Other News In Brief

Frank And Honest Coffee To Sponsor Belfast Bikes

Belfast City Council has announced Frank and Honest Coffee as the new sponsor of Belfast Bikes.

Frank and Honest Coffee, a Musgrave Group brand, can be found in SuperValu, Centra and Mace outlets throughout Belfast and its surrounding areas. Since beginning in 2015, Belfast Bikes has steadily grown to boast more than 400 bicycles stationed at over 55 docking points spread across the city.

Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Micky Murray spoke about the announcement and said: "Belfast Bikes is an integral part of city life and since its inception, has helped to create a better connected, low carbon, climate resilient city with a focus on Active Travel. The new sponsorship deal with local coffee brand Frank and Honest is great news, as they too share the Belfast Bike scheme’s values including sustainability, convenience and supporting the local community."

Frank and Honest Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee is served in fully compostable takeaway cups across 24 Belfast retailers.

Councillor Murray continued: "I am really looking forward to seeing the full fleet of branded Frank and Honest Belfast Bikes and docking stations being unveiled later this month including some initiatives to get more people cycling over the summer months."

Desi Derby, Director of Marketing at Musgrave added: "We are delighted to be the new sponsor of Belfast Bikes through our coffee brand Frank and Honest, which is available in 24 SuperValu, Centra and Mace stores across the city.

"Growing sustainably every day is at the heart of the Musgrave business and our brands; that means we’re always looking for ways to help our customers make more sustainable and healthier choices, therefore our collaboration with Belfast Bikes is the perfect partnership."

Belfast Bikes just added three new spots for docking stations: Glencairn Park, Drumglass Park and Sandown Road. They offer yearly membership or a pay-as-you-go option.

New Member Appointment To Charity Commission Board

Communities Minister, Gordon Lyons MLA, has appointed Mrs Aoife Hamilton as the Deputy Chief Commissioner to the Board of the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland.

Mrs. Hamilton is set to hold the position starting from 1 June 2024 through to 31 May 2029.

The Commission, sponsored by the Department for Communities (DfC), functions as a non-departmental statutory public body. Its inception aimed to fulfil the regulatory mandates outlined in the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 2008. Its vision is to have a dynamic and well governed charities sector in which the public has confidence. This is underpinned by effective delivery of its regulatory role.

Search for Lost 17th Century Castle Begins

Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council's Museum Services has started a community archaeology project as part of their Ballycastle Museum restoration and extension programme.

The project has been supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the museum, in partnership with Queen's University Belfast's Centre for Community Archaeology, hopes to uncover the remains of Clare Castle, the 17th century home of the McNeill's before they built their stately home at Clare Park just outside Ballycastle.

Although Clare Castle remains concealed beneath the earth's surface, researchers have pinpointed its likely location using archived documents and historical aerial images.

Excavation efforts will take place on privately owned property, led by volunteers and school teams across a fortnight. Scheduled for Saturday 15 June, public tours of the site will be available at 10:30am, 1pm, and 3 pm.

The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Councillor Ciarán McQuillan said: "This project is such a wonderful way to engage volunteers and local schools with the fascinating history buried beneath their feet.

"On behalf of Council, I would like thank all of our volunteer archaeologists for their enthusiasm and dedication to local heritage, and of course to The National Lottery Heritage Fund, for their ongoing support and enabling our Museum Services to bring this project to life.

"I would encourage everyone to contact Museum Services to book a space on one of the site tours on Saturday to visit the excavation and find out more about this intriguing project."