Our summer in your communities!
This has been the busiest summer to date for our Tenant Participation team, who organised over thirty events in numerous communities across Northern Ireland, reaching out to over 1,500 people.
Derry~Londonderry
At the start of the summer over 250 people attended our community fun day in Eglinton, which formed part of our Good Relations Plan for the area. On the day tenants and families from the local area enjoyed the petting zoo, food, face painting, toddler activities and a bit of magic thrown in too!
On Tuesday 24th August we made good use of the green space in Clon Elagh in Derry~Londonderry by hosting a family fun day there. Despite the rain, locals enjoyed the inflatables, face painter, circus workshops and petting farm. Residents didn’t let a little rain get in the way of their fun, and the playbus went down a hit in the miserable weather!
Another rainy day in August saw the hosting of our family fun day in Shantallow Community Centre in Derry~Londonderry, in partnership with Habinteg Housing Association and Shantallow Community Residents’ Association.
On Tuesday 20th September we hosted a very special event in Dungiven for local residents to remember their friend and neighbour Tammy Cooke. Apex restored the communal garden area where Tammy enjoyed spending time and a plaque was erected in memory of Tammy. There was a great turnout from the local community, with tea, buns and activities organised for children on the green space beside the garden.
Over the summer, families in Cornshell Fields in Derry~Londonderry enjoyed our movie and craft mornings. Apex also supported a family fun day in the area at the end of August organised by the charity ‘On Street Community Youth’.
Working in partnership with ‘Everybody Active 2020’ we hosted activity sessions in Clon Elagh, Dungiven and Strabane to encourage our tenants and local communities to get more active through sport and physical activity.
Burren Meadow, Newcastle
We supported residents in Burren Meadow in Newcastle to improve the look of their area by organising an estate clean-up, involving both adults and children. Tenants carried out a litter pick in the estate and refreshed the flower planters at the entrance to brighten up the area.
During the summer residents were also provided with information from Cats Protection and The Dogs Trust on animal chipping, health and neutering. Finally, we organised a Movie and Treats afternoon, allowing local families to spend time together and watch ‘Hotel Transylvania’. The event was well attended and feedback was very positive.
Rathcoole Gardens, Newtownabbey
Rathcoole Gardens in Newtownabbey was busy over the summer taking part in several estate clean-up activities. Staff from Apex repaired furniture in the development’s communal garden and tenants supported our efforts by scattering wild flower seeds and introducing some plants donated by Belfast City Council.
During the summer residents from Rathcoole Gardens were also provided with information from Cats Protection and The Dogs Trust on animal chipping, health and neutering.
Woodside Court, Omagh
During August we organised a welcome event for our newest ‘Housing for All’ development – Woodside Court in Omagh – allowing locals tenants to socialise and get to know their neighbours. We provided a bouncy castle, face painter and lots of treats for the kids, whilst the adults enjoyed some of our tasty welcome cake!
Ballynafoy Close, Belfast
Residents in Ballynafoy Close in Belfast enjoyed a summer event on 18th July. On the day, families enjoyed the bouncy castle, face painter, ice cream van and creepy critters. The children especially enjoyed having animals at the event, and had no fear when it came to handling snakes and lizards and all things furry.
This year, we opened our ‘Sports Week’ to the wider community and the two weeks were very well attended. Taking on board feedback from last year, we invited the Irish Football Association to deliver soccer skills sessions and Jump Jiggle and Jive was provided for the younger children and the parents to enjoy together.
Ballynafoy Summer Scheme increased its capacity to 30 this year. Children attending the summer scheme enjoyed a week of crafts and games and finished off with a trip to ‘Let’s Go Hydro’.
Our busy summer was rounded off by our biggest event to date. We held a community fun day in Ormeau Park in South Belfast. Over 600 people came along and enjoyed the activities on offer, including a climbing wall, petting zoo, storytelling and arts and crafts. The event was a fantastic opportunity for us to raise awareness of Apex and the work we are doing in local communities.
