Old & Young 'Win Lottery'

An environmental project breaking down barriers between older and young people in the rural village of Cloughmills is today sharing in a grants windfall from the Big Lottery Fund. Pictured in the Incredible Edibles garden in Cloughmills village are Cloughmills Community Action Team members Dillon Jackson, 17, and Michael Wonnacott, 55, as Cloughmills Community Action Team is one of three groups across Northern Ireland that have been awarded grants totalling over £24,000 from the Big Lottery Fund's Community Wildlife programme which aims to bring communities together to improve or protect the natural environment by raising awareness of threatened wildlife or places. The group, based in Cloughmills village near Ballymoney, will use a grant of £7,650 to run a range of environmental projects giving young and older people the chance to work together to improve the environment and break down the barriers that exist between them.

St George's For Award?

Belfast's historic St George's Market has been shortlisted in the 'Best Food Market' category of the 2010 BBC Food and Farming Awards. The judges, chaired by top chef Angela Hartnett, will be visiting St George's some time in the coming weeks, and the winner will be announced on 24 November. The other short-listed markets are Stoke Newington Farmers' Market and Stroud Farmers' Market.

Poll Call For Rathlin

The Stormont Regional Development Minster Conor Murphy has written to the Chief Electoral Officer calling for the ballot box on Rathlin Island to stay put. The Electoral Office is currently consulting on new polling arrangements and is proposing not to have a polling station on Rathlin. "I believe that the proposed removal is contrary to the Executive agreed Rathlin Island Policy that recognises the challenges faced by the community on our only inhabited offshore island," he said. "Since coming into office I have been committed to improving island life and the services available to those on Rathlin."

Clean Hands Call

The NI Health Minister Michael McGimpsey has highlighted the importance of clean hands in the fight against the spread of infections and viruses. Speaking on World Hand Washing Day, the Minister said: "Clean hands are vital in controlling the spread of healthcare associated infections, as well as other illnesses such as food poisoning and seasonal flu. I am committed to providing cleaner and safer care for patients. That is why I introduced the regional hand hygiene campaign to drive down the rate of infection in health and social care settings." The Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride reinforced the message that effective hand washing is absolutely essential and said: "Good hand hygiene should be a personal priority for everyone and we all have a part to play in controlling the spread of infections and viruses by making sure that we have clean hands."

Baileys 'Cream'

Baileys is 'the cream' of production plants with the factory in Mallusk, Co Antrim, just awarded 'Diageo Plant of the Year for 2010' ahead of 70 other Diageo sites across the world. It produces more than 60% of the world's supply of Baileys on one high-speed line, and exports it to over 130 countries. Since the end of July, the plant has been working 24 hours a day in preparation for Christmas.

Killer Costs

Over three quarters of a million pounds has been spent in legal aid defending murderer Henryk Gorski. The 53-year-old immigrant meat plant worker was last year sentenced to life after a jury returned a unanimous verdict for the murder of vulnerable Ballymena woman Shirley Finlay. The £800,000 costs are likely to increase substantially during Gorski's forthcoming appeal. The news was revealed in a Freedom of Information request by the Belfast News Letter.

Gardaí Deny Assaulting Teen

Four members of the Irish gardaí have pleaded not guilty to allegations they assaulted a teenager in Dublin two years ago. Garda Alan Conlon, Garda Claire Delaney, Garda Eoin Murtagh, and Garda Sean O'Leary are facing charges of assault causing harm and forcible entry at Basin Street Upper in the south inner city on February 17, 2008. All four accused pleaded not guilty to a combined total of 15 charges including assault causing harm to Eoin Gaffney, trespassing and forcible entry. Gda Conlon, Gda Delaney, and Gda Murtagh have also been charged with false imprisonment of Fidelma Gaffney on the same date. Three of the officers were stationed in Kilmainham at the time while the fourth, Garda Alan Conlon, was stationed at Kevin Street. The trail is expected to hear from a total of 43 witnesses, many of whom are from the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission which investigated the incident.

NVQ Trainees Recognised

Some 17 tradesmen have received recognition for being the first in NI to receive NVQ qualifications through site-based training achieving Experienced Workers Practical Assessment (EWPA) NVQ Level 2 qualifications. Such training that has resulted in EWPA NVQ Level 2 qualifications has never been done in Northern Ireland and it has been made possible by a collaborative partnership between Amey, Farrans, H&J Martin and Pattons (Amey FMP), CITB-ConstructionSkills Northern Ireland, and the Belfast Education and Library Board (BELB). According to CITB-ConstructionSkills Northern Ireland, the funding for this innovative project was provided by them along with the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) with the delighted tradesmen receiving their certificates at a 'Recognition of Achievement Evening' held at the Hilton Hotel Belfast.

(BMcC/GK)