Video Link: Important of Parks and Green Spaces

Happy new year to all our readers. Experts from the health sector came together at a GreenSpace conference to reveal exactly how important parks and green spaces are to public health. Have enclosed a video link that you may be interested in: http://youtu.be/xA3Xks3SL1s

Tree Planting at Eden

Eden Primary P6 pupils planting for Tree Week

P6 pupils from Eden Primary School attended a Tree Planting event at Eden Allotments & Playing Fields last week.

The 37th annual National Tree Week will ran from 26th November to 4th December 2011 and launches the winter tree-planting season. Every year millions of trees are planted across the UK as part of the initiative. Tree Week started in 1975 and this year in Carrickfergus Borough we will be playing our part by planting more trees that ever.

Planting a tree is a very positive thing to do and is great fun, even in the depths of winter. There are plenty of reasons to get planting - it's great exercise, children love it, and you'll be making a valuable contribution to our community woodland.

Also in attendance were representatives from local charity Mindwise, the environmental improvement group Conservation Volunteers plus local MLA Roy Beggs and Councillor Andrew Wilson.

'in Bloom' winners honoured at prize-giving

Christine Harper with Mayor of Carrickfergus, Jim McClurg

Floral creativity has once again been recognised by the Carrickfergus in Bloom initiative organised by Carrickfergus Borough Council. Local competition winners and runners-up will receive their well earned certificates and prizes at a prize-giving lunch in Carrickfergus Town Hall today (Friday 21st October 2011) with over 100 people attending the event.

Competition categories included Best Kept Garden & Best Kept Container Garden for householders; Best Kept Commercial Premises for commercial organisations; Painting, Poetry and Tallest Sunflower Competitions for young people; and for internet users we have the Virtual Flower Show.

At the Lunch, the Chairperson of Parks, Countryside & Amenities Sub-Committee, Alderman May Beattie thanked all those who took part in the competition and made it such a success. "The Carrickfergus in Bloom Community Competitions have really caught the imagination of our Boroughs citizens. This year over 1,850 people battled the wet summer weather and economic downturn to create some beautiful colourful floral displays that we can all enjoy." said Alderman Beattie

"Carrickfergus in Bloom is a beacon of community gardening good practice, as it encourages people to get involved, builds community spirit and improves the environment we all live in. With initiatives such as our school growing clubs and one pot pledge create opportunities for health, wellbeing and learning."

Alderman Beattie also thanked the Competition Sponsors who paid for many of the flowerbeds and hanging baskets throughout the Borough. "The success of Carrickfergus in Bloom could not have happened without the generous support of local businesses throughout the Borough of Carrickfergus."

"We would also thank our partners that have made Carrickfergus in Bloom such a success. Conservation Volunteers, The Woodland Trust, Translink, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, the Department of Regional Development and many others have all helped to improve the environment of Carrickfergus Borough this year“. Ended Alderman Beattie

Link to Carrickfergus in Bloom Prize Winners

Painting & Poetry Competition Winners Announced

Alderman May Beattie, Chairperson of the Parks, Countryside and Amenities Sub-Committee has announced the winners and runners-up (list enclosed) of the Carrickfergus in Bloom Children’s Painting & Poetry Competitions.

Alderman Beattie said "We are delighted to announce the Carrickfergus in Bloom Children's Painting & Poetry Competition Winners and Runners-up. The response from our young people has been extraordinary with hundreds of entries to judge. I am thrilled about the quality and diversity of the entrants. It has been an opportunity for me to see the wealth and variety of artistic talent in our community. Winners and runners-up will be invited to a prize-giving ceremony at the end of October in Carrickfergus Town Hall to receive their certificates and prizes."

Children’s Painting Competition 15 and under
Winner: Anna Gorrod, Carrickfergus.
Runner-Up: Chloe Matheson, Carrickfergus.
Runner-Up: Eve Bankhead, Carrickfergus.

Children’s Painting Competition 10 and under
Winner: Sophie Creighton, Carrickfergus.
Runner-Up: Amy Milnes, Carrickfergus.
Runner-Up: Billy-Jo McClure, Carrickfergus.

Children’s Poetry Competition
Winner: Kathryn Howard, Carrickfergus.
Runner-Up: William Clarke, Carrickfergus.
Runner-Up: Olivia Moore, Carrickfergus.

All winners listed at http://www.carrickfergusinbloom.org/newwinners.htm

Virtual Flower Show Competition: Winners Announced

The winners of the Carrickfergus in Bloom Virtual Flower Show have been announced by the Chairperson of the Parks, Countryside & Amenities Sub-Committee, Alderman May Beattie. The Virtual Flower Show with a £450 prize fund is the only online competition for local people to show off their gardening and photographic skills. Judging was carried out on the internet by popular vote from members of the public.

Alderman Beattie said "The Virtual Flower Show organised by Carrickfergus in Bloom is an excellent opportunity for Carrickfergus Borough residents to show off their photographic and gardening skills in this internet based competition. The winning photographs can be viewed at www.carrickfergusinbloom.org. Winners and runners-up will be invited to a prize-giving ceremony at the Town Hall in October to receive their certificates and prizes. At the ceremony we shall announce our plans for Carrickfergus in Bloom next year. To encourage people to enter the Virtual Flower Show we ran a free prize draw to win a Digital Camera, the winner was Ellen Hendry from Carrickfergus."

The Winners and Runners-Up (View Winning Photographs Here) are:

My Garden
Winner - Peaceful Sanctuary by Leah Thompson
Runner-Up - Room with a view by David Jackson

My Favourite Outdoor Plant
Winner - Lily White by Joanne Campbell
Runner-Up - Red on Black by Alan Cranston

My Favourite Indoor Plant
Winner - Curly Wurly by Jean Jackson
Runner-Up - Springtime Comes by Joyce Kernohan

My Favourite Landscape / Garden Setting
Winner - Snowy by Shelley Malcolmson
Runner-Up - View from Slemish by Crystal McClean

Flowers in their natural, wild setting
Winner - Still Waters by Gladys Blair
Runner-Up - Fern by the Fall by Warren Smyth

Flowers with pets or other animals
Winner - Dandering Duck by David Jackson
Runner-Up - Norton by Phil Hodges

Council Volunteers Help Stem the Tide of Rubbish

On Friday (16th September 2011) Carrickfergus Borough Council staff and their families helped the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) fight marine litter by kick starting the Beachwatch Big Weekend on the Marine Highway Shoreline. Volunteers cleaned the beach of its litter and completed surveys, which will be sent back to the Marine Conservation Society allowing them to tackle marine litter at its source.

Stephen Daye, from Carrickfergus Borough Council said "Thousands of items of litter were lifted, from plastic bottles, drink cans and plastic bags. Other interesting finds included a tyre, fire extinguisher and items of clothing. Litter comes from four main sources: fishing, shipping, the public and sewage related debris (particularly cotton buds). Beach litter is continually washed ashore, making it a very difficult problem to eradicate, this is why the UK wide survey is so important!

"Last years Beachwatch Big Weekend revealed a shocking rise in the amount of bathroom rubbish found on UK beaches. Some householders are using their loos as bins and flushing away items. The amount of sewage related debris ending up on our shores shot up by 40%, according to the latest Beachwatch report published earlier this year. The results of the Marine Conservation Society's (MCS) Beachwatch Big Weekend will be published next spring." Concluded Mr. Daye

Beach litter is an increasing problem in Northern Ireland with approximately one item of litter being found per footstep on beaches. Amanda Wilson, the Marine Conservation Society organiser for the Marine Highway Shoreline said, "Some of our best loved marine wildlife is under threat from hazardous litter in our seas. Hundreds of species of marine wildlife accidentally eat, or become tangled up in litter - and it’s also hazardous to people. It’s great that Carrickfergus Borough Council is so keen to be involved with the work of MCS and have shown such enthusiasm for Beachwatch Big Weekend". For more information on events taking place throughout Northern Ireland visit www.mcsuk.org/beachwatch.

Tallest Sunflower Winners Announced

The winner and runners-up of the Carrickfergus in Bloom Tallest Sunflower Competition have been announced today.

The winner: Joel McKimm (pictured) aged 5 from Carrickfergus whose sunflower grew 3 meters 30 cm. The runners-up are Emily Turner from Carrickfergus & Rebecca Boyd also from Carrickfergus.

Stephen Daye, Parks & Countryside Officer explained "Carrickfergus Borough Council distributed in March, two thousand packets of Sunflower seeds to local school children as part of the Carrickfergus in Bloom initiative to Get Kids Growing. After months of tender loving care by the young people it’s great to see the end results. The time and dedication many entrants spend on tending their sunflowers is extraordinary and is a credit too them."

Link: More 2011 Competition Winners