Appeal for Ballycastle residents to help spruce up town

A leaflet circulated throughout Ballycastle has called on locals to get behind efforts to help tidy up the area.

It reads: ‘Under the ‘We care about our town’ initiative, Ballycastle calls on YOU,

‘It needs a little help to get ready for a few exciting months that lie ahead.

With the Olympic Torch coming through the town at the start of June, then the golf tournament coming to nearby Portrush and not forgetting of course the summer Ballycastle needs a little tidy up, a freshen up, a lick of paint here and there.

‘This is where you come in. We need donations of cash, paint, tools, equipment but most of all we need some of your time, just a few hours or what ever you can give. Of course having the money to buy the paint, rollers, brushes etc is important but if we don’t have the people out putting the paint on the buildings then we cannot get the job done.

‘So please pledge your cash but more importantly your time.

‘Some items required:

‘White, black and Magnolia masonary paint.

Paint brushes, rollers, sand paper, wire brushes.

‘A loan of dust sheets for a day or two.

‘A loan of ladders for a day or two.

‘Hire of a cherry picker or similar type machine for a day.

‘A loan of staple guns with staples and spray glue (about 6-7 cans).

‘We need - Volunteers to help on the days that painting is taking place and then a big push for people to be out on the main ‘Tidy Our Town Day’ which we plan to hold on a Sunday yet to be decided upon in May and have Press there doing a bit of coverage on your efforts.

‘So please please offer your help, it is easy to stick your hand in your pocket but it takes a wee bit more to come out and help and we hope you will? After all it is your town too!

‘What ever you have to offer please contact Michael on 07739041707 or Conor on 07706113869.’

Last week Robin Swann, the North Antrim Ulster Unionist Party Assembly member, said he had asked the SDLP Environment Minister that Moyle Council be given the same support as neighbouring Coleraine to combat dereliction in the area.

Assemblyman Swann, who is also North Antrim UUP Chairman and Party Chief Whip, was speaking after receiving a written reply from Minister Alex Attwood on the issue.

Mr Swann said: “I asked Minister Attwood when he intends to extend, to Moyle Council, the same support given to Coleraine Borough Council to tackle dereliction in the area, given its tourist attractions, such as the Giant’s Causeway and Bushmills Distillery.

“In his response to me, Minister Attwood said the support to Coleraine Council was provided against the backdrop of greatly increased media and tourist interest which the hosting of the Irish Open golf championship will bring to the Portrush and Portstewart area.

“That backdrop also included the cross-departmental work that had been carried out in partnership with the Council in identifying the area’s worst examples of dereliction and dilapidation and the need to improve amenity experience for general tourist business and those who live locally.

“The Minister told me he recognised the potential to extend the principle of the Portrush and Portstewart intervention to other districts suffering similar problems.

“However, he said clearly such projects can only be tackled if the necessary funding is available.”