Loop Mag : East Belfast July 2017 by Loop Publications

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/// LOCAL NEWS

/// FOOD & DRINK

/// HOUSE & HOME

/// THE ARTS

HEADLINES • PAGE 4 All the very latest news and happenings in and around East Belfast and beyond

GRUBS UP • PAGE 16 Taste buds at the ready; special brunches, free food and a new craft beer to sample

INSIDE OUT • PAGE 28 ReFound look at the dark side of wood + Colour & Cloth transform a summer hat

ON THE SCENE • PAGE 30 We have all the details on the upcoming EastSide Arts festival + much more

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Partners PICTURED Kirsty Spencer, Head of Supported Training and Marketing at Orchardville; Jorge Lopes, Country Director at Diageo Northern Ireland and Orchardville service user Pamela McArdle

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he charity operates across Northern Ireland providing opportunities, employment and support for adults with learning disabilities and / or with Autism Spectrum Condition. Orchardville currently supports over 300 service users in finding a job, preparing for employment and generally helping to develop confidence, social and communication skills through a broad range of programmes. The partnership will benefit both organisations with Diageo offering corporate support to the charity and its service users by providing opportunities for mock interviews, training and career visits, as well as supporting Orchardville staff development through peer mentoring. Diageo employees will have the opportunity to volunteer for the charity and to support its social enterprises while also receiving invaluable training, such as Learning Disability Awareness Training which Orchardville recently delivered to staff in the company’s head office.Fundraising is also a key element of the partnership. Diageo has already raised over £2,000 for the charity with numerous other events planned including support for the Orchardville Gala Ball in November 2017 which is being held to

Learning disability and autism charity Orchardville and Diageo Northern Ireland celebrate the start of a new three year charity partnership

DIAGEO’S NEW 3 YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH ORCHARDVILLE

Orchardville students doing a fantastic job prepacking Loop Magazine prior to distribution. They operate Orchard Café in East Belfast, a business centre in South Belfast and a newly launched retail unit ‘Gifts that Give’ in Bangor.

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mark the charity’s 35th anniversary. Jorge Lopes, Country Director at Diageo NI, said; “As a company, we receive many requests for charitable support that is why for a number of years we have selected a dedicated charity partner. By making a commitment to a charity for a period of time we feel that we can really get involved and make a tangible difference. Our employeeled charity selection process is both thorough and competitive and Orchardville impressed us from the very first meeting - they really understood that we wanted a proper partnership with a charity. We look forward to working together with Orchardville and together we look forward to making a difference to the lives of people in our local community particularly those most in need.” Kirsty Spencer from Orchardville added; “Orchardville is delighted to have been chosen as Diageo’s charity partner for the next three years. I have no doubt that we will benefit greatly from one and other and the learning will be invaluable. Orchardville is really excited and looking forward to a successful and bright future working partnership.” a successful and bright future working partnership.”

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WELCOME

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#30 JUL 17

CONTENTS WELCOME TO LOOP

LOCAL NEWS

COMMUNITY

FOOD & DRINK

The latest news, headlines and views from in and around East Belfast and beyond

All the initiatives, events and fund raisers from the local community east side

Plenty going on in and out of the kitchen. We bring you the very latest tasters

Headlines

Your Doorstep

Table Service

SCHOOLS

DEMENTIA SPECIAL

THE ARCHIVES

The last few stories from what has been a busy and successful year in the local classrooms

Liz Morrison, Media Officer at Alzheimers Society, on how it’s possible to live well with support

Local historian Charlotte Murtagh brings you a piece on an old Ballymacarett graveyard

Schools Out

Unique Insight

Ballymacarrett Graveyard

LOCAL HISTORY

HOME

Our latest monthly instalment on all things health with news and advice from local experts

The sound of metal wheels on metal rails as Aidan looks back at the old tram network

Jill From ReFound on the dark side of wood + Christine Colour & Cloth transforms a hat with ease

Next Stop

WHAT’S ON

SPORT

We have all the latest on the EastSide Arts festival plus lots more besides

We have compiled all the regular groups and events in the east into one handy guide

A round up of all the local sport from across the east of the city and beyond

Plan Ahead

HEALTH

NEWS ARTS

Inside Out

THE ARTS

On the Scene

SCHOOLS

HEALTH

All About You

SPORT

Result

LIFESTYLE

Each bike seats 15, 10 pedal and 5 rest. At least 8 keen cyclists are required for the tour. Our bike tour includes a driver and barista to guide the tour and serve you. If you want to use our barrel and tap system, you can pre-order a keg of beer or Prosecco. TOUR • 1 Hour City Centre Tour • 2 Hour City Centre & Cathedral Quarter Tour TICKETS You can book Single Seats or the Full Bike (private tour). Book your tickets online: weetoasttours.com CONTACT Ron, Customer Service: 075 9159 3441 Jennifer, Corporate Events, Marketing & PR: 077 1784 3380 email us: info@weetoasttours.com Tours depart from the corner of College & Queen’s Streets. Just steps away from our address. Wee Toast Tours, 5 College Court, Belfast BT1 6BD

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04 /// NEWS

Renowned family owned garden centre Hillmount is blooming into Ards this autumn

#30 JUL 17

LOOPMAG.NET

HILLMOUNT TO OPEN NEW CENTRE IN ARDS WITH £1 MILLION INVESTMENT

PICTURED Robin and Edith Mercer are joined by son Alan, his wife Ciara and their grandson Olly as work begins to develop the garden centre in the former Thriving Life Church.

The third garden centre in the Hillmount family will open later this year at an investment of £1,000,000 with the creation of 25 new jobs.

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he Mercer family has built up an unrivalled reputation in the gardening industry locally since opening their first nursery in Castlereagh almost 80 years ago and the growth into the Newtownards area is a natural development for the family business which also operates in Bangor. The site of the latest Hillmount store is located in the former Thriving Life Church, at the junction of Movilla Road and Ballyreagh Road, and the Mercer family will breathe new life into the building with a wide variety of plants, trees and shrubs, as well as offering a range of exquisite gifts and garden furniture and accessories. Diners

in the first floor restaurant will be able to relax and enjoy views across north down from the unique feature window. Alan Mercer, Managing Director of Hillmount, said: “Now is the perfect time for us to expand our business for the next generation and we are excited to be setting down roots in Ards, a town Edith has always considered to be her home shopping town having grown up in Greyabbey. The building has such a beautiful perspective and we know Hillmount Ards will bloom with an amazing team helping us. We are committed to investing in the local area and to offering local jobs to local people, as well as

providing the community in Ards the same great value and great choice that our loyal customers enjoy at our sister garden centres in Bangor and Castlereagh.” In order to meet the opening deadline, Hillmount is recruiting full and part time shop assistants and full and part time café assistants. Application forms are available from Hillmount at 56/58 Upper Braniel Road, Belfast, before 10 June.

The 10,000 sq ft of retail space has ample car parking and will have a 55 seater restaurant ‘The Gardeners Rest’. There will be 30,000 gardening products to choose from, a Weber barbecue section and a wide range of garden furniture and equipment. Hillmount was established in 1940. Almost 100 staff are employed across Hillmount in Upper Braniel Road, Belfast and Belfast Road, Bangor.

/// www.hillmount.co.uk, www.facebook.com/hillmountgardencentre, www.twitter.com/hillmountgarden East Belfast group Specialisterne NI has been awarded £15,000 funding from the Social Innovation NI Seed Fund to help them take their new digital project to the next level.

“

Techies in Residence project has allowed us to develop a prototype model that we now hope to develop

“

Sharon Didrichsen Specialisterne NI

Funding Boost For East Belfast Group’s New Digital Project THE GROUP PITCHED FOR FUNDING AT DIGITAL DNA AFTER SUCCESSFULLY PRODUCING A PROTOTYPE DIGITAL APPLICATION THROUGH THE SOCIAL INNOVATION NI TECHIES IN RESIDENCE PROGRAMME, FUNDED BY THE BUILDING CHANGE TRUST AND MANAGED BY INNOVATE NI. PICTURED

he Techies in Residence programme teamed up talented people from the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) Sector with digital specialists in order to tackle unique problems by using innovative solutions and create real social impact. Each organisation in the programme completed a digital tool that will now need testing and further development. Each organisation in the programme completed a digital tool that will now need testing and further development. Paul Braithwaite who heads up the Building Change Trust’s work in Social Innovation explained: “The Social Innovation NI Seed Fund is designed to help organisations that have been through our Techies in Residence programmes take their idea to the next level, helping them further imbed innovative practice and impact in communities. We’re really excited to see where these projects go next.”

Sharon Didrichsen of Specialisterne NI with (left to right) Joe McVey and Paul Braithwaite of the Building Change Trust and Connor Doherty of Innovate NI.

Specialisterne NI has already trained more than 600 managers to help them better understand social communication differences and autism within the workplace. They teamed up with Logicearth to create a new elearning platform that would allow them to expand the reach to a wider audience. Sharon Didrichsen, manager of Specialisterne NI explained: “We were getting such positive feedback and requests to roll out the training to the entire workforce and we thought an elearning tool would give us this opportunity. As a small social enterprise we didn’t have the capacity or the funds to invest in this and the Techies in Residence project has allowed us to develop a prototype model that we now hope to develop.” Techies in Residence aimed to kick-start digital social innovation in Northern Ireland and showcase what can be achieved by combining the two sectors, developing long standing partnerships between the tech community and

VCSE organisations. A third Techies in Residence project will get underway in the autumn giving further opportunity for groups to develop digital solutions. The Techies in Residence Managing Agent, Innovate-NI Director, Clare McGee, said: “This is a unique opportunity for third sector organisations to access seed funding to further scale their techies in residence prototypes into market ready solutions. We’re excited about the impact this will have for their organisations.” The Building Change Trust supports the community and voluntary sector in Northern Ireland through the development, delivery of, and learning from a range or programmes including commissioned work, awards programmes and other interventions. It was established in 2008 by the Big Lottery Fund with a National Lottery grant of £10million as an investment for community capacity building and promotion of the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland.

/// For further information on the Techies in Residence programme go to www.socialinnovationni.org Store colleagues at Asda Dundonald have ‘steppedup’ their efforts to raise money for the Tickled Pink charity campaign, supporting people facing breast cancer.

ASDA DUNDONALD ‘STEPS-UP’ CHARITY FUNDRAISING Taking part in a ‘step challenge’ initiative, colleagues at the store were given pedometers to count the number of steps they did in day in order to raise wider awareness of the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle. sda stores across NI have helped life-changing support and lifesaving to raise thousands of pounds research - funding tissue banks and for the Tickled Pink charity progress towards earlier diagnosis, campaign in recent years – with thanks to improved treatments, and a greater chance hardworking Asda colleagues and support of survival for those diagnosed with breast from generous customers. cancer. The store also hosted fundraising Launched in 1996, Asda’s Tickled Pink activities for customers to take part in – campaign has raised over £52 million in including tombola, games and children’s support of Breast Cancer Care and Breast colouring activities. Sharon McBratney, Cancer Now. The fundraising efforts over Community Champion at Asda Dundonald, the last 21 years have helped to deliver said: “As the phenomenal amount raised

A H

PICTURED Asda Dundonald Community Champion, Sharon McBratney, is joined by Asda colleagues

over the last 21 years proves, every penny contributes to making a massive difference to everyone affected by breast cancer. Over the past couple of weeks, we have had lots of activities for customers to get involved in – with colleagues from

across different departments also having a bit of fun and competing to see who can walk the most steps in store. The aim is simply to raise lots more money for this very worthy cause that helps to make real difference.”

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06 /// NEWS

37 young trainee filmmakers, aged 18-25, have started work in Belfast on Cinemagic’s second feature film Grace and Goliath. Glen Matthews (25) from East Belfast is one of the young trainees (Lighting Department) working on the Cinemagic feature film Grace and Goliath

#30 JUL 17

LOOPMAG.NET

East Belfast Filmmaker Begins Filming ‘Grace and Goliath’ Glen Matthews (pictured far right) and his fellow filmakers aged 18-25 will have the chance to earn their first credit on a feature and train alongside industry professionals led by director Tony Mitchell (The Bible, AD The Bible Continues, Primeval, Supervolcano and Flood) and actors Ciarán McMenamin (Paula, Saving The Titanic), Emy Aneke (The Predator and Star Trek: Beyond) and Aoibhinn McGinnity (Quarry, Love/Hate).

J H

oining the cast are young actors Isaac Heslip (11) from Banbridge, Maitiu McGibbon (11) from Lurgan and Savanna Burney Keatings (5) from Moira, along with Northern Ireland television, theatre and film actresses, Olivia Nash, Cheryl O’Dwyer and Jo Donnelly. Young filmmakers across all departments will have the opportunity to develop their talents and skills on the film, produced by Cinemagic Chief Executive, Joan Burney Keatings MBE and written by Maire Campbell (Delicate Things, Chancer, A Christmas Star). Grace and Goliath follows the success of Cinemagic’s first feature, A Christmas Star in 2014-15, which gave young filmmakers an invaluable opportunity to work across disciplines such as directing, production, costume and make-up, sound, lighting and music composition. With the experience from this Cinemagic opportunity, trainees have gone on to secure work with various film and

television companies in the last two years including BBC, HBO, Disney, Sky Atlantic, RTE, and Bedlam Productions. The Grace and Goliath trainee filmmakers will be joined by 10 young students from Los Angeles, from Cinemagic partner schools based there who have participated in Cinemagic LA Festival activity over the last 8 years. Filming will take place throughout June in Belfast and on the North Coast, including scenes at Odyssey Pavilion and Belfast’s National Football Stadium at Windsor Park. Joan Burney Keatings MBE, Cinemagic Chief Executive said “We are delighted to be embarking on Cinemagic’s second feature film, and with support from Department for Communities, Creative Skillset, Panavision, Yellowmoon, Tourism Ireland, Belfast City Council and George Best Belfast City Airport we are able to offer hands-on training to develop young people’s talents and skills in filmmaking. The project will unite young people from

PICTURED L-R Georgia Parkinson, Maire Campbell, Thomas McKeown, Grace and Goliath Director, Tony Mitchell, Keelan Whyte, Joan Burney Keatings, Cinemagic CEO, Sean Magennis, Glen Matthews.

diverse cultural backgrounds and allow them to work on a common goal. We have a brilliant crew on board including a past Cinemagic Festival participant, Aidan Gault, our director of photography on the film, and it’s fantastic to see so many creative people working together to inspire young people.” Lisa Howe, Film Manager, Creative Skillset said “Supporting the growth of the film industry by encouraging aspiring young filmmakers from across the UK into a range of disciplines is a key aim for

Creative Skillset. As such, we are delighted to support Cinemagic’s Belfast-based production with an embedded training initiative, led by industry professionals.” Tony Devlin, Panavision Belfast said “We are thrilled to be working with the Cinemagic team on another wonderful project. The idea of taking future filmmakers and letting them experience the different skills on set, gives them a hands on experience that is vital for a trainee in order to gain knowledge on all aspects of a working set”.

/// For further information visit cinemagic.org.uk Almost 200 Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) personnel in Eastern Area Command have received Dementia Awareness Training from the Alzheimer’s Society.

FIREFIGHTERS DEMENTIA AWARENESS TRAINING FROM ALZHEIMER’S SOCIETY The training will help Firefighters spot the early signs of dementia in people and will prepare them for working with people who have dementia when they are carrying out Home Fire Safety Checks (HFSC). PICTURED Firefighters from Blue Watch and Officers from Eastern Area Command who took part in the Dementia Awareness Training with the Alzheimer’s Society are pictured with Barry Smyth, and Heather Lundy from the Alzheimer’s Society and Linda Armitage, East Belfast Community Development Agency

T H

he training forms part of the NIFRS and the Alzheimer’s Society partnership agreement whereby each organisation will identity and sign post people at risk to each other so they may receive additional support services. Alan Walmsley, Assistant Chief Fire & Rescue Officer, NIFRS explains: “Fire safety is an issue that impacts everyone in Northern Ireland but we know there are people who because of their circumstances – their age and those with either mobility or health issues that impact on their ability to acknowledge and respond to a fire - are at a greater risk. People living with dementia fall into our at risk category and we want to help these people, who are living at

home, to stay safe from fire by identifying them and carrying out home fire safety checks with them. “Ultimately we want to save lives and reach a stage where we have no fatalities due to accidental house fires. We can’t do it alone and that is why we work with other agencies to help identify people most at risk who could benefit from a HFSC. We plan to roll out the Dementia Awareness Training across our organisation to help our Firefighters recognise the early signs of dementia so that we can refer people to the Alzheimer’s Society and to equip Firefighters with the skills to work with people who are living with dementia when carrying out HFSC. Barry Smyth, Operations Manager, Alzheimer’s Society

said – “We are delighted to work with NIFRS to help raise awareness of fire safety with our clients and to also help Firefighters spot the early signs of dementia in people. This not only keeps people with dementia safe and supports them living independently at home but can ensure they are signposted to the Alzheimer’s Society for services and support. By working together we can make a real difference to potentially more than 20,000 people across Northern Ireland living with dementia.” NIFRS currently has 65 partnership agreements with organisations across the health, social care, voluntary and local government sectors, who deliver care services to people at risk on a daily basis.

/// To find out how to become a partner agency with Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service, please contact partner@nifrs.org or 02892 664 221. Artefacts connected to RMS Titanic’s launch have been unveiled at Titanic Belfast to mark the milestone anniversary (31st May 1911) when the ship was launched in less than 62 seconds from the Slipways.

New Artefacts Unveiled At Titanic Belfast Lord Pirre’s 18 ct gold pocket watch, two original launch day tickets and a broken Rivet from RMS Olympic have been added ACCORDING to the auctioneers, Henry Aldridge & Sons, the watch was likely worn by Lord Pirre at the launch of the ship and one of the launch tickets still with its perforated stub (as Captain Alexander

Matier could not attend the event) is said to one of the most desirable launch tickets in existence and believed to be the only one of its calibre. Additional artefacts, originally owned by Charlotte E. Brennan,

who at 20 years old worked as a secretary at Harland and Wolff and attended the launch herself, provides visitors with a personal insight to Titanic’s and the Olympic class liners construction. Her story,

alongside her ticket to the launch with shorthand manuscript notes about the ship on the reverse and a Rivet from RMS Olympic will also be showcased in Titanic Belfast’s Launch Gallery. titanicbelfast.com

PICTURED Titanic Belfast’s Chief Executive Tim Husbands MBE launches Titanic Belfast’s artefacts just in time for the anniversary of the launch.

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TWO leading charities have now merged in a bid to boost mental health and wellbeing services across Northern Ireland. Addiction NI has now joined Niamh (The Northern Ireland Association for Mental Health) Group. Both organisations will continue to operate under their own names, but Addiction NI will become part of the Niamh Group, which has worked in communities for almost 60 years. The services will be located together to provide a ‘wraparound’ service and Chief Executive of Niamh Peter McBride said it was “a positive and innovative” move towards a more joined-up approach to vital treatment. Alcohol is involved in at least 50% of cases of self -harm here and 60% of patients who died by suicide were thought to be misusing alcohol and half of these were alcohol dependent. Mr McBride said: “Alcohol and/or drug dependency and mental ill-health are tightly interwoven, but for too long, they have been treated separately.”

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08 /// NEWS

As part of Make It Matter Day (1 June), Marks & Spencer has committed to support M&S colleagues in delivering one million hours of community volunteering by 2025, to help make a difference to the projects and initiatives that really matter in the communities it serves.

#30 JUL 17

LOOPMAG.NET PICTURED Staff from M&S square up during the ‘M&S Making Every Moment Special in the Community’ project at the City of Belfast Boxing Academy when they helped to makeover some of the classrooms at the Academy. Pictured (back l-r) are Andy Nisbet from Business in the Community and Terry McCorran (City of Belfast Boxing Academy).

individuals to actively take part within the Academy and the wider community. Nationwide, employees in every M&S store will join their colleagues in East Belfast by helping to transform local projects that make a real difference. In total, over 50,000 colleagues will support more than 500 community projects across the breadth of the UK. Make it Matter is part of the recently launched M&S campaign ‘#SpenditWell’, which is about inspiring people to make every moment special by focusing on the experiences, people and things that really matter in life. Graeme Kidd, M&S Project Co-ordinator said: “We were really excited to come together to support the City of Belfast Boxing Academy. Volunteering can make a M&S has kickstarted the volunteering in East Belfast by helping Business in the Community profound difference to the communities in with a charity initiative at local charity, City of Belfast Boxing Academy to redecorate some of which we live, work and play – we believe their classrooms. that lots of the small actions from lots of people, can collectively have a huge by offering a wide range of programmes he Academy not only produces impact. We had a wonderful time helping boxers of the future but provides to enhance and develop personal skills to deliver this project.” necessary for members to reach their the people of East Belfast Terry McCorran, City of Belfast Boxing personal goals and aspiration, the Club with the opportunity to reach their full Academy, said: “The Boxing Club uses aims to encourage, promote and motivate boxing to get people through the doors potential in life. Through boxing, and

MARKS & SPENCER MAKES IT MATTER IN EAST BELFAST T H

and then we try to build people. Boxing champions come second – people come first – helping them achieve the most they can out of life. With children, we always make sure they understand how important education is in life. Being an Olympic gold medal winner or World Champion is great, but what do you do afterwards. And even if you’re not going to be a top boxer you can be an inspiration in your local community and help make it better to live.” Hilary Hanberry, Communities Manager, Business in the Community added: “We are thrilled to support Mark & Spencer’s Making Every Moment Special Initiative. The advantages of employee volunteering are two-fold, helping to boost the confidence of volunteers, whilst making a real and tangible difference to local community organisations such as The City of Belfast Boxing Academy. “I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate everyone that took part in Make It Matter Day, and we look forward to working with M&S on other employee volunteering projects in the coming months.”

/// To get involved in the online conversation, follow @MarksandSpencer and #SpendItWell. Connor McNeill (13) from Massey Court in Belfast recently received a life changing boost from the Energy for Children Charitable Trust, having successfully been awarded funding for a new trike to help with mobility.

East Belfast Boy’s Boost From Energy For Children Charity CONNOR HAS A SEVERE LEARNING AND PHYSICAL DISABILITY KNOWN AS JOUBERT SYNDROME, WHICH HAS LEFT HIM WHEELCHAIR BOUND AND REQUIRING 24 HOUR CARE. CONNOR’S MUM, GILLIAN, APPLIED TO THE CHARITY FOR FUNDING TO AID IN CONNOR’S MOBILITY AND HELPING HIM PARTICIPATE IN MORE SOCIAL ACTIVITIES.

T H

he Charity awarded Connor a new specialist trike, enabling Connor to play outside and ride his trike through the park for the first time, improving his health and wellbeing. Mum Gillian explains, “As Connor is confined to a wheelchair, he finds it hard to join in activities that other children are doing, often simple things like riding a bike through the park. Connor had the opportunity of trying out a trike with his school, Glenveagh Special School, and when we saw the smile on his face we just knew we had to get him a trike of his own. Connor is delighted with his trike and often doesn’t want to get out of it! Thanks to Energy for

Children, Connor is now able to play outside and have a much more active social life. We can’t thank Energy for Children enough for their support.” Charity Liaison Officer, Geri Wright, said, “I’m delighted to see how much of a difference this trike has made to Connor’s life. With Connor’s condition restricting him to a wheelchair, it’s great to see him now enjoying outside activities as every child should. This new sense of independence will greatly improve Connor’s health and wellbeing. This is exactly why the Charity exists, to help local children like Connor who are most in need and I’m thrilled to see the positive impact it is having on the McNeill family”, added Geri.

PICTURED Energy for Children Charity Liaison Officer, Geri Wright, congratulates Connor McNeill (13) and mum Gillian

Energy for Children is an initiative of Phoenix Natural Gas and the wider natural gas industry. The Charity was established in 2005 to provide financial support to groups and individuals that may slip through the net of the wider charity network. Founded on the principle that ‘all monies raised go directly to local children and young people’,

the Trust aims to reach deeper into the heart of local communities throughout Greater Belfast and beyond in order to really make a difference to disadvantaged children’s lives. Since its formation, the trust has helped over 6,000 local children and every month continues to help those who need it most.

/// For more information visit www.phoenixgroupni.com/about-the-phoenix-group/corporate-responsibility/energy-for-children-charitable-trust/ The amazing efforts of local volunteers have been recognised at a special awards ceremony hosted by Guide Dogs NI.

VOLUNTEERS CELEBRATED AT GUIDE DOGS NI AWARDS

Guide Dogs’ vision is a society in which people who are blind and partially-sighted enjoy the same freedom of movement as everyone else.

The charity really values the contribution and commitment of all their volunteers, including around 350 in Northern Ireland, in helping to make this vision a reality. Volunteers carry out a huge range of different roles, from office support to puppy walking, fundraising to sighted guiding. Volunteer Awards are specially organised each year to highlight the fantastic contributions made by these dedicated volunteers. As part of UK Volunteers’ Week Guide Dogs NI hosted an awards ceremony and gala lunch at the Duncairn Complex in north Belfast on Thursday 8 June. The local winners in each category will now be considered for shortlisting in the charity’s Annual People Awards held in November. www.guidedogsni.org.uk

LOOPMAG.NET An extremely rare lighthouse lens is now set to light up Belfast’s maritime heritage as the ‘Great Light’, thanks to National Lottery players.

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The Great Light will create a legacy Belfast landmark which will inspire future generations, enhancing Titanic Quarter’s position as a rich and authentic maritime heritage destination

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Kerrie Sweeney, Chief Executive of Titanic Foundation

LIGHTHOUSE OPTIC TO LIGHT UP CITY’S MARITIME HERITAGE The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has confirmed an award of £332,000 to restore and interpret the former Mew Island Lighthouse Optic and put it on public display in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter.

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he optic is the machine which gave Mew Island Lighthouse its traditional revolving light. It is the world’s first and largest hyper-radial Fresnel lighthouse lens, first installed in Tory Island Lighthouse in 1887 then reconfigured and moved to Mew Island in 1928.The optic was removed from Mew Island Lighthouse in 2014 as the lighthouse was modernised and converted to solar power. At around 130 years old, weighing 10 tonnes and standing 7 meters tall, it is a unique heritage object of national and international importance with links to our maritime and industrial past. Its massive beam could once be seen by mariners over 30 miles away as it guided them to and from the busy Belfast Lough. The new project from Titanic Foundation Limited, the charity committed to preserving Belfast’s maritime and industrial heritage, in partnership with the Commissioners of Irish Lights, will see the optic given a new role as an iconic attraction which brings to life the story of lighthouses, their technological developments, their light-keepers and their role in the maritime and industrial history of Belfast and beyond. The rotating optic will be displayed in a landmark curved glass structure in its new

location on the Titanic Walkway, which is currently being developed by Titanic Quarter Limited and funded by Tourism Northern Ireland. The 500 metres of maritime walkway will connect the Titanic and Olympic Slipways and the Alexandra Dock, linking Titanic Belfast, HMS Caroline and the Thompson Dock. Announcing the award, Head of HLF Northern Ireland, Paul Mullan said: “It is with thanks to National Lottery players that this very rare and hugely significant artefact can be saved and given new purpose for generations to come. Following its restoration the optic will act as a beacon to visitors and adds to the wealth of maritime heritage attractions on offer in the Titanic Quarter, and we are delighted to be involved.” Alongside Heritage Lottery funding, Titanic Foundation has secured £85,000 from Belfast City Council’s Local Investment Fund and £30,000 Ulster Garden Villages towards the project. Welcoming the award, Kerrie Sweeney, Chief Executive of Titanic Foundation, added: “We are delighted to have secured support from Heritage Lottery Fund. Along with support from Ulster Garden Villages, Belfast City Council’s Local Investment Fund, Titanic Quarter Limited and Belfast Harbour Commission, this

PICTURED

L-R Kerrie Sweeney, Chief Executive of Titanic Foundation; Alderman Tom Haire, High Sheriff of Belfast City Council Chair of the East Area Working Group, Yvonne Shields, Chief Executive of the Commissioners of Irish Lights & Paul Mullan Head of HLF Northern Ireland.

funding will allow us to save and restore an artefact of national and international significance. The Great Light will create a legacy Belfast landmark which will inspire future generations, enhancing Titanic Quarter’s position as a rich and authentic maritime heritage destination.” Dr Tony Hopkins CBE, Chairman commented, “Ulster Garden Villages Limited is delighted to provide support to one of Belfast’s best known locations. The Optic will be a hugely important new landmark for the City. I am glad that we were able to react quickly to provide

funding for this project and to ensure that this crucial part of our heritage can be saved for future generations.” In July 2016, Hall McKnight, a Belfast & London based Architectural Practice, were named the winners of a competition to design a structure to house the lighthouse optic and with the recent appointment of contractors Hugh J. O’Boyle Ltd, it is hoped that the optic will be in position later this year. The ‘Great Light’ is an amazing piece of industrial and scientific heritage, which has certainly captured the public’s interest.

/// To follow the developments, visit titanic-foundation.org and follow them on Instagram - GreatLightTQ. Nuala O”Hare, Service Improvement Manager, Alzheimer’s Society, the sponsor of “Inspirational Achievement in Dementia Related Activities and Alternative Therapies” category; Alice Brush, Deputy Home Manager, Palmerston Care Home, East Belfast; Marsha Tuffin, Manager, Manager of Care Home & Dementia Services, Palmerson Care Home and Noel Thompson, broadcaster and MC for the awards ceremony.

Abbeyfield and Wesley’s Palmerston Care Home in East Belfast (9/17 Palmerston Road, Belfast BT4 1QA) has received a top award at a prestigious awards ceremony in Belfast.

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Our success is all down to the excellence and dedication of our team in delivering first class care for our residents, being open to new ways of working and continually adapting to the meet the differing and changing needs of each resident.”

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Mrs Geraldine Gilpin, Chief Executive of Abbeyfield & Wesley Housing Association

East Belfast Care Home Wins ‘Inspirational Achievement In Dementia” Award THE TEAM AT PALMERSTON WAS AWARDED ‘INSPIRATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT IN DEMENTIA RELATED ACTIVITIES AND ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES’ AT THE STAFF NURSING CARE AWARDS 2017 AT STORMONT HOTEL, BELFAST.

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he awards, which celebrate best practice in the care home sector, were sponsored by Staff Nursing Ltd, which provides registered nurses and healthcare assistants to nursing and residential homes in Northern Ireland. The

awards were in aid of Alzheimer’s Society. According to the award organisers, the accolade acknowledges an organisation, single home or individual that has pioneered a proactive strategy of using activities and therapies designed to

engage and stimulate people living with dementia. The award category was open to a group of staff or individual activity therapist who has championed a successful programme related to dementia care, and who has evidenced exceptional results in promoting the wellbeing of residents. Mrs Geraldine Gilpin, Chief Executive of Abbeyfield & Wesley Housing Association, which owns and manages Palmerston Care Home, discusses: “We are delighted that the pioneering work in our Palmerston Dementia Care Home has been recognised in this way. Our success is all down to the excellence and dedication of our team in delivering first class care for our residents, being open to new ways of working and continually adapting to the meet the differing and changing needs of each resident.” Marsha Tuffin, Manager of Care Home & Dementia Services at Palmerston Care Home, and a previous winner of Dementia Personality of the Year at the UK Dementia Awards, explains the importance of having a wide variety of activities and stimuli within Palmerston Care Home: “Residents in Palmerston live a quality life. With specialist support and care they often regain lost skills, are empowered and regain a sense of purpose and identity. By focusing on the person

first, and then the dementia, the caring team provides residents with daily living activities, which keep the mind and body stimulated and active. “It is important to recognise that Palmerston is about creating different environments for different people. Everybody is an individual and everybody’s dementia is different. Each of our residents is at a different stage of dementia and needs a different stage of care and assistance. It is therefore important to have a range of activities and solutions for these various stages.” Palmerston Care Home is a purpose built care provision located on the Palmerston Road in East Belfast. The 38 bed facility incorporates 20 dementia beds and 18 residential beds. Palmerston Residential Home caters for people who may be; frail elderly; require dementia care; have a physical disability; have a sensory impairment and are unable to live independently. There are two separate wings within Palmerston Care Home, one for those with advanced dementia (the Lewis wing) and the other for frail elderly people who may have less advanced dementia. For further information log onto www. abbeyfieldandwesley.org.uk or telephone Abbeyfield & Wesley Society on 028 93363558.

/// NEWS

Belfast businesses are cashing in on the city’s growing bike culture by signing up to a new cyclist loyalty scheme which offers discounts and rewards to customers arriving on two wheels.

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LOOPMAG.NET PICTURED Colin Neill CEO of Hospitality Ulster, Robert Bell of SD Bells, Pamela Grove-White of Sustrans

Newtownards Road/ Comber Greenway corridor. With major funding from the EU, Belfast was chosen as one of several sites across North West Europe for the programme whose goal is to tackle high levels of air pollution by encouraging cycling and public transport instead of car journeys. There is wide-ranging evidence of the value of cyclists to retailers and business. Customers not arriving by car visit more frequently and spend more over the course of a month.[1] A UK government survey found that cycle parking delivers five times higher retail spend than the same area of car parking per square metre.[2] More cyclists, reduce congestion making a more attractive, liveable city, with walkable street locations proven to increase shop footfall by 20% to 40%.[3] Cycling and walking charity, Sustrans has launched a new cyclist loyalty scheme called ‘Pedal Pamela Grove-White, from Sustrans Perks’ in east Belfast to encourage more people to cycle to local shops and cafes in the area explained: “People not cars spend money. and are calling on all business owners to join the scheme Making retail areas more accessible for people on foot or by bike boosts business. The pedestrianisation of York city centre he initiative is part of the €4.4m and local residents. Businesses signing CHIPS project, which aims to to up to the Pedal Perks scheme will benefit for example increased turnover of local from having their products and services businesses by up to 30%. Pedal Perks will reduce car traffic and promote promoted to around 10,000 people have the double impact of benefiting local sustainable transport, such as cycling who work in organisations along the shops and improving the environment.” on the Comber Greenway to commuters

CAFES AND SHOPS JOIN CYCLING LOYALTY SCHEME TO BOOST BUSINESS & THE ENVIRONMENT T H

A number of retailers and cafes have already signed up for the scheme including in Ballyhackamore, S.D. Bells, Nature’s Way healthfood shop, Earlswood Road Pharmacy, Sandown Pharmacy; in Dundonald, Cream Café and Dundonald Nursery and Secret Garden restaurant; in Comber, Sugarcane Café Bistro, Georgian House, Indie Fude delicatessen, and Jacks Café at C.S. Lewis Square. The scheme was launched at S.D. Bells tearoom on the Upper Newtownards Road with the help of proprietor Robert Bell and Colin Neill, CEO of Hospitality Ulster.Robert Bell, from S.D. Bells said: “S.D. Bells has been trading in this very location for 130 years. Back then, our customers arrived on foot, by bike, on horseback or by horse-drawn tram. My how things have changed! While we have plenty of room for parking at Bell’s Junction, our reliance on the car is becoming unsustainable, so we should do anything we can do to support the local cyclist.” People who cycle should look out for the green ‘Pedal Perks’ stickers which will be on display in windows of participating businesses. Help us spread the word and give us your feedback by tweeting your experiences with #pedalperks

/// Retailers, cafes or other businesses in east Belfast and beyond who wish to sign up should contact Pamela in Sustrans on Pamela.grove-white@sustrans.org.uk Five teams of walkers have begun their journey across the UK to celebrate the great projects that bring people and communities together.

A fantastic achievement by a team of local barbers to raise funds for a brilliant support group

The Great Big Walk Lands in East Belfast

PICTURED CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT The Two ‘Great Big Walkers’ Noel Johnston and Olivia Cosgrove with a volunteer from Victoria Park Park Run / Noel Johnston and Olivia Cosgrove with Connswater Community Greenway Project Manager Wendy Langham at Sam Thompson bridge / Noel Johnston and Olivia Cosgrove with Michele Bryans from Connswater Community Greenway and Bobby Bryans, local Connswater Community Greenway user / Noel Johnston and Olivia Cosgrove with Bobby Bryans

THE GREAT BIG WALK – A NEW INITIATIVE MADE POSSIBLE BY THE NATIONAL LOTTERY AND RUN BY EDEN COMMUNITIES – SEES A DEDICATED GROUP OF WALKERS AND THEIR SUPPORTERS VISIT A DIFFERENT LOCAL PROJECT EVERY DAY.

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hey will get the chance to see first-hand how National Lottery players are helping to create stronger communities across villages, towns and cities all over the UK. One of the inspiring walkers, Noel Johnston and Olivia Cosgrove stopped in East Belfast to meet some of the incredible people who go the extra mile to bring communities together. Noel Johnston has been blown away by the support and commitment he has seen along the way. Noel Johnston: “It’s fantastic to see the amount of work and energy that has gone in to bringing people and communities together including some that we met on our walk like the Park Runners in Victoria Park, the Community Gardeners at Avoniel and the Shannons on Shannon Bridge. We’re delighted to have had the chance to walk on our home turf and see so much happening on Connswater Community Greenway!” Connswater Community Greenway in East Belfast, a Big Lottery Fund supported project, welcomed the special visit.

Wendy Langham, Project Manager: “We really enjoyed being a small part of The Great Big Walk and meeting Olivia and Noel on their exciting journey, linking the many communities that have benefitted from the National Lottery players’ funds. We will continue to follow their progress on their amazing journey around NI.” Each team of walkers will travel to five corners of the UK, finishing on Sunday 18 June to join celebrations for The Big Lunch - the UK’s annual get together for neighbours to spend a few hours of fun and friendship. Following

last year’s event, which saw 7 million people take part, this year promises to be even bigger. Memorable events, both big and small, will be held in local neighbourhoods to foster community connections. “The Great Big Walk is celebrating and recognising how people have come together to make their communities stronger,” said Julie Harrison, Big Lottery Fund’s NI Chair. “Thanks to money generated by National Lottery players, we’re also building happier communities, which we’ve seen through the walkers’ journeys across the UK.”

BARBERS RAISE £1700 FOR AUTISM GROUP The Barbers Chair on the Beersbridge road is run by Barbara Watts. She and her team team at the salon have recently been fundraising for a local Autism group called Belvoir ASD support group. They had a pop up salon at an event the group organised in Stormont grounds. They also abseiled down the Europa Hotel and organised a ballot with local businesses volunteering prizes. In total they raised £1700. The team asked the group what they needed. So they have bought 9 balance bikes, a host of arts and crafts and are donating £500. Autism is very close to Barbara’s heart and we congratulate her and her team on an extraordinary effort to raise funds for this wonderful group.

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS TO 42,000 HOMES • CALL 02890 200988 •STUART@LOOPMAG.NET

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HOLIDAY APARTMENT AT LAKE COMO, ITALY

WE HAVE A LOVELY LITTLE APARTMENT AVAILABLE TO RENT AT LAKE COMO, ITALY, SUITABLE FOR A COUPLE.

* Available to rent weekly during the Summer months. * Beautiful Area. * Direct flights from Belfast.

20% OFF WITH THIS VOUCHER Valid Monday–Thursday

Present this voucher at Wagamama Dundonald between Monday and Thursday before 31st August 2017 to get 20% OFF the price of your food bill. Valid at Wagamama Dundonald only. Excludes deals and drinks. This voucher can only be used once – photocopies will not be accepted. One voucher per table. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer or promotion. Original voucher to be shown at the time of ordering and produced on payment.

FOR MORE DETAILS - CONTACT: email: rhoda.robb@yahoo.co.uk

Unit 9, Eastpoint Entertainment Village, Old Dundonald Rd, Dundonald. BT16 1XT Wagamamani.com TheLoopMag 03.07.17 - 31.08.17

resource for people to come and enjoy walking around the area. We are very Victoria Park fortunate to have such wonderful HOMPSON BRIDGE SAM T attractions in East Belfast such as STREET C.S. Lewis Square, the EastSide Visitor MERSEY Centre, the James Ellis Bridge and the 3 very beautiful Victoria Park and I would encourage people to get out, get active JAMES ELLIS The Arches Centre and have fun exploring.” As part of the event, a number of exciting STREET MERSEY events took place around EastSide throughout Friday and Saturday such as a health fair, zumba, a clean up of the area, hanging basket workshops, storytellingCS Lewis Square and the first ever market to be held in Village. Diane Mitchell, a participant in C.S. Lewis Square. Former Avoniel Connswater the Going Green Group, said; Distillery The Going Green Gardening Group, also Shopping Gardening Centre “I enjoy working in the gardens because supported by the Urban Villages Initiative I learn new skills that I can use in my was one of the many groups exhibiting garden at home. I also like making the at the festival. The Group operates out gardens look nice for other people to of Hosford the homelessness service enjoy and I get to meet lots of people and of East Belfast Mission and are a group make new friends.” of gardeners working on community The Going Green Gardening Group gardens across the EastSide Urban 5

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EastSide Visitor Centre All walks start AT THE MEETING POINT

The Arches Centre

CS Lewis

Square

C O N N S W A T E R

B R I D G E

PICTURED TOP: Diane Mitchell and Jim McClean exhibiting their Table Top Mural at Avoniel Community Garden. BELOW: Wayne Irvine, Urban Villages with Michele Bryans, Connswater Community Greenway and Sheena Kelly, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Physiotherapy Department launching the Connswater Community Greenway ‘green walking’ map.

launched their Table Top Mural project at the ‘Living the Green Way’ event. The project saw group members learn a range of new skills including art and design encouraging the budding artists to depict their favourite things from East Belfast such as C.S Lewis Square, Avoniel Community Garden and The Yard Men.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Jax Wolf Tattoo Studio Set to Ink Ormeau Road

Notice

The proceeds of the collection taken up during Wynchurch Park’s annual Christmas Carol singing Jax Wolf Tattoo & Piercing will replicate the current offering at the Colour House Tattoo Studio night on 21st Dec last came to £245.31. This on Castlereagh Street, which is a fresh, contemporary approach to the traditional tattoo year’s nominated charity parlour. was Northern Ireland roviding a welcoming atmosphere between traditional and realistic tattooing. Hospice OD

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The event celebrated the opening of Refresh Café’s new garden entrance which enables visitors to access the café directly from the Newtownards Road

from the Garden. The Refresh Café staff took full advantage of the crowd to also launch their new customer loyalty card, offering a free cup of tea or coffee (after 8 stamps) and a free sandwich (after 9 stamps) with a fully stamped card and the chance to enter a draw each month for a free main course lunch. Mike Wilson, Catering Manager of the Refresh Café, did the cooking and was offering mouth-watering samples of the Refresh Café menu. There was live music at the event from Aaron Graham, singer songwriter who works in the Refresh Café and the Bright Sparks Nursery children also entertained the crowd. The Refresh Café is open to the public Monday through to Saturday and offers a full menu from breakfast to lunch and afternoon snacks and also offers subsidised meals to CRE

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et in beautiful community garden grounds which are tended by the dedicated community gardeners from the Going Green group Hosford project, visitors to the Refresh Café will not only be able to enjoy the wonderful food on offer at the Refresh Café but enjoy these refreshments in a lovely tranquil garden setting. Led in by a piper and welcomed by Andrew Irvine, East Belfast Mission Chief Operating Officer, the event was attended by the new Lord Mayor, Councillor Nuala McAllister who cut the ribbon alongside East Belfast Mission longest serving volunteer Linda Watson who has volunteered with the Mission for over 30 years. Hosford Going Green Volunteer Diane Mitchell, the longest servicing Going Green participant, presented the Mayor with some fresh herbs

the local senior citizens who frequent the cafe. There is a meal on wheels service for 50 socially isolated people sent out from the café 5 days per week. Without this service these clients may not often see a friendly face and would certainly not be eating a healthy and nutritious meal at an affordable price. 239 Newtownards Road Belfast BT4 1AF

REFRESH CAFÉ OPENING NEW DOORS

To book an appointment call 07902 554097 or visit facebook.com/jaxwolftattoo.

We’ll also have guest artists visiting the Studio, as well as the Colour House Tattoo crew taking up regular guest spots. We’ll be announcing dates on our social pages.” We look forward to welcoming customers new and old to the new Studio and can’t wait to show you what we can do on the Ormeau Road.

for all their customers, especially for first timers, not only will clients be made to feel at home, in a relaxing space but also feel comfortable before getting inked or pierced. Jax Wolf owner of both studios said, “Our resident Belfast tattoo artists work across a variety of individual styles, each using their unique approach to design to create bespoke pieces for every client. Our resident artists will merge the gap

Jax Wolf Tattoo Studio 397d Ormeau Road Belfast 07902 554097

East Belfast Mission at Skainos Square held an event in their community garden on Wednesday 28th June.

“We are stoked to announce the launch of our newest studio, which will be opening this July. Located at 397d Ormeau Road, the studio will be a tranquil space designed for creation, collaboration & relaxation. The space will become home to some of Ireland’s top tattoo artists who will work alongside our resident artists.”

he map includes routes for people of all levels and abilities ranging from those out for a leisurely stroll to those out to really get their pulse racing. The maps have been produced with the guidance of medical professionals from The Arches Centre and are available from The Arches Centre or www. connswatergreenway.co.uk The ‘Living the Green Way’ event was organised by Connswater Community Greenway Trust and supported by The Urban Villages Initiative. The Urban Villages Initiative is a key action within the Northern Ireland Executive’s ‘Together: Building a United Community’ Strategy with one of its’ key commitments being to support healthy lifestyles and wellbeing of people in the EastSide Urban Village area. Wendy Langham, Programme Manager of the Connswater Community Greenway, commented; “The Connswater Community Greenway walking map is a fantastic

#30 JUL 17

The programme began with the launch of the Connswater Community Greenway ‘green walking’ map. The map highlights a number of picturesque walks along the Connswater Community Greenway aimed at improving health and wellbeing.

Residents in EastSide Urban Village have enjoyed a two day programme of events supporting and encouraging people to live ‘greener lives.’

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LIVING THE GREEN WAY In Eastside

LOOPMAG.NET

Boston Group Cements Sister City Arrangements A high-powered delegation from Boston isited Belfast recently to help further cement relationships between the two cities. The visit marks the third anniversary of the signing of a Sister City agreement between Belfast and Boston. The visiting delegation is made up of Senators, members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and senior judges, as well as representatives from Harvard University and the Boston business community. The purpose of the visit is to celebrate collaborative activity and outcomes since the signing of our Sister City Agreement in 2014, as well as to investigate further links of mutual benefit in areas such as economic development, tourism, the legal and education sectors, community relations and within public administration. The delegation spent three days in Belfast, meeting civic and business leaders, representatives of the city’s two universities and management at SSE Arena.

LOOPMAG.NET

PATIENT WITH SEVERE FOOT PAIN “My trouble started back in January 2014 with what began as a slight pain in my left foot.”

Elizabeth

THINKING it was something minor I ignored it for a few weeks until it progressively got worse. I went to see my local GP and was given a course of tablets. Unfortunately this did not help. An X-ray was suggested and this proved to be a slow process. So to speed things up I decided to get the X-ray performed at the Ulster Independent Clinic. Within a week I had my X-ray and had seen an orthopaedic consultant who

identified the problem. He told me that the arches of my feet were flattening and this was stressing the muscles in and around my foot. I was then referred to the Northern Ireland Foot and Ankle Clinic. On my first consultation Mr Hallowell confirmed the diagnosis and advised me of the course of action he felt was necessary. He then proceeded to take imprints of my feet. He also explained how they make all their custom foot supports

in their own workshop and that this would mean that if any modifications were needed to the insoles could be carried out quickly. I returned after a week to have them fitted and the change in my life is unbelievable. It did take a few days to become accustomed to my new insoles but I can honestly say that within 10 days I was completely pain free. I can strongly recommend the Northern Ireland Foot and Ankle.” Elizabeth

ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS TO 42,000 HOMES • CALL 02890 200988 •STUART@LOOPMAG.NET

Vets4Pets Belfast Stormont Local Vets for Local Pets We’re Lauren and Lisa, the practice owners and veterinary surgeons at Vets4Pets Belfast Stormont. Having been fascinated by animals from a young age we both knew we were destined to become vets. You could find Lisa operating on her teddies as a child and Lauren would be educating her family and friends about animal welfare. After graduating from vet school over ten years ago we are currently working towards

further qualifications in specialist areas such as internal medicine. We know how special your pet can be to your family, and we will work closely with you to provide the highest level of care to ensure your pets remain healthy and happy! Lauren Horton BVet Med MRCVS Lisa Simpson MVB MRCVS Practice Owners and Veterinary Surgeons, Vets4Pets Belfast Stormont.

Book your appointment with us today Vets4Pets Belfast Stormont 697 Newtownards Road, Belfast, BT4 3NT Call: 028 9048 3000 or visit: vets4pets.com/belfast-stormont

David Says: Elizabeth is a classic case of over flattening of the medial arch. If this flattening is allowed to continue untreated the foot pain can over time become extremely debilitating and can really affect your quality oflife. It is essential that it be treated as early as possible and with the correct type of orthotic. Many patients will buy an off the shelf orthotic which can potentially make the foot worse.

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Four novice cyclists have just completed a bike ride from Belfast to Dublin in order to raise money for three local causes.

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LOOPMAG.NET

MOUNT MERRION PARISH BELFAST TO DUBLIN CYCLE The idea was first muted by the Bishops Curate of Mount Merrion Parish (Belfast) Rev Adrian Green

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ev Adrian Green explains, “It all began with a throw away comment about doing a bike ride from Mount Merrion Parish (Belfast) to Mount Merrion Parish (Dublin) in order to help with our building fund. I never really intended for it to happen until my kids bought be a road bike for Christmas and then there was no backing out.” A date was set for 23/24 June and three others from the church staff team were crazy enough to agree to do the ride too; Rev Lucy Burden (Deacon Intern), Joe Green (CAP Manager) and Aaron Boyce (Worship and Community Outreach Pastor). None of the four had any experience of cycling and with a busy start to the year training didn’t commence until March. Around

that time a little baby in the congregation died at seventeen weeks old from a life limiting condition called Trisomy 13 and the decision was taken to widen the scope of the fundraising to include the neonatal unit at the Ulster Hospital who provided such excellent care for baby Jessica, and the Belfast based charity No More Traffik, which works towards putting an end to human trafficking. On a drizzly and windy Friday morning the team set off from Mount Merrion Parish Church (Belfast). With three punctures and a few refreshment stops along the route they covered 101 miles before reaching their overnight stop in Drogheda. On the Saturday morning they completed the last 33 miles to

Mount Merrion Parish Church in south Dublin where they were greeted by the Rector, Rev Gillian Wharton, and some parishioners of both churches. The team were then treated to a lovely lunch before heading back to Belfast; by car this time! Having complete 134 miles in just under 11 hours cycling, there was a great sense of achievement but more

importantly, joy at the amount of money raised. Adrian, Lucy, Joe and Aaron wish to thank everyone who have so generously supported them. To date over £2,500 has been donated and this will be split equally between the three worthy causes. It is still possible to make donations via their Just Giving page https://www.justgiving.com/ companyteams/MountMerrion

Funding Boost For East Belfast Group

A group based in east Belfast is supporting people on the Autistic spectrum, thanks to National Lottery funding.

SPECIALISTERNE NI C.I.C. HAS BEEN AWARDED £153,014 FROM BIG LOTTERY FUND. THE THREE-YEAR ‘2GETHER’ PROJECT IS SUPPORTING PEOPLE ON THE AUTISTIC SPECTRUM ACROSS NORTHERN IRELAND FROM ITS BASE AT THE SKAINOS CENTRE, EAST BELFAST.

THEIR PROJECT LOGO WHICH HAS ONLY BEEN PARTLY DESIGNED AS DURING THE PROJECT THE PARTICIPANTS WILL WORK TOGETHER TO COMPLETE THE LOGO.

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he new funding is being used to co-ordinate activities that will help people using the project become more socially connected with each other and the wider community. Activities will be tailored to people’s needs and will include one-to-one coaching, coffee meet-ups in small groups, group workshops, and other initiatives decided on by people using the project. These activities will provide the skills and coping mechanisms to help address the barriers people may experience in everyday life and provide a potential path towards careers. Julie Harrison, Big Lottery Fund NI Chair, said: “I am delighted to announce this grant under the People and Communities programme and I want to say thanks to all the National Lottery players who have helped

make this possible. “We want to fund great projects that work with local people, build on a community’s strengths, and are well connected to other services and activities in the community. We are looking forward to seeing the positive impact projects like this one will make to people and communities across Northern Ireland.” The People and Communities programme offers grants of between £30,000 and £500,000 for two to five year projects. You can call our People and Communities advice line on 0300 123 33 31 at any stage to discuss your idea. More information can be found on our website, https:// www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/global-content/programmes/northernireland/people-and-communities

LORD MAYOR JOINS JOE CROOKS TO CELEBRATE 100TH BIRTHDAY

ew Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Nuala McAllister travelled to the east of the city this week to celebrate the 100th birthday of local man, Joe Crooks. Joe is a resident of Dean Crooks Fold on the Newtownards Road and celebrated his milestone birthday with friends and family. The Lord Mayor presented Mr Crooks with flowers and a card and spent time listening to stories from Joe’s life from his close relatives and friends.

Ask the advisor TAX CREDIT RENEWAL FORMS

Carlie Martin, Better Off Families Adviser at East Belfast Independent Advice Centre provides information about common advice queries.

help with all form completion. If you want to phone me at the centre or call in and outline your specific circumstances, I can also provide you with a full benefit check to make sure you are receiving your full benefit entitlement. You must complete your Tax Credit East Belfast Independent Advice Centre offers advice on Welfare renewal form before 31st July or your payments will stop. EBIAC can benefits, Tax Credits, Housing, I have just received my tax credit renewal forms in the post and have no idea how to complete them. My circumstances have not changed and I cannot understand why I have to complete another form.

55 TEMPLEMORE AVENUE BELFAST BT5 4NT TELEPHONE 028 90 735690

Employment and Debt. The advice is free, independent and confidential. You can phone us or come into the centre to talk to an adviser. Drop in Advice Clinics Mon, Tues, Wed, 9.30-11.30 Thurs 2.00-3.30

Outreach Clinics Tuesday 12.30-1.45pm Victoria Park Primary School, Thursday 9.30-1pm Short Strand Community Centre, Friday 9.30-12.30 Tullycarnet Primary School. (Appointments required for Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment and Attendance Allowance forms)

Would you like to Volunteer with EBIAC and make a real difference in your community? We have opportunities to volunteer in the following roles: Receptionist, and Adviser. Please contact Gerard Morgan for further information.

#Explore Titanic Quarter..

School’s out for the Summer!! So grab the kids and head to Titanic Quarter. There’s lots of events, activities & special offers to enjoy. PLUS we have prepared a few fun filled itineraries. -

The City Hall Visit Belfast Welcome Centre

The Belfast Barge AY QU

NS EE QU

Titanic Belfast

RIDGE

LL GA NE DO

Lagan Weir Footbridge

AY QU

RIVER LAGAN

SS Nomadic

SSE Arena & W5

Abercorn Basin & Marina

Dock ilton Ham

Dock Café

The Arc Apartments

way Slip ay nic Tita ic Slipw p m Oly

HMS Caroline

ndr

xa Ale

Titanic Hotel Belfast

ck Do

Titanic Studios

& the Drawing Offices

n pso om

Catalyst Inc

ADVENTURE SEEKERS

AD M RO NHA

SYDE

PRONI

Belfast’s Window on Wildlife AIRPORT ROAD

Sam Thompson Bridge

(2 MILES ALONG)

MORNING STOP Start your day at W5 & check out The Big Bang Theatre Show LUNCH: The Dock Café. AFTERNOON STOP: Hop on the Belfast Bikes for a family cycle.

Belfast Met

Samson & Goliath

FAMILY FUN

Titanic’s Dock & Pumphouse

QUEEN’S ROAD

TITANIC QUARTER HALT

Gateway to EastSide

Bank Holiday Weekend, Titanic Belfast, 11-13 July Summer Family Festival, HMS Caroline, 14-16 July Summer Scheme Workshops, W5, 1 July - 31 Aug MineVention Plus, Titanic Exhibition Centre, 22 & 23 July. - BRICKLIVE, Titanic Exhibition Centre, 3-6 Aug. - Lagan Boat Tours, daily sailings 12.30pm, 2pm, 3:30pm

Coming Winter 2017

The Great Light

Lagan Boat Tours

OLYMPIC WAY

Belfast Waterfront

N’S B QUEE

Big Fish

EVENTS

HERITAGE

LOTS OF HOP OFF STOPS! Climb on board the Wee Tram for a fun-filled guided tour of Titanic’s historic shipyard. Explore the slipways, visit the PumpHouse & Dry Dock, call at HMS Caroline, get up close & personal to the giant cranes.

Morning stop: Guided cycle tour of Titanic Quarter and Belfast City Centre with MicnBike (micnbike.com). Lunch stop: Pump-House Cafe 1404 Afternoon Stop: Climbit at W5, the kids can experience an unusual mixture of physical fun, exploration & arts!

/TQEVENTSBELFAST

WIN some great prizes this Summer share your photos & videos using #ExploreTQ

For further information on events, activities & festivals in Titanic Quarter visit

/TQEventsBelfast

#Explore Titanic Quarter this Summer... S c ho o l ’ s ou t f o r t h e su m m er an d keepin g th e ki ds entertai ned duri ng t he ho l i d ay s c a n b e a fu ll- tim e job. S o h ere’s a few i deas to try and ma ke th os e 8 we e k s go a bit qu ic ker for you . TITANIC BELFAST Celebrate the Bank Holiday at Titanic Belfast from the 11 to 13 July. Challenge the kids with the Explorer Trail throughout the ‘Titanic Experience’, meet the Titanic mascots and try out their family interactive guide, before stopping off for a bite to eat with fantastic kids meal deals in Bistro 401 or for a lighter option the Galley Cafe! For further info visit titanicbelfast.com

Summer Family Festival, from the 14 to 16 July with ‘Kids Go Free’ entry. Activities on-board, including sailor dress-up, sea shanties, meet the captain puppet and woolly workshop crafts etc. For more info visit hmscaroline.co.uk.

rich maritime heritage and industry. For sail times visit laganboatcompany.com.

W5 SHOW

It’s back and it’s LOUDER than ever The Big Bang Theatre Show at W5. Take your seats, cover your ears and prepare yourself for THE TITANIC EXHIBITION CENTRE exciting, experimental and somewhat explosive The Titanic Exhibition Centre has some family theatre. This summer, danger, humour, fantastic events on this summer: excitement and some very cool science combine /// MineVention Plus takes place from 22 to 23 July, the event is aimed at Gaming Families with to make a really entertaining experience for a passion for the game Minecraft, and the show all the family. And best of all, it’s FREE with THE WEE TRAM Have a fun a fun-filled, fact-packed tour around includes - Challenge Stage with the YouTubers, admission to W5. For show times visit w5online.co.uk. Build Battles Area, costume contests, panels the Belfast docks on the Wee Tram. You’ll with famous Minecraft Education creators plus explore Titanic’s footprint on the slipways, TITANICS DOCK & PUMP HOUSE lots more. visit the Pump House & Dry Dock, travel back Enjoy a leisurely weekend breakfast or lunch /// BRICKLIVE takes place from 3 to 6 August, to World War One at HMS Caroline, and get up at Cafe 1404 and then explore Titanic’s Dock & it’s the ultimate day out for families and close to the giant cranes. You can hop-on-hopPump-House. LEGO® fans! The event will include various off to explore the different sights or stay on For more info visit titanicsdock.com. ‘bricktastic’ features, such as, Creation Nation board for a full whistle-stop tour. PLUS this – where fans can build their house and put it summer there are lots of special discount vouchers available to Tram travellers including on the UK’s largest LEGO® map, Fan Zone – with BELFAST BIKES SIGHTS AND SNACKS Hop on the Belfast Bikes for an afternoon of Adult Fans of Lego builders, showcasing their 20% off in Café 1404 & discounted entry into cycling. Docking stations located next to SS Titanic’s Dock & Pump-House and HMS Caroline. spectacular LEGO® creation plus lots more. Nomadic and SSE Arena. Followed by lunch stop For further information and tickets visit Departing every day, every half-hour between in Cast & Crew. titanicexhibitioncentre.com. 12 & 5pm from Titanic Belfast & SS Nomadic. Purchase tickets from the conductor or online TITANIC BELFAST LAGAN BOAT COMPANY at theweetram.com Early Risers? If so, then why not visit Titanic Fancy seeing the Titanic Quarter from the Belfast to enjoy the 9 interactive galleries of water? Then climb on board the World’s only HMS CAROLINE Titanic boat tour. Find out the story of Belfast’s the Titanic Experience and explore SS Nomadic, Climb on board HMS Caroline and experience a

Titanic’s original tender ship and the world’s last remaining White Star vessel...all for a special early riser rate! Booking online is essential. Don’t forget to stop off in Bistro 401 afterwards and treat yourself to a delicious cooked breakfast too! titanicbelfast.com.

W5 AUGMENTED REALITY EXHIBIT W5’s Augmented Reality exhibit is GOING LIVE! Pop in and meet A.L.I.E.N. in a close encounter of the virtual kind! Are you brave enough to make first contact and see yourself live on the big screen with the animated alien from a distant galaxy? Augmented Reality is FREE with admission to W5. For full information visit w5online.co.uk.

RSPB - WOW If you have never visited the RSPB’s nature reserve right in the heart of Belfast prepared to be WOWed! It’s only a few minutes from Holywood Exchange. For opening times visit rspb.org,uk/belfastlough.

FINALLY... WIN some great prizes this Summer share your photos & videos using #ExploreTQ on Facebook.com/ TQEventsBelfast.

16 FOOD & DRINK

LOOPMAG.NET ///

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We have some news on a new brunch craze Plus a Belfast brew heading to Asda thats sweeping across the world and now shelves and FREE FOOD at a fantastic into Ballyhackamore Belfast hotel and restaurant

LOOP

TABLE SERVICE / #30 / JULY 2017

Bottom’s Up for Bottomless Brunch

Not quite breakfast, not quite lunch, a new foodie trend is emerging and Horatio Todd’ in Ballyhackamore is one of the first restaurants in NI to offer the ‘Bottomless Brunch’.

icking off on July 1st, ‘bottomless dining’ taps into the growing demand for brunch, where diners can upgrade to avail of unlimited prosecco, mimosas and Bloody Marys. Teaming up with former Miss NI and author of the Fit Body Bible, Tiffany Brien, to launch Horatio Todd’s ‘bottomless’ dining experience, the new ‘Bottomless Brunch’ is set to become a weekly addition to the East Belfast venue’s current offering, and will be available every Saturday from 11am – 2pm. Thought to have originated in Manhattan, there are hundreds of Bottomless Brunch options in New York and London that combine topnotch brunch options with bubbles for

BELFAST BREWER’S CRAFT BEER TO HIT SHELVES Brewgooder’s Clean Water Lager to be stocked in all Asda stores in NI

rewgooder, the world’s first craft beer brewery, to donate 100% of its profits to clean water projects in developing countries, is celebrating securing a national deal with Asda to stock its Clean Water Lager in 357 stores across the UK including 16 in Northern Ireland. Brewgooder craft lager is the brainchild of Belfast-born Alan Mahon who established the business in Edinburgh in March 2016. “It’s of huge personal significance that Brewgooder is now stocked in Asda in Northern Ireland,” explained Alan. We’ve been waiting with baited breath to tell our story at home and we’re delighted Asda shoppers in Northern Ireland will be able to taste

our beer for themselves. As one of the leading supermarkets, Asda is a fantastic route to market and with the volume of product involved, it will accelerate our impact and the number of clean water projects we can support.” Since October 2016, when it was first listed in Scottish Asda stores, the Brewgooder brand has established itself as the front running social enterprise beer brand selling nearly 100,000 cans in stores in just six months. As a result Brewgooder has facilitated two wells in Malawi including the Nora Docherty Well in Dedza, servicing more than 5,000 people with clean water. A further four

a relaxed start to the day, or for a fun hair of the dog! Explaining why they felt that the time was right to introduce this new food trend to their customers, Emma Woods, General Manager of Horatio Todd’s adds: “The Bottomless Brunch craze is huge in London, and is now starting to become a real trend in Dublin. We’re always researching new trends, and we knew that this concept is something that our customers would enjoy. Great food, coupled with tasty drinks and spending time with friends is always a winning combination therefore the summer months offered the perfect time to introduce this new ‘Bottomless Brunch’ concept.”

Head chef, Stuart Archibald, has created dishes that are a little different from the norm, including Eggs Royal, Huevos Rancheros and the Breakfast Taco. All dishes reflect Horatio Todd’s commitment to producing quality food using only the freshest daily ingredients sourced from many local suppliers.

suppliers to take part in Asda’s Social Enterprise Supplier Academy, a UK first which launched last year in partnership with Social Investment Scotland (SIS). It’s fantastic to see the success the craft beer has had since its participation in the Academy, not only doubling their supermarket listings in just eight months, but also supporting

business growth, job creation and acceleration of their clean water impact. “The product extension into Northern Ireland really is the cherry on the top!”

Horatio Todd’s Bottomless Brunch launched on Saturday 1st July and booking is recommended. To book a table or to find out more information, check out www.horatiotodds. com call 028 9065 3090, or find Horatio Todd’s on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

PICTURED Michael McCallion, Asda Senior Buyer for Northern Ireland and Scotland, is joined by Brewgooder’s Alan Mahon.

wells are in the pipeline due to the increased listing. Alan continued, “Seeing first-hand the impact our wells are having on communities was motivating and inspiring and it’s thanks to support from Asda that we have truly been able to make a difference. Giving people the unique opportunity to enjoy a great product while at the same time helping others is a powerful combination and by working closely with our customers and consumers we are helping to transform thousands of lives for generations to come.” Michael McCallion, Senior Buyer for Northern Ireland & Scotland, said, “Brewgooder was one of the first

Brewgooder, Clean Water Lager, 4.5% Craft Lager is available in Asda NI stores now.

NI Foodies Can Dine F For Free This Summer Bullitt Belfast launches new ‘Tweet Seats’ campaign

ood lovers are in for a tweet this summer as Taylor & Clay in Bullitt Belfast launches its new Tweet Seats Tuesday campaign, offering Twitter fans the chance to dine for free. Each Tuesday throughout June and July, the restaurant is inviting foodies to enjoy delicious lunchtime treats like salt beef Caesar salad, flatbread kebab with spiced beef & pomegranate and apple & blueberry frangipane crumble to mark the launch of its new 3-7-3 menu. To get a free seat at the restaurant, you simply need to tweet your name, number of people and preferred time for lunch to @BullittBelfast using the hashtag #tweetseats. If there are seats available, the restaurant will tweet back to confirm. Each #tweetseats diner will enjoy three courses from the restaurant’s 3-7-3 menu and all they have to do in return is tweet a photo of the food. Michael Patterson, F&B Manager at Bullitt Belfast is looking forward to the campaign launch. “We are running the Tweet Seats campaign as a fun way to launch our new 3-7-3 menu and to offer people the chance to dine for free in our restaurant. Taylor & Clay uses fresh produce that has been sourced from local suppliers and the food is cooked on a fire-pit grill to give it a unique flavour, so the winners really will be in for a delicious treat.” The Tweet Seats concept was started by US theatres as a way of encouraging people to experience live shows. It has now spread across cinemas and sporting venues with guests encouraged to live tweet during the events. Taylor & Clay’s Tweet Seat campaign will run every Tuesday in June and July and there will be 10 seats available for guests each week. The 3-7-3 menu is available weekdays from 12noon to 4pm with a starter for £3, main for £7 and dessert for £3. For more info, follow @bullittbelfast or visit bullitthotel.com

Swing into Summer

Experience a summer of great golf with our fantastic 9 hole and 18 hole rates. 9 Holes Twilight Rate Only time to play 9 holes? Take advantage of our great value 9 hole rate!

Monday – Friday Saturday & Sunday

£12 £15

18 Holes

Great value twilight rates! Play as many holes as you can 21/2 hours before dusk! Available 7 days a week. See website for times.

Only £11per person

Enjoy a great round of golf across the magnificent Castlereagh Hills!

Monday – Friday Saturday & Sunday

£20 £25

Society Rates

Our society rates offer excellent value for money for groups with 12 + golfers. Simply create your own tailor made package!

18 holes Monday – Friday 18 holes Saturday & Sunday

£16 £20

Great Golfers Menu available

New restaurant open to the public! Castlereagh Hills Golf Course, 73 Upper Braniel Road, Castlereagh, BT5 7TX. To book a session, please call 028 9044 8477 or email chgc@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk castlereaghhills www.castlereaghhills.com

18 SCHOOLS

LOOPMAG.NET ///

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Grosvenor Grammar at a recent sports event, OBE honours, animation masterclasses and a trip to the zoo!

Plus we have a host of other bits and pieces of news and achievements from East Belfast’s little and not so little ones

LOOP

A CLASS ACT / #30 / JULY 2017

Grosvenor Grammar School pupils Dylan McBride (second from left) and Andrew Hagen proudly display their respective gold and silver medals from the ‘Irish Life Health Track and Field Championships’ 2017, held on Saturday 3rd June, flanked by Principal Dr. Frances Vasey and Head of Sports Studies Mr. Andrew Gibson.

Grosvenor Exel at Irish Life Health Track & Field CONGRATULATIONS TO GROSVENOR GRAMMAR SCHOOL PUPIL DYLAN MCBRIDE, YEAR NINE, WHO SECURED GOLD IN THE MINOR BOYS 800 METRES EVENT

illowfield Harriers athlete Dylan, who has already attained victory in 2017 at the Irish Schools’ Cross Country

Championships, held in March, as well as May’s Ulster Schools’ Track and Field Championships, added yet another gold medal

to his burgeoning collectionas he produced a perfect display to outpace his competitors, despite the elite nature of the assembled field. Dylan’s time of 2 minutes 06.55 seconds not only saw him cross the finish line over two seconds ahead of his nearest rival, but also left him just 0.03 seconds off the existing Irish Schools’ record, set in 2015. Dylan’s impressive display confirmed his status as the outstanding Year Nine middle-distance runner in Ireland and he will now hope to emulate this success when he progresses to the Junior age group next season. Elsewhere fellow middle distance runner Andrew Hagen, Year Eleven, followed Dylan’s triumphant performance with an impressive silver medal in the Intermediate Boys 1500 metres steeplechase as he finished in 4 minutes 39.19 seconds – over 5 seconds ahead of the

DUNDONALD MAN AWARDED OBE

Gary Cooper, Chief Executive of Middletown Centre for Autism, Awarded OBE for services to children with Special Educational Needs

Gary Cooper,, Chief Executive of Middletown Centre for Autism

ames Gareth Cooper (known as Gary Cooper), Chief Executive of Middletown Centre for Autism, has been awarded an OBE (appointment as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to children with special educational needs. Commenting on the honour, Mr Cooper said: “I am hugely humbled by this honour

and accept it as recognition of the amazing work undertaken by the staff teams I have been privileged to lead over the years. Middletown Centre for Autism is marking its 10th anniversary this year and it is a wonderful acknowledgement of the staff’s commitment and dedication to promoting best practice in the education of children and young people with autism throughout the

bronze medal-winning competitor. Andrew’s outstanding achievement is made all the more impressive by the fact that, as a Year Eleven pupil, he was competing against athletes a full year older than himself – with this in mind we have high hopes that Andrew can go one better this time next year, when he will be at the upper end of the Intermediate age category. Whilst Dylan and Andrew were the only GGS athletes to bring home medals on the day, a number of impressive performances were recorded elsewhere, most notably from Holly Brannigan, who performed commendably to place fourth in the Senior Girls 400 metres despite, again, competing against athletes a year older than herself. So too the Minor Girls 4 x 100 metres relay team, comprising Neve Armstrong, Jenna Breen, Sarah McCreery and Grace McKimm, followed up its gold medal, Ulster

record-breaking performance at the Ulster Schools’ Championships, two weeks earlier, with a personal best time of 53.23 seconds to finish just one place away from the podium. In other events the School’s strength-in-depth was in evidence as laudable performances were recorded by the Senior Boys 4 x 100 metres relay team of Ben Stevenson, Jonny Little, Jack Kennedy and Andrew Proctor, who finished 5th in a time of 45.57 seconds, as well as Klint Depayso (5th, Junior Boys Long Jump; 5.49 metres), Nathan Chan (6th, Senior Boys Triple Jump; 12.52 metres), Joshua Patterson (6th, Junior Boys Discuss; 32.16 metres) and James McMaster (8th, Intermediate Boys Hammer; 34.46 metres). Congratulations are extended to the School’s dedicated team of coaches, led by Head of Sports Studies Mr Gibson along with fellow P.E. teacher Mrs Kirk.

island of Ireland.” Mr Cooper has been Chief Executive of Middletown Centre for Autism since it was established in 2007 by Department of Education, Northern Ireland and Department of Education and Skills, Ireland. The Centre provides training, research, learning support and assessment and advice to parents, family members and educational professionals. It is estimated that 1 in 100 children are affected by autism. Prior to joining Middletown Centre for Autism, Mr Cooper was Principal of Knockmore Primary School in Lisburn (1993 to 2007). Knockmore has a number of specialist units catering for children with speech and language difficulties, as well as those who have a confirmed

diagnosis of autism. The school also has an outreach support service for children with speech, language and communication difficulties. Mr Cooper has served on a number of Special School Management Boards and is currently the Vice Chair of Longstone Special School in Dundonald, Belfast. He also sits on the National Autistic Society Professional Awards and Editorial Boards. Mr Cooper graduated from Stranmillis College, Queen’s University of Belfast, in 1985 with a Bachelor of Education Honours Degree, and with a Masters degree from University of Ulster in 1990. Mr Cooper, who lives in Dundonald, Belfast, is married (wife is called Sharon) and has one son (Peter, aged 20).

Ian Sayers, Giant Training and Madeline Graham, Into Film with Year 10 Ashfield Girls’ High students.

of animations whilst at the same time providing them with a wealth of information on how to get ahead in the animation industry. Ian shared a number of film success stories of animators from Northern Ireland which thoroughly inspired the students as they begin their journey along the filmmaking route. Moving Image Arts was introduced into Ashfield Girls’ only 2 years ago and has already inspired a large number PUPILS TOOK PART IN A UNIQUE ANIMATION MASTERCLASS of girls to follow the filmmaking route with a number of students ear 10 Ashfield Girl’s High animation masterclass om Tuesday currently involved in the British Film School pupils who are about 14th June in conjunction with Industry Academy and others having to embark on GCSE Moving Image IntoFilm. Ian Sayers from Giant successfully gained places on the Arts, participated in a unique Training led the girls through a series BFI Craft Skills Residential in London.

Ashfield Animators Aim High

Leadhill Embrace Zoo Day Belfast Zoo welcomed an estimated 1,200 pre-school children, parents, and staff to the annual Zoo Day, organised by Early Years – the organisation for young children. Children, parents and staff from playgroups, daycares, and community groups across NI visited the zoo this month over two days (Wednesday, 24th May and Thursday, 25th May), in what was

to be a memorable occasion for all those who were involved. This included pupils and teachers from Leadhill Primary School in Castlereagh. Many of the children were on their first visit to the zoo and got to meet some of their favourite animals for the first time, as well as learning lots about all sorts of animals, from anteaters to zebras. 028 9038 7904 early-years.org

LOOPMAG.NET

Teleportation Happenings at Seamus Heaney HomePlace

PICTURED

Pupils from Elmgrove Primary (left) and also Victoria Park Primary school below

A TALE OF IMAGINATION, WHICH HAS ALREADY TRAVELLED OVER 400 MILES!

n Monday 19 June, ‘The Teleportation Electrician’ materialized at the Seamus Heaney HomePlace in Bellaghy as Fighting Words Belfast welcomed over 150 children from primary schools in Belfast and Dublin, the young authors of this futuristic new tale, to a day of magic and celebration. Fighting Words Belfast is the creative writing centre for children and young people across Northern Ireland, and in this project they teamed up with Primary 6 pupils from Ballysillan Primary School, Bunscoil Mhic Reachtain, and Wheatfield Primary School in North Belfast along with Elmgrove Primary School and Victoria Park Primary School in East

Belfast and, in partnership with Fighting Words, Dublin, with Fourth Class pupils from Scoil Chaitriona and St Vincent’s Girls’ National School from Dublin. The young authors have worked hard over the past two months and the result is a highly imaginative and original piece of fiction ‘The Teleportation Technician’. Acclaimed author and newly appointed Northern Ireland Children’s Writing Fellow, Myra Zepf, hosted a lively Q&A session with pupils and presented the young authors with their own copy of the fantastical adventure. Myra Zepf said “Stories always have their own journeys, but by anyone’s standards this one has

been remarkable. These young writers have collaborated with friends and strangers alike, within Northern Ireland and cross-border. Today is a chance to celebrate them, their wonderful story and their journey together in making it.”

Geraldine Wilkins, Development Officer for Fighting Words Belfast said, “Once again Fighting Words Belfast volunteer mentors and illustrators have sparked these children’s creative imaginations. If anyone would like to find out

THE RIPPLE EFFECT AT ELMGROVE PRIMARY

The Ripple Effect, a pioneering new initiative aimed at raising water safety awareness among young people in an effort to reduce the number of accidental drownings

lmgrove Primary School P7 pupils Aaryn Piper, Jake Morrow, Nathan Finley (front row) and Casey Galway, Megan Dryburth & Lauren Meneely (back row) with teacher Hannah English (L) and Hope For Youth Northern Ireland Trustee Emma McCausland (R) are photographed at the concluding event of the first phase of The Ripple Effect. Sponsored by Northern Ireland charity Hope for Youth, The Ripple Effect was piloted with Elmgrove Primary School in East Belfast and included classroom and poolside lessons held at Avoniel Leisure Centre. Designed to empower children and remove barriers to water safety including socio-economic burdens, the initiative is spearheaded by the City of Belfast Swimming Club and develop din line with the UK drowning prevention strategy, which aims to reduce drowning fatalities in the UK by 50% by 2026 and is supported by the Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS) and Speedo.

Strathearn Students in Mock Trial Final

more about us or volunteering opportunities just go to www. youngatart.co.uk for full details.” The More Crosswords project was made possible with the support of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Dublin.

Gilnahirk School Children Lobby Voters To Buy Buns For Dementia When most pupils took advantage of election day to get a day off school, a group of enterprising Gilnahirk Primary children headed back to school to take advantage of the polling booth crowds by holding a Cupcake Day store right outside the school gates. Keen bakers Lottie, 8, and her friend Amelie, 11, roped in siblings Jack and Charlotte, 5, and Leo, 8, and friends Ariana, 7, and George, 5, to bake and decorate cakes, with voters snapping up the sweet treats within hours. The children raised £100 for Alzheimer’s Society.

Fifteen girls from Strathearn School travelled to Nottingham last weekend to represent the province in the Citizenship Foundation’s Magistrates’ Court Mock Trial Competition.

he competition sees pupils from second and third form adopt the roles of court staff, lawyers and witness and run court cases in real court rooms in front of real magistrates. Strathearn qualified as Northern Ireland representatives in the spring, and spent Saturday 17 June in court by the river in Nottingham. Though the girls didn’t win, there were a number of strong performances. As Court Usher, Andra Vladu kept things running smoothly, and Legal Adviser, Hannah McCartney summed up the points of

law concisely. The adjudicators were particularly impressed by Darcey Jamison, Strathearn’s first prosecution lawyer and defence lawyer Charlotte Keers’ searing cross-examination was a great example of clear legal reasoning. Ella Rook and Ellie Massey, two of Strathearn’s witnesses, did particularly well-under pressure from the opposing teams’ lawyers. Student magistrates, including Hannah Stanfield, worked hard to make sure the case was fairly overseen and weighed up the issues before deciding on a verdict. The girls

STEM Week At Rosetta Primary School

he pupils recently took part in a week of STEM activities. They carried out science investigations and experiments and each class participated in a technology challenge. It culminated in a science and technology fair to showcase their learning throughout the week. Parents and pupils got to try out a range of exciting interactive activities and see displays of the work that had been carried out. The pupils agreed it had been a fun week and felt enthused and inspired by the experience.

from the east Belfast school enjoyed their visit to Nottingham, meeting both Robin Hood and the Sherriff of Nottingham, and exploring the newly-refurbished National Justice Museum. They learned about the rights of citizens, law and order and women’s suffrage have changed over the years against the backdrop of the city. They even donned hard-hats and explored some of the city’s caves. The pupils are grateful for the support shown to

them by the Northern Ireland legal community, including the Law Society of Northern Ireland, the Bar Library, the Belfast Solicitors’ Association and the School of Law at Queen’s University Belfast, and by Causeway Asset Management. The pupils relished the opportunity to represent Northern Ireland in this prestigious competition which helped them to develop confidence, argument building skills and a strong sense of team spirit.

If you have questions about dementia or support available in East Belfast or are worried about your memory, telephone Alzheimer’s Society’s National Dementia Helpline on 0300 222 1122 or email helpline@ alzheimers.org.uk For more information on dementia visit www.alzheimers.org.uk

20 LOOP DEMENTIA SPECIAL #3

WITH LIZ MORRISON MEDIA OFFICER @ ALZHEIMERS SOCIETY

“

LOOPMAG.NET

ACCEPTING YOUR DIAGNOSIS AND PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE ARE KEY TO LIVING WELL WITH DEMENTIA James spends his days visiting people with dementia and their families in their own homes, and speaking to groups to provide information and support, often participating in difficult conversations that people need to have both to come to terms with the changes in their life and to plan ahead.

A diagnosis of dementia can seem like the end of life for many people. But Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Support Worker James Erskine says that while dementia will change a person’s life, with the right support, it is possible to live well.

he people with dementia who do the best are the ones who have ownership over their diagnosis. If they can talk about it, it allows them to get over their initial fear and that allows them to be more independent.” He says that speaking frankly about dementia is the first step to accepting the diagnosis, an essential basis for continuing to live a full and independent life. “I tell people I can’t change anything, but I can answer their questions,” James said. “When I meet with people with dementia and their families, I have to be honest, however hard that is. I tell people exactly what dementia is, that it is an illness that’s affecting how your brain works, it is causing physical damage. It’s a progressive illness, it will get worse, but the important thing is that they know what to do. I tell them ‘This will limit your life, you need to know that, but it doesn’t mean you need to give up – you need to understand you can live well and you need to know how to do that’,” he said. “I’m not there to tell people what to do, but I can help them by giving them information and talking through what works for them. I’m there to help people to take control of their life and do things on their own,” he said. No referral to James is necessary – people can get in touch directly through Alzheimer’s Society – but he frequently meets families and individuals with dementia who have reached him through the National Dementia Helpline, a free Alzheimer’s Society service with dedicated Northern Ireland staff. Like James, Denise Maguire, the Helpline’s Northern Ireland manager, says accepting a diagnosis is the first step to planning for the future and finding support, including assistive aids that can help people live in their own home for longer. “There are all sorts of devices that help someone whose difficulties with memory loss, orientation or communication are affecting their daily life,” Denise says. “One type of reminder, based on a motion sensor, plays a pre-recorded voice prompt when there is movement nearby, so for example a sensor placed near the front door could remind someone to lock the door when they are leaving, or one in the kitchen could remind you to turn the oven off. You can record a familiar voice saying these things. Another type of reminder doesn’t detect movement, but is set to play a message at a certain time, for example you could record a reminder to take your medication or go to an appointment. Even more simply, you could set a phone calendar with reminders,” she said. Families and carers can also use technology to provide support, without having to be in the person’s home – for example remotely accessing phones or tablets to set reminders about appointments and providing reassurance. “There are so many simple things from Day-Night clocks to pressure pads that can be placed by a bed to prompt a person to get back into bed in the night, even very simple things like double handed tea pots to make it easier to manage pouring tea. Some assistive technology is expensive, especially some of the more

high-tech devices, but sometimes these can be rented, and some aids to daily living are very cheap,” Denise said. “Medication aids range from simple dosette boxes with separate compartments for days or the week and times of day, which are cheap and really helpful at the early stages of dementia, through to automatic dispensers that are pre-filled by the pharmacy to dispense medication at the right time with an alarm that goes off until they are taken. Some can even alert a friend or relative if medications hasn’t been taken or if it needs restocking. “Locator tags can be attached to items so you can find them easily, these can be electronic tags that are made to beep when you need to find them, there are phones which photos for speed dial so you can call family and friends easily, and an increasing number of apps to help people communicate, “Motion sensors can turn lights on when a person is moving around to prevent trips and falls, and other sensors can be installed to turn off the gas or a tap that has been left running,” she said. Denise said that many people want to live in their own homes for as long as possible, and the key to this is to find ways to make this safe and comfortable. Information on assistive technologies is available on the Alzheimer’s Society website at www. alzhiemers.org.uk or can be posted out from the Helpline staff – call 0300 222 1122. A big fear for many people diagnosed with dementia is that they will have to move into a nursing home, James said, but for most people that is not immediately necessary. “A lot of people think the only option when you move out of your own home is residential or nursing care, but there are options where you can continue to live independently, but with varying degrees of support,” James said. An option for some people who are lonely at home and would like company or a higher level of support, but who want to maintain their independence is supported housing. Other people may need residential care “With supported living you have the same personal care package that you would get if you were living in your own home, but you may also get help with housework and cooking. Some places provide all meals and do all the housework, others encourage you to remain as independent as possible and support you to do your own laundry and prepare meals,” he said. “To decide what is right for you it’s important to talk to any family, and talk to your social worker or care manager who will make an assessment of need in partnership with your family. If you initiate this conversation it can make it easier for your family, who may feel they don’t want to force you into a move or may not understand why you want to move or to stay in your home. Generally the more open people are about dementia from the start, the easier these decisions are to talk about, “ he said. “Care homes can get a bad rap in the media. We usually hear the scare stories, but in my experience not all care homes are bad, some are very good. My

advice to people is don’t just go for the home that looks the best, chat to the staff and see if they have time to talk to you. Do they seem happy? If the staff have time for you and if they are cheerful, that’s a really good sign. If they are rushed and don’t have time to answer your questions or are impatient, then that can be an indicator that you might need to keep looking,” he said. James and other Dementia Support Workers can be contacted by calling Alzheimer’s Society on 028 9066 4100 or emailing nir@alzheimers. org.uk, or by calling the National Dementia Helpline on 0300 222 1122

SUPPORTED LIVING IN EAST BELFAST – CLANMILL

If you are looking for a typical dementia housing facility, then trying to find Mullan Mews, a supported housing development for people with dementia close to the busy Cregagh Rd, can be tricky. From the street, you see a row of five terrace houses, each with its own front door, looking like any modern private housing. But this typical suburban façade has been purpose built to support people with dementia, according to Sinead Hyndman, Housing Support Worker at the Clanmil Housing Association facility. Each of the five houses has six en-suite bedrooms, two communal living rooms, a large kitchen/diner, a utility room and a downstairs bathroom. Bedroom doors are colour coded to help tenants identify their room, tiny sensors tell staff when doors are opened and closed, and taps automatically turn off when left running. It’s a way of maintaining both safety and privacy for tenants. While there are no cameras, staff can know if a person has gone into the toilet but not come out, perhaps because of a fall or another difficulty. Sensors also tell staff if a person has got out of bed and is moving around in the night, enabling them to check on them. Large gardens are interconnected so that people come and go between houses, but tenants of each house have control of their own space. Raised flower beds make it easy to garden, and in wet weather staff and tenants can use an indoor corridor connecting the houses to move between them. Sinead said Clanmil tries to use technology rather than security to keep tenants safe, and uses this flexibily as needed. For example when one tenant began eating raw food out of the freezer, the initial solution seemed to be to lock the kitchen door, but it was quickly realised this was restrictive for other tenants. Instead sensors were put into the freezer door, alerting staff on a hand held device when it was opened so that they could promptly check. Clanmil also runs Sydenham Court, near the Holywood Rd, which has individual flats for tenants built around a large courtyard garden, with common areas for eating and activity, and also

purpose built with technology designed speficically for people with dementia.

“PEOPLE HAVE IT LOVELY HERE”

As a shipping engineer, John Graham, 88, has been ‘twice round the world and a few other places,’ before ending up back in his home town of Belfast. A widower and diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, he moved into Sydenham Court, a Clanmill supported housing development for people with Dementia in East Belfast, three years ago, after his daughter visiting from England found him lying on the floor of his home. “How long I’d been there I don’t know, I don’t know how I got there, but I know that couldn’t happen here. It would happen to a lot of people on their own but it wouldn’t happen here because you’ve got people looking after you morning noon and night. People have it lovely here,” he said. John lives in a private flat on the first floor of the complex, with a view over the courtyard garden where a fountain burbles and residents gather in the sunshine. Pieces of art he has made since moving in are dotted around the flat, including an impressive oil landscape he painted at an activity group run by the family of another resident. A dementia friendly clock reminds him of the time of day, date and day of the week, one of the few visible aids in a flat equipped with hidden technology. Tiny sensors track his movements, and alert staff if, for example, he spends an unusual length of time in the bathroom, or if unusual movement indicates a possible fall. At night his cooker is centrally switched off for safety, and turned on again in the morning. There is no need for staff to disturb his sleep to check his well-being during the night, as they will be alerted if he is moving around, and can then check if he needs support. John values the activities at Sydenham Court, and the support staff give him to get out into the community. In addition to art classes and intergenerational projects with pupils from Ashfield Boys School, he gets out to lunch clubs and community groups in East Belfast, and a few months back found himself dancing in the aisles of the SSE Arena at a Beach Boys concert. A former drummer, John is first on the bongos at any Sydenham Court party, but his memories are of drumming on a crate with his ship colleagues in a make-do skiffle band in the Pacific. “We made a tea chest and cut a wee hole out for sound and a stick with a rope on it and formed a skiffle band, we played to people wherever we went, Samoa and wherever,” he recalled. While he’s a land lubber now, John hasn’t lost the travel bug, heading off to Dublin or further afield when the fancy takes him. “I go wherever my bus pass will take me. My biggest fear is losing my bus pass, but when I do I blame it on the Alzheimer’s,” he laughed.

If you have questions about dementia or support available in East Belfast or are worried about your memory, telephone Alzheimer’s Society’s National Dementia Helpline on 0300 222 1122 or email helpline@alzheimers.org.uk For more information on dementia visit www.alzheimers.org.uk

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Local historian Charlotte Murtagh brings Charlotte reveals some fascianting info you a lovely piecce on an old Ballymacarett on the site of an iconic East Belfast graveyard community base

LOOP

HISTORY / #30 / JULY 2017

PICTURED CLOCKWISE: Courtesy of Methodist Archives / Project Director Colin Duncan and Methodist Minister Rev. Colin D Gracie, who qualified as an archaeologist before entering the Methodist ministry, getting an update on the excavation work. 2009 / Courtesy of Rev. Margaret Ferguson, East Belfast Mission / Those who attended the Church Service walked behind the 5 hearses until they reached James Brown & Sons, local undertaker’s premises. January 2010.

An Old Ballymacarett Graveyard “Interment for Thirty Pieces of Silver and no Records” By Charlotte Murtagh

SO WENT THE HEADLINES IN THE BELFAST NEWSLETTER. THIS WAS A REPORT OF AN INQUIRY HELD IN THE CITY HALL, BELFAST, ON 20 SEPTEMBER 1918 IN CONNECTION WITH AN APPLICATION OF THE BELFAST CORPORATION FOR POWER TO CLOSE THE OLD GRAVEYARD AT THE REAR OF NEWTOWNARDS ROAD METHODIST CHURCH. THE GRAVEYARD WHICH WAS OPENED IN 1826 WAS NOW FULL AND THE CORPORATION BASED ITS APPLICATION ON THE GROUNDS OF PUBLIC HEALTH, PUBLIC DECENCY AND RESPECT DUE TO THE REMAINS OF DECEASED PERSONS, SO RAN THE REPORT OF THE ENQUIRY.

allymacarett was no longer a remote country district but was now a densely populated and rapidly developing part of the City. The Medical Superintendent Officer of Health gave evidence that on recent visits by him he found in the enclosure rubbish and empty tins which had been thrown over the wall. The Sexton who had had the graveyard under his care for the past six years said that when grave holders made application to bury their family members and saw the state of the place they declined to have their loved ones buried there. He said there had been only three burials since he took charge of it and when the grave digger dug four feet down bones came out of every part that was opened. Evidence was given by the previous Sexton that one of the Sextons in

bygone days buried everybody whose relatives gave him thirty shillings. He even dug up the footpath for burial purposes and when he received the books, there were no records of the people who had been buried or not been buried, he said. As there was no opposition to the Application it was closed by Order of the Local Government Board in 1918. The graveyard had been opened by the first Minister of Ballymacarett Methodist Church, Rev. Alexander

“

In 1985 the Church was given the status of a City Mission, now to be known as East Belfast Mission as part of the Methodist Church in Ireland.

Mackey, on 28 May 1826. In it lie the remains of many of the early Methodist Ministers and members of Belfast and surrounding area. After 1918 it became a play centre for many of the young people from adjoining streets. The desecration which took place resulted in the smashing and removal of various historic memorials which can never again by replaced. In 1941 on the night of 4/5 May a bomb hit the Church and the whole site was destroyed. The Church authorities decided to leave the remains of those buried there undisturbed. It was also agreed to tarmac the graveyard surface and turn it into a car park for the use of the Church members. There was virtually no building taking place during the war years, the building of houses took preference. So it was after the war in 1952 the fourth Church was formally opened

on the same site. In 1985 the Church was given the status of a City Mission, now to be known as East Belfast Mission as part of the Methodist Church in Ireland. Like most things nothing stays the same and progress must take place for an ever expanding part of East Belfast. Enter the Skainos Project, an urban regeneration project in inner East Belfast providing shared space for community transformation and renewal. During the redevelopment work at the Mission it included the digging up of the car park. It wasn’t long before human bones were unearthed. The history of the graveyard was probably long forgotten and not within living memory of many of the local residents. In 2009 the site was excavated by Northern Archaeological Consultancy, Colin Duncan was the Project Director.

The remains of around 100 east Belfast citizens were recovered and carefully preserved. 1st January 2010 a Service was held in the Church conducted by the Mission Superintendent Minister Rev. Gary Mason who had overseen the removal and safe storage of the remains. He said “We wanted to be as sensitive and dignified as possible in our recognition of these remains. We also wanted to do something meaningful before our existing Church building is demolished early in the New Year”. The remains were taken in five hearses by the local undertaker for storage until the spring when all work on the new Skainos community project had been completed and all disturbed remains recovered. A plaque now hangs in the Church showing the names of a few of those identified. In May 2011 the remains were reinterred on the present Church site.

If you are interested in family history your local branch of the North of Ireland Family History Society meets in the C S Lewis room at the Holywood Arches Library on the fourth Tuesday of each month from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. You will be most welcome. A large free public car park is available at the rear of the Library. See www.nifhs.org.

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24 HEALTH

LOOPMAG.NET ///

This month we have some news on the Action Cancer MOT checks for men plus advice on sun awareness & your eyes

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Plus we welcome back Stefanie McCluskey who shares her knowledge and advice on helping you change your lifestyle

LOOP

ALL ABOUT YOU / #30 / JULY 2017

Action Cancer : Mens Health

orthern Ireland’s leading, local cancer charity, Action Cancer launched its annual men’s health campaign ‘Action Man’ asking men across Northern Ireland to pay more attention to their health. The male cancer awareness campaign aims to encourage men to take care of their general health and to highlight awareness of the signs and symptoms of male specific cancers, such as testicular and prostate cancers. Action Cancer offered men free health checks during the month of June and is working in partnership with the Men’s Health Forum, a national charity dedicated to supporting men’s health by spreading awareness of men’s health issues. Together they are challenging Northern Ireland’s men to ask the key question “How are you doing?” There is certainly a need to ask this, as men, in Northern Ireland, experience a disproportionate burden of ill-health

and die too young. Local men die, on average, four and a half years younger than women do. Males have higher death rates than women for all of the leading causes of death. Poor lifestyles are responsible for a high proportion of chronic diseases. Late presentation to health services leads to a large number of problems becoming untreatable. Josh Mulligan, Action Cancer’s Male Health Promotion Officer explained why the health checks are being offered: “Every year in Northern Ireland there are approximately 4,426 men diagnosed with cancer1 - that’s 12 men every day. Although men are 14% more likely than women to develop cancer, they are 37% more likely to die from the disease2. Poor lifestyle choices, such as eating an unhealthy diet, taking less exercise, and a reluctance to discuss personal health matters could be contributing factors in this. By not monitoring their health, men are at higher chance of not detecting

On Board the Action Cancer Big Bus where help is at hand. Local men die, on average, four and a half years younger than women do. Get an MOT. actioncancer.org

cancer or other serious conditions at an early and, hopefully, more treatable stage. It is estimated over half of all cancers could be prevented with the right lifestyle choices, such as eating a healthy diet, taking regular exercise, not smoking, drinking alcohol responsibly and being safe in the sun. Our MOT health checks present men with a snap shot of their general health, which can empower them to make more positive lifestyle choices in the future.” The free M.O.T. health checks incorporate a number of assessments including blood pressure, cholesterol,

blood glucose and body composition analysis, as well as giving lifestyle advice and information on testicular, prostate, lung and bowel cancers. These checks do not diagnose cancer but aim to increase awareness of current health and the importance of early detection. Men’s MOT health check appointments are also available on board Action Cancer’s Big Bus, supported by SuperValu and its independent retailers, which travels throughout NI. Book an appointment online at www.actioncancer.org or call 028 9080 3344.

MEDICARE Supporting Sun Awareness

kin cancer is the most common cancer in Northern Ireland. Around 3,550 people develop skin cancer each year, accounting for 30% of all cancers diagnosed here. MediCare recently participated in this year’s Sun Awareness Week, led by the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) which seeks to raise awareness of sun safety and contributing factors which may place people at a higher risk of developing skin cancer. Michael Guerin, MediCare Managing Director said: “The last thing anyone wants on their summer holiday is sunburn. But it is also important to be aware of the long term damage of exposing yourself to too much sun, even in a Northern Ireland setting. Different skin types react differently to the sun and some individuals and groups may be at higher risk of developing skin cancer. Pharmacists and their staff can advise on sun safety techniques which can be put into practice during periods of exposure. Your local pharmacy may also be able to help treat sunburn and you should feel confident to make community pharmacy your first port of call.”

Your local pharmacy team can: •Give advice on preventing and treating sunburn •Give advice on checking your skin for signs of skin cancer •Explain the importance of sunscreen and suggest what may be best for you Research carried out by Cancer Focus NI shows that 8 out of 10 people do not apply sunscreen at home unless they are ‘actively’ sunbathing. Sun awareness is important – you don’t need to be sunbathing to get skin cancer; it’s overexposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) which can cause serious damage over time. It’s important for everyone to avoid getting sunburned, particularly children.

STARING AT SCREENS Are We Damaging Our Eyes? BY ROSEMARY MCWATTERS

very day in practice I see patients who tell me they are experiencing problems such as dry eyes, headaches or eye strain which they suspect are related to their increasing screen use. A recent survey 2017 Voice of Optometry confirmed that this complaint is extremely widespread. They reported that as well as the physical problems and discomfort many patients are worried that screens are causing their vision to deteriorate. With

most of us, not only teenagers, almost constantly looking at screens it is an understandable concern. Here is some useful advice on screen use: · Review your brightness setting and keep screen brightness down to avoid glare and fatigue. · Make sure another light in the room is on and avoid watching a bright screen in dark surroundings as this will tire the eyes more quickly

Top sun awareness tips are: •Seek shade and avoid prolonged exposure from 11am to 3pm •Wear clothing and hats that protect against UVR •Use sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 15 plus UVA 4-star and apply liberally Ask your local MediCare Pharmacy team today for information and advice on the most appropriate sun protection for you and your family. MediCare, Caring for your Health. · Using screens close to bedtime may contribute to poorer sleep, which can make you less effective during the day. Turning off any digital devices up to an hour before sleeping can help aid sleep · Using night settings, if your device has them, may help sleep if the amount of visible blue light emitted by the screen during night time hours is decreased. Alternatively, a blue light filter such as Ocushield can be applied to the screen · To avoid eye strain a useful technique is to follow the 20/20/20 rule, every 20 minutes, look away from your screen at something at least 20 feet away for 20 seconds · When you have the choice to view something on a larger screen always take that option. Teenagers should be discouraged from watching full length

films on their phones · Avoid being too close to the screen, holding phones and tablets as far away as your arms will comfortably allow · Have a sight test at least every two years, or more often if your optometrist recommends it Largely the fault does not lie entirely with the screen, whether it is a phone, a tablet or a computer – it is more to do with how we use them, or over use them so don’t forget your common sense. Heed the advice and take a break! 41 Comber Road BT16 2AA. 028 9048 6222 mcwattersopticians.co.uk

How to Hold Yourself Accountable for Your Goals!

By Stefanie McCluskey: Personal Trainer, Fitness coach, model & blogger.

Everyone seems to struggle with consistency when it comes down to setting fitness goals. If we don’t see immediate results then it’s tempting to throw in the towel, but are you setting realistic goals for your shape, size and fitness levels? Here are 3 ways to help you start being the person you truly want to be! 1: Have the Right Mindset; Personally I feel this is the most important thing when it comes to successful dieting and exercise. If you are not mentally ready you cannot make effective, long-lasting life-style changes. You need to find your inner willpower and remember why you have made this/these goals. Remind yourself each day what you are fighting for! You truly should value yourself,your body, and especially your health. 2: Turn your Goal into a Habit; The most important way to turn your goal into a habit is by making your training habitual, and by using appropriate training goals for your fitness level. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the old excuse “I just don’t enough time!” How much time have you spent on your phone today? Did you watch a couple of t.v. programmes, or procrastinated somehow? If you want something enough you will find the time! Prioritise your goals, and make time to fit them into your schedule! 3: Find an “Accountability Buddy”; You have to find someone who can motivate you to stick to your goals. I recommend choosing a family member, trusted friend or work buddy. You could even start a diary and be your own “accountability buddy”. I personally, have chosen to publish weekly check-ins on my blog and boy, does it keep me motivated! Their are some great tools out there for recording your food diary, check out my favourite app: myfitnesspal. Its FREE. Honestly, simply just wanting something wont make it happen. You have to be willing and ready to change your life-style, and to make your goal priority. It wont be easy, but the feeling of reward you get when you meet, and surpass your goals, easily out-weighs any of the difficult times you will go through. Find that mindset. Create that habit. Hold yourself accountable for yourself. Diet hack 101 Swapping your milky tea or coffee for a no added milk or sugar herbal tea or black coffee could save you hundreds of calories a week without even really having to try! Give it a go because whats the worst that could happen? You could lose some weight! Instagram: Steffie_loves Facebook: Stefanie McCluskey Personal Trainer

HAIR

ALL ABOUT YOU / #29 / JUNE 2017

DO YOU EVER WONDER WHY YOUR HAIR WON’T GROW PAST A CERTAIN POINT? THE ROOT CAUSE

By Sabrina Robinson SR HAIRDRESSING After colouring your hair you see your roots starting to show a few weeks later, but your hair length doesn’t seem look any longer, you’re going without a haircut for months, but your hair is still at that annoying shoulder length. How infuriating it can be, if you’re trying to grow your hair, but it just won’t grow! Why?

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Hair Breakage Hair grows at an average rate of half an inch every month. Which means, the average person’s hair grows about 6 inches every year. If your hair and body is not receiving enough nutrients such as vitamins and minerals and is breaking off at the same rate, your hair will stay the same length all year until you change your bad habits! NEW PRODUCT ALERT! The new L’Oréal Professionnel Serie Expert Inforcer products, for strengthening fragile hair. With a Biotin and B6 vitamin-

enriched boost, this reinforcing shampoo and conditioner is designed to target breakage and split ends, leaving hair soft and healthy. Your hair will become more resistant and stronger with continued use. Technology enriched with Biotin amd B6 known for their strengthening properties Recommended use for Fragile and breaking hair. Avaiable at SR Hairdressing.. Split Ends We’ve all have to deal with split ends, which are literally ends of hair that have split in two, due to the hair not being treated right and not receiving enough nutrients to live a long and healthy life. As a result, the split in the hair goes up higher and higher, resulting in the ends just breaking off. So, although your hair may be growing from the root - simultaneously, it is also breaking off from the bottom, making it seem like your hair is just stuck at a certain length.

Go for the chop Once split ends occur, it is not possible to undo them. The only thing you can do is cut those ends off and prevent them in the future. If you leave split ends in your hair they will just get worse and creep up the hair further, leading to more hair breakage. Good Genes, Bad Genes Sometimes the hairs health and growth is just based on genetics. Every person has a cycle of hair growth specific to them, once a certain amount of time has passed, the hair will no longer grow and will either break off, shed. Each hair strand has its own growth cycle, which is why we typically have different lengths of hair strands throughout our head. This cycle can be anywhere from 2 to 6 years, and no matter how well you treat your hair, for some people it’s simply down to your DNA.

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26 HISTORY

LOOPMAG.NET ///

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By our incredible resident historian Aidan Campbell. What he doesn’t know about East Belfast isn’t worth knowing.

Check out his extraordinary volumes of work in his back catalogue of books. All details below.

LOOP

LOOKING BACK / #30 / JULY 2017

THE SOUND OF METAL WHEELS ON METAL RAILS

Do you remember the old type which had no entrance door, merely an opening with a metal pole to hold on to as you mounted the bus? There was also a man who wore a smart uniform with a peaked cap who took the fares and he was called a bus conductor. Public transport in Belfast before buses was provided by trams (before my time) and trolleybuses. Perhaps some older readers will remember the trams in East Belfast.

BELMONT ROAD Courtesy of PRONI

WHEN I WAS A LAD DURING THE 1960S WE USED TO TAKE THE CORPORATION BUS ACROSS TOWN FROM WOODVALE TO MALONE ROAD TO GET TO SCHOOL. 1. BELMONT ROAD The caption on this old photograph reads: ‘The last of the old horse trams, Belfast 4th December 1905’. The location is somewhere on the Belmont Road. Could that be the wall of Campbell College on the right? The original horse-drawn trams were singledecker only, but these had been phased out in favour of double-deck trams by the late 1870s. In 1905 the Belfast Street Tramways Company which operated the horse tramcar system was acquired by Belfast Corporation and the entire network was electrified. 2. MOFFETT TRAM #330 QUEEENS ROAD Moffett tram 330 is travelling along Station Street from Queen’s Road in the late 1940s. (Tram models were named after the prevailing General Manager of Belfast Corporation Transport). Notice the coal cranes in the background. The Belfast & County Down Railway terminus (right) was the headquarters of the company until it closed in 1950 although the building survived until fairly recently as an office block but has since been demolished. I remember getting the Bangor train here when we went to Scout camp at Crawfordsburn in the 1960s. 3. #403 CREGAGH ROAD A late 1930s view of the Cregagh Road at ‘Bell’s Bridge’ before the roundabout and Ladas Drive were built and showing McCreary ‘streamliner’ tram no. 403 at the end-of-lines at Bell’s Bridge which originally provided a crossing point over the Loop River. The tramlines had reached Gibson Park by 1898 but the line above Bell’s Bridge was abandoned in 1936 because of the poor surface. Passengers took a bus to the top of the road. Note the cyclist to the far right with the large basket on his bicycle (which may well be a make called ‘Pashley’.) Delivery by bicycle was a common sight on Belfast streets years ago. Only a single car is parked on the road and there is a lot more traffic on Cregagh Road now-a-days. 4. #255 ‘REBUILD’ ALBERTBRIDGE ROAD ‘Rebuild’ tram 255 and the others in view are empty as they travel along

the Albertbridge Road towards the Newtownards Road in the early 1950s. They have left Mountpottinger tram depot in convoy and are ‘Shipyard Specials’ proceeding towards Queen’s Road to catch the going home time stampede at Harland & Wolff. The high red brick wall to the far right locates the Belfast Ropework Company which was once the largest ropeworks in the world, employed 4,000 people and extended over an area of 40 acres. It was closed by 1983 and Connswater Shopping Centre now occupies the site. 5. #388 DUNDONALD Excitement for all concerned, in the days before television, as Chamberlain tram number 388 has been involved in a collision with a mid-1930s Daimler 15 saloon at the end-of-lines beside Dundonald Cemetery. It is a wintery day, judging by the lack of foliage on the trees at Knock Golf Club. The car registration EZ 191 dates it to the period October 1935 – October 1938. Not much traffic on the Upper Newtownards Road in those days but a small crowd, including a dog, has gathered to witness proceedings. 6. #266 SHIPYARD SPECIAL Susan Street (named after the daughter of house-builder, Joe McMaster) is to the right of the tram in this 1950 view and on the corner at 139 Newtownards Road is the premises of Christie’s, interior decoration suppliers. The round tower of Westbourne Presbyterian Church is on the skyline. Westbourne church was constructed in 1880 on a site secured from Mr. Henderson of Norwood Tower, Circular Road and named ‘Westbourne’ after a member of the Henderson family. Tram 266 is travelling towards Belfast and is a ‘Shipyard Special’ heading to Queen’s Road. It was one of a batch built by the Corporation at their Sandy Row works before the First World War and known as a ‘Rebuild’ after heavy modifications in 1928. By 1945 most of the trams in East Belfast were replaced by trolleybuses (a story for another day) and ‘The Last Tram Procession’ in Belfast took place on Saturday 28th February 1954.

02 MOFFETT TRAM #330

Courtesy of Mike Maybin

#403 CREGAGH ROAD Courtesy of Michael McMullan

04 ‘REBUILD’ #255 ALBERTBRIDGE ROAD Courtesy of Mike Maybin

#388 DUNDONALD Courtesy of George Hewitt

06 #266 SHIPYARD SPECIAL

Courtesy of Michael McMullan

/// Aidan Campbell has previously published 12 East Belfast local history books entitled: Beaconsfield, Knock, Cherryvalley, Gilnahirk, Castlereagh, Cregagh, Stormont, Sydenham, Belmont, East Belfast Revisited Volumes 1 & 2 and Ballymacarrett. Also Belfast Through Time and Newtownbreda. He regularly gives illustrated talks to local groups and societies. The books are available at Hillmount Garden Centre, Marie Curie Hospice and Hamilton News Cregagh with profits donated to local charity. BOOK SALES ONLINE : EASTBELFASTHISTORY.COM

LOOPMAG.NET

After Just 3 Treatments, Arnie Had Another Try At The Stairs

WHAT A SUCCESS!

“The class 4 Cube Performance K laser at Ashwood Veterinary Clinic is the most modern & powerful therapeutic laser in the country, one of only 3 such lasers in Veterinary practices in the UK. All the main pet insurance companies cover K laser treatment as a proven beneficial treatment (not a complimentary “K laser therapy). K laser treatment takes place treatment in one of therapy rooms and you are takes place in in and out in less than 15 minutes. It is one of therapy totally non-scary and can be done at rooms and a distance if preferred but most pets you are in enjoy the gentle warm relaxing feeling and out in and the strokes and attention that less than 15 comes with it and they can be on your minutes.” lap or beside you for the treatment. A K laser treatment costs £25. We are running a SPECIAL OFFER of 6 Treatments for £100 when paid for If you think your cat or dog might benefit from K laser treatment, just lift the phone and give up front.” Patrick McKee Kelly a a call on 028 90 419374 or email her to request an appointment: Kelly@ashwodvets.com

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“

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LOOPMAG.NET

28 HOME

///

Refound - a range of up-cycled, redesigned Colour & Cloth - Christine shares some and vintage homeware and gifts. Turning top tips on how to transform and make the ordinary into the extra-ordinary! something all by yourself!

LOOP

INSIDE OUT / #29 / JUNE 2017

Try The Dark Side

/// REFOUND

No doubt you are used to seeing dark wood employed in fitted kitchens, bringing a rich colour to the room, but when it comes to freestanding furniture, we sometimes shy away from the dark side.

ou may remember your grandparents house top to toe in it! Today though, dark wood furniture deserves a rethink. There is such a wonderful array of woods - teak, rosewood, walnut, mahogany and dark stained

“

Jill ONeill

oak, which can bring welcome warmth to a room. With some creative styling and accessorising, dark wood furniture can slot handsomely into most schemes from modern to eclectic. And this year with the interior schemes looking towards deeper colours

such as navy blues and mossy greens on walls; dark wood pieces and antiques will shine brighter than ever as they look amazing beside these colours, particularly those with brass details.Get your fix now and stay ahead of the pack!

/// ON THE SQUARE EMPORIUM FOR VINTAGE & URBAN SALVAGE - VISIT US AT UNIT A3, 17 HERON ROAD, BT3 9LE PAST B&Q, OFF AIRPORT ROAD. BEHIND DFC CARS. VIEW ONTHESQUAREEMPORIUM.COM & REFOUNDONLINE.COM

Following the trends doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune...with a needle and thread, and in some cases a glue gun you can have the savvy satisfaction of saying ‘I made it myself’ The high street stores and the glossy fashion magazines are brimming with sunhats and this month I show you how to create the look for under £10. WHAT YOU WILL NEED: A WIDE BRIMMED HAT. MINE WAS FROM BARNADOS IN CARRICK FOR £3.00 1 METRE OF BOBBLE OR POM POM TRIM 1 SKEIN OF EMBROIDERY THREAD ANCHOR IS A GOOD BRAND. 1 EMBROIDERY NEEDLE. 75CM RIBBON - I CHOSE GREY POLKA DOT

I put the bobble trim on first. I used my sewing machine and a black bobbin thread and a white top thread. However this can also be attached by handsewing, in which case you only need a white thread (not the embroidery one!) Chalk out the text for the hat, I chose ‘Summer’ ... here’s hoping! Use the Anchor embroidery thread here. I used a ‘chain stitch’ to create the writing. Secure all the loose threads. Last step...add the ribbon band. There are so many options of ribbons in the craft and fabric stores. I attached mine with 2 small stitches. That means I can easily snip the threads and change ribbons.

**QUICK TIP ** Steps 1 & 3 can also be done by glue gun! Bring back that sunshine! **TAKE PART WITH COLOUR & CLOTH AND BARNARDOS** This month I am collaborating with Barnardos Stores across NI, bringing awareness to shoppers of how to shop the stock and choose clothes to re-fashion with creative flair. I am doing in store demos on the following dates : Coleraine Friday 21st July 11am - 3pm, Carrick Friday 28th July 11am - 3pm.

Christine Boyle

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MAKE IT YOURSELF COLOUR AND CLOTH is based in a quirky home studio in East Belfast offering sewing classes workshops and events from beginners to beyond. We love getting creative, re-inventing clothing, translating the trends and doing it all on a budget! Focusing on re-design and re-purposing clothing and bringing awareness to fast fashion and what we can do to slow it down. In our new column we aim to inspire you to Make It Yourself . Saving you money and learning new skills! /// FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.COLOURANDCLOTH.COM FOR OUR SEWING SKILLS & ‘HOW TO’S* VISIT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL @COLOURANDCLOTH

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30 ARTS

LOOPMAG.NET ///

///

A big couple of months for arts and crafts Plus some local artists exhibit their work over the summer. We have news on the and we have news on the The Mac’s festive local festival and nationwaide craft week. line up and a local GB groups art success.

LOOP

ON THE SCENE / #30 / JULY 2017

Sea & Summer By Carol Graham RUA

EASTSIDE ARTS FESTIVAL CELEBRATES THE CREATIVE ENERGY OF EAST BELFAST

Selected Studio Works

From 3 - 13 August, east Belfast will become a hive of creative energy as details of the EastSide Arts Festival 2017 programme have been revealed.

veryone is invited to come and explore the east of the city, its people and places during a fantastic 11-day festival packed with music and words, theatre, film, tours, visual arts, workshops and community events, all rounded off with the EastSide Family Circus and Big Top weekend. The Festival will use a diverse range of venues across east Belfast including; C.S. Lewis Square, Strand Arts Centre, EastSide Visitor Centre, Maple Leaf Club, The Bath House, Skainos Rooftop Garden, St Martin’s Church, Willowfield Parish Church, The Bank, and the Tumble Circus Big Top – to name but a few. Highlights for this year include; Free Festival Fun Day featuring a purpose-built People’s Pharmacy where creative prescriptions will be handed out to passers-by to brighten their day; EastSide Family Circus at the Big Top on C.S. Lewis Square offering entertainment for the whole family;

Big Top Weekend featuring a cabaret evening and performances from both Gareth Dunlop and Ciaran Lavery; other music highlights include Ken Haddock and the Arco String Quartet recording a new album, Anthony Toner, Kaz Hawkins, The Illegals with Niamh Kavanagh and Belfast Community Gospel Choir; poetry from Jan Carson, Poetry NI and Glenn Patterson; comedy and magic from Midweek Magic Club to the return of Murder She Got Wrote Off ; theatre including Sam McCready’s adaptation of Robert Harbinson’s No Surrender; Terra Nova’s new anti-racism play, Me You Us Them; a diverse range of cinema screenings at Strand Arts Centre and a special pop-up screening of A Patch of Fog at Wyse Byse Warehouse which was a location for the film; bus, walking, cemetery tours and the Van Morrison and George Best tours; a host of visual arts, classes and workshops including

Ken Fanning and Tina Segner of Tumble Circus with ‘Phil the Pharmacist’ aka Mary Jordan who will be part of the festival fun day at C.S. Lewis Square on Saturday 5th August. Picture by Brian Morrison

courses at The Bank with the Belfast Bankers. During the festival, east and west Belfast will connect with the Translink East West Bus Tour, specially commissioned for the festival, and Féile Unplugged where EastSide Emerging artists will perform. Rachel Kennedy, Director of EastSide Arts Festival, added; “This year’s EastSide Arts Festival is a noisy celebration of the creative energy of the people of east Belfast. We find ourselves in a flourishing time, an exciting time for artists and communities and we have the pleasure of inviting you to come

and explore this part of the city, its people and places for yourself, over the eleven days of the festival. We would like to thank our principal funder, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, and funders Belfast City Council and The Executive Office for their vital continuing support. Sincere thanks also to our key sponsors, Arts & Business Northern Ireland, The British Council, Translink, Hewitt & Gilpin, Connswater Shopping Centre and Retail Park, Forestside Shopping Centre and McCadden for their brilliant support and enthusiasm in being a part of this year’s EastSide Arts Festival.”

‘Sea and Summer’ – a studio selection on the theme of the sea. This exhibition, focusing on the themes of sea and summer, showcases some of Carol’s finest work over the past decade as well as some new pieces created especially for the exhibition. Carol Graham works across genres and her ever-evolving images appeal to a wide range of art lovers. Carol trusts, and courageously follows, her inner voice. Her subject matter varies, including landscapes, seascapes, still life, horses, and spiritual, metaphorical and abstract images. She often produces images in groups or in a series. Throughout her subject matter, from the most vibrant to the darkest, there is a consistent ethereal quality of light; Carol especially enjoys depicting dawn and dusk. Carol is a highly renowned Irish painter who has received many prestigious commissions and awards, including serving as President of the Royal Ulster Academy (RUA) from 2003-2006.

For full festival programme including tickets visit www.eastsidearts.net or Facebook/EastSideArtsBel and Twitter @EastSideArtsBel #ESAFest17.

East Belfast Has Something For Everyone For August Craft Month East Belfast will be showing off its creative side during August Craft Month as the 11th annual celebration of craft offers a feast of more than 120 events across NI

T FUN, MAGIC AND CULTURE AT THE MAC THIS CHRISTMAS Come and enjoy a Christmas experience with a difference at the MAC this year. We invite you and your colleagues to celebrate Christmas at the awardwinning cultural hub situated at the heart of the Cathedral Quarter, for a night of fun and theatre. Get lost in the magic, and take a trip down memory lane to one of your favourite fairy tales, Hansel and Gretel. Brought bang up-to-date, this brand-new show, written, directed and produced by the MAC runs from the 28 November through to 7 January, giving you plenty of time to visit us this festive season. Hansel and Gretel will guide you down a sweetie trail to an array of jokes and memorable songs – just the cherry on top off a magical night. If you’re looking for that something different this year and a new Christmas tradition for your colleagues, let us help you experience a magical time at the MAC with food from NATIVE by Yellow Door. Enjoy some of the country’s best flavours, building a bespoke food and drinks package to suit your team this Christmas.

To book your festive theatre and food package, email tickets@themaclive.com or call 028 9023 5053

here are a series of sea themed workshops at HMS Caroline in Alexandra Dock including how to make a Ships Wheel Brooch (August 3 ), Making Waves on HMS Caroline, making a flowing seascape using traditional peg looms (August 5 and 28). There is also a make do and mend workshop Wartime Woollens (August 10), nautical themed pottery classes (August 17), Postcards of the Past a mixed media workshop based on wartime postcards (August 24) and Capturing Memory, recreating a piece of HMS Caroline on glass (August 31). To book any of the workshops call 02890 454484. On August 3 Surgery Studios on the Albertbridge Road is running a Collaborative Body Exhibition, a selection of work by the resident artists, Alana Barton, Emma Knight, Jo McClure, Tabby Darling and Robyn Galway in The Waiting Room Gallery. This Exhibition will be the Surgery’s last before it permanently closes its doors. Textile artist Kay Johnston (LoopyKate fibres) is running a series of workshops at her garden studio in Wandsworth Road – including Dyeing Wool using acid dyes (August 8), Spinning Wool (August 11) and Dyeing Wool using Natural Dyes (August 15) to book contact kayjohnston27@gmail.com or call 07969 089626. With an amazing array of workshops, festivals, exhibitions, open studios, bus tours and talks aimed at attracting all ages and interests, Craft NI is encouraging people to get away from their computer screens and work with their hands. There will be more than 60 workshops held right across Northern Ireland – from woodcarving to creating silver jewellery, spinning wool to craft for kids, leatherwork to ceramics – there’s something for everyone. There’s even a workshop teaching bladesmithing to survive a zombie apocalypse. August Craft Month launches with the Film Makers exhibition, which presents new work from six contemporary makers, created in response to heritage footage from Northern Ireland Screen’s Digital Film Archive. The exhibition opens at Mid Antrim Museum, The Braid on 27 July.

For full details of all August Craft Month events visit: augustcraftmonth.com.

6th July - 26th August 2017 ArtisAnn Gallery 70 Bloomfield Avenue Belfast BT5 5AE

GBNI Junior Art Comp

The 95th Girls’ Brigade at Bloomfield Avenue Congregational had great success in the recent GB Northern Ireland Junior Art Competition. The girls had to design a bag interpreting ‘In the beginning . . . . ‘ depicting God’s creation. Out of over 1,500 entries, three of our girls, Madison Silcock, Jade Wilson and Chelsea Irvine, were awarded Highly Commended Certificates.’

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32 WHAT’S HAPPENING? MUMS & TOTS MONDAY CALVARY MUMS & TODDLERS. 10.30-12.00am. £1 per family. 100 Dee St, BT4 028 9073 2331 EAST END BAPTIST TINY TOTS (Westbourne street). Each Monday during term time 10:30-12noon. £1 donation. Tel: 07786 962220. LITTLE STARS The Salvation Army 110 Cregagh Road Toys/snacks/craft/music. £1.50 per family. 10am-12 term time for 0-4 years. 028 9045 4466. SYDENHAM PARENT & TODDLER Mon 10-11.30 £1 per family. Inverary CC BT4 1RN 028 9047 1456 ST FINNIANS 10-11.30. Cregagh Park, 028 9079 2793. WANDSWORTH MUMS & CHUMS 10-11.30am. Wandsworth CC. £1 26a Belmont Church Rd. 07903 674698

TUESDAY ALBERTBRIDGE CONGREGATIONAL 10.30-12.15. Woodstock Link. Donation £1 CFC MOPS & TOTS 9.30-11am (term time - alternate Tuesdays) £1 for one child, £1.50 total for more. Tea/coffee/juice/snacks. CFC MOPS 9.30-11am (term time - alternate Tues) £3.50 per mum. Breakfast & creche. 10 Belmont Rd. 028 9067 1838 thisiscfc.com GARNERVILLE PRESBYTERIAN 10.15-11.45. Child’s Play - Tea, coffee, juice, snack. £1 per family. MERSEY STREET PRESBYTERIAN. 10-11.45am term time. £1. 028 9065 7025 MCQUISTON TODDLERS 10-11.30am. Toast, juice, tea, coffee & biscuits. McQuiston Memorial, 83 Castlereagh Road. MOUNT MERRION PARISH CHURCH 10am Toddler Group. Tel 07905 144070. Mount Merrion Ave, BT6. ST DONARDS CHURCH 10am-12 Bloomfield Avenue Tel: 028 9065 2321 £1 for adults. Tea/coffee/juice STRANDTOWN BAPTIST TOTS 10.00- 11.30am (term time) Strandtown Baptist Church, 1 Clonallon Court BT4 2AB Tel: 028 9080 8380 £1 per adult TOTS & CO 10.15- 11.45am (term time). Cregagh Methodist Church. £1.50 per family (juice/snack & tea) 28-30 Cregagh Rd. 028 9045 7564

WEDNESDAY BLOOMFIELD PRESBYTERIAN 10-11.30am Phone 028 9047 1103. 447 Beersbridge Rd BUSY BEES 10 -11:30am Knock Methodist Church, Knock Road MOUNTPOTTINGER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 10.30am Toddlers SMALLTALK @ ORANGEFIELD 10-11.45am O’field Church & Community, 464 Castlereagh Road. 02890 799391 orangefield.org.uk ST COLMCILLE’S PARENT & TODDLER 10am term time St Colmcille’s Parish Hall (opposite Tesco’s) in Ballyhackamore. Men looking after young children welcome. 191a Upper Newtownards Rd WILLOWFIELD MOTHER & TODDLER 10-12pm W’stock Rd, 028 9045 7654

THURSDAY 123 TOTS 10-11.45am Exchange Church, Albertbridge Road (opposite Keens in the old YMCA building) BLOOMFIELD METHODIST CHURCH 10-11.30am £1 per family Grand Parade 028 9065 8946. CREGAGH PRESBYTERIAN 10am mothers & toddlers. Tel Josephine 028 9065 4181. 102-104 Cregagh Road CREGAGH MUMS & TOTS 10-12pm Cregagh CC. Mount Merrion Avenue. Tel: 028 9040 1444 GILNAHIRK PRESBYTERIAN Thursdays 10-11.30am. £1 per family. 161 Gilnahirk Rd. Tel: Laura 07708 000025 GLENMACHAN TOTS & TODDLERS 10-12 term time. Church of God, Glenmachan Road. Tel 028 9076 1676 glenmachan.org KIRKPATRICK MEMORIAL PRESBYTERIAN Parents & Toddlers. 10-11.30am. Upper Newtownards Rd £1 donation KNOCK PARENT & TODDLER 10-11.45am Knock Presbyterian. 53 Kings Road, Gillian 07803 117619. STRAND PRESBYTERIAN MUMS & TOTS 10-11.30am term time Strand Presbyterian, Connsbrook Avenue. £1 per family. Tel Lila 02890 768890.

FRIDAY

ESL TODDLERS (FOR PARENTS FROM ETHNIC MINORITIES 10-11.30. The Micah Centre. Willowfield Parish Church (My Lady’s Rd) ST COLUMBA’S MUMS & TOTS 9.45-11.45 (term time). 29 Kings Road WOODSTOCK LIBRARY RHYTHM & RHYME 10-10.30am. 0-4 years. 358 Woodstock Road. Tel 028 9050 9239

CLASSES & EVENTS MONDAY BADMINTON CLUB ST Moluas C.O.I , 645 Upp Newtownards Rd ,BT4 3LR. 8pm-10pm. New members welcome. 07882058198. BALLYHACKAMORE LIBRARY 1-3 Eastleigh Drive 028 9050 9204. Ballyhack Book Pack - Adult reading group (1st Mon of the month) 7pm. Knit & Natter 2-4pm. Bedtime Stories 7pm. Womens Book Club (Last Mon of the month) 7pm. Creative Writers (3rd Mon of the month) 6.45pm. Ballyhackamore Crime Reading Group (2nd Mon of the month) 7pm. BEAN BLESSED Bloomfield Ave Congregational Church Tea/ coffee, scones, pastries. 10.30-12 BELMONT TOWER The Programme 6.30-8.30pm. 028 9076 1172 CREGAGH CRICKET CLUB Gibson Park Avenue 028 9045 9440 6.30pm Under 9 & Under 11 cricket training. CREGAGH PRESBYTERIAN Cub Scouts. 6.30pm. Tel John 07809 205579. 102-104 Cregagh Road HARDING MEMORIAL Rainbows 4-7yrs Mon 6pm Brownies 7-10yrs Monday 7pm Guides 10-14yrs Mondays 7pm. Clare 07905 556825. EAST BELFAST MISSION SKAINOS.ORG EBM Homework Club (P4-P6) 3.30–5.30pm. Contact Hannah Ferguson 028 9045 8560. JUNIOR BOYS CLUB (FREE) 6pm-7pm @ St. Judes Parish, Ravenhill Rd P1-P6; Football, craft & games. ORANGEFIELD BAPTIST Ladies Coffee Morning 1st Mon of month 10.30am 37 North Rd EAST STRAND ARTS CENTRE & NI STARS Holywood Rd, BT4 .nistars.com. Singing & dancing 7-8pm TULLYCARNET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH GB Teenies & Explorers (3-8yrs) 6.30-7.30pm, Juniors (9-11yrs) 6.308pm, Seniors & Brigaders (12-18 yrs) 6.30-8.30 Contact Carol 07813 117453. Presbyterian Women’s Group (2nd & 4th Monday of month) 8pm TEL JEAN 02890 486492 WANDSWORTH COMMUNITY 028 9065 1668. Climbing Tree Breakfast club for school children 7.30 - 9am & After School Club each day 2 - 6pm. Children & Teens carnival drumming 6.30pm-7.30pm. Aerobics 7-8pm. Combat 8.15-9.30pm WOODSTOCK LIBRARY Mindful Colouring for adults. 10.30-11.30am 358 Woodstock Road. Tel 028 9050 9239

TUESDAY 15TH NI GIRLS BRIGADE Cregagh Methodist 23-30 Cregagh Road Tinies (3-4) 6.15-7.15pm explorers (5-7) 6.15-7.30pm juniors (8-10) 7.00-9.00pm company (11-19) 7.30-9.30pm tel 07783 408609 ARDENLEE LADIES BOWLING CLUB Warm and friendly Club welcoming new members. Experience not necessary, bowls supplied. Ravenhill Green, Ormeau Park, opposite Ravenhill Avenue. 028 9058 6446. Also meet on Thursdays. BALLYHACKAMORE LIBRARY 1-3 Eastleigh Drive 028 9050 9204. ART CLASSES - Book your place in Ballyhackamore Library’s monthly art class (Adult). 10-12. Classic Reading Group - share your love of the classics, pick up this months read. Last Tues of the month 11-12. BELMONT TOWER Childrens dance classes 4-7pm. Pregnancy Yoga 8pm-10pm. Belfast Wine Makers 8pm-10pm. Samantha Meditation 7pm-9pm. EAST BELFAST MISSION SKAINOS.ORG EBM Women’s Group 7pm-9pm. EBM Homework Club (P4 – P6) 3.30–5.30pm. EBM Choir practice (age 17+) 5.45 – 6.45pm. Time Out 12.30-12.50. Mens Bible studies 10.30-12pm. Rang Comhra 7-9pm. GILNAHIRK LADIES GROUP Stye Brae Centre @ Gilnahirk Presbyterian Church 10.30am-12.00 MOUNT MERRION PARISH CHURCH Junior puppet club. 3.30pm. P1-P3. Senior puppet club. 4.30pm. P4P7. Tel 07443 334690. Learn to dance. 7.30pm, Ballroom, sequence & Latin. Tel 07547 801383. MOUNTPOTTINGER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 10.30am Open Door. 2.30pm Senior Citizens (1st&3rd Tues of month). 6.30-7.45pm GB Explorers. 6.30-8pm GB Juniors. 7.30-9.30pm GB Seniors & Brigaders. 8.15pm -PW (2nd & 4th Tues) ORANGEFIELD BAPTIST 3.00pm to 4.00pm “Friendship meeting” Come and enjoy cup of tea/ coffee and a chat and some fellowship. Everyone warmly welcomed. TULLYCARNET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

Toddler’s Groups Kids Clubs

Local Classes & Groups

Mixed Bowling Club – 7.30 / Cell Group - 7.30 WANDSWORTH COMMUNITY 028 9065 1668. Climbing Tree Breakfast club for school children 7.30 - 9am & After School Club each day 2 - 6pm Yoga 10.30--11.30, Irish dancing for kids 5--6, Aerobics 7--8 and Boxing Fitness 8.15-9.30. WOODSTOCK LIBRARY Adult reading group (general). First Tuesday of the month. Adult reading group (crime). Last Tuesday of the month. 6.45-7.45pm. 358 Woodstock Road. Tel 028 9050 9239

WEDNESDAY 29TH NI GIRLS BRIGADE Cregagh Congregational. Explorers (3-7) 6:45-8:15pm. Company Section (8-18) 6:45-10pm. Helen 07938 521823. AVONIEL COMMUNITY GARDEN Beside Avoniel Leisure Centre. Open to public 1pm - 3pm. T: 028 9046 7925 BELMONT TOWER Baby massage 10am-1pm. PlayBall NI 9am-1pm. 39th Old Boys Flute Ensemble 7-9pm. Belfast Soroptimists 7.30pm-9. NI Orchid Society 6pm-8pm. Mindfullness 6.30pm-8.30 CREGAGH CRICKET CLUB Gibson Park Avenue, 028 9045 9440 6.30pm Under 13 & Under 15 cricket training. CREGAGH PRESBYTERIAN For seniors - “Evergreens’. 2.30pm. Tel Barbara 028 9045 3829. Beavers. 6.30pm. Tel Carolyn 07816 658507 Squirrels. 6.30pm. Tel Laura 07597 684104 102-104 Cregagh Rd EAST BELFAST MISSION SKAINOS.ORG Kidz GAP - Young children with their Parents/Guardians 10am-12pm. Ladies Senior Friendship Club 2pm-3.30pm. Street Soccer five-a-side Avoniel Leisure Centre 1-3pm. Bible Studies general group 7.30-8.30pm. GILNAHIRK HORTICULTURAL & CIVIC SOCIETY 1st Wed of the month (Sep-May) 8-9.30pm Gilnahirk Presbyterian. GILNAHIRK MENS GROUP 10.30am – cuppa,chat, visiting speaker. Jack Britton Hall, Gilnahirk Presbyterian Church (October-April) GIRLS BRIGADE Bloomfield Ave Congregational. 3 yrs - P4 6.15pm. P5 upwards 7.30pm KNIT & CHAT Dundonald Methodist Church (Rank Road) on alternate Wednesdays, 2-4 pm. Very friendly group who will make you very welcome. Come along and enjoy the fellowship. Enquiries 02890 486247. LUNCHEON CLUB For senior citizens. 12 noon. £1.50. Cregagh Methodist. Pre book on 028 9045 7564. MOUNT MERRION PARISH CHURCH Homework club. 3pm. P1-P3. Homework club. 4pm. P4-P7. Tel 07443 334690. Ladies craft club. T: 028 9058 9149. MOUNTPOTTINGER PRESBYTERIAN 7.45pm Midweek Prayer. ORMEAU TABLE TENNIS CLUB Kids beginners table tennis 6.307.30. Adults beginners table tennis 7.30-9. 113 The Mount. OVER 60’S LUNCH CLUB Bloomfield Methodist Church. 12.30pm. 3 courses for £3. Grand Parade. Tel: 028 9065 2314 to book. STRAND ARTS CENTRE “Wacky Wednesdays” All shows £3.50 TULLYCARNET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Cell Group – 7.30 / House Group – 8pm, Held in 154 Comber Road. Contact - Stephen 02895084930 / 07904498502 WANDSWORTH COMMUNITY Climbing Tree Breakfast club for school children 7.30 - 9am & After School Club each day 2 - 6pm. Sewing 10am-12. Flower Arranging 1.30-3.30pm. Yoga 7-8.30pm YOUTH DROP IN (FREE) 4-30-6pm @ St.Judes Parish Church Ormeau Rd. Secondary school youths. Pizza, snacks, chat, chill. WOODSTOCK LIBRARY One to one beginners computer lessons. Booking required. 358 Woodstock Road. Tel 028 9050 9239

THURSDAY 1ST BALLYMACARRETT OUTDOOR BOWLING April - Sept . 6.30 onwards. Friendly Cub welcoming new members , Experience not necessary, bowls supplied , Ravenhill Green Ormeau Park, opposite Ravenhill Avenue . 028 9029 4249. ARDENLEE LADIES BOWLING CLUB Warm and friendly Club welcoming new members. Experience not necessary, bowls supplied. Ravenhill Green, Ormeau Park, opposite Ravenhill Avenue. 90 586446. BALLYHACKAMORE LIBRARY 1-3 Eastleigh Drive 028 9050 9204. Rhythm & Rhyme (1st & 3rd Thurs of the month) 11.15am. Booking essential. BELMONT TOWER Art classes 10am-1pm. Baby Sensory Classes 10am-1pm. Yoga 6-9pm. East Belfast Historical Society (Every 2nd Thursday Sep-May) 7.30pm. CREGAGH PRESBYTERIAN Girl Guides. 6.30pm. Gillian 028 9187 4687 Brownies. 6.30pm. Vicki 028 9045 8208. Rainbow Guides. 6pm. Rebecca 07856 488594 EAST BELFAST MISSION SKAINOS.ORG Over’s Luncheon Club 12.30-2pm. EBM homework club (P4-P6) 3.30 – 5.30pm. Bible Studies womens group 6.30-7.30 every fortnight. MOUNT MERRION PARISH CHURCH Diamontes Dance Group. Tel 07880 880829. MOUNTPOTTINGER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 10.30-Midday Open Door. 6.30-7.30pm BB Anchor Boys.6.30-8pm BB

CONTACT stuart@ loopmag.net

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Junior Section. 7.30-10pm BB Company Section SENIOR CITIZENS LUNCHEON CLUB Midday @ Ballymac Centre. STRAND ARTS CENTRE Weekly screening of classic film TULLYCARNET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Parent and Toddler Group – 10.30-12 noon Contact – Stephen –02895084930 / 07904498502 BB - 6.30 Contact – Irene Mornin - 02890 486475 WANDSWORTH COMMUNITY 028 9065 1668. Boot Camp 7-8 and Core Combat 8.15-9.30. Climbing Tree Breakfast club for school children 7.30 - 9am & After School Club each day 2 - 6pm

FRIDAY AIKIDO MARTIAL ARTS CLUB Belfast Aikido practice on Friday evenings 6:30-9pm and Saturday mornings 9-11am then 11-1pm in the Dojo at unit 9, 45 Ravenhill Road. Contact 07976 758908. ALBERTBRIDGE CONGREGATIONAL 6 Woodstock Link. Friday Friendship. 10.30-12.30pm. BALLYHACKAMORE LIBRARY 1-3 Eastleigh Drive 028 9050 9204. Chill Out Family Story. 3.30pm. Tea & Newspapers 9 am-12pm. Mindful Colouring, adult colouring 9am-12. BELMONT TOWER Art Classes 10-1pm. COMBER LEISURE CENTRE Tennis Coaching Indoors 10am - 11am until March 2017 £5 per week , drop in basis. First visit free ! All ages welcome Adrian Armstrong 07890 162944 or email adrianarmstrong10987@gmail.com. EAST END BAPTIST CHILDRENS MEETING 7-8pm. Quizzes, choruses, Bible lessons & lots of fun each week. MOUNT MERRION PARISH CHURCH 3rd Fri of the month - Messy Church. Tel 07880 880829 MOUNTPOTTINGER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 11am-2pm Mens Lunch Club. 7.30pm Mixed Fellowship bowls SHILOH HALL 6 The Mount, Coffee Morning. 10:30-12. STRAND ARTS CENTRE Teenage Kicks Film Club 4.15 WANDSWORTH COMMUNITY Climbing Tree Breakfast club for school children 7.30 - 9am & After School Club daily 2 - 6pm Painting for Pleasure 11am-1pm. Kids Ju Jitsu 6-8pm. Boxing Fitness 8.15pm WOODSTOCK LIBRARY Knit and Natter 2.00-3.00pm.358 Woodstock Road. Tel 028 9050 9239

SATURDAY AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER Intervention for pre-school children with difficulty in communication and play skills. Parent & child intervention sessions. shootingstars@europe.com 07471 169685 AVONIEL COMMUNITY GARDEN 1-3pm. T: 028 9046 7925 MOUNT MERRION PARISH CHURCH SunshineFit Kids - keep fit. SKAINOS BUILDING SKAINOS.ORG Walking Group on selected Saturdays at 10am. Contact Gary Allen on 028 9045 8560. STRAND ARTS CENTRE & NI STARS Stage school. 10-1pm WOODSTOCK LIBRARY Storytime (4-8 years) 10.00-10.30am 358 Woodstock Road. Tel 028 9050 9239

SUNDAY CONNSBROOK AVENUE CONGREGATIONAL 11am and 7pm EAST BELFAST MISSION SKAINOS.ORG Worship 11am. Tea & Coffe @ 10.30am. Creche. Sunday school is available during the church service for primary school kids. KINGDOM HARVEST CHURCH, BELFAST Sunday Worship 11am. "Superchurch" for Children 6-12yrs @ Ballyoran Community Centre, Rosneath Ct, Dundonald MOUNTPOTTINGER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 11.30am Morning service. 6.30pm Evening service. MOUNT MERRION PARISH CHURCH KIC (Birth upwards). 10.30am. Youth Club. P4-P7. 6pm. Youth Club. Yr 8 upwards. 7pm. STRAND ARTS CENTRE & NI STARS Singing & dancing 1.30-3.30. Saturday Minors Film Club 12 noon THE SALVATION ARMY - BELFAST TEMPLE Family Worship 10.30am with band and choir and children’s activities from 11am. 110 Cregagh Rd. All Welcome! TULLYCARNET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Sunday Worship 10.45am & 6.30pm Junior Church 11.10am

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Some news on bowling both inside and out plus more info on the upcoming Run Connswater Event

We also have some local football news regarding a victorious team of 2010’s plus some superb athletics champs honoured

LOOP

RESULT / #30 / JULY 2017

Belfast Bowling Along With LIF

Clonduff Fc 2010 Team Celebrate Congrats to all involved

BELMONT BOWLING CLUB IS ROLLING INTO THE FUTURE THANKS TO £200,000 SUPPORT FROM BELFAST CITY COUNCIL’S LOCAL INVESTMENT FUND (LIF). The money has been used to upgrade facilities at the club allowing them to continue hosting high pro file national, international and world events as well as providing improved facilities for local members. Lord Mayor, Councillor Nuala McAllister, will today (Saturday, June 3) officially open the greens at Belmont Bowling Club for the 2017 season. “Our LIF-funding aims to make a real difference in people’s lives in local neighbourhoods by delivering projects that address local community needs,” said Councillor McAllister. “Boosting sporting facilities to improve health and wellbeing is a big part of that need and it is an added advantage that this project also helps us ensure that local sports clubs can

compete effectively with those across the United Kingdom, Europe and the world. The council, through LIF, is helping many other community groups achieve their dreams too,” she said. “Since 2012 we have committed £9million in LIF-funding – to date 57 projects costing £4.4million, including Belmont Bowling Club have been delivered and 68 more are currently in development. I look forward to the completion of many more successful projects,” added the Lord Mayor. As part of the project the club continues its commitment to the Youth Academy which was launched with a series of open weekend sessions to allow the entire community to try the sport. The club is also hoping to enhance its links with local schools to

encourage more young people to get involved with the club and the sport. Improvements made using LIF-funding include: · Replacing walls with new artificial banking; · Extension to existing tournament office; · Digital scoreboards; · Sprinkler system for irrigation; · Flood lights extensions; · PA system; and · Tarmac recovering of grounds surrounding greens.

Club President, Wesley Davidson said: “We are delighted to have the Lord Mayor here today to help us roll out the new facilities and our new season. We are looking forward to welcoming new members as part of our Youth Academy and to encouraging more high level competition at our club. LIF funding has proved invaluable in helping us achieve our aims as we mark our 140th year and I want to thank the council for its support. So let’s make the most of it and get bowling!“ he added.

Clonduff FC 2010 team rightly celebrate after winning a number of victorius tournaments for them in recent weeks. Amongst the haul of silverware was winning trophies at the Norman Whiteside tournament and also at the IFA development programme which took place recently at Solitude. Pictured below with some of the winning team are coaches (back, from left) Matthew Stitt and Lee Ferguson. (Picture by Dazzo Weatherup).

/// FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT JACQUELINE JACQUELINE@EASTSIDEPARTNERSHIP.COM / 028 9045 1900 WWW.EASTSIDEARTS.NET OR FACEBOOK /EASTSIDEARTSBEL & @EASTSIDEARTSBEL

RUN THE CONNSWATER COMMUNITY GREENWAY This August you have the opportunity to run East Belfast’s already iconic Connswater Community Greenway

PICTURED Lending a helping hand for the first Run Connswater event were, from left Siobhan Doherty - Chief Executive Aware, Matt Towe - Belfast Giants & Team GB, Gerry Monaghan - Sponsor - Connswater Shopping Centre & Retail Park

Belfast Giant’s star and East Belfast resident Matt Towe lent a ‘giant’ helping hand to encourage people to support the first Run Connswater through Belfast City’s newest landmark; Connswater Community Greenway. The run will take place 20th August 2017, 10am and will consist of a 10K, 5K flat fast run and children’s fun run through landmarks including CS Lewis Square, Victoria Park, Connswater Greenway, Sam Thompson Bridge and the Harbour Estate. This exciting new event is organised by Move a Muscle, a

NEXT GENERATION OF BOWLING AT DUNDONALD ICE BOWL £212,000 investment upgrades bowling software with new QuibicaAMF system.

The revolutionary new system called BES X allows bowlers to enjoy new and exciting animations and cutting edge game formats, controlled right from their bowling lane. There is also single and multi-lane game options as well as the ability to upload your team’s photos, creating a fun way to bowl and socialise so the fun doesn’t stop for any age. Former Chairman of the Council’s Leisure & Community Development Committee, Councillor Tim Morrow was delighted to launch the BES X system: “The new BES X system is a welcome addition to

Dundonald International Ice Bowl which has a proud history of bowling success stories. In 2004, the centre introduced the highly popular glowin-the-dark Xtreme Bowling sessions, which have grown from strength to strength, then in 2008 the centre staged the prestigious Commonwealth Tenpin Bowling Championship with competitors from over 15 countries taking part. The new BES X system is an exciting development for the centre which will undoubtable enhance the bowling experience for our customers. The introduction of new games and

animations is expected to create a new dimension of fun to the bowling game which will have customers coming back again and again to try a new game or challenge. Families can also enjoy the new bumper rails which can be used for selected bowlers to help children or those new to bowling build their confidence so they can feel part of the game. Iwould encourage

Social Enterprise organisation, established with the objective of helping people improve their physical and mental health through exercise. Charity partner Aware NI hope people will sign up and run for the mental health charity which has a base in East Belfast. Run Connswater is supported by Connswater Community Greenway and Connswater Shopping Centre. For further information visit https://www. facebook.com/Runconnswater or to register visit: http://athleticsni.org/ Fixtures/Connswater-10k-And-5k

Schools Athletics Champions Honoured Andrew Walsh, Lisnasharragh PS scoops Boys title

Prize winners in the annual Belfast Parks Primary Schools Athletic Shield and Cup competition have received their trophies and medals. Some 500 children and 38 schools from the greater Belfast area took part in this year’s event. “It is a great credit to our schools for encouraging their pupils to participate. Belfast City Council PICTURED Former Chairman takes great pride in encouraging of the Council’s Leisure & our younger generations to get Community Development active – we want to promote Committee, Councillor Tim the importance of leading a Morrow with local children. healthy lifestyle,” commented Alderman Tommy Sandford, Chair of the People and Communities Committee, who presented the winning pupils and schools with people to trial the new BES X system their trophies and medals at a for themselves as it makes the perfect ceremony at the Mary Peters Track activity for a family day out or group activity this summer, plus you can enjoy this morning. Killowen Primary School won the the choice of other activities within the team award for best overall score centre for hours of endless fun.” while Elsa McCallum from Downey To book a bowling session, please contact the centre on 028 90809 100 House and Andrew Walsh from Lisnasharragh PS respectively won or for further information visit the individual girl and boy titles. www.theicebowl.com

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