Bloom Magazine ( Dec 18) by BloomMagazine

ISSUE 77 DECEMBER 2018 www.bloommagazine.co.uk

Bloom Magazine Belfast

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CONTENTS Find us City East Business Centre, 68-72 Newtownards Road, Belfast, Co. Antrim BT4 1GW

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T&Cs

02. Beauty Advice

The Secret Day Spa

04. Latest News

From Your Area

12. Festive Gift Guide Arts Council of Northern Ireland 14. Dekko Bird Interior Styling 20. Eastside Awards Finalists Announced 22. Colin Murphy On Tour 23. Shared Threads Wreath Making Fun

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NEWS Coleen Collects her Diana Award Coleen Bergantinos, a Year 14 pupil at Ashfield Girls’ High School in East Belfast, was a guest at Parliament Buildings this week to collect her Diana Award – the most prestigious accolade a young person aged 9–25 years can receive for their social action or humanitarian work. Coleen received her award because of her selfless involvement with many volunteering initiatives and encouraging others to become more invested in the community. Having grown her hair for over two years, Coleen donated more than twelve inches to the Little Princess Trust and has used this as a platform for social good, organising and running various fundraising campaigns. This event coincided with the news that Coleen is also a finalist in the Eastside Awards in the Young Person of the Year category.

Leah Mcfall Christmas’s show east belfast ‘A special one-off Christmas concert with Leah McFall. Performing your favourite Christmas carols in her own unique style blended with her most loved original songs and new exclusive tunes. Village Church is a beautiful candle-lit building in the heart of CS. Lewis Sq and Ballyhackamore, east Belfast, making for an enchanting Christmas venue choice for this event. We would be thrilled to have you join us! “I’m very excited! The venue is beautiful, candle-lit and intimate perfect for this concert. I’ve wanted to do a Christmas show for ages and am so pleased to be performing it this year in Belfast. I love re-working old Christmas carols into my own style of music and the musicians playing with me for this concert are incredibly talented at helping me do that. I will also be performing a selection of my originals songs, both already released and some exclusive new ones.” - Leah McFall ALL AGES WELCOME! Tickets sold online at : https://www.seetickets.com/event/leah-mcfall-a-christmas-concert/ village-church-belfast/1288581

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Santa Dash Belfast City 2018 supports disadvantaged children across Northern Ireland Families and runners from across Northern Ireland got in to the festive spirit and donned a Santa suit to take part in this year’s Santa Dash Belfast City 2018 (Sun 2 Dec 18). Cool FM Breakfast Show presenters Pete Snodden, Rebecca McKinney and Paolo Ross joined Santa in his sleigh to kickstart the event with a fun warm-up session at Writer’s Square, Belfast. Sponsored by local construction and facilities management Judith Poole, Megan Ross from Alan Patterson Design, group GRAHAM, Santa Dash Belfast City 2018 is organised by Cash for Kids Northern running for Children’s Autism NI with Diane Cadden running for Children’s Heartbeat Trust Ireland, with everything raised supporting disadvantaged children across Northern Ireland.

Wonderful Wee Christmas The show is called ‘A Wonderful Wee Christmas’ and is so worth a visit! The story centres around the life of Geordie Bailey - manager of the Credit Union in Belfast’s Lower Falls - on one night in particular - Christmas Eve. After an unfortunate incident he is visited, guided through and shown the meaning of his life by an unexpected visitor. Something Geordie has been struggling to see for himself. Expect to see the usual array of characters - each one superbly observed and portrayed. Overall it is a story about how some us can feel at times, and especially at this time of year but how our impact on other people can be so incredibly worthwhile and important. Definitely a show to make part of your festivities over Christmas and into the New Year.

NEWS Kick Start Little Kickers Belfast is a great way for your Wee Ones to get involved in sport for the first time for Boys and Girls ages 18 months to 7 years with classes all over Belfast , Holywood and Newtownabbey We have four different football classes each tailored to a different age group. However, we have two core beliefs that we take into every session. Firstly, we believe in something we call “Play not Push”. It means teaching football in a fun, pressure-free environment. We want to give children a positive introduction to sport as a whole, not just football, so they’re more likely to stay healthy and active throughout their lives. Secondly, we believe football can be educational. Coached in the right way it can stimulate imagination and aid early development skills such as learning colours and numbers, following instructions and playing as a team Come along and get involved as its Little Kickers Belfast and its FUN FUN FUN FUN !!!!

Dippy creates an enormous footfall in Belfast Dippy creates an enormous footfall in Belfast - with a ginormous 100,000 visitors to the Ulster Museum to see Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure exhibition, since opening to the public just over 10 weeks ago at the end of September. Dippy is the Natural History Museum’s iconic 26-metre-long diplodocus cast and he’s here for his final few weeks before he moves on to the next leg of his UK wide tour. Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure has been brought about by the Natural History Museum, in partnership with the Garfield Weston Foundation. At the Ulster Museum until 6 January 2019, admission is free. To make a booking and for further information on the exhibition and all the Dippy events, visit www.nmni.com/dippy

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NEWS Four Star Pizza serves up 30 new jobs in recruitment drive Leading pizza chain announces 30 jobs, recruitment open-day, and new skills partnership with Belfast Met FOUR STAR PIZZA has today announced a recruitment drive to hire 30 new team members for positions based across Belfast and Lisburn, alongside a new ‘Earn as you Learn’ apprenticeship scheme in partnership with Belfast Met. The newly announced scheme, which already has two new recruits, Adam McFarlane and Alex Tibuc, is designed to allow Four Star Pizza employees to gain qualifications relevant to the hospitality industry via Belfast Met and is structured so that the new students training takes place during their normal paid working day. Employees who wish to access the scheme will be mentored by both Belfast Met trainers and experienced Four Star Pizza team managers, while any employees who require additional training in Maths, English or ICT can also access essential skills training as part of the course. Scott Higginson, Managing Director at Four Star Pizza, said: “As we continue to expand across Northern Ireland, I am thrilled to be announcing these 30 new positions across our stores. We are also proud to announce our new ‘Earn as you Learn’ apprenticeship scheme in partnership with Belfast Met which will allow our employees to access further training and gain new qualifications while they work for us. Emma Morrison, Employer Engagement Executive at Belfast Met’s Centre for Skills & Apprenticeships, said: “The Centre for Skills and Apprenticeships at Belfast Met is delighted to be working in partnership with Scott Higginson and his team at Four Star Pizza. We could see straight away that Scott and his team recognized that a successful business model requires skilled, qualified and motivated staff who can foresee a future career pathway. “We are confident that our Four Star Pizza participants in the scheme will benefit greatly from the “Earn as you Learn” accredited skills development programme and can expect to have a promising career ahead of them,” added Emma. Four Star Pizza is a wholly Irish-owned Pizza chain, established in 1988, and operates 53 stores across the island of Ireland, including 13 in Northern Ireland. The company’s first Northern Ireland restaurant was opened in 1999 on Belfast’s Beersbridge Road and other locations include Bangor, Coleraine, Carrickfergus, Newry, Drumahoe, Derry, Armagh and Newtownabbey. Four Star Pizza is renowned for its pizza dough which is freshly prepared by hand on site daily by passionate and expertly trained pizza chefs, using top quality locally sourced flour.

NEWS

Sports Direct Confirms Pre-Christmas Opening At Connswater Shopping Complex Alfred Street Properties Ltd, owners of Connswater Shopping Centre and Retail Park, has today announced that Sports Direct will open a 4,500 sq ft store at the complex in mid-December. Founded in 1982, Sports Direct International PLC is the UK’s largest sporting goods retailer, and operates a diversified portfolio of sports, fitness, fashion and lifestyle fascias and brands. This is one of several notable deals to have taken place recently at Connswater Shopping Centre and Retail Park including the opening of Brand Max, Savers Health and Beauty and Tim Horton’s drive-thru. It follows the opening of national home, garden and leisure retail chain The Range in 2017, which created 80 new jobs in a 55,000 sq ft anchor unit. Laura McCarthy, property asset manager of Alfred Street Properties Ltd, said: “This year has been exceptional for Connswater Shopping Centre and Retail Park and we are delighted to finish on a high with the arrival of Sports Direct opening on 12th December. We know that this is a very popular retailer and our customers will welcome the opening in the run up to Christmas. It is also a great boost for the local economy. “Since the opening of The Range at the end of last year there has been a substantial increase in footfall by 50 per cent to the scheme and we have continued to build on that successful momentum throughout 2018. We are looking ahead to next year with optimism and we continue to explore opportunities to improve and diversify our offering.” A spokesperson for SportsDirect.com said: “We offer something for everybody and we’re very proud to be opening a store in a great location like Connswater Shopping Centre. “As we continue to grow throughout the UK, our ethos has never changed in that we offer our customers the biggest brands in all types of sportswear, footwear and sports equipment at low prices.”

NEW VENUE AT QUEENS LEISURE COMPLEX HOLYWOOD Queens Leisure Complex Holywood Tuesdays 1015am - 11am Also venues at Methodist College Saturdays 9.30am-12.30pm , Academy Sports Hub Mallusk Sundays 11am - 1pm and Boys Model School Tuesdays 6.15-7pm Boys and Girls ages 18 months to 7 years Its the Christmas present with a difference , book to start in January and we will post out your kit with a FREE Selection Box in time for Christmas Its Little Kickers Belfast and its FUN FUN FUN !!!!

T. 02890 808675 / 0741046084 E. belfastwest@littlekickers.co.uk www.littlekickers.co.uk  Little Kickers Belfast  @LKBelfast

Top Ten Stocking Fillers Damian Smyth, Head of Literature and Drama at the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, picks out his top Christmas books by local authors. Perfect for those last minute presents… The almost half-million sales of Belfast-born Anna Burns’s novel Milkman (Faber £8.99), since it won the Man Booker Prize in October, should give us all pause for thought. The amazing numbers give the lie to the idea that reading is on the decline, that good novels are old hat or that the public listen to snooty commentators who thought the book ‘difficult’, ‘brain-kneading’ and ‘baffling’. Well, by the end of the festive season, the numbers of ‘baffled’ readers will have risen still further, as there is something about this dark tale of paramilitary stalkers, resistance, survival and the blackest humour which has struck a global chord, and will squeeze the story of Middle Sister firmly into many a Yuletide stocking. It’s a good time to be reminded that, while Milkman is the most acclaimed book to reflect the peculiar cultural pressures of Northern Ireland, it sure isn’t the only one.

1. For those who prefer

2. Éilís Ní Dhuibhne’s

3. Just off the press

4. For those under

their fictions short and sweet, where better to start than Wendy Erskine’s Sweet Home (Stinging Fly £11.00), ten strikingly-ascetic stories of east Belfast life ranging from the wistful to the disturbing from the year’s top literary discovery.

is Jamie Guiney’s The Wooden Hill (Époque Press £7.99), adroit, tricky and touching tales of the everyday and mortality from a writer also at the outset of a promising career.

Twelve Thousand Days: A Memoir of Love and Loss (£9.99) is sometimes unbearably moving, occasionally chilling, always fearlessly accurate, and is set to be something of a handbook of endurance and recovery in the face of grief.

extreme seasonal pressure, Emergency Fiction Treatment can be obtained from the sparkling imagination of Ian Sansom, with his December Stories 1 (No Alibis Press £9.99), a gathering of wry, bizarre and eclectic Christmas narratives which will long outlast the troublesome season itself.

5. Meanwhile, Tyrone’s

Anthony J Quinn swaps his border cop Celcius Daly for a whole other frontier – the Scottish borders – and a whole other gender, as Detective Carla Herron brings her formidable intelligence to bear on an especially grisly discovery in a Scottish forest (The Listeners, Head of Zeus £14.99). Quinn puts another layer of wisdom on his already accomplished manner of exposing the moral duplicity of the margins.

7. No less unsettling is

Ricky O’Rawe’s James ‘Ructions’ O’Hare, mastermind of the bank robbery planned and executed in his debut fiction Northern Heist (Merrion Press £13.99). You’ll soon forget about parallels with the infamous Northern Bank bust of 2004 – O’Rawe has a racy, pacy style and aplomb with witty observation which make this tale of Celtic Tiger robbery a bit of a Belfast urban classic.

9. Pauline Burgess’s

novel for young people, Who Do You Think You Are? (Children’s Poolbeg £8.00), follows the trials of Magda, a Polish girl growing up in Belfast, with aged relatives behind her and a world of new opportunities and risks before her. Burgess proves herself again a flexible, inventive and compassionately engaged writer.

6. With The Liar (Orion

£8.99), Steve Cavanagh scooped the Crime Writers Association Gold Dagger Award for the year’s best novel, a prestigious accolade but one which the quality of his writing has been inviting for several years. In Eddie Flynn, ex-con artist turned attorney, Cavanagh has built an anti-hero of enduring appeal and a perfect, if unsettling, companion for your snoozy fireside.

8. It’s not all boys

and toys, though. The ten stories in Sophia Hillan’s long-awaited collection The Cocktail Hour (Arlen House £15.00) are small masterpieces of mood and character, ranging from a graceless USA to the coast of east Down, from glamour to disappointment and often unexpected grimness, to a sense that one can do much worse than live on with illusion.

10. Finally, the punk revolution in Northern Ireland is the centrepiece of Stuart Bailie’s monumental and hugely-readable encyclopedia Trouble Songs: Music and Conflict in Northern Ireland (Bloomfield £14.99). Even if, like me, your role models were Mr Travolta and those chaps at Gibb Bros – less spit than polish – this publication will be a guide for decades to come and a hefty (and affordable) addition to any seasonal pile under the tree.

Home Styling & Decor News

I recently wrote a blog post about decorating your home in a more sustainable way and now that many of us are thinking about bringing out the Christmas decorations, I thought I’d give you some ideas about how you can have a greener Christmas and do your bit for the environment. First up, the star of the show - the Christmas Tree. Whilst artificial trees can last many years, they’re made from non-recyclable plastic and often produced using cheap labour before being shipped many miles. Real trees on the other hand are biodegradable and whilst growing, consume toxic carbon from the atmosphere. Make sure your tree is grown from a sustainable source before buying and remember you may also be supporting a local business in doing so. Before buying your scented Christmas candles this year, ensure they’re eco-friendly and healthy for your home by buying natural soy or beeswax candles. Cheap smelly varieties contain small levels of petroleum which can be harmful over time. Decorate your tree with handcrafted or fair trade produced decorations where possible. You can find some really unique ones at local Christmas craft fairs or why not try your hand at making your own from sustainable materials such as dried twigs, pinecones and twine. You can also reuse old fabrics and

Follow my blog at www.dekkobird.com |

Dekko Bird

ribbon or wooden beads and feathers - perfect for recreating that rustic look that’s so popular with our nordic neighbours. Wrapping paper is one of the largest Christmas waste products, with much of it not being recycled and ending up on landfill sites. Switch to recycled brown paper or newspaper instead, embellishing your gifts with colourful, reusable, ribbon or raffia, tags made from last year’s Christmas cards and finished off with sprigs of fresh greenery, woody herbs or offcuts from the tree. Use seasonal greenery such as holly, ivy and fir branches to decorate your interior - it gives such a welcoming, christmassy scent when you come home and looks great trailing down stair banisters or along a mantelpiece, dotted with twinkling fairy lights. Hopefully these simple ideas will help you become a little more eco-aware this Christmas time - the environment will thank you for it, as will your purse! Have a very Merry Christmas everyone and thanks for reading my feature every month. See you in the New Year!

Follow me on Instagram + Twitter @Dekko Bird, Pinterest + Facebook

Life Through A Lens When I look through the lens of my camera, I see things that matter. I see parents besotted with their brand new daughter and holding her like they can never love her enough. I see kids throwing their heads back with laughter at something funny dad said. I see a mum, who told me not to focus on her, looking just beautiful as she watches her family love each other the way only her family can. I see creatives painting, sculpting and crafting their own path through the world. I see you - the amazing, one of a kind you. Making time to document your family just the way you are right now is so important. Time is fleeting and this moment will have slipped away all too soon. Why not make 2019

the year you record those precious memories before you go off and create some new ones? Or if you own a creative business, let me help you tell your brand story with images that reflect not just where you are now, but where you dream of being this time next year! Contact me at info@janineboydphotography. com or find me @jblifedocumented on Instagram and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let these moments pass you by any longer.

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NEWS

Choice celebrates 30th anniversary of local sheltered housing scheme Cabin Hill Court, a sheltered housing scheme on the Upper Newtownards Road celebrated its 30th anniversary. Residents, friends, family and staff from Choice Housing came together to celebrate this very special occasion. The scheme officially opened on 22nd November 1988. Cabin Hill Court was initially managed by scheme co-ordinator, Judy Brown, who is now a resident at the sheltered living scheme. The East Belfast scheme provides much needed sheltered living for older people in the area, striking the balance between secure living and an independence that comes with the availability of a range of amenities within a short distance. Residents at the scheme include Betty Firman who originally moved into Cabin Hill Court over 10 years ago and Meta McMullan who is the oldest resident at the scheme. At 91 years of age, she continues to entertain everyone with her stories. Hazel Bell, Chair of Choice said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am delighted to see this scheme continue to thrive thanks to the dedication of our staff and the welcoming nature of our residents. Reaching the thirty year mark is an incredible milestone, one that we should be very proud of. The location of Cabin Hill Court enables our residents to remain independent. â&#x20AC;&#x153;These celebration events are important not only to mark the great work of our team and of the significant contribution of tenants who have made this their home but also to demonstrate that Choice are continuing to provide long term sustainable housing for those who need itâ&#x20AC;?. The scheme comprises 28 self-contained apartments with lift access to the upper floors. This includes; 21 single bedroom apartments, 6 double bedroom apartments and one two-bedroom apartment. The convenient location means the scheme is within easy reach of local amenities in Ballyhackamore, including; cafes, shops, restaurants, a post office and library. In addition, the scheme has excellent transport links to and from Belfast and Newtownards.

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Simon Greig from Dundonald Stages A Museum Takeover at Titanic Belfast Dundonald’s Simon Greig recently staged a Museum Takeover at Titanic Belfast through Orchardville, which works in partnership with young people and adults with learning disabilities and autism to prepare them for employment. Simon from Dundonald, alongside fellow Orchardville’s clients, took over operations at the world leading visitor attraction, ranging across Visitor Experience, Hospitality, Photographic, Learning and Retail. Simon, who has experience in retail, tried Visitor Experience due to his love of history and learnt more about Belfast in the 1900’s and Titanic and shared his passion for knowledge with guests. The participants had a ‘shipmate’ mentor and received Titanic Belfast’s bespoke five skills to five-star training and Health and Safety preparation. The special event was hosted by Titanic Belfast as part of its commitment to disability access in its many forms. Joan McGinn, Orchardville Chief Executive stated, “We’re truly delighted to have partnered again with Titanic Belfast to stage this year’s museum takeover. Our participants have had the opportunity to experience real work across a range of job roles that will help them make more informed choices around their future career pathways. Of equal importance though are the amazing memories the day has created for all involved. The enthusiasm and engagement of Titanic Belfast’s staff, has made the day one that our participants will never forget.” Heather Graham, Titanic Belfast’s Head of Human Resources said, “As one of the UK’s most accessible attractions, we are committed to ensuring access to employment by making any reasonable adjustments to break down barriers which could prevent access to employment. As such, we are very proud of our partnership with Orchardville, and the Museum Takeover Day, is a very special part of this. Credit must be paid to everyone who took part, they were all fabulous and definitely have the ‘T’ factor we look for. It was great to see them develop over the course of the training and day itself!” The Museum Takeover is just one of the initiatives Titanic Belfast is undertaking with Orchardville. It hopes that its example will inspire the tourism industry locally, nationally and internationally to do more to better cater for those with access difficulties. The world-class visitor attraction has already been listed by SAGA and the Rough Guide to Accessibility Britain as one of the most accessible attractions in the UK. For more information, visit www.titanicbelfast.com.

EASTSIDE AWARDS IT’S A HAT TRICK FOR EASTSIDE AWARDS It’s a hat trick for Eastside Awards in association with George Best Belfast City Airport with a consistently high calibre of entries being received. A new element was introduced to the third annual awards with the public voting for their favourite beauty salon, hair salon, eatery and takeaway, attracting more than 5,000 votes on the Belfast Telegraph website. A panel of independent judges also met to rigorously assess the highest number of entries received since the awards first launched in 2017 to recognise all that is truly great about East Belfast. Jonathan McAlpin, Chief Executive of East Belfast Enterprise and Chair of Eastside Awards Committee, said: “It’s a hat trick for the Eastside Awards with a phenomenally high calibre of entries from local people across the community in this third year. With such a diverse range of finalists, our awards ceremony in January will be a superb celebration of the best of East Belfast.” Stephen Patton, Human Resources and Corporate Responsibility Manager at George Best Belfast City Airport said: “Belfast City Airport is a proud sponsor of the Eastside Awards for the third year. The awards are a brilliant opportunity to celebrate individuals and organisations who make a significant contribution to the development of their community. “At the airport, we are embedded in the local community through a number of initiatives including our Community Fund, adopted schools programme and High Flyers Apprenticeship Scheme. Earlier this year, our Community Fund celebrated investing just over £400,000 in 150 local projects, with many activities in east Belfast.”

The Eastside Awards Finalists are: Eastside Award for Favourite Beauty Salon sponsored by Solv Beauty Culture, Beyoutiful Hair and Beauty Salon, The Secret Day Spa Eastside Award for Favourite Hair Salon sponsored by Solv Company Haircutters, LaVeau Hair, Urbanroots Eastside Award for Favourite Eatery sponsored by Solv The Lamppost Café, Orchard Café, Peppercorn Cafe Eastside Award for Favourite Takeaway sponsored by Solv The Fryar Tuck, Mandarin City, Nicos Pizza Pasta Eastside Award for Tourism Experience sponsored by Titanic Belfast, Titanic Foundation and Titanic Quarter East Belfast Mission – Turas; Hidden Ulster Tours; We Are Vertigo Eastside Award for Individual Contribution to Sport sponsored by Millar McCall Wylie Artur Kopyt, Glentoran Football Club Academy Polish Section; Gervis Knox and Keith Knox, Ormeau Table Tennis Club & Ulster Table Tennis; Alex McGreevy and Philip Corr, Titanic Quarter Cycling Club Eastside Award for Contribution to the Arts sponsored by Phoenix Natural Gas Aly Harte; Arlene Megaw, East Belfast Mission; Strand Arts Centre Eastside Award for Educator of the Year sponsored by We’re Sure Beverley Cripps, Ashfield Girls’ High School; Aly Harte; Lynn Myers, Strathearn School Eastside Award for Best Community Project sponsored by Urban Villages Charter NI – Diamond Project; East Belfast Mission – Turas; Groundwork Northern Ireland Eastside Award for Employer of the Year sponsored by Fleet Financial Oasis Travel; Odyssey Bowl; Precept IT Titanic Eastside Award for Innovation sponsored by Titanic Belfast, Titanic Foundation and Titanic Quarter Proud; Spectra Sensory Clothing; We Are Vertigo Eastside Award for Business Start-Up sponsored by Belfast City Council Home Away From Home; Marketing Tech & Design; Spectra Sensory Clothing Eastside Award for Business Growth sponsored by Ulster Bank Belfast Pilates & Physiotherapy; Precept IT; Totalis Construction Ltd Eastside Award for Volunteer of the Year sponsored by Wolseley Jodie Killops, Glentoran Football Club; Pamela Loan, East Belfast Mission; Brian White, Brain Injury Matters Eastside Award for Young Person of the Year sponsored by George Best Belfast City Airport Coleen Bergantinos, Ashfield Girls’ High School; Jonathan McLaughlin, Grosvenor Grammar School; Mason Robinson, Pocket Pal The recipient of a special Outstanding Contribution award sponsored by East Belfast Enterprise will be announced at the third annual awards ceremony as chosen by the committee. This individual will be awarded for the outstanding contribution they have made to the East Belfast community. The third annual Eastside Awards will be hosted by BBC presenter Tara Mills who will announce the winners at a Burns Night themed celebration, with a pre dinner reception sponsored by The Waterside, Belfast, in Hastings Stormont Hotel on Friday 25 January 2019. Finalists for the Eastside Awards will each receive two complimentary tickets for the awards ceremony and additional tickets for Eastside Awards are priced at £45.00 plus VAT and can be purchased by logging onto www.eastsideawards.org. www.eastsideawards.org; www.facebook.com/eastsideawards; www.twitter.com/east_awards; #eastawardsniThe

SHARED THREADS WINTER WREATH MAKING. There is always a sense of embracing the season when you make your own wreath from locally foraged botanical bits. Wreath making workshops are becoming increasingly popular, but this one is a little different because all it’s profits go toward getting sanitary products to women and girls who don’t have any. Shared Threads is a local social enterprise that has gathered an army of local makers to sew cloth sanitary pads from secondhand cotton to send to women and girls who have no access to them. This month we needed to raise money to get 200 menstrual hygiene packs out to a women’s prison in India before Christmas. So, one chilly Friday morning, we opened the doors of the beautiful galleries space on the top floor of Portview Trade Centre and welcomed a host of women to join us for a morning of making and chatting and really good coffee.

It was the third of our seasonal wreath workshops lead by Janice Armstrong, a very talented and creative blogger local to East Belfast. Women came to make a beautiful wreath for their door, but also because they have a heart for what we are doing. Since Shared Threads began 9 months ago, I am astounded daily by the support of people who just show up at events or workshops. People who push themselves out of their comfort zone, who turn up ready to work, ready to join in with uncomfortable conversations about period poverty and ready and willing to make a difference. This event was no exception. Women showed up wanting to learn more, wanting to get involved in making or donating materials and keen to be a part of a collective of women helping women have freedom and dignity. Kirsty King Shared Threads Follow us on social media or at www.sharedthreads,co,uk

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