NEWS

Entrepreneur Siobhan Kearney celebrates with Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Thomas Gordon after she won the Mid and East Antrim Ultimate Pitch final in Larne Town Hall, securing her place in the regional final with her business Menopause ChangeMaker®, that helps companies support employees experiencing menopause Saturday 10 October 2026 A Portglenone entrepreneur helping employers better support women experiencing menopause has won £1,000 in business investment and se

Charlie, a therapy dog who makes weekly visits to the Macmillan Unit at Antrim Area Hospital, pictured with his owner Ivan. Saturday 10 October 2026 Eight-year-old collie Charlie has been recognised for bringing comfort and companionship to patients receiving cancer care at Antrim Area Hospital, as the Northern Health and Social Care Trust appeals for more dogs, cats and their owners to join its volunteering programme. Charlie and his owner Ivan make weekly visits to the hosp

Friday 09 October 2026 Families who have experienced the loss of a baby or child are being invited to come together for a series of remembrance events across the Northern Health and Social Care Trust area during Baby Loss Awareness Week, from 9–15 October. Causeway Hospital in Coleraine will be illuminated in blue and pink to mark the annual awareness campaign, which offers families opportunities to remember precious lives, share memories and find support. Events include a sp

Friday 09 October 2026 Staff at Dalriada Urgent Care have been made aware of impending redundancies after two Health Trusts gave formal notice that their Phone First contracts will end next month. A concerned member of staff told Love Ballymena that employees have been made aware of impending redundancies following the decision by the Northern and South Eastern Health Trusts to terminate contracts with effect from the end of November. Dalriada Urgent Care provides the call ha

Ballymena woman Gemma O’Hara pictured with North Antrim MLA Sian Mulholland Friday 09 October 2026 North Antrim MLA Sian Mulholland has welcomed the introduction of a new 24/7 stroke treatment service across Northern Ireland, following her efforts to highlight the experience of Ballymena mother of four Gemma O’Hara, whose recovery was transformed by the specialist procedure. Gemma, 40, suffered a brain stem stroke in September 2025 and underwent a thrombectomy, a procedure th

Entrepreneur Sharon Gault celebrates with Cllr Dawn Higgins, Mayor, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, after she won the Causeway Coast and Glens Ultimate Pitch final, securing her place in the regional final with her business Kingsbarn Farm, which rears grass fed additive free meat Friday 09 October 2026 A traditional farm outside Dunloy has secured £1,000 in investment and a place in a Northern Ireland-wide business competition final after impressing judges with its

DUP Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart Friday 09 October 2026 DUP MP Carla Lockhart has called on Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir to act on new research into bovine tuberculosis (bTB), warning that farmers cannot continue to shoulder the financial and emotional burden of a disease which has affected Northern Ireland's cattle industry for decades. The Upper Bann MP has welcomed an independent evidence review by AgriSearch examining DAERA’s proposed wildlife intervention options, ar

Friday 9 October 2026 Patients in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust area have faced waits of more than four years for an adult autism assessment, as a landmark independent review warns that people are being left without timely support because help is too often dependent on securing a diagnosis. The major UK Government-commissioned review, published on Friday 9 October, calls for fundamental changes to mental health, ADHD and autism services in England, arguing that pe

Thursday 08 October 2026 Gracehill welcomed heritage professionals from across the UK this week, giving visitors an opportunity to explore the historic Moravian village near Ballymena and learn how its internationally recognised heritage is being protected for future generations. The visit formed part of the 2026 World Heritage UK Conference, held in Portrush on 5 and 6 October, and brought delegates to one of Northern Ireland’s most distinctive historic settlements. Designat

Staff at Ballymena Station are celebrating after winning a Gold SPIRIT of Translink Facility Award 2026. Celebrating the Gold Award at Ballymena Bus Station are (L-R): Enda Sheridan (Translink), Christopher Allen (Translink), Anna Green (Live Here Love Here) Thursday 08 October 2026 Ballymena’s bus and railway stations have both earned Gold recognition in the 2026 SPIRIT of Translink Facility Awards, celebrating the work of staff to maintain safe, environmentally responsible

ChampionToberhill Lucky Tuesday 06 October 2026 Toberhill Lucky lived up to her name as Cathaoir O’Connor secured the overall championship at the Irish Beltex Sheep Breeders Club’s Ballymena Show and Sale for the second year running. The shearling ewe from O’Connor’s Toberhill Flock, Cookstown, was named Female Champion and Overall Champion by judge Joshua Keys of the Bolies Flock, Fivemiletown, before selling to the judge for 1,000gns. Sired by Glenview Jackpot and out of De

Thursday 08 October 2026 Drivers in Northern Ireland will be able to compare petrol and diesel prices on Google Maps from today, with the government estimating that shopping around could save households with a car around £40 a year. Near real-time pump prices are being added to the app across the UK on Thursday 8 October, making it easier to check nearby forecourts before filling up. The feature uses Fuel Finder data, which the government says now covers around 99% of all fue

Adam, Jade, Nigel and Lata Wednesday 07 October 2026 The people behind the uniform are taking centre stage in a new podcast series giving the public a more personal insight into policing in Northern Ireland. The Police Service of Northern Ireland has launched its first-ever podcast, ‘PSNI Beyond the Badge’, with a 10-part series featuring officers and staff speaking directly about their experiences, challenges and lives beyond policing. Officers from BBC’s Peelers open the se

Wednesday 07 October 2026 Northern Ireland is moving towards a major change in how puppies and kittens can be sold, with new rules designed to make it harder for puppy farms and irresponsible breeders to hide behind third-party dealers. Under proposals approved for Northern Ireland’s own version of Lucy’s Law, people buying a puppy or kitten will generally have to deal directly with the breeder and see the young animal with its mother at the place where it was bred. For puppi

Wednesday 7 October 2026 The roll-out of blue recycling bins across Ballymena, Carrickfergus and surrounding areas is scheduled to be completed by 31 July 2027, a Mid and East Antrim Borough Council committee report has revealed. A Performance Improvement Plan presented to a recent meeting of the council’s Corporate Resources Policy and Governance Committee at The Braid in Ballymena sets out the timetable for the change. Blue bins ready to roll Councillors were told the mixed

Dairy Council for Northern Ireland Chair Ivor Broomfield (left) and CEO Ian Stevenson launch the Dairy Council’s new manifesto “A Pathway to Success” outside Stormont. Tuesday 06 October 2026 Northern Ireland’s dairy industry is calling on the incoming Executive to provide greater support for a sector generating close to £2 billion in annual sales and sustaining thousands of farming and processing jobs. Four priorities for Northern Ireland dairy The Dairy Council for Northern

Ulster Unionist Larty Leader & North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows, with Ahoghill racer Reuben Kernohan Tuesday 06 October 2026 Ahoghill teenager Reuben Kernohan has been praised on the floor of the Northern Ireland Assembly after a remarkable run of motorsport success which will see the 18-year-old represent Ireland on the world stage in Portugal next month. Ulster Unionist Party North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows described the young driver as “one of the most talented and dedicated youn

Local people will develop their IT skills due to a series of computer classes currently being delivered by Inspire Wellbeing, following a £9,200 funding injection from The Gallaher Trust. Danielle Sheridan, Inspire Wellbeing, is pictured alongside James Perry MBE, a Trustee at The Gallaher Trust. Tuesday 06 October 2026 Almost 50 people in the Ballymena area are being given the opportunity to build essential digital skills through a new training programme backed by £9,200 fro

The woman’s Ballymena home on Tuesday morning. Tuesday 06 October 2026 A disabled woman in her 60s has been left “very upset” after a window was smashed at her Ballymena home in the early hours of Tuesday morning. A family member told Love Ballymena the woman, who has lived in the area for many years, is currently in hospital and was not at her Lewis Park home in the Ballykeel II estate when the damage was caused. The family member said the local resident has nevertheless bee

Krakow, Poland, Main Market square in the winter season, during Christmas fairs decorated with Christmas tree. Sunday 04 October 2026 Northern Ireland travellers can now book Christmas market flights from Belfast International Airport to Krakow and Vienna for the 2027 festive season. Jet2 has released almost 6,000 seats across the two routes for Winter 2027/28, with both destinations served twice a week in the run-up to Christmas. Two festive destinations Flights to Krakow an