Deputy Mayor of Ards & North Down Borough Council. DUP Councillor for Bangor East & Donaghadee DEA.
Bangor East and Donaghadee
Joined November 2017
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An honour to attend the Annual Service of Remembrance and Parade in Groomsport this afternoon.
Well done to everyone involved in organising today’s very dignified and respectful act of remembrance.
We Will Remember Them. 🌹
Fantastic night at Donaghadee Parish Church last Saturday welcoming TRÚ for the Leid AND Lairn Festival. A brilliant celebration of the Church’s 400th anniversary, while raising funds for the Mayors charities, Young Enterprise NI and Dementia NI.
An honour to attend the dedication of the Royal British Legion Poppy Garden on Main Street, Bangor, remembering all who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.
#LestWeForget
🌸🌱 Congratulations to Groomsport Village Association on winning the Special Recognition Award at today’s Ards and North Down In Bloom Awards! 👏
The team at GVA work incredibly hard to maintain the high standards that make Groomsport such a fantastic place to live and visit. It’s brilliant to see their dedication and commitment recognised with another well-deserved award. Well done also to the team at the Groomsport Inn for their success at today’s awards.
Congratulations also to all the winners and runners-up at today’s awards. It’s encouraging to see so many volunteers and community organisations, including local schoolchildren and young people, making a positive difference right across our Borough.
Our towns and villages wouldn’t be the wonderful places they are today without the dedication of our volunteers. Thank you to everyone who gives up their time to make a difference! 🌼👏
Last week, alongside fellow Councillors, I attended the presentation of the Investing in Active Communities – The Case for a 3G Sports Facility report to Alistair Cathcart, Chair of the Council’s Environment Committee, at Bangor Castle. The report was compiled by representatives of Donaghadee Community Development Association (DCDA) and Donaghadee FC Youth.
Donaghadee has been long overdue investment in its sporting facilities, and this report makes a compelling case for a modern 3G pitch that would benefit local clubs, young people and the wider community.
As one of the fastest-growing settlements in the Borough, Donaghadee has a clear and growing demand for improved sports facilities.
I have been actively pushing this project forward through engagement with Council officers, and I will continue to press for progress. Donaghadee deserves high-quality, modern sporting facilities, and I will keep lobbying Council to move these plans forward as quickly as possible.
♻️ Your Recycling Matters – New Campaign Launching This Week!
This week, Ards and North Down Borough Council is launching a brand-new recycling campaign to build on the Borough’s strong recycling record and encourage residents to do even more.
Residents currently recycle approximately 47,000 tonnes of material every year, contributing to a household recycling rate of 56%.
This makes a real difference, helping Council save an estimated £5 million in disposal costs annually and avoid around 17,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year. 🌍
The Your Recycling Matters campaign aims to increase recycling, reduce contamination in recycling bins and help residents understand what can and cannot be recycled.
It will also promote MyRecyclingNI, showing residents what happens to recyclable materials after collection and how they are transformed into new products.
Every household can play its part. By recycling correctly, we can protect our environment, reduce waste and help keep costs down for the Borough.
Your recycling matters – let’s keep up the good work! ♻️
Further information in the link below 👇
🌳 Protecting the Commons 🌿
I welcome Council’s application to designate the Commons as a Local Nature Reserve, an important step towards protecting one of Donaghadee’s most valued green spaces.
Following the unauthorised removal of trees and shrubbery earlier this year, Cllr Mark Brooks and I brought forward a Motion calling for stronger protections for the Commons.
The Commons is much more than a public park. It is a haven for wildlife, a place for families to enjoy the outdoors and an important part of the town’s natural heritage.
Achieving Local Nature Reserve status would help recognise its environmental value, support biodiversity and strengthen our commitment to preserving this special place for future generations!
A clip from Sunday night’s Harvest Service at Ballycrochan Presbyterian Church, featuring the always impressive Donaghadee Male Voice Choir. 🎶
Thank you to everyone for the very warm welcome and for such a lovely evening.
Sunday night’s collection was in aid of Storehouse North Down, who do fantastic work throughout the year supporting the most vulnerable in our community.
If you would like to support their work, you can find the donation link in the thread below. 👇
You can donate to Storehouse via the following link 🔗 storehousenorthdown.com/dona…
It was great to call down to Shorelife Celebration at Mount Stewart last Saturday! 🌿
Fantastic to see such a wide range of activities on offer for all the family, including the open tank from Exploris, microscope sessions and printing activities with artist-in-residence Imogen Donegan.
It was also great to stop and chat with a school group visiting Mount Stewart to learn more about the life of Lord Castlereagh.
A big thank you to all the Council and National Trust staff involved in putting together such a fantastic event! 👏
𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐜𝐬 🎨🚆
Last week, as Deputy Mayor, I had the pleasure of attending the official unveiling of the beautiful new artwork mosaics at Marino Train Station. The station has also benefited from the installation of a new ramp, helping to improve accessibility for passengers.
A massive well done to artist Helen McLean, who worked in collaboration with local schools and Boom Studios to bring this fantastic project to life. Thank you also to Translink for facilitating this wonderful addition to the station.
Marino Station has connected this community for generations, and it is fantastic to see investment that celebrates its history while making it safer and more inclusive for local people.
The mosaics capture the station’s history, character and community connections, creating a lasting tribute that can be enjoyed by generations to come.
🚍Travelling to Shorelife Celebration, Saturday 10 October🚘
🌿 If you are planning to visit this two-centred event, whether it is Mount Stewart - National Trust, Newtownards or WWT Castle Espie Wetland Centre, Comber, here is some information on parking, and Park and Ride provision servicing each location...
🚘 Parking
Both sites will have limited free parking and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
If you are visiting WWT Castle Espie, additional free parking will be available in 2nd Presbyterian Church, Comber located at 5 Killinchy Street, BT23 5AP
🚍 Park and Ride
To take the hassle out of your journey, and as a sustainable way to travel, we encourage you to use the free Park and Ride provision - no booking required!
Routes:
* Dundonald - Comber - WWT Castle Espie
* Newtownards - Comber - WWT Castle Espie
* Dundonald - Newtownards - Mount Stewart
View timetables >> bit.ly/4ADYE3o
Travel with care
As you travel to and from the event, or when parking nearby, please be considerate of local residents and help us keep the area welcoming for everyone.
The event takes place 10am to 5pm in each location and it is FREE admission for all to both! No pre-booking required.
Find out more about the programme of activities set for the day >> bit.ly/4ADYE3o
** To avoid disappointment, please bring cash with you on the day, as some food vendors and all payable activities will only accept cash payments **
🌳🚶♀️𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 🚴♂️💡
Last week, it was great to join Council’s Parks team, members of the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust and others at the For Everyone Greenway Event at Whitespots Country Park.
The groups enjoyed a walk and cycle along the new Greenway, returning in the dark and making use of the light-up items provided by Council.
The Greenway from Whitespots to Green Road is a fantastic asset for the area. It provides an excellent opportunity to encourage people to get active while travelling and, importantly, helps improve connectivity between our communities.
It was great to see the Greenway being put to use and enjoyed by people of all ages.
As Deputy Mayor, I recently had the opportunity to take part in a Walkability Audit of Linear Park, Bangor, alongside Council’s Parks team, Age Friendly Ards & North Down and local residents.
The audit looked at accessibility, safety, comfort and usability, helping identify potential improvements to the park and its pathways.
This complements the Notice of Motion I brought to Council around improving the pathway network in Linear Park, and I’m pleased to see practical work taking place to help make the park more accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
Thanks to everyone who took part and shared their views.
Good to attend the Annual General Meeting of Donaghadee Community Development Association tonight.
Congratulations to all the office bearers elected, including those who are taking up positions for the first time. I wish you all every success in the year ahead.
DCDA does fantastic work for Donaghadee and is a real credit to the town. Thank you to everyone involved for your continued commitment👏
Councillor James Cochrane retweeted
𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗣𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲.
The National Police Memorial Service is being held in Belfast today, paying tribute to those who paid the ultimate price for defending the rule of law.
At the same time nationalists in Northern Ireland are participating in an unlawful protest and blocking a road. Ministers are in breach of their pledge of office. That stands in stark contrast to the dignity and patience displayed by Portadown District who have a lawful determination that they should be allowed to walk along the Garvaghy Road.
The rule of law must be upheld however long that takes.
Yesterday, as Deputy Mayor, it was great to call down to Ards Blair Mayne Wellbeing & Leisure Complex for the @HelpforHeroes Community Sports Series, alongside colleagues @GRobinsonDUP , @MMcIlveenDUP , Antrim & Newtownabbey Deputy Mayor Alison Bennington and our Veterans Champion, Ald Trevor Cummings.
Fantastic to see so many members of the Armed Forces community enjoying a day of sport, camaraderie and fellowship.
I got the chance to try boccia for the first time, as well as having a go at archery and learning more about boxing.
Great to see this annual event going from strength to strength. A huge congratulations to everyone involved in making it happen! 🎖️👏
