NEWS

Women’s Aid Retail Manager, Michelle McIlwrath , Director of Finance Karen McConkey and CEO, Gillian Robinson. (Images: Danielle Kernohan Photography) A new Women’s Aid shop has opened in Ballymena, with every purchase helping to fund specialist support for women and children experiencing domestic abuse in the local area. The new premises at 23–25 Henry Street are the third retail outlet operated by Women’s Aid ABCLN and will also provide a place where women can access inform

A still taken from a short video captured by the local woman of the vehicle which she believes was following her as she took a walk A woman has described being left frightened while walking alone on the outskirts of Ballymena after a car containing two men allegedly repeatedly followed her, passed her and then waited along her route. Police have confirmed they received a report of a suspicious vehicle in the Old Ballymoney Road area on Sunday evening, 9 August, and are now as

First Minister Michelle O’Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly joined the programme as mentors Thirty-seven students from Ballymena have been recognised as part of a leadership and mentoring programme that has seen more than 750 young women deliver hundreds of community projects, benefiting almost 18,000 people across Northern Ireland. Students from Slemish College, Ballymena Academy and St Louis Grammar School took part in the 2025–26 SistersIN programme, joi

Inset: Alliance councillor for Braid, Chelsea Harwood Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has committed to providing all elected members with training on violence against women and girls (VAWG), including the harmful effects of victim blaming, after Alliance councillor Chelsea Harwood raised the issue at Monday night’s council meeting (27 July) following recent remarks by DUP councillor Reuben Glover. The confirmation came in response to a question submitted by Councillor Har

Northern Ireland is set to introduce new measures to encourage and support more mothers to breastfeed after the Department of Health launched a three-year action plan aimed at tackling some of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the UK. The Breastfeeding Action Plan 2026–2029, unveiled by Health Minister Mike Nesbitt at the annual Breastival #MorethanMilk event at Stormont on Tuesday, sets out a programme of work designed to improve support for families, reduce health inequalit

Inset: North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows Many people in Northern Ireland are unaware they can ask police whether a current or former partner has a history of domestic abuse – something Ulster Unionist Party Leader Jon Burrows MLA says must change. Burrows has written to the First Minister, deputy First Minister and Justice Minister Naomi Long calling for a major public awareness campaign promoting Clare’s Law – officially known as the Domestic Violence and Abuse Disclosure Scheme

Asda Antrim Community Champion Ashley Ritchie donating essentials to The Shed after a devastating fire A women’s community group in Antrim is beginning to rebuild after a devastating fire left its premises unsafe, thanks to emergency funding that will help members replace essential equipment and continue supporting some of the area’s most vulnerable people. Antrim Ladies Shed has received a £1,500 emergency grant from the Asda Foundation, along with £150 worth of essential su

(L-R) UUP party leader and North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows, TUV Bannside councillor Anna Henry, and Alliance Party Braid councillor, Chelsea Harwood Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows has condemned reported comments by DUP councillor Reuben Glover about girls’ clothing and an alleged sexual assault in Ballymena, saying such views should have been “consigned to the 70’s”. Alliance councillor Chelsea Harwood has also called for an investigation and disciplinary action, descr

DUP Ballymena councillor Reuben Glover, and TUV Bannside councillor Anna Henry A TUV councillor has strongly condemned reported comments by DUP Ballymena representative Reuben Glover linking girls’ clothing with an alleged sexual assault, describing the remarks as “blatant victim blaming”. Bannside councillor Anna Henry said women and girls were never responsible for the actions of sexual predators and warned that comments from elected representatives could reinforce harmful

The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has acknowledged “higher than usual absence rates” within its maternity services team over recent months after concerns were raised by campaign group SOS Causeway Hospital. SOS Causeway Hospital recently met with senior Department of Health officials to highlight what it described as “severe pressures within Antrim maternity services following the centralisation of births”. All hospital births in the Northern Trust have taken place at

The Junction, Antrim, has rallied local businesses Murdock Builders Merchants & Home Centre and Shannon Site Solutions along with Brackenwood Property & Estate Management to restore Women’s Aid’s Safe Haven Garden following recent storm damage. A vital sanctuary for women and children escaping domestic abuse in Antrim has been restored after local businesses joined forces to repair storm damage that threatened the privacy and security of the space. The Safe Haven Garden at th

Ballymena United Girls Academy is giving aspiring young footballers across the area the opportunity to take their game to the next level with the launch of a free four-week open training programme this summer. The academy is inviting girls born in 2010 and 2011 to take part in a series of Under-16 open training sessions beginning this week at Ballymena Showgrounds. Designed for players who are serious about developing their abilities and progressing within the game, the initi

Dr Rachel Louise Milliken A mother who put higher education on hold to raise her son has graduated with a doctorate from Queen’s University Belfast after being inspired by her father’s remarkable return to education following a life-changing motorbike accident. At 39 years old, Dr Rachel Louise Milliken will graduate with a Doctor of Philosophy from the School of Pharmacy at Queen’s University Belfast, bringing to completion a ten-year educational journey that began with an A

Louise Black, Market Senior Partner for PwC Belfast A Carnlough woman has been appointed to lead Northern Ireland’s largest professional services office outside London, as PwC unveiled one of its biggest leadership and promotion rounds in recent years. Louise Black has been named Market Senior Partner for PwC Belfast, taking responsibility for the strategic direction of the firm’s Belfast operation and its workforce of approximately 2,400 people. The appointment places the Co

Victoria Craig from Broughshane, graduated on Monday, receiving her PhD in Nursing at Queen's When Catherine Craig was born 12 weeks early at Antrim Area Hospital in 2006, her mother Victoria had no idea that the frightening weeks which followed would shape the rest of her life. The tiny baby arrived at just 28 weeks and one day gestation following an emergency caesarean section and would spend the next 10 weeks in the hospital’s Neonatal Unit fighting through the earliest da

Melissa Thompson graduates from Queen's with a BSW in Social Work A promise made to her late father, a childhood shaped by care and adoption, and the determination to build a better future for her young son have all come together for one Northern Ireland graduate as she celebrates achieving a lifelong ambition. Today, Saturday 27 June, Melissa Thompson graduates with a Bachelor of Social Work from Queen’s University Belfast, fulfilling a dream she says began when she was just

Women across Northern Ireland are being encouraged to explore a career in firefighting as Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service prepares to launch a major recruitment drive for Wholetime Firefighters next month. Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) has announced a series of hands-on “Come and Try Days” aimed specifically at women interested in joining the service, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at the demands, realities and opportunities of modern firefig

Ballymena boxer Ella McDonald A Ballymena woman who only started boxing in her mid-twenties is preparing to make her professional debut next month after an extraordinary rise through the amateur ranks that has already seen her claim major titles, win international medals and train alongside some of the best fighters in Ireland. At just 28 years old, Ella McDonald will step into the professional game for the first time at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall on June 26 — a moment she onc

A growing basketball club in Ballymena is making a fresh push to bring more girls into the sport as it looks to build future league teams and expand opportunities for young players across the area. Ballymena Basketball Juniors, which currently competes in the BNI Junior League, says it already has a strong group of girls attending weekly training sessions — but hopes more young players will now come forward as the club works towards arranging friendly matches and eventually e

New research spanning the island of Ireland has exposed major gaps in the support available to pregnant and postpartum women trying to stay physically active — with researchers warning that thousands are being left without clear guidance during one of the most challenging periods of their lives. The findings, released during Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week 2026, reveal that while physical activity is widely recognised as beneficial before and after childbirth, many wome