Other News In Brief

Sunflower Declared The Most Dog Friendly Pub In NI

The Sunflower in Belfast City Centre has been declared the most dog-friendly pub in Northern Ireland.

A new finalist for 2019 in the awards ran by Rover.com, staff at the popular public house were delighted to be voted top in the region.

General Manager Robert explained why being dog-friendly is important at The Sunflower, saying: "It adds to the relaxed, information atmosphere in the pub and it generally makes staff and customers happy to see a pup enter the pub (which is quite a few times a day). It's safe to say that we have a very dog loving culture within the pub."

All staff at the establishment are fond of dogs and try to make sure the pub is as comfortable as possible. The Sunflower also gets involved in charity events and has held fundraisers to help rescue dogs from slaughter houses in China.

NI Council Launches New Recycling Awareness Campaign

A Northern Ireland council has launched a new campaign in a bid to get people to recycle more plastic waste.

Recycling Starts at Home aims to highlight the materials that can be recycled in your blue bin and encourage householders in the Derry City and Strabane area to recycle items from all rooms in the home, not just the kitchen.

The council's Head of Environment, Conor Canning, said there are lots of items that could be disposed of as recyclables that people just aren't aware of.

"Recycling saves local people money as it's twice the cost for ratepayers to send materials to landfill compared to recycling," he explained.

"This money could be spent on local services like parks, leisure centres and events so we are asking people in Derry and Strabane to bear this in mind when disposing of items.

"We have found that while most people are good at recycling plastics like pots, tubs and trays in the kitchen, many are still not taking recyclable materials like cleaning products, shampoo bottles or hand wash containers from the bathroom to their blue bin. Some householders also forget to rinse food containers before recycling so we'd like to remind people of the simple Empty – Rinse – Recycle rule.

"Another problem is that cling film isn't being removed from containers before they are put in the blue bin – we'd like to make people aware that this type of soft plastic cannot be recycled and must go in your black bin.

"There's an eco-warrior in all of us and recycling can be a fun activity to do particularly with children at home."

Down Park Boosted With New Walking And Cycling Trails

A popular park in Dundonald, County Down, has been upgraded with a host of new walking and cycling trails.

The Billy Neill MBE Country Park, which attracts over 30,000 visitors a month, saw the development of new trails covering 3.5km.

These works were completed with funding from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, and Sport NI.

The NI Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 under Priority 6 (LEADER) provided support funding of £371,996 and the Sport NI 'Everybody Active Outdoor Spaces' Programme supplied £120,000 funding.

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council led the development of the project, which included the development of a cycle pump track, 300 additional grasscrete car parking spaces, signage, benches, bins and improved lighting.

Alderman James Tinsley, Chairman of the council's Leisure & Community Development Committee, commented: "The council is continuing to invest in Billy Neill MBE Country Park as a premier outdoor destination with activities for all the family. It is delighted to have the support of DAERA and Sport NI in this respect and their financial contribution toward this phase of the development has been invaluable in recognising our long-term aim. The council is currently developing further plans for the facility in the coming years, which will enhance it as a truly magnificent location to walk, cycle, enjoy the biodiversity rich environment or play sport."

Patrick O'Toole, Capital Projects Officer at SportNI added: "In the coming years SportNI will focus heavily on making sport accessible for all, whist continuing to support sustained participation in sport through projects like the development of the Billy Neill MBE Country Park. The transformative power of sport can be recognised and valued by promoting accessible infrastructure and providing participation opportunities. These new cycle and walking trail additions at the Billy Neill MBE Country Park will enable people of all ages to get involved in sustained participation in sports such as cycling and running and enjoy the improved mental and physical health benefits associated with them. These activities offer a very simple and informal pathway into the sporting system and offer similar outcomes such as enormous potential health benefits, societal and economic benefits to the citizens of Northern Ireland."



(JG/CM)