clinic, the Minister warned that winter pressures on the health service are intensifying and stressed the importance of timely v

The team from The Rowan Sexual Assault Referral Centre celebrate success at the GNI Mag awards. The Rowan Sexual Assault Referral Centre has been recognised for its vital work supporting victims of sexual violence, winning the Health and Wellbeing Award at this year’s GNI Mag Awards in Belfast. The annual ceremony celebrates individuals, organisations, and services that champion inclusivity and play a significant role in improving the mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing

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

A vehicle checkpoint at Shaws Bridge in Belfast at the winter anti drink and drug campaign launch The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has issued a stark warning to motorists as it launches its winter anti–drink and drug driving campaign, urging drivers to “make good choices” amid rising concern about impaired driving across the region. The annual operation, announced in Belfast today (Tuesday 2 December), will see intensified roadside testing, coordinated cross-bor

Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden appearing on ITV’s Lorraine Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has opened up about her decision to undergo a preventative mastectomy on her left breast, in an emotional and exclusive interview on Lorraine. The dancer, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2023, previously underwent a single mastectomy, chemotherapy and later entered remission. However, after pre-cancerous cells were discovered during a recent mamm

A new partnership between the Northern Health and Social Care Trust and charity organisation Pets as Therapy is helping bring comfort, companionship and emotional support to patients through regular therapeutic pet visits in hospital wards. As part of the initiative, therapy dogs Pickle, Charlie and Bailey – accompanied by their volunteer owners – have begun visiting patients in a number of specialist units at Antrim Area Hospital. Gillian and her golden retriever-poodle

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt and Gemma Peters, Chief Executive Macmillan Cancer Support. A major £2 million Cancer Charities Grant Scheme for 2025/26 has been launched by the Department of Health in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support, marking a significant investment in community-based cancer services across Northern Ireland. The scheme has been co-designed alongside the Northern Ireland Cancer Charities Coalition (NICCC), introducing a new partnership funding model. H

Principals Sandra Sheeran (Ballykeel Primary), Karen McMaster (Camphill Primary), and Neil McCullough (Harryville Primary), governors, counsellor and parent representatives, with Minister Gordon Lyons, DUP North Antrim MLA Paul Frew, and Indeoendent Ballymena Councillor Lawrie Philpott. The Minister for Communities, Gordon Lyons , visited North Antrim on Wednesday following intervention from DUP MLA Paul Frew that helped secure continued funding for a counselling and therap

Councils in Northern Ireland need to enforce a “zero tolerance” policy on vape sales to under-age children amid claims that parents “don’t know where to turn”. That is according to a Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council (LCCC) councillor, who highlighted concerns that children as young as 13 have been able to buy vapes in local shops. The council chamber was urged this week to promote a new campaign clarifying that local councils — and not the PSNI — are the primary authorit

Helen Gage lives with COPD and has lent her support to NICHS’s Hall of Hope at Antrim Area Hospital to inform and inspire other respiratory patients and their families. A Kells woman living with an incurable lung condition has urged others to seek help early, as new figures reveal the number of people in Northern Ireland diagnosed with COPD has risen by 56% in just 17 years. Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS) is using COPD Awareness Month this November to shine a s