SPRING 2013

FRE E

COMMUNITY NEWS

ISLANDMAGEE

Has YOUR Road Gone to Pot? We can help!

For those of you who may be unaware, we have introduced a Pot Hole & Fault Reporting System on the Islandmagee Community Website.
www.IslandmageeCommunity.org/drd-report-a-fault/

Disappointing Broadband?
We have been made aware that broadband speeds, particularly at the North end of Islandmagee fall very short of the levels quoted when purchasing the system and well below the level promised by the Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment. In a press release issued earlier this year it was stated that the Islandmagee exchange had been upgraded to ensure maximum possible broadband speed. In referring to Islandmagee the authors conveniently forgot that Islandmagee is served by two exchanges. Whilst the Southern end of Islandmagee had its exchange upgraded the Northern end was left with a product that is far below acceptable levels of quality promised by DETI Department. The ICDA committee would like to take this problem on board and to investigate what can be done to rectify this (what can only be called) rural discrimination. In order to take this issue forward we need your support. We need to know how many people are using Broadband in the area, where they are geographically situated, what broadband speed they are getting and how many people in their house are using it. You can use www.broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk Please take a few minutes to contact us with this information at islandmagee@nacn.org.

To date this is working very well but, despite the fact that some work has been done to eradicate pot holes on our roads new inverted ramps keep appearing. These are a danger to motorists, cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians. Visit the page at www.islandmageecommunity.org/drdreport-a-fault/ and you will find the online form that can be used to report Islandmagee faults directly to DRD Roads Service. By using this reporting system you will prevent potential vehicle damage and even injuries or a fatality. Although primarily setup to report pot holes our online reporting service can also be used to report the following faults to DRD Roads Service: pot holes; damaged manholes or gully lids; debris on the roads or footways; drainage or flooding problems; faulty illuminated signs or bollards; missing kerbs; mud on the road; obstruction on the road or footway; streetlights not working; traffic signals not working; uneven surfaces on footways and anything else you think relevant.

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2nd Gobbins information gathering evening

Saturday 25th May 2013, 7.00pm.
2nd. Islandmagee Presbyterian Church / Admission Free Musical Entertainment & Light Supper

ICDA 2013 Annual General Meeting

Islandmagee Community Development Association will be holding its annual general meeting at 7.30pm on Thursday 23rd May 2013 in the small hall at the Community Centre. Everyone is welcome! In addition to the annual report on our work and the election of the 2013/14 committee there will be the usual discussion period. Quite a number of councillors/MLAs/MP attend the AGM and the discussion period gives you, the voting public, an opportunity to put your concerns to them. ICDA is always keen to attract new talent to its committee and would welcome, prior to the AGM, of hearing from anyone who would like to put their name forward for election. Contact us through our secretary at islandmagee@nacn.org. This AGM will be the last of our meetings to be held in the current community centre that will be closed down during the Gobbins re-construction project. Until a new community hall is provided ICDA committee will hold its regular monthly meetings on the fourth Thursday of each month (excepting July and December) in 2nd Islandmagee Presbyterian Church halls at the usual time of 7pm.

This is the second in a duo of events being staged by Larne Borough Council in its continuing community research into the Gobbins. The first evening held in the Community Centre in mid April proved to be a very enjoyable social event that provided local people with the opportunity to network with their neighbours but also revealed a lot of interesting memories and memorabilia of the Gobbins. Information collected at these events will be used in the design and interpretation in the new Gobbins visitors centre Members of ICDA and staff from Larne Borough Council will be in attendance on the evening to record your information. Please feel Free to bring along any postcards, pictures, photographs souvenirs and any other interesting objects relating to The Gobbins that you may possess. For further information or to RSVP please contact Jenny Caldwell, Heritage Officer, Larne Museum and Arts Centre at 028 2827 9482.

Do you suffer from long-term (chronic) pain?

The Patient and Client Council is an independent voice for people in Health and Social Care. The Council wishes to find out about peoples experiences of the treatment and care they have received for long-term pain. The Council will ensure that their voices are heard by decision makers and will contribute to developing a pain strategy for Northern Ireland. The Council will produce a report for the decision makers based on the information that you provide. If you suffer from Long-Term (chronic) Pain then please complete a questionnaire on line at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LongTermPainNI If you have any Questions about filling in the questionnaire or need help to complete it please contract either Sorcha Forbes or Avril Caig on 0800 9170 222 or 028 9032 1230 or you can email sorcha.forbes@hscni.net or avril.craig@hscni.net

Islandmagee in Bloom
It is that time of year again. Spring has sprung and gardens are being spruced up for the new growing season. Islandmagee in Bloom is a project developed to replace untidy areas along our road sides with more attractive floral displays. Whilst Larne Borough Council is generous in the provision of plants the work of planting and maintaining the features has to be undertaken by the community.
Continued Over > > >

IslandmageeCommunity.org

Advertise your local business to local people here and on our website!
email islandmagee@nacn.org for details.

BALLYSTRUDDER
POST OFFICE DELI LOTTERY FINE WINES
Call 07582 382 700
info@BuroDeFunk.com

OPEN LATE EVERY NIGHT!

TWEED FUELS Islandmagee F.C. G.ARMOUR

MOB. 07850 050 078
New members and visitors welcome to our family friendly club.

NEWS & MAGS STATIONERY CAR CARE

HARDWARE & HOUSEHOLD

TOYS PAYPOINT CARDS

Rinkha
The
HOME MADE ICE-CREAM

EAST ANTRIM FUELS

facebook.com/thesparshop

YOUR LOCAL HEATING OIL SUPPLIER

TEL 028 9338 2990

YOUR LOCAL SUPPLIER

OIL / COAL / GAS

Phone: 028 9338 2502 or 07710 014 309
BOARDING CATTERY

E XC L U S I V E LY F O R C AT S

Cats Alley T. STITT Channel View

AVAILABLE FOR FUNCTIONS
ACCIDENT REPAIRS & RESTORATIONS
SPECIALISTS IN HIGH QUALITY MOTOR BODYWORK, REPAIRS, RESTORATIONS & PAINTING

Situated in the heart of Ballystrudder Village (opposite the Rinkha)

REGISTERED BUILDER
A L L W O R K U N D E R TA K E N

165 B R O W N S B AY R O A D

& SON

TEL. 02893 382 378

MOB. 07812 947 312

BOARDING KENNELS & CATTERY

Pet Grooming Services Available
41 Mullaghboy Road, Islandmagee

1 Higginsons Lane Islandmagee, BT40 3RY.

Mob. 07886 739 683 Tel. 028 9338 2185

028 9338 2549

W W W .T S T I T T .C O M

028 9338 2121

Agri-Rural Partnership Training.

> > > Every year people tell us how much they appreciate these floral provisions yet getting help with them is not so forthcoming. The future of this project depends on enough help coming forward to ensure that features are planted and maintained so how about giving a hand. A few hours per year contributed to the project could make a very big difference not only in spreading the work but also in the quality of the product. If you can volunteer a few hours work now and then please contact Gerry on 028 9338 2378. Your help and support will be greatly appreciated.

Training is available to farmers and members of farming families to assist them in getting a quick grasp of the areas of Information Technology (computer use) that can be of assistance to them in running their business. The training is free to farming families and can be delivered locally and the benefits include saving of time and money, how to complete forms on line and a reduction in paper work. Interested? Whats involved? 4 sessions delivered locally. What does it cover? Intro to computers and internet for those with little or no experience. What will I learn? How to get on line, complete forms, search internet and lots more. Who can attend? Farmers and members of their family aged 17 and over. (Business ID No. required.) To get involved contact: Family Farm Options, Loy St., Cookstown, BT80 8PZ. Email options@countrysiderural.co.uk or telephone 08450 267 534.

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Farm Safety
We have all been aware of a number of fatal accidents that have taken place recently on farms. The countryside Agri-Rural Partnership are running a FarmSafe Awareness programme funded by the NI Rural Development programme. FarmSafe Awareness provides an opportunity for farm families and workers to gain a better understanding of how to farm safely and to develop awareness to reduce risk of accidents. FarmSafe Awareness events offer practical demonstrations covering everyday hazards faced by farmers and their families. Topics covered will include working at heights, slurry risks, handling livestock and working with machinery. The programme is open to farmers and their families over 17 years of age and attendance is free of charge. Events will be run throughout Northern Ireland at established Focus Farms. A FarmSafe Awareness event can also be provided directly to groups of farmers. If you can get a group of 10 or more farmers together then a group session can be organised for you. FarmSafe Awareness provides opportunities for you to share experiences and to ask questions in small groups. Attendance is by registration (to allow the arrangement of suitable facilities). For further information or to register please contact FarmSafe Awareness on 0845 026 7536 or 0845 026 7534 or email options@countrysiderural.co.uk

Are you getting all that you are entitled to?

North Antrim Community Network has received further funding to enable it to deliver its very successful MARA scheme for a further year. The MARA scheme aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people living in rural areas in Northern Ireland by making them aware of, or helping them to access local services, grants or benefits. Already many people have benefited from engaging with the MARA scheme often gaining entitlements that they did not know that they could have. The MARA system is straight forward. If you would like a check on what you might be entitled to and on whether there is more on offer that you could benefit from you simply contact your MARA office at North Antrim Community Network on 028 2177 1155 or 028 2177 2100. All discussions will be conducted in strict confidence. A trained member of the MARA team will visit you to assess your situation and to try to identify ways in which you can be helped. Households most likely to benefit from a visit will incorporate older people, carers, disabled people, lone parents, ethnic minorities, Lone adults, farming families and/or low income families. The home visit will encourage people to avail of services, benefits and grants that they might not know about or felt that they were not entitled to. With your permission your details will be electronically recorded and areas worth exploring with relevant agencies identified (known as referral partners). The appropriate referral partners will then contact you to establish exactly how and if they can assist you. These referrals include rural community transport, smart pass for free or half price travel, energy savings homes scheme (warm homes), assessments from occupational therapists (OYs) for disabled facilities grants, home safety checks, benefit entitlement checks and any other local or social services available in your area. MARA staff will follow up the progress of these referrals to ensure that progress is being made. MARA Project cannot guarantee that you will receive any or all of the services, grants or benefits available. This will depend on your personal circumstances. MARA can only help if they are aware of you so contact the team at 028 2177 1155 or 028 2177 2100.

Islandmagee Community Website

In our January News Sheet ICDA announced that it had received funding for the creation of a community web site and that work had advanced on constructing this site. It is a community facility and is available to publicise community news, promote businesses and to provide publicity for community projects, events and activities. We are greatly encouraged by the level of participation and interest in this project both from the Islandmagee community and from further afield. Contact the web organisers via the website if you wish online publicity for any of the above or by E-mail to ICDA secretary at islandmagee@nacn.org. The website will be one of our core ongoing projects and we would welcome your views as to how the site can be developed in the future. Keep up to date with the latest community news, events and activities, use the community directory to source and support local business and social services, see community projects and more. Get involved in the conversation at: facebook.com/IslandmageeCommunity twitter.com/IslandmageeICDA

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Twitter.com/IslandmageeICDA