Cllr Lawrie Philpott launches ‘Moving Forward Together’ initiative to address Ballymena’s challenges

Independent Ballymena councillor Lawrie Philpott

Independent Ballymena councillor Lawrie Philpott has launched a call for greater collaboration across the community under the banner ‘Moving Forward Together’, aimed at tackling some of the most pressing issues facing the town.

Speaking after weeks of engagement with statutory bodies, local organisations, and community representatives, Cllr Philpott said that while progress has been made, more coordinated action is urgently needed.

“Over the past number of weeks, I have engaged with a wide range of groups, including statutory bodies, community representatives, and local organisations. I recognise that I have not yet met with everyone, and I welcome further engagement with those I may have missed,” he explained.

Cllr Philpott emphasised that many positive initiatives are already in place but are often disconnected, weakening their overall impact.

“There is already a great deal of good work taking place across the community. However, much of it is not joined up, and that remains one of our greatest weaknesses,” he said.

Examples of local efforts include creating safe spaces for women and girls, peaceful protests, grassroots outreach, and tackling harmful practices. Philpott stressed that these initiatives must be connected to maximise effectiveness.

“Different groups are working on valuable initiatives—whether creating safe spaces for women and girls, organising peaceful protests in areas of concern, maintaining a visible presence on the ground, or tackling harmful practices. These are all important contributions, but to truly succeed, they must connect and complement one another,” he said.

The councillor added that funding will be key to moving forward.

“A wide variety of suggestions have been put forward, including calls for additional funding to support projects and programmes that address the most pressing concerns in our area. My position is clear: let’s make the funding available and get to work.”

Rejecting the idea of endless discussions, Cllr Philpott said the priority now must be delivering practical outcomes:

“While terms such as ‘task force’ may sound impressive, what we need now is not more words, but coordinated action.”

He also made clear that the success of the initiative depends on buy-in from all sectors, including statutory agencies, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, the PSNI, community groups, protesters, professionals, elected representatives, and local residents.

Looking ahead, he confirmed plans to host an open meeting in the coming weeks.

“I plan to book a venue within the next few weeks so that all of those who are interested in ‘moving forward together’ can be included in initial plans – keep an eye out for further details or contact me if you wish to be included.”

Cllr Philpott concluded with a call to action:

“Now is the time to come together, pool our strengths, and take decisive action.”