Translink Ulster in Bloom Award Winners

The Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Audrey Wales MBE, has hailed green-fingered residents after the Borough blossomed in the Translink Ulster in Bloom Awards.

The results of the competition officially recognised Northern Ireland’s top gardening talent, with a number of prestigious accolades awarded locally.

The 2016 Large Town category award went to Ballymena, the Small Town to Ahoghill and the Large Village award to Cullybackey, which also achieved the ‘Most Improved’ title.

The Best Community Rail Halt Award was bestowed on Whitehead Train Station. 

Meanwhile, Bill Pollock from ‘Brighter Whitehead’ was the winner of the Ulsterbus Tours Community Champion Award in recognition of the lasting and positive difference he has made to his local area by embracing the Ulster in Bloom ethos.

The Mayor said the impressive awards haul showed the Borough remains one of Northern Ireland’s best examples of floral expertise. “I am delighted and proud of the results of the competition. Translink Ulster in Bloom encourages cities, towns and villages right across Northern Ireland to look their best, boosting civic pride through beautiful plant and floral displays. Mid and East Antrim is renowned for its floral displays, which are enjoyed by residents and tourists alike. These awards are recognition of the fantastic work of residents to ensure our Borough is a beautiful place to live, work and visit. They are also a tribute to all the hard work of Council’s Parks and Open Spaces staff.”

This was the 38th year of the annual horticultural competition which celebrates Northern Ireland’s top gardening talent and their beautiful plant and floral displays.

Translink Chairman Frank Hewitt said: “Congratulations to all the Translink Ulster in Bloom champions. As we approach the 40th anniversary year, it’s wonderful to see the competition’s continued appeal with 156 entries covering all 11 council areas. We look forward to welcoming all our champions back to defend their titles when we launch the 2017 competition during Bus and Train Week, 5 to 11 June.”

The Translink Ulster in Bloom Competition is organised by the Northern Ireland local Government Association (NILGA).

Alderman Freda Donnelly, Vice President of the Northern Ireland Local Government Association, said: “For everyone involved, not just the winners, Translink Ulster in Bloom helps us all to focus on improving the quality of life for citizens right across the region, taking pride in the places where we live and work, and together, create a better environment for everyone to enjoy.”

Pioneering CES project at Ecos Nature Park

Ecos Nature Park, Ballymena is the first public Constant Effort Site (CES) in Northern Ireland. The programme began on Monday 8 May 2017 and 11 more morning sessions will be spaced out across the summer. The bird ringing mornings are led by BTO licensed ringer and trainer Aidan Crean and will run from 8am to 12.30pm.

The Constant Effort Sites (CES) scheme is the first national standardised ringing programme within the BTO Ringing Scheme and has been running successfully since 1983.  Ringers operate the same mist nets in the same locations over the same time period at regular intervals through the breeding season at over 130 sites throughout Britain and Ireland. The results from the project provides valuable local site species knowledge plus builds a trend of information on abundance of adults and juveniles, productivity and also adult survival rates for 24 species of common songbird.

This programme is a great opportunity to see and appreciate all the small resident and migrant birds of Ecos Nature Park at close quarters and learn how and why we catch, ring and study wild birds.

Everyone is welcome along, there is no experience required. 

To find out when the next sessions are occurring, add your details to our CES mailing list via biodiversity@midandeastantrim.gov.uk

2017 Mid and East Antrim in Bloom campaign officially launched

The 2017 campaign and community competitions were officially launched to coincide with Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) National Gardening Week.

The launch took place The People’s Park, Ballymena, on Friday 7 April and guests were invited to take part in a range of ‘in bloom’ activities.

Speaking at the event, Cllr Wales said: “Mid and East Antrim in Bloom is your opportunity to make your Borough bloom once again! Everyone can do their bit by filling a hanging basket, planting a tree or just keeping your garden tidy - there is something for everyone to do to ensure our Borough looks its best."

The Mid and East Antrim in Bloom community competitions are a great chance for people to be recognised for their gardening skills. Applications are welcome from all residents of the Borough and entry is free of charge. Why not consider nominating a neighbour’s garden and other properties that you think are attractive and deserve recognition?

There are 10 community competitions with great prizes available for winners and runners up in each. General categories include Best Kept Front Garden, Best Kept Allotment Garden, Best Kept Commercial Premises, Best Kept Community Planting Scheme and the Gardening for Wildlife Award.

There are four competitions specifically for our young horticulturalists too; Painting Competition, Poetry Competition, Best School Gardening Project and, of course, the hotly contested Tallest Sunflower Competition.

To get involved click here

Borough Buzzing with launch of Bee-licious initiative

Councillor Audrey Wales, MBE, the Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough has officially launched the ‘Bee-licious’ programme, which is generously funded by the National Lottery, through the Heritage Lottery Fund’s ‘Our Heritage Programme’ and has resulted in Mid and East Antrim working with seven other Councils across Northern Ireland to raise awareness on our important pollinator species.

Our pollinators, which include bees, butterfly and beetles, are in decline so the aim is to improve habitats for them across the country and to increase awareness of pollinator species and their key role within the ecology.

The Bee-licious project will run until April 2019 to focus on restoring nectar rich habitats by running training workshops and themed events to engage participants.

To find out more about how to get the Borough really buzzing, everyone is invited to any of the three events, in venues in Ballymena, Carrickfergus and near Larne.

• BEE-LICIOUS – BIG BEE BANK                    Saturday 22 April, 11am-1pm
  Through Bee-licious we are raising awareness on pollinator species and helping restore and create habitats. Help build a Big Bee Bank at Ecos.        
  Ecos Park, Kernohans Lane, Broughshane Road, Ballymena BT43 7QA

• BEE-LICIOUS – BIG BEE HOTEL                 Saturday 13 May, 10am - 1pm
  Through Bee-licious we are raising awareness on our pollinator species and helping to restore and create habitats for them. Help us build a Big Bee Hotel at Bashfordsland Wood. Bashfordsland Wood & Oakfield Glen,
  Red Fort Park, Off Marshallstown Road, Carrickfergus BT38 9TH

• BEE-LICIOUS – BIG BEE HOTEL                 Saturday 27 May, 10am – 1pm
  Through Bee-licious we are raising awareness on our pollinator species and helping to restore and create habitats for them. Help us build a Big Bee Hotel at this fun, family event. Meeting at the visitor centre.
  Carnfunnock Country Park, Larne Coast Rd, Ballygalley, Larne BT40 2QZ

Be A Saint Day 2017

Volunteers from the business world have been ‘saints’ by helping to improve the environment for the Borough’s community and wildlife, as well as building-up their own skills.

The Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough, Councillor Audrey Wales MBE, has commended volunteers who came out in support of the innovative ‘Be a Saint Day’, a Business in the Community initiative which takes place each year on the 16 March.

Cllr Wales said: “Be a Saint Day’ is a Business in the Community initiative, in partnership with Volunteer Now and sponsored by food retailer, Spar, and is an annual day of volunteering which encourages employers to release their employees for a day to get involved in practical tasks.

“Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has wholeheartedly supported the initiative for the last number of years. This year, we had a great number of hardworking volunteers out in our green spaces across the Borough, and I would personally like to thank them for their time and efforts,” she said.

Volunteers from software company Liberty IT carried out essential tree maintenance in Diamond Jubilee Wood, Whitehead and volunteers from Belfast Harbour, Larne Harbour, software company Micro Focus and IT support service Fujitsu helped out with hedge repair and invasive species removal at Carnfunnock Country Park, Ballygally.

Kieran Harding, Managing Director of Business in the Community NI, said that volunteering is a powerful tool: “It builds dialogue and relationships between groups of people and organisations who might otherwise not have the opportunity to engage in a community.

“It offers genuine mutual benefit - the experience builds skills and motivates employees, while helping to make a positive contribution to community needs.

“It is all about celebrating what can be achieved in communities through the power of volunteers – but it’s more than just a day and we urge businesses that take part to use it as a springboard into deeper long-term engagement in communities across Northern Ireland, all year round,” he said.

Forest School programme continues in Mid & East Antrim

St Johns Primary School have begun their Forest Schools programme at Cranny Falls Nature Reserve, Carnlough. Cranny Falls includes a beautiful waterfall in a wooded valley, a disused limestone quarry, cliffs, wetlands and grasslands. Pupils have been learning how to identify different trees, how to build shelters and how to create homes for insects and the Mayor of Mid & East Antrim recently visited to see how they were getting on.

 For more information on the Forest School programme please click here.

Calling All Crafters!

Are you a keen knitter? Are you crafty and creative? If so, you may like to get involved in our Woollen Woods project.

Diamond Jubilee Wood, Whitehead is the only Woollen Wood in Ireland! The Woollen Woods project, in partnership with Lighthouse Yarns, has been running since 2015 with hundreds of woodland-themed artworks, created by schools, knitting groups and individuals, installed in the wood each year and celebrated with a Grand Opening and fun day on site. We always welcome donations and your creation will be displayed in the woods for our 2017 Grand Opening and fun day on Saturday 24 June, 1pm – 4pm.

 The theme this year is The Very Hungry Caterpillar, but any woodland themed creations are welcome.

Please send your crafty contributions to:

Woollen Woods

Lighthouse Yarns

Edward Road

Whitehead

BT38 9PT

You can also visit https://en-gb.facebook.com/lighthouseyarns/ to find free patterns.