Kilcreggan Urban Farm has been picked to go forward as Mid and East Antrim Borough Council's elected business for Northern Ireland's 'Best Small Visitor Attraction', out voting Glenarm Castle and Whitehead Railway Museum.

Back in February, this competition was launched in partnership with Tourism NI and local councils, with Belfast City Airport offering small visitor attractions from across N. Ireland the chance to win £30,000 of free marketing support and brand visibility at the airport.

The farm was established 20 years ago, thanks to the idea of a tenant, Linda Bennett, who loves animals and knew that spending time caring for animals and in nature made her feel good and improved her life. She felt others could also benefit and so began the creation of a much-loved community space.

What has now developed is a visitor attraction that operates as a social firm, engaging service users in all aspects of running a busy and successful garden centre and urban farm.  

Service users can engage in therapeutic activities and demonstrate their skills, passion and knowledge for what they do with visitors and guests.

The next stage is a visit by the judges and we wish Kilcreggan Urban Farm the best of luck! 

Record high numbers of over 120,000 attended this years show, and visitors could learn more about what Mid & East Antrim has to offer from food producers to tourism options!

Over the 4 days local food producers Flossy Treats, Linda’s Original, Sea Sugar Confectionary and H’Evans Truffles successfully exhibited with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, selling their produce, engaging with new customers and promoting new products to the large crowds in attendance. 

The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland are pleased to have two full-time staff members now in post, both based at Whitehead Railway Museum.

Lisa Adair began as General Manager in April and is thrilled to join the organisation. She sees huge potential in the museum as a leading visitor attraction. She is looking forward to working with the local community and the tourism cluster which she sees developing in Mid and East Antrim.

Rebecca Laverty has been the Museum Administrator since November 2018. She is delighted to see Lisa in post and is looking forward to the great work they hope to do together. The team at Whitehead Railway Museum are especially excited about the coming weeks, with many events going on throughout the summer including:

• Friday 24 and Saturday 25 May Big Telly theatre company pop-up play performances  – tickets available through Eventbrite;
• Afternoon tea on Saturday 15 June at 2pm.
• The museum opening Sundays in July and August from 12.30pm-4pm; and
• Steam Train Rides running 12-4pm on Saturday 25 May, Saturday 29 June and every Saturday in July and August.

Tourism NI has awarded Irish Tour Tickets five stars for its Game of Thrones tour of film locations across Northern Ireland indicating that the tour offers an outstanding visitor experience. Northern Ireland is home to twenty six publicly accessible Game of Thrones filming locations which attract tens of thousands of fans from across the globe.  Pictured here is our own Carnlough Harbour, also known as the Free City of Braavos Canal!

Set in the grounds of the stunning Galgorm Castle Estate, is a magical fairy kingdom. A fairy library holds the secrets to the fairy realm, whilst a shopping village caters for the everyday needs of the modern fairy.
Watch out for the trolls though, who've been cast out by the fairies for their nuisances and bad deeds. These are just some of the delights you'll find when you visit this ever expanding and enchanting woodland trail. New additions also include the Hidden Village and more secret trails.

Consultation events have taken place with local people interested in developing angling for both local people and visiting tourists on the Lower Bann and its tributaries.  This new research for Sport NI and the Honourable The Irish Society and partners is being undertaken by research organisation Substance (www.substance.net), which is a leading organisation in angling research. If you're involved in angling in the area, Substance would love to get your views.

Image courtesy of The Honourable The Irish Society

A new touring exhibition reflecting on the life and times of Andrew Jackson, 7th President of the United States and Nashville's most famous son is launching on 12 June 2019 at the Discover Ulster-Scots Centre, Victoria Street, Belfast.

Jackson, whose parents journeyed to America from Boneybefore outside Carrickfergus, was the first of 20 US Presidents with roots in Ulster. For more information click here.

The cost of the tour is:
- Adult (over 16): £8
- Juvenile (11-16): £5
- Families (2 Adults and up to 3 Juveniles): £25
- Children (under 11): Free, if accompanied and supervised by an Adult (up to 2 children per adult).  
- Discounts available for groups.

Prices include a complimentary cup of tea or coffee in Dobbins Inn at the end of the tour.

For further information: 
E: leadthewaytourcarrickfergus@gmail.com

Congratulations to Carnfunnock Country Park in Larne who won the ‘Gold Star Best Family Park’ award and was a finalist in the ‘Best Family Fun and Entertainment’ category at the recent Families First NI Awards 2019.

The awards recognise individuals and businesses who make family life that little bit easier or more special. 

The aim of the course is to enable learners to understand the role of a tour guide, illustrate the structure of the tourism industry in our own region, develop and deliver a short tour commentary and understand the health and safety implications.  

Now's an exciting time to pursue or develop a career in the tourism industry. Employment in the sector now accounts for about one in 10 of all jobs in Northern Ireland and employment levels are around 5% higher than during the lowest point of the 2012 recession. 

For further information on how you can develop your training needs, within this growing sector, contact Lorraine Neill, Northern Regional College E: lorraine.neil@nrc.ac.uk

The 2019/20 Historic Environment Fund
This £820,000 fund, funded by Historic Environment Division, Department for Communities, is aimed at conserving historic environment assets and increasing knowledge and public awareness. Applications are invited from owners and community and heritage organisations for a range of support streams including Heritage Repair, Heritage Regeneration, Heritage Revival and Heritage Research.

Most funding routes close on 10 June 2019 but for further information on how to apply for each stream and their specific deadlines click here.

Arts Council of Northern Ireland
Equipment and Minor Refurbishment Programme. This programme is to enable organisations to purchase equipment and/or carry out minor refurbishment to their premises which will enhance their artistic services.  Application closing date is 4pm on Thursday 20 June 2019.

NIHE Rural Community Awards
With a total prize fund of £6,000 available, community and residential groups in rural areas can apply for three awards; Cleaner and Greener, Rural Community Spirit and Sustainable Village of the Year. Submission deadline is 4pm on Wednesday 31 July 2019.

NI Survival School are in the news again. Instructors, Paul Moore and Andy Boe attended the 8 week level 2 tour guide course through the Northern Regional College (NRC) in March of this year.

They were then asked to attend a ‘Best practice event’ run by the Department for the Economy. Paul gave a presentation to representatives from further education colleges throughout Northern Ireland on the importance of a collaborative approach between further education establishments in gaining qualifications and how this improves businesses and ultimately the Northern Ireland economy.

This successful presentation resulted in NI Survival School being asked to take part in the production of a promotional video for the Skills Focus program in conjunction with NRC, for release next year.

Shooting took place this month at Galgorm Castle estate in Ballymena.

Atlantico Ireland is designing and printing an A3 tear off Whitehead map, in pads of 100, for handing out to visitors by each sponsored business. Should you want to advertise your business in the 2019 version then contact Craig T:  079 8062 4933 or E: hello@atlanticomaps.co.uk  This publication will be available from July onwards with an initial print run of 20,000 copies. Hoping to sign off soon!

Find out what else visitors can see and do in Northern Ireland during their stay this July with these fantastic tips from Discover Northern Ireland.

If any businesses are running entertainment or events over the Open period (14-21 July 2019) then Tourism NI need to know for visitor servicing purposes!  Please advise zoe.lindsay@midandeastantrim.gov.uk

Tourism NI are providing limited Point Of Sale kits to the industry for use during The 148^th Open, including napkins, beer mats, window stickers, pin badges, indoor bunting, cocktail flag sticks and door signs.  To register interest in the POS kits E: eventsunit@tourismni.com.  Supplies are limited but the artwork is available on the Tourism NI Media Library if you wish to create your own stock.  For more information on The 148^th Open and how to get involved: E:  eventsunit@tourismni.com.

A recruitment drive is still underway for car parkers, cash takers and logistics officers. No experience needed. T: 020 8900 2405 E: recruitment@gotocsp.com.  The next recruitment day is 18 June 2019 at The Lodge Hotel, Lodge Road Roundabout, Coleraine BT52 1NF.  Session times 10am, 12 noon and 2pm.

Volunteer now are still looking for volunteers to bring an unrivaled visitor experience to the tournament and make this event truly unmissable. Sign up to be involved in the biggest event to come to our shores in 2019!

Do you want to enjoy walking in the mountains? A Guided Hills Day (Sunday 2 June from 9.30am to 3.30pm) will provide you with some guidance on basic navigation, weather management, kit and equipment advice and more.  Or if you're more experienced come along and enjoy the beauty of the Antrim hills, led by a qualified instructor. Meeting Linford Car Park, Cairncastle. Cost £5. Places limited. To book T: 028 9335 8232 E: outdoor.recreation@midandeastantrim.gov.uk

New leisure centre for Ballymena?

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council aims to provide local residents with access to modern leisure facilities and activities to help keep people active and lead a happier, healthier lifestyle. 

They want to hear your ideas and suggestions regarding facilities and activities that could be included in the new health and wellbeing centre due to replace the Seven Towers Leisure Centre in Ballymena.

Feedback is wanted from local residents, visitors, members and previous users of the centre before moving onto the next stage of the project. Click here to complete the survey.

This free survey is open to organisations of all sizes and sectors from across Northern Ireland. This year they’ve included a Small Business Survey for organisations with less than 25 staff. 

Business in the Community will support you in measuring your environmental impacts and help identify where your organisation needs to take action to make NI, and the planet, a better place to work and live. It measures and compares your organisation against others, so they can help you set targets and take action for improvement. 

The survey closes on 21 June 2019.  To register and take part click here. 

Heritage Angel Awards NI
Applications for Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation's Heritage Angel Awards NI, for those who have rescued, regenerated, recorded, interpreted or offered their craft skills to a built heritage project in NI, closes on 31 May 2019.

Social Enterprise NI Awards 2019
Could your Social Enterprises be a winner this year?  With 13 award categories to apply for you're bound to find one that suits.

Last year David Hunter; CEO of Access Employment Ltd in Larne, was winner of both the Leader of the Year and Social Enterprise of the Year 2018.

Ulster Tatler Awards
The closing date for nominations is midnight on Sunday 23 June 2019.  Vote for your favourite spa, hotel, coffee house, restaurant and lots more.

Northern Ireland Independent Retail Awards 2019

Nominations are now open for The 2nd Northern Ireland Independent Retail Awards. Use this link to vote for your favourite independent retail businesses.

If you wish to put your business forward, simply share the link and encourage your customers to nominate you. Those with the most nominations will be shortlisted into the finals.

A free Open College Network (OCN) accredited course 'Introduction to Ulster-Scots' is being run throughout June by the Ulster-Scots Community Network and Mid Ulster Council at Ranfurly House, Dungannon. 

The Discover Ulster-Scots Centre is open exclusively to the public from 10.30am - 2.30pm on the first Saturday of every month until Saturday 7 September 2019. Entry free.  For a full list of opening dates and times visit here or E: discover@ulster-scots.com

The Orphan Brigade recently took part in a BBC documentary, Rock 'n' roll Highway, which traces the connection between the Ulster/Scots musical heritage to early US settlers to rock'n'roll. Available now on BBC iPlayer.

Did you know that most archaeological excavations in N. Ireland take place as part of the planning process? Historic Environment Division, Department for Communities has published a new document: Development and Archaeology: Guidance on Archaeological Works in the Planning Process. 

The Cultural Cities Enquiry, which came together in March 2018 to develop a new model to help culture flourish in cities in the context of diminishing public funding in UK, has published its final report. 

The National Trust has launched a major, industry defining sustainability study to better understand the impact on and opportunities for the local community of increased visitor numbers to the Giant’s Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede.  The study will take 12-18 months which will see the National Trust work in partnership with ARUP, an international firm of designers and technical experts who will examine the physical, environmental and visitor experience aspects of the sites. To keep up to date follow their Facebook page.

Trips to Ireland in Q1 of 2019 have exceeded 2 million for the first time, 2,026,700 trips to Ireland, an increase of +5.5% in Q1. 

Sozo Carrickfergus has been bought over and renamed Nix. New look branding and new menu choices with all the scones, tray bakes and treats home baked! 

Red Panda Chinese restaurant and takeaway opened in Larne.

Congratulations to our Institute of Hospitality NI winners 2019 including:
- Winner of the Hospitality Management Team of the Year Award - Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort
- winner of the Human Resource Manager of the Year Award,  is Lauren McAteer from Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort.
- winner of the Restaurateur of the Year Award is Fisnik Ujkaj from Castello Italia.
-winner of the General Manager of the Future Award is Lindsay Carroll from Ballygally Castle Hotel.
- joint winner of the Business Development / Sales Manager of the Year Award, Leigh Heggarty from Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort and
- winner of the Housekeeping Manager of the Year Award is Monika Wieczorek from Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort. 

Well done to The Gobbins cliff path on winning a national award for its infrastructure project work.

Remember to check out Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust 2019 Events Calendar to find out what events are upcoming. Most events are free and suitable for all ages.

A new book, “From Barley to Blarney” has been published by the Dead Rabbit Pub NYC focusing on whiskey tourism and featuring our very own Crosskeys Inn. 

The annual Big Splash Festival in Portglenone takes place from Wednesday 24 July to Sunday 28th July with the triathlon on Saturday 3 August at 10am.

15 June is #BeerDayNI - not long now!

The deadline for submissions for artists and performers in partnership with Belfast businesses for Culture Night (Friday 20 September) and Culture Day (Saturday 21 September) is 4pm on Monday 8 July 2019.  The submission form and toolkit are available here.

The Ulster Chowder Championship takes place again at this years Rathlin Sound Maritime Festival in Ballycastle (27 May). The winner will be sponsored to attend the World Famous Kinsale Chowder Cook Off in 2020.  Wonder will there be any entrants from MEA?

Beach trips will be closer than you think this summer with the installation of an urban beach in People’s Park. You'll be able to build sandcastles in the sunshine and feel the sand between your toes, whilst avoiding the coastal traffic jams. 

Licensed and Catering news awards have announced some MEA finalists including
- Pub of the Year finalist:  The Grouse, Ballymena
- Restaurant of the Year finalist:  The River Room, Galgorm Spa and Golf Resort
- Hotel of the Year finalist (75+ rooms):  Galgorm Spa and Golf Resort
- Best Newcomer of the Year finalist:  The Lighthouse Bistro
Winners announced on 7 June 2019.

'Discover Spanish Gold in Northern Ireland will take place from 3-9 June 2019 in three locations with Spanish connections -  Carrickfergus, Belfast and Armagh.  Join them for a treasure hunt, tours, talks. Book now so as not to lose out. www.letsgoexploring.co.uk 

Raceview Mill in Broughshane has redefined itself as a heritage business park and has a new website.

The European Coarse Angling Championships are coming to The Lower Bann from the 28-30 June 2019. 

Upcoming Northern Regional College business training