Newtownabbey set to mark Good Relations Week

Kathy Wolff (Community Relations Forum), Sheila McClelland (Community Relations Council Board Member), Peter Day (Community Relations Council Director of Engagement), Mayor, Ald John Smyth, Claire Harris (Community Relations Council Board Member), Nisha Tandon MBE (Community Relations Board Member) and Mark Kent (Good Relations Officer Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council).

Coordinated by the Community Relations Council (CRC), Good Relations Week takes place between September 16 and 22 with support from The Executive Office, the Department for Communities, the Department of Justice and other government agencies.

Under the theme ‘People Making Change for Peace’, events will cover issues such as cultural diversity, dealing with the past, faith, sport, education, young people and language.

Newtownabbey-based events included in this year’s programme have been organised by a range of local community and voluntary organisations including Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, Libraries NI and the Community Relations Forum.

This year’s events range from a screening of ‘Wave Goodbye to Dinosaurs’, a documentary charting the rise of the Women’s Coalition during the 1998 peace talks in the Barron Hall to the ‘Great Glengormley Get Together’ in Lilian Bland Park.

Meanwhile, The Baron Hall will also host an evening of ‘craic and culture’ when ‘Come on, on in’ returns to the shared space on the Friday of the week. The Shared Education Learning Forum (SELF) will visit the Hilton Hotel in Templepatrick on the Tuesday to deliver a workshop for those working in the sector.

The hotel will also welcome another delegation of good relations practitioners later in the week as they gather for the launch of the PEACE IV programme.

Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Ald John Smyth said: “As our borough becomes more diverse and we welcome more cultures to our shores it is important to celebrate our very welcoming towns and villages and say thank you to the many volunteers and community leaders who continue to work tirelessly promoting good relations and building a united community.

“I am always humbled by the many community volunteers I have met during my term as Mayor and have witnessed the continued work they do in their local communities making them so welcoming and vibrant.”

Community Relations Council Chair, Martin McDonald, added: “This year we have selected the theme ‘People Making Change for Peace’ as we seek to showcase the contribution many thousands of people make to creating and sustaining good relationships across the community.

“We are delighted to have such a packed programme of over 200 events which showcase the fantastic work and the people behind it that is so important to our society.

“I encourage everyone to get involved in Good Relations Week and to seek to play their own role in making positive change for peace.”

For more information on events happening in your area, visit www.goodrelationsweek.com where a copy of the programme is available for download. It can be searched by event type, geographical area and date.

You can also keep up to date with Good Relations Week 2019 on Facebook and Twitter and by using the hashtag #GRWeek19.