Category Archives: Antrim LPG

‘Cost of Living’ & ‘Every Family Counts’ Events – Antrim and Ballymena

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Cost of living was one of the priorities identified by children, young people and parents that the Antrim/Ballymena CYPSP Locality Planning Group (LPG) have been working on for the last few years.  Since Covid and the cost of living crisis, this has obviously become a more pressing priority, therefore some members of the Antrim/Ballymena CYPSP LPG came together to do something to help local families with this.

A decision was made to hold events in Ballymena Showgrounds and Dunsilly Hotel.

The monring sessions brought together staff to network and share knowledge about services that help people make their money go further.

The afternoon sessions “Every Family Counts” brought together lots of different organisations as a means of informing families on services available in the local area to help with cost of living, e.g. Antrim Ballymena Surestart, Employers for Childcare, Northern Ireland Childminders Association, Start 360, Mid and East Antrim Council, Ballymena Baby basics, Ballymena Hygiene Bank, Impact Network NI, Family Fund, Ballymena South Community Cluster, Sensory Kids, Women’s Aid ABCLN, Slemish Credit Union, Mid and East Antrim Community Advice Service, NHSCT Health and Wellbeing, AN council, AN Community Advice, A Safe Space to be me, Barnardo’s, Libraries NI, Parentline NI, CAP and Department of Communities.

At the events there was a free play area, free recipes books, free resources to help with cost of living, NHSCT dietitians talk about how to cook healthy, low cost meals and a smoothie bike letting children create their own fruit smoothie with pedal power!

The events allowed organisations to come together to share knowledge and helped members of the public know what help and services are available round boosting their income and making their money go further. 

Approximately 50 staff attended in the morning and afternoon at both venues.

Approximately 50 members of the public attended ‘Every Family Counts’ and learned what is out there to help with cost of living.

Thanks for all the Antrim Ballymena CYPSP LPG members, the co-chairs, and all who promoted the event and were part of the events.

 

Quotes from public who attended:

  • “A lot of helpful advice about benefits, groups and things to do in the area.”
  • “There was a range of services available for support and signposting.”
  • “There was a wide range of stalls, friendly people.”
  • “Ideas for saving energy and recipes.”

Quotes from staff who attended:

  • “I learned about various agencies that I can refer and signpost local vulnerable families to.”
  • “We had a great opportunity to network. Lots of good resources and links with other professionals which was great for us.”

NHSCT Health & Wellbeing Officers Win Runner Up in the 2022 NHSCT Chairman’s Awards

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NHSCT Health and Wellbeing Officers have won Runner up in the 2022 NHSCT Chairman’s awards – Population Health and Wellbeing for their work on the NSPCC PANTS Campaign.

For the past two and a half years, NHSCT Health and Wellbeing Officers have worked with NSPCC and partners to roll out the NSPCC PANTS Campaign across Northern Trust area.

The NSPCC PANTS Campaign aims to empower parents and professionals to have age-appropriate conversations with their children 4-8 years to prevent or stop sexual abuse through training, resources, and activities co-ordinated by NSPCC and Northern H&W Officers. They planned to launch the campaign Spring 2020. Despite the pandemic, redeployment and staff changes over the last two and a half years they have trained 683 staff, given every school and pre-school setting PANTS resources, information and PANTS library books, and reached 7952 children with the PANTS message.

 

Mid and East Antrim Council launch ‘Little Free Toybox’ at People’s Park, first for the Borough

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The concept of a ‘Little Free Toybox’ is simple – a passer by can lift a toy to play with or leave a toy for someone else.

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor William McCaughey, said “I am delighted to see the first ‘Little Free Toy Box’ in the Borough installed at People’s Park and pupils from Ballymena Primary already enjoying it. This is will be a great addition to the park and the wider community.

I hope it will provide children and young people with more play resources and the opportunity to play, relax and reconnect with others after what has been a difficult year for everyone. The Toybox can also encourage sharing and creative, imaginative play, as well as potentially going some way to help reduce waste going to landfill as toys are essentially being recycled.

I’d like to extend my thanks to the Antrim Ballymena CYPSP who funded the project and Council Officers, CYPSP,  and Northern Trust Health and Wellbeing Team, who co-ordinated the project, with support from a local artist and Ballymena Primary School.”

Lynsey McVitty, from the Northern Trust said “This toy box is a great example of the ‘Take 5’ steps to Wellbeing. Installed in a local park the toy box gives users a chance to connect with the natural environment and other park users. It encourages children to get involved in play, by picking up a new toy, all the while giving and supplying the local community access to toys and new play opportunities. We were delighted to work with Council on this creative initiative and to see it so well used already.”

Parents/guardians are responsible for supervising children when using the Little Free Toy Box and for appropriate sanitation before and afterwards.

Baby Basics – Antrim and Newtownabbey

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Baby Basics is a volunteer-led project aiming to support new mothers and families who are struggling to meet the financial and practical burden of looking after a new baby. We provide much needed essentials and equipment to mothers and families who are unable to provide these items for themselves; including but not limited to teenage mums, people seeking asylum and women fleeing domestic abuse and trafficking.

We operate on a referral only system. Working with midwives, health visitors and other professional groups to provide support directly where it is most needed, Baby Basics volunteers collect, sort and package a ‘Moses Basket’ of clothing, toiletries and essential baby equipment as an attractive gift to new mothers.

The Antrim and Newtownabbey branch of Baby Basics is operated by the United Parish of Christ Church (Ballynure) and St John’s (Ballyclare).  Our base is in Christ Church hall in Ballynure.

If you would like further information on this service, please contact Frances Wilson on 07834 544802.

Antrim/Ballymena Locality Planning Group

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A CYPSP scoping exercise was held on Tuesday 28th Jan where members came together to identify what they and their organisations bring to the group, what are the top three children’s wellbeing priority areas for action next year and how we will tackle these priorities.

The findings will be collated and shared and will help shape the CYPSP Antrim/Ballymena locality area group’s action plan for the next year.