TIDY Northern Ireland launched The BIG Spring Clean campaign in 2010. It attracted 2,416 volunteers who collected 4 tonnes of rubbish in one week. In 2011 a staggering five-fold increase in volunteers (13,600) collected 122 tonnes of rubbish, again in one week. So, due to popular demand and the growing number of volunteers the campaign has now been extended for 2012 to run for a whole month: 1st April – 30th April 2012 with the support of the Department of Environment and all the councils.

Alex Attwood, Environment Minister, said “The appeal of our country is its clean and green image that is compromised, damaged and prejudiced by litter, be it marine litter, street litter or any other sort of litter. It creates the wrong message and the wrong image. The Big Spring Clean is a short sharp shock therapy to do a lot of clean up in a short space of time to highlight the risks of litter on one hand and the opportunity to make it better on the other.
My children did a beach tidy at Newtownabbey in the autumn. It was shocking what we picked up – old tyres, huge pieces of metal, bottles, plastic bags. We were there for less than an hour and the amount of rubbish of all sorts that was picked up was unbelievable. This was in Belfast Lough, a lovely part of Whiteabbey. This is a great quality environment, yet the rubbish was everywhere.
If you’re walking along you don’t sometimes notice the litter – it’s only when you stop, notice the litter and pick it up that you begin to realise the scale of the problem.”

TIDY Northern Ireland is co-ordinating the effort which is supported by the DOE’s Rethink Waste campaign. The Rethink Waste campaign aims to encourage everyone at home, at work, at school and in the local community to reduce, reuse and recycle more through small steps to protect and improve the environment.
TIDY Northern Ireland is asking individuals and groups to help spruce up Northern Ireland and freshen up those tired looking street corners, beaches, fields and roadsides ready for everyone to enjoy through the summer.

Ian Humphreys, Chief Executive of TIDY Northern Ireland said “Seeing The BIG Spring Clean grow five-fold in just one year shows that thousands of people across Northern Ireland really do love where they live. Most people don’t drop litter. This campaign helps people go a step further and set clear standards for the littering few by removing litter, graffiti and waste. Improving local environments in this way not only helps cut the cost of street cleansing, currently close to £40,000,000 annually, but also benefits our health and wellbeing. Visitor’s experience, inward investment and quality of life are all improved too. So let’s make it happen together. Join us and be part of something BIG!

The campaign also has the support of all 26 councils in Northern Ireland who would like to encourage these clean ups all year round.

So what can you do to help? For information on how to get involved or just register your support you can go to the TIDY Northern Ireland website, www.bigspringcleanni.org

Alternatively you can talk to your local council or ring TIDY Northern Ireland direct on 028 9073 6920.

Get ready to put a spring in your step during March by being active, eating well and feeling good, because for the whole month, people living in Armagh City and District Council area are being offered an exciting opportunity get involved in a groundbreaking healthy living initiative called ‘Give it a Go!’ to help them get active, eat well and ultimately feel good.

Activities include supermarket tours to help you understand food labels, kids’ hip-hop classes, walks, and sessions on how to cook healthily on a budget.

All of these specially organised activities are free and taking place in your area. Events are taking place throughout March.

Also during March, you can swim at your local leisure centre for just £1 during public swim times.

The ‘Give it a Go!’ initiative has been organised through a partnership between Public Health Agency (PHA), Southern Group Environmental Health Committee, Southern Health and Social Care Trust, Armagh City & District Council, Banbridge District Council, Craigavon Borough Council, Newry & Mourne District Council.

Being active and eating well helps us look and feel great at every age.

Gerry Bleakney, Head of Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement with the PHA in the southern area, said: “Eating well and being active are two of the most important things we can do to keep well, feel great and help prevent many of the health problems that are common in Northern Ireland today. Around three in five adults in Northern Ireland weigh more than is good for their health, but by making a few small changes, we can help to lose weight, maintain a healthy weight, and feel big benefits to our general health.”

Mairead McAlinden, Chief Executive of the Southern Trust, added: “‘Give it a Go!’ is a really exciting initiative that gives everyone a great opportunity to try out new activities which are both fun and good for you. Information about these activities will be available through all local newspapers, the ‘Give it a Go!’ brochure which is being distributed throughout each council area, and the website at www.giveitago.org.uk”

Mayor of Armagh City and District, Freda Donnelly and Martina McNulty, Group Chief, Southern Group Environmental Health Committee, commented: “We are delighted to team up with the Public Health Agency and the Southern Trust for the ‘Give it a Go!’ initiative. Most of us welcome some help to kickstart or continue our efforts to live more healthily, so this initiative is just the thing to help people be active, eat well and feel good. So go on, ‘Give it a Go!’”

Please note that due to the staging of a Special Event both Pools will be closed from 9pm onwards on Friday 24 February and Friday 2 March.

Last swim at 8.15pm – 9pm.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

The agri-food processing sector is an important contributor to the Northern Ireland economy and under the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) invites applications from micro through to intermediate sized enterprises seeking funding towards capital investment projects.

Who can apply?
The scheme is open to those in the agri-food sector engaged in food processing activities (excluding fishery products) and to those engaged in the processing of a primary forest product or crop where the output is a renewable energy fuel.

What support is available?
Financial support is available (£500,000 maximum) towards eligible capital costs that may include the erection of new buildings, refurbishment of old buildings and the purchase of new equipment. The funding available and the rate of grant will be determined by budget availability and the operating rules of the Rural Development Programme.

Applications are particularly welcome from those with a project investment of less than £125,000 (approximately £50,000 financial support).

How can I apply?
Further information and an application form can be obtained from www.rdpni.info or by telephoning Rural Development Division on (028) 9052 4219 or (028) 9052 4871. Alternatively, you can request an application form by sending an e-mail to afpinfo@dardni.gov.uk

Closing Date
The closing date for receipt of applications is 12 noon on 24 February 2012.

NI Rural Development Programme 2001-2013 Agri-Food Processing & Marketing Grant

Mayor Donnelly said “I hope people from all walks of life and backgrounds would get involved this year: “Over the past eight months as Mayor of Armagh City and District, I’ve had the privilege of meeting hundreds of local people. The one thing I’ve been consistently impressed with is the sheer number of people who give their own time and energy to help others without seeking any real reward. The Mayor’s Awards are all about giving these individuals the credit they deserve and celebrating the work they do. If there’s someone you know who has supported community activities, created job opportunities or promoted environmental, educational, sporting or cultural projects in your community please put their names forward for the Mayor’s Awards.”

William Johnston picked up the Volunteer of the Year Award, at last year’s ceremony for his work with Armagh and Markethill Business Centre for more than 25 years. He was the founding and innovative Chairman for Markethill District Enterprise for more 23 years. He has been the Chairman of the Board of Governors for Markethill Primary and High School for over 20 years.

Members of Armagh Peer Mentoring Programme were awarded the Youth Cup for their work in the local community and the Mayor’s Special Award went to the Print It Programme.

Closing date for nominations is Friday 24th February 2012 at 12 noon.

You can submit your nomination online here, download a nomination form below or contact the Mayor’s Secretary, Cara Toner on (028 3752 9633) or by calling in person to the Palace Building.

Mayor’s Awards Nomination Form 2012

Armagh Business Centre are now offering the Be Your Own Boss programme.  The programme offers people wishing to start their own business a tailor-made training and business planning service.   Clients availing of the programme will be able to choose the best pathway depending on their own individual needs.

Programme can be tailored from the following options:

• Business Marketing Seminar – £15
• Financial Management Seminar – £15
• Business Planning Seminar – £15
• Business Plan- professional business plan & financial projections developed. £99 + VAT

You don’t need to have special experience and skills, Just the desire to Be Your Own Boss.
For more information contact Samuel Marshall or Kelly Forbes at Armagh Business Centre Ltd on 028 3752 5050 or email samuel@abcarmagh.com or kelly@abcarmagh.com

If you would like to be considered to participate in this project please contact Frances Haughey at the Armagh City and District Council on 028 3752 9600 no later than Monday 30th January 2012 as places are limited.

Some of the plays that will be covered during the Project include:

Brothers In Arms (Wednesday 22nd February 2012)
From the pen of former republican prisoner and novelist Sam Millar, and directed by Martin Lynch, this exciting new work tells the story of two brothers – one a dissident republican, the other a Sinn Fein MLA – who come together to bury their father. Despite their mother’s pleas to let their father rest in peace, old resentments rise to the surface in this incisive portrait of the divisions in modern-day republicanism. Frank Mullan spent fourteen years in Long Kesh as a political prisoner, experiencing the H Blocks and the Bobby Sands hunger-strike era. He watched his marriage crumble under the pressure and now, out of prison, he has deteriorating health, no marriage and no job. In contrast, Michael, who was interned briefly for his political beliefs, is a successful politician and one of the rising stars in Sinn Fein. As the political animosity between the two brothers becomes more personal, shameful family secrets are brought out into the open.. Drawing on the playwright’s own experiences, Brothers in Arms is an unflinching exploration of the history of the republican movement and the challenges it currently faces. With one section of republicans at the heart of the Stormont government and another section planting bombs and shooting policemen, this play takes an explosive look at what this means, not only to the Mullan family, but the future of our entire community.

Carthaginians (Wednesday 29th February 2012)
Frank McGuinness’ Carthaginians has often been acknowledged as one of the few enduring plays to have emerged from ‘The Troubles’. An elegy for Bloody Sunday in Derry, it is the survival of tragedy, of intense grief which becomes the unspoken subject through the personal journeys of three women and three men who camp out in a graveyard awaiting the rise of the dead. Dido is the outsider who brings daily pram loads of supplies including a script of his own attempt at a Troubles Play, The Burning Balaclava, the comic centrepiece which is surrounded by jokes, quizzes and encounters which pass the time of waiting. Individual resurrections signal a community, like Carthage, rising from its ashes.

Tim McGarry’s Political Party (Friday 16th March 2012)
Following the huge success of Tim McGarry’s Irish History Lesson the lanky guru is back with a new one-man stand-up show. This time Tim has set his satirical sights on all things political. In a country where ex-terrorists and even Jim Allister can get elected, Tim thinks maybe it’s time he had a go. Tim McGarry’s Political Party is a hilarious fun packed examination of how we do politics here. And he takes a sharp look at our politicians and their contribution to making Northern Ireland the superb place is it is today. Is it time for a new Party? Would you Vote McGarry? Maybe not, but you will be laughing at this sharp, scathing and side-splitting show which gives our politicians all the respect they so richly deserve.

Chronicles of Long Kesh (Wednesday 18th April 2012)
This play is written and directed by Martin Lynch and it tells the story of the jail as seen through the eyes of both republican and loyalist prisoners, the prison officers who worked there and the many families who passed through its gates from the opening in August 1971 to its closure in July 2000. This play is being shown in the Grand Opera House in Belfast and project participants will attend an overnight residential where they will not only see the play but participate in a number of study visits while in Belfast. These visits will include a polticial tour of West Belfast; Long Kesh Prison and Stormont Parliament Buildings.

Give my head peace (Wednesday 25th April 2012)
Da, Cal, Ma, Dympna and Billy return to the Market Place Theatre for an evening of fun, laughter and topical comedy not to be missed. A great night’s banter guaranteed!

A Night with George Theatre Play (Saturday 5th May 2012)
Although fictional, this play offers a perspective of history that is often forgotten or ignored by the history books. This is a tale of a West Belfast woman who had to act as “both mother and father” to her son when, shortly after their marriage, her husband was imprisoned for IRA activity. Not only that, but it also documents her attempts years later to renegotiate her relationship with her husband when he is released from prison under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

Love knows no right away (Wednesday 16th May 2012)
‘Love Knows No Right-a-Way’ is set in the late 1990’s in a small village, somewhere in Northern Ireland. Two Families of different religious tradition and culture, attempt to resolve their differences when they disagree as to who has the right to walk along a certain pathway which has traditionally been accessible to all of the public. The younger generation, who prove to be less staunch in their ways, attempt to persuade their parents to try to live in harmony. Throughout the ill-will that ensues, love flourishes between these two young people regardless of cultural differences and they find it hard to understand why adults cannot behave in an adult-fashion. It is only when old friends recognise each other and remember the respect and love that they once had for each other, that they realise their behaviour is socially unacceptable and subsequently they make amends to live in peace and respect of each other.

PCSPs aim to make a real difference to the local community, making people feel safer and ensuring that the voices of local people on policing and community safety are heard.

The Policing Board is responsible for appointing Independent Members to the new Partnerships and is currently looking for people to join the PCSPs. We are looking for people who can demonstrate an interest in the local community, community safety or policing issues, either through your employment, community or voluntary activity.

Below you can access information on PCSPs, the appointment process and how to apply:

Click here to view PCSP Independent Member Advertisement

Click here to view the information booklet which contains information on PCSPs,the appointment process and details on how to apply

Click here to view details of information evenings being held for people interested in applying

Click here to download a copy of the application form

Any further information can be obtained by contacting the Board at 028 9040 8566, by emailing pcsprecruitment@nipolicingboard.org.uk; or writing to: PCSP Recruitment, Northern Ireland Policing Board, Waterside Tower, 31 Clarendon Road, Clarendon Dock, Belfast, BT1 3BG.

Please note that all completed application forms must be returned no later than noon on Monday 30 January 2012.

The two goalkeepers will give a practical workshop based on the key principles of goalkeeping before they undertake to advise participants of their own individual sports. The workshop will be an opportunity for coaches and performers to learn the basics of great goalkeeping and to ask pertinent questions of these highly gifted and experienced coaches. A similar course, took place previously in Cookstown with well over 100 coaches taking part so don’t delay book your place today.

The Armagh programme includes Keith Hennessy on Thursday 19th January with First to the Ball, Sharon Madigan ‘Fit to Eat’ on Tuesday 24th January and finally on the 26th January Mags McAlinden along with Meabh Moriarity presents ‘Handling Skills for Female Athletes’. The sessions to be held in Craigavon Borough Council include Chris Shields delivering Strength and Conditioning on Monday 16th January, Dr John Kremer will present Winning Mind; Winning Team on Wednesday 18th January and on Monday 23rd January Terence McWilliams will present Fundamentals of Games, finally Alfie Wylie will conclude the Craigavon sessions on Wednesday 25th with Fit 4 Performance.

All workshops with take place at various venues in Armagh City & District Council and Craigavon Borough Council. For further information on courses click here or contact Edel Ferson on 028 3752 9636 or e-mail edel.ferson@armagh.gov.uk

The Coachworks programme commenced in 2000 and has been a regular feature for all local coaches, this year’s programme is crammed with quality facilitators and the courses are designed following recommendations from the participants from previous programmes.

Click here for more information on each of the courses and to download an application form.

Friday 23 December – Closed
Saturday 24 December – Closed
Sunday 25 December – Closed
Monday 26 December – Closed
Tuesday 27 December – Closed
Wednesday 28 December – Closed
Thursday 29 December – Closed
Friday 30 December – Closed
Saturday 31 December – Open as normal
Sunday 1 January – Closed
Monday 2 January – Closed
Tuesday 3 January – Normal Opening Hours

Cathedral Road Recreation Centre

Friday 23 December – Closed
Saturday 24 December – Closed
Sunday 25 December – Closed
Monday 26 December – Closed
Tuesday 27 December – Closed
Wednesday 28 December – Closed
Thursday 29 December – Closed
Friday 30 December – Closed
Saturday 31 December – Open as normal
Sunday 1 January – Closed
Monday 2 January – Closed
Tuesday 3 January – Normal Opening Hours

Keady Recreation Centre

Friday 23 December – 9am – 5pm
Saturday 24 December – Closed
Sunday 25 December – Closed
Monday 26 December – Closed
Tuesday 27 December – Closed
Wednesday 28 December – 9am – 5 pm
Thursday 29 December – 9am – 5 pm
Friday 30 December – 9am – 5 pm
Saturday 31 December – Open as normal
Sunday 1 January – Closed
Monday 2 January – Closed
Tuesday 3 January – Normal Opening Hours

Markethill Recreation Centre

Thursday 22 December – 5.30pm – 10pm
Friday 23 December – Closed
Saturday 24 December – Closed
Sunday 25 December – Closed
Monday 26 December – Closed
Tuesday 27 December – Closed
Wednesday 28 December – Closed
Thursday 29 December – Closed
Friday 30 December – Closed
Saturday 31 December – Closed
Sunday 1 January – Closed
Monday 2 January – Closed
Tuesday 3 January – Normal Opening Hours

Orchard Leisure Centre

Thur 22 Dec – Normal Opening Hours
Fri 23 Dec – 7.30am – 5.00pm
Sat 24 Dec – Closed
Christmas Day – Closed
Boxing Day – Closed
Tues 27 Dec – 9.15am – 5.00pm
Wed 28 Dec – 9.15am – 5.00pm
Thur 29 Dec – 9.15am – 5.00pm
Fri 30 Dec – 9.15am – 5.00pm
Sat 31 Dec – 9.15am – 5.00pm
New Year’s Day – Closed
Mon 2 Jan – 9.15am – 5.00pm
Tues 3 Jan – Normal Opening Hours

All Activity Classes will finish on Thursday 22 Dec and will resume as normal on Tuesday 3 January 2012.

Richhill Recreation Centre

Friday 23 December – 9 am – 5 pm
Saturday 24 December – Closed
Sunday 25 December – Closed
Monday 26 December – Closed
Tuesday 27 December – Closed
Wednesday 28 December – Closed
Thursday 29 December – Closed
Friday 30 December – Closed
Saturday 31 December – Closed
Sunday 1 January – Closed
Monday 2 January – 4pm – 10.30pm
Tuesday 3 January – Normal Opening Hours

Tandragee Recreation Centre

Friday 23 December – 9am – 5pm
Saturday 24 December – Closed
Sunday 25 December – Closed
Monday 26 December – Closed
Tuesday 27 December – Closed
Wednesday 28 December – 9am – 5 pm
Thursday 29 December – 9am – 5 pm
Friday 30 December – 9am – 5 pm
Saturday 31 December – Open as normal
Sunday 1 January – Closed
Monday 2 January – Closed
Tuesday 3 January – Normal Opening Hours

Loughgall Country Park

Friday 23 December – 9am – 5pm
Saturday 24 December – Closed
Sunday 25 December – Closed
Monday 26 December – Closed
Tuesday 27 December – 9am – 5pm
Wednesday 28 December – 9am – 5pm
Thursday 29 December – 9am –5 pm
Friday 30 December – 9am – 5pm
Saturday 31 December – 8am – 5pm
Sunday 1 January – 8am – 5pm
Monday 2 January – 9am – 5pm

We thank you for your continued support and wish you all a Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year.