BD AL TRU TEE?S ORT FOR 2023-2024 (ALSO INCORPORATING THE IVY IEAF CLUB, MEN>S SHED AND COMMUNITY GARDEN) 2023 APRIL.. THE CONTAINER AJiJUVED THIS Mo1 FOR COMMUNITY GARDEN MAY...WB CELEBRATED KING CIL4RLES' CORONATION. AROUND 40 PEOPLE FROM THE OVER 55'S AGE GROUP CAME ALONG FOR TELL SANDlVtCHES AND CAKE HELD IN BUSHMILIS COMMUNITY CENfBE. WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE THIS EVENT wfrH THE HELP OF CCGBC GRAN'f OF £300. TFIE END OF THE MONTH SAW THF. COMPLETION OF THE I)OLY TUNNEL IN THE COMMUNITY GARDEN. A NOTICE iIOARD. A FIRST AID BOX AND FIRE ExfiNGUISHER IVERE BOUGFrr FOR THE HUB. JUNE... BLINDS WERE BOUGHT AND PUT UP IN THE HUB AND SIX WATER BUTfs CONNEcfED AT THE BACK OF THE HUB. TWO VOLUNTEER DAYS WERE HELD WtTH A TOTAL OF 14 PEOPLE HELPING OUT. THERE W.4S LOTS DONE TILIT DAY PLUS HARRY FITIED AN OUTSIDE TAP FOR US. THERE WAS A SPELL OF HOT WEATIIER AND THE GARDEN COMMITfEE IL4D TO DO A ROTA FOR WATEIUNG THE PLAKfs IN THE POLY TUNNEL A BIG TFLINK YOU TO ENERYONE ON THE TEAM. UNFORTUNATELY, WE IL4D A FLOOD IN THE HUB.... BUT IT SOON FIXED. JULY.., A TRTP TO LINL4VADY TO SEE ORANGE HERJTAGE MUSEUM, WAS VERY INTERESTING. WE IL4D LUNCH AT THE NL4RKET YARD, (DELICIOUS4 AND SOME SHOPPING AND A QUICK VlblT TO THE ROE VALLEY ARTS CENTRE. WE WEB£ SUCCESSFUL IN GBTrtNG A 17045 GJL4NT FROM THE NATIONAL LOTfERYWHICH HELPED TO PAY FOR HIRE OF THE COMMUNITY CENTRE. REFHmENTS, EXERCISE TiJfo]L CRAFTS AND CL4SSES FOR THB IVY LADIES. THE MEN'S SHED MEET ONCE A MONTH IN THE HUB FOR A CHAT AND A CUPPA. AUGUST... A GROUP FROM THE COMNIUNITY GARDEN PAID A VISIT TO TUILYGARIEY COMMUNITY G.4RDEN TO .&END A IVIID ISLFS WORKSHOP. WE LEABIQT ABOLrr WOODLAND, WILDLIFE. FLOWEILS AND FAUNA AND SOIL. THE HEALTH MINIsfE]L ROBIN SWANN, MLA. AND LOC4L COUNCIILOR SANDRA HUNTEII PAID A VISIT TO THE COMMUNITY GARDEN. MR SWANN WAS VERY IMP]IESSED AND SAID HE WOUID BE BACK AGAIN. A WHISKEY BARJiEL WORtLSHOP ADVERTtSED BY THE DFSIGNERtE IN BUSHMILLS. PARTNEH[p WITH THE COUNCIQ FOR GROUPS TO DFSItsN AND PAtNT A BAlU1L FOR THE SALMON AND WHISKEY FESTIVAL. bLX MEMBERS FROM BDCA TOOK PART. THEI. ALL ILID FUN WORKING TOGETHER TO PRODUCE SOME STUNNtNG ART WORK AND OUR TWO BAIUIELS ABE ON DISPLAY IN THB COMMUNrrY GARDEN. SEiyfEMBER... THE COMMUNITY GARDBN RECEtVED rrs SECOND visrr FROM ROBIN SWANN AND SANDRA HUNFEtL THEY WEPE BOTH PLEASANTLY SURPRISED B&, HOW MUCH WORK HAD BEEN DONE & SAID TFL4T IVE WERE DOING A GREATJOB. OCTOBER ... THE SALMON AND IVHISKEY FE¥fIvAL WAS F]EtD tN THE TOWN OVER 3 DAYS AT THE START OF THE MOTh. THE BUSHMILIS BUSINESS TRUST AND THE COUNCIL HAD ASl¥ED THE COMNIUNrrY GARDEN TO TAKE PART IN THIS YEAR'S EVENT. WE HAD AN OPEN DAY ON THE SUNDAY FOR VISITORS AND LOCALS TO COME AtA)Nts AND bEE WHAT WERE ALL ABOLrr. WE ACCQ)MMODATED 2 WOKL8HUPb IN OUK MARQUEE FOR FLOIL4L ART AND WOOD TLlliNING FOR THE DESIGNERIE, WHICH GENERATED SOME INCOME FOR US. A MEMBER FROM BDCA, DONATED T.OTS OF CLAY FLOWER POTS, FOR THE LIDIES OF THE IVY LEAF CLUB TO PAINT AND DECOIL4TQ SO IVE COULD SELL THEM AT THE FESTIVAL OVER THE WEEI&ND..4S WELL A CROSSCOMMifNITY WILLOW SESSION WHICH WAS ORGANISED BY THE DESIGNERIE WAS HELD OVER 3 DAYS rvrrH EACH COMNL IUNITY VISITING THE OTHER TO 8EE IVHAT EACH GROUP FLID DONE AND ENDED WITH EVERYONE HAVING A LOVELY LUNCH IN CUSHENDUN. WE APPLIED TO THE BHF FOR A DEFIBULATOR BUT WE WE]IE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE CLOSEST DEFIB IS IN THE CEKfR NOvEmBER...IVING APPLIED FOIL AND RECEtVlNG A COUNCIL CHRISTMAS GRANf OF £2500. THE COhlMITfEE MEMBERS GOT BUSY WITH OTIIER COThQWUNITY GROUPS FROM BUSHMIIIS TO ORGANISE THE
CHRISTMAS LIGFrr SlVITCH.ON. THEY ALL MET UP ETrERY WEEK BECAUSE OF THE TIGHf TIMELINE AND WITH HELP AND GUIDANCE FROM COUNCILtL)R SFtARON MCKIILOP, THEY GOT EVERY THlkNG SORTED. IT WAS A MASSIVE UNDERTAKING BUT THE GROUP SUCCEEDED IN THE END. A NLISSIVE IIELL DONE TO EVERYONE INVOLVED. IU MEMBERS AENDED wE.BEING IN IVINTER EvEKf HELD IN THE tARINE HOTEL IN BALLYCASTLE. LOTS OF INFORMTION FOLLOIVED BY A LLTNCH AND MUSIC. THE EVENT WAS HOSTED BY C.O.A.S.T. (C.4USEWAY OLDER ACTIVE STRATEGIC TLIM . BASED IN LIMAVADTh) A BUS LOAD SET OFF FROM BUSHMILtS TO BELFAST CHRISTMAS NL4RKETS. rr STAYED DRY FOR US AND EVERYONE ENJOYED ThE DAY OUT. DECEMBER... BUSHMIILS DOES CHRISThiAS LIGHT SIKqTCH-ON TOOK PLACE ON 81Tr1 AND WAS A GREAT SUCCESS DEsprrE THE TIEATHE]L A QUOTE FROM ONE BUSINESS OWNER..." rr's BEEN THE BEST BVENT IN THB TOIVN IN A LONG TIMB" BDCA DONATED £200 TOWARDS MEAT VOUCHE]L% ALONG WITH AN(yfHER ANONYMOUS DONATION OF £200, GroTALJNG £400) FORTY ELDERLY, LOCAL PEOPLE. WHO LIVE ON THEIR OWN, EACH REcEfvED A £10 VOUCHE WE FIAD OUR ANNUAL CHRISThIAS LUNCHEON AT BUSHFOOT GOLF CLUB WITH 36 PEOPLE ATfENDING. 2024 JANUARY... A GREAT START TO THE IE4R FOR THE COMMUNITY GARDEN WITH FUNDING FROM THE CLOONTY WIND FARM OF JUST ONER £9K. OUR FIRST PURCHASE WAS A FINER GRADE OF STONES FOR THE PATHS AND PARKING ABE& {kING IT A LOT EASIER TO WALK ON. O LIDIES FROM THE IVY LEAF CLUB ATfENDED AGE CHAMPION TRAINING, HOSIED BY C.O.A.S.T. IN THE LODGE HOTEL, WITH A VISIT TO NEwfowNABBEY AND LISBURN SENIORS FORUM FOR A BEsf PRACTISE CLAbS. 5 EmBERs WERE INVITED ALONG TO SEE HOW THE PRoGs WAS GOING IN THE OID COURTHOUSE. FEBRUARY. 3 MEMBERS IifENT TO A "SOCIAL SPAJiKS" WORtLSHOP HELD AT THE ENTERPRISE CAUSEWAI. OFFICFS IN COLEFL41NE. IS MEMBERS OF BDCA ATfENDED A CHARITY ComlIsSI0N GOVERNANCE TRANING SESSION AT THE LODGE HOTEL. THIS WAS REULY fNTFORMATIVE AND WELL PRESENTED AND EVERYONE LErr WITH A GIIEATER KNOWLEDGE OF THE INS AND ours OF RUNNING A CF£ARITY. THREE MEMBERS FLIVE JOINED THE BOARD OF TRUS.... LETfiE MCMUILAN, NIAIL MEHAFFEY AND LORRAINE PURLEIL. MARCH. 14 LIDIES FROM THE IVY LEAF CLUB WERE INvrrED ALONG TO A CERAMICS WORKSHOP IN FLOWERFIEtDs IN PORTSTEWART, MAKINts A VASE IVITH OUR TUTOR FIONA SFL4NNON. IHE MEN'S SHED IS GONG STRONG AND IT NOW IL4S I I MEMBERS. THE COMMUNITY GARDEN HAS 8 REGULAR VOLuKfEERS. LOCAL FARME1 HAVE HELPED WITH GOING FOR STONES, SAND, CollosT, PLOUGHING, HARROWING. ETQ AND MEfNtBERS OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY HAVE HELPED AND DONATED MUCH NEEDED BQUIPMENr, MANURE. PL4NTS, ETC. END OF REPORT