ISLANDMAGEEC O M M U N I T Y N E W S

S P R I N G 2 0 1 3FREE

Has YOUR Road Goneto Pot? We can help!

Disappointing Broadband?We have been made aware that broadband speeds,particularly at the North end of Islandmagee fall very shortof the levels quoted when purchasing the system and wellbelow the level promised by the Department of EnterpriseTrade and Investment. In a press release issued earlier thisyear it was stated that the Islandmagee exchange had beenupgraded to ensure maximum possible broadband speed. In referring to Islandmagee the authors conveniently forgotthat Islandmagee is served by two exchanges. Whilst theSouthern end of Islandmagee had its exchange upgradedthe Northern end was left with a product that is far belowacceptable levels of quality promised by DETI Department.

The ICDA committee would like to take this problemon board and to investigate what can be done to rectify this(what can only be called) rural discrimination.

In order to take this issue forward we need yoursupport. We need to know how many people are usingBroadband in the area, where they are geographicallysituated, what broadband speed they are getting and howmany people in their house are using it. You can usewww.broadbandspeedchecker.co.uk

Please take a few minutes to contact us with this information at islandmagee@nacn.org.

For those of you who may be unaware, we have introduced a Pot Hole & FaultReporting System on the IslandmageeCommunity Website.

To date this is working very well but, despite the fact thatsome work has been done to eradicate pot holes on our roadsnew “inverted ramps” keep appearing. These are a danger tomotorists, cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians.

Visit the page at www.islandmageecommunity.org/drd-report-a-fault/ and you will find the online form that can beused to report Islandmagee faults directly to DRD RoadsService. By using this reporting system you will preventpotential vehicle damage and even injuries or a fatality.

Although primarily setup to report pot holes our onlinereporting service can also be used to report the followingfaults to DRD Roads Service: pot holes; damaged manholesor gully lids; debris on the roads or footways; drainage orflooding problems; faulty illuminated signs or bollards;missing kerbs; mud on the road; obstruction on the road orfootway; streetlights not working; traffic signals not working;uneven surfaces on footways and anything else you think relevant.

www.IslandmageeCommunity.org/drd-report-a-fault/

IslandmageeCommunity.orgKEEP UP-TO-DATE WITH THE LATEST COMMUNITY NEWS,EVENTS & ACTIVITIES • COMMUNITY DIRECTORY •FACEBOOK & TWITTER • VISITORS GUIDE •COMMUNITY PROJECTS • BOOKSHOP • AND MUCH MORE…

ICDA 2013Annual GeneralMeeting

Islandmagee CommunityDevelopment Association will beholding its annual general meetingat 7.30pm on Thursday 23rd May2013 in the small hall at theCommunity Centre. Everyone iswelcome! In addition to the annualreport on our work and the election ofthe 2013/14 committee there will bethe usual discussion period. Quite anumber of councillors/MLA’s/MPattend the AGM and the discussionperiod gives you, the voting public, anopportunity to put your concerns tothem.

ICDA is always keen to attract newtalent to its committee and wouldwelcome, prior to the AGM, ofhearing from anyone who would liketo put their name forward for election.Contact us through our secretary atislandmagee@nacn.org.

This AGM will be the last of ourmeetings to be held in the currentcommunity centre that will be closed down during the Gobbins re-construction project.

Until a new community hall isprovided ICDA committee will holdits regular monthly meetings on thefourth Thursday of each month(excepting July and December) in 2ndIslandmagee Presbyterian Churchhalls at the usual time of 7pm.

2nd Gobbins informationgathering evening…Saturday 25th May 2013, 7.00pm.2nd. Islandmagee Presbyterian Church / Admission FreeMusical Entertainment & Light Supper

This is the second in a duo of events being staged by Larne Borough Council in itscontinuing community research into the Gobbins.

The first evening held in the Community Centre in mid April proved to be avery enjoyable social event that provided local people with the opportunity tonetwork with their neighbours but also revealed a lot of interesting memories andmemorabilia of the Gobbins. Information collected at these events will be used inthe design and interpretation in the new Gobbins visitors centre

Members of ICDA and staff from Larne Borough Council will be inattendance on the evening to record your information. Please feel Free to bringalong any postcards, pictures, photographs souvenirs and any other interestingobjects relating to The Gobbins that you may possess.

For further information or to RSVP please contact Jenny Caldwell,Heritage Officer, Larne Museum and Arts Centre at 028 2827 9482.

Do you suffer fromlong-term (chronic) pain?The Patient and Client Council is an independent voice for people in Health and Social Care.

The Council wishes to find out about people’s experiences of the treatmentand care they have received for long-term pain. The Council will ensure that theirvoices are heard by decision makers and will contribute to developing a painstrategy for Northern Ireland. The Council will produce a report for the decisionmakers based on the information that you provide. If you suffer from Long-Term(chronic) Pain then please complete a questionnaire on line athttp://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LongTermPainNI

If you have any Questions about filling in the questionnaire or need help to complete it please contract either Sorcha Forbes or Avril Caig on 0800 9170 222 or 028 9032 1230 or you can email sorcha.forbes@hscni.net or avril.craig@hscni.net

IslandmageeCommunity.org

Islandmagee in BloomIt is that time of year again. Spring hassprung and gardens are being sprucedup for the new growing season.Islandmagee in Bloom is a projectdeveloped to replace untidy areas alongour road sides with more attractivefloral displays. Whilst Larne BoroughCouncil is generous in the provision ofplants the work of planting andmaintaining the features has to beundertaken by the community.

Continued Over > > >

BALLYSTRUDDERPOST OFFICE

DELI • LOTTERYFINE WINES Call 07582 382 700

info@BuroDeFunk.com

T. STITT

G.ARMOUR& SONYOUR LOCAL SUPPLIER

OIL / COAL / GAS1 6 5 B R O W N S B A Y R O A D

TEL. 02893 382 378MOB. 07812 947 312

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SPECIALISTS IN HIGH QUALITY MOTOR BODYWORK, REPAIRS,RESTORATIONS & PAINTING WWW.TSTITT.COM

028 9338 2549

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The

RinkhaTOYS • PAYPOINT • CARDS

HOME MADE ICE-CREAM

OPEN LATE EVERY NIGHT!

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028 9338 2121

BOARDING KENNELS & CATTERYPet Grooming Services Available

41 Mullaghboy Road, Islandmagee

HARDWARE & HOUSEHOLDNEWS & MAGS • STATIONERY • CAR CARE

EAST ANTRIMFUELSYOUR LOCAL

HEATING OIL SUPPLIER

TEL 028 9338 2990MOB. 07850 050 078

TWEED FUELS Islandmagee F.C.

Phone: 028 9338 2502or 07710 014 309

Advertise your localbusinessto local peoplehere and on our website!

email islandmagee@nacn.orgfor details.

New members and visitorswelcome to our family

friendly club.Situated in the heart of

Ballystrudder Village (opposite the Rinkha)

AVAILABLE FOR FUNCTIONS

Cats AlleyBOARDING CATTERYE X C L U S I V E L Y F O R C A T S

1 Higginsons LaneIslandmagee, BT40 3RY.

Mob. 07886 739 683Tel. 028 9338 2185

facebook.com/thesparshop

Agri-Rural Partnership Training.Training is available to farmers and members of farming families to assist them

in getting a quick grasp of the areas of Information Technology (computer use) thatcan be of assistance to them in running their business.

The training is free to farming families and can be delivered locally and thebenefits include saving of time and money, how to complete forms on line and a reduction in paper work. Interested?

What’s involved?… 4 sessions delivered locally.What does it cover?… Intro to computers and internet for those with

little or no experience.What will I learn?… How to get on line, complete forms, search internet

and lots more.Who can attend?… Farmers and members of their family aged

17 and over. (Business ID No. required.)

To get involved contact: Family Farm Options, Loy St., Cookstown, BT80 8PZ.Email options@countrysiderural.co.uk or telephone 08450 267 534.

Facebook.com/IslandmageeCommunity

> > > Every year people tell us howmuch they appreciate these floralprovisions yet getting help with them isnot so forthcoming. The future of thisproject depends on enough help comingforward to ensure that features areplanted and maintained so how aboutgiving a hand. A few hours per yearcontributed to the project could make avery big difference not only in spreadingthe work but also in the quality of theproduct. If you can volunteer a fewhours work now and then pleasecontact Gerry on 028 9338 2378. Your help and support will begreatly appreciated.

Are you getting all that you are entitled to?North Antrim Community Network has received further funding to enable it todeliver its very successful MARA scheme for a further year. The MARA schemeaims to improve the health and wellbeing of people living in rural areas inNorthern Ireland by making them aware of, or helping them to access localservices, grants or benefits. Already many people have benefited from engagingwith the MARA scheme often gaining entitlements that they did not know thatthey could have.

The MARA system is straight forward. If you would like a check on what youmight be entitled to and on whether there is more on offer that you could benefitfrom you simply contact your MARA office at North Antrim CommunityNetwork on 028 2177 1155 or 028 2177 2100. All discussions will be conductedin strict confidence. A trained member of the MARA team will visit you to assessyour situation and to try to identify ways in which you can be helped.Households most likely to benefit from a visit will incorporate older people,carers, disabled people, lone parents, ethnic minorities, Lone adults, farmingfamilies and/or low income families. The home visit will encourage people toavail of services, benefits and grants that they might not know about or felt thatthey were not entitled to. With your permission your details will be electronicallyrecorded and areas worth exploring with relevant agencies identified (known asreferral partners). The appropriate referral partners will then contact you toestablish exactly how and if they can assist you. These referrals include ruralcommunity transport, smart pass for free or half price travel, energy savingshomes scheme (warm homes), assessments from occupational therapists (OYs)for disabled facilities grants, home safety checks, benefit entitlement checks andany other local or social services available in your area. MARA staff will follow up the progress of these referrals to ensure that progress is being made. MARAProject cannot guarantee that you will receive any or all of the services,

grants or benefits available. This will depend onyour personal circumstances.MARA can only help if they are aware of you so contact the team at 028 2177 1155 or 028 2177 2100.

Farm SafetyWe have all been aware of a number of fatal accidents thathave taken place recently on farms. The countryside Agri-Rural Partnership are running a FarmSafe Awarenessprogramme funded by the NI Rural Developmentprogramme.

FarmSafe Awareness provides an opportunity for farmfamilies and workers to gain a better understanding of how to farm safely and to develop awareness to reduce risk ofaccidents.

FarmSafe Awareness events offer practical demonstrationscovering everyday hazards faced by farmers and their families.Topics covered will include working at heights, slurry risks,handling livestock and working with machinery.

The programme is open to farmers and their families over 17 years of age and attendance is free of charge. Events will berun throughout Northern Ireland at established Focus Farms.

A FarmSafe Awareness event can also be provided directlyto groups of farmers. If you can get a group of 10 or morefarmers together then a group session can be organised foryou. FarmSafe Awareness provides opportunities for you toshare experiences and to ask questions in small groups.Attendance is by registration (to allow the arrangement ofsuitable facilities).

For further information or to register please contactFarmSafe Awareness on 0845 026 7536 or 0845 026 7534or email options@countrysiderural.co.uk

IslandmageeCommunityWebsiteIn our January News Sheet ICDAannounced that it had receivedfunding for the creation of acommunity web site and that workhad advanced on constructing thissite. It is a community facility and isavailable to publicise communitynews, promote businesses and toprovide publicity for communityprojects, events and activities.

We are greatly encouraged by thelevel of participation and interest inthis project both from theIslandmagee community and fromfurther afield. Contact the weborganisers via the website if you wishonline publicity for any of the above or by E-mail to ICDA secretary atislandmagee@nacn.org.

The website will be one of our core ongoing projects and we wouldwelcome your views as to how the site can be developed in the future.

Keep up to date with the latestcommunity news, events andactivities, use the communitydirectory to source and support local business and social services, see community projects and more.

Get involved in the conversation at:facebook.com/IslandmageeCommunitytwitter.com/IslandmageeICDA

Twitter.com/IslandmageeICDAIslandmageeCommunity.org