ANNUAL REPORT
BROUGHSHANE IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE
2023 / 2024
Introduction
Background
The Broughshane Improvement Committee, one of 32 groups affiliated to the Broughshane and District Community Association, was formed in 1987 with the AIM ‘To Make Our Village a Better Place To Live and Grow Up In’
Ethos
Over the years much has been achieved and indeed the village is a better place. It has always been recognised that the most important requirement in achieving and maintaining our aims is to involve the people of the village. We have always endeavoured to generate a sense of ownership and belonging in the people of the village and the Braid Valley from the preschool playgroup to senior citizens.
Hence our motto ‘ People Plants and Pride Growing Together’
The year APRIL 2023 - MARCH 2024
General
This has been another successful year for the Team. Not only have we maintained our environmental standards but have continued the work with further improvements. Again, this year we did not enter any ‘In Bloom’ competitions.
Whilst winning of awards are the public face of our achievements and bring their own rewards for our future activities the greatest reward is that the village is “a better place to live and grow up in.”
The environmental work of the Team is we believe the matrix which helps bind together the Groups in the Association.
Bi Monthly meetings of the Committee are held to organise and control activities.
Routine Tasks
In addition to buying, bringing on and planting up plants for beds, window boxes and tubs etc. members of the Improvement Team (the Committee and other volunteers) carry out the normal everyday tasks necessary the achieve our aims. These tasks include :-
Watering Tubs. window boxes etc.- a major task in summer Weeding Beds etc. and hedge trimming, shrub pruning etc. Grass cutting All grassed areas in the village
Litter pick- ups
Regular activity especially in summer
Street Cleaning
Weed removal/cleaning/painting tubs/ signs/ fencing
Projects
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Working with George Sloan SCOPE group
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New Planters
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Basket removal
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Planting with the Playgroup
Fund raising
We receive sponsorships and villager’s donations from a number of sources and from sale of surplus plants. Fund raising is essential.
Grants
| Grants | |
|---|---|
| MEA Environmental Grant | £750 |
| Rathsherry /Energia | £3000 |
| Awards for All NI | £17,990 |
Benefits
All the villagers (some 21% are over 65) benefit from the environment, tidiness and cleanliness of the village.
But there are specific groups which benefit from our efforts: -
The volunteers. The majority of our 30/40 volunteers are senior citizens who enjoy the opportunity to work together, make new friendships and perhaps learn new gardening or environmental skills.
The Young People Most Saturday mornings a group of young villagers as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme can be seen helping and usually enjoying working with the old folk with the routine work and perhaps developing new skills.
The shopkeepers and businesses. There was only one recently vacated empty shop in the village and the many visitors bring in extra trade. In some case’s these businesses are pretty essential since they remove the need to travel the 3 miles in to Ballymena for the services required.