The Department for Communities’ Developing Women in the Community Programme is now open.

As residents know, councillors were not able to hold their weekly ward surgeries at schools and libraries since the start of the COVID-19 health emergency, but I am pleased to advise of the one new weekly ward surgery I am now able to start.

From today – Tuesday 14th September – and during school term times, my new surgery time and location is :

Tuesdays at 3.30pm prompt at Blackness Library

All welcome and no need to book.    The library has appropriate safety measures in place to ensure a COVID-safe environment, including hand sanitisers and use of face coverings.

Unfortunately, due to COVID-related restrictions and venue availability, my very long-standing surgeries at Blackness Primary School’s staff room and at the Mitchell Street Centre will no longer be possible.

However, once access to school premises for councillors’ surgeries is again permitted with COVID restrictions easing, I hope that, later in the autumn,  I will be returning to a surgery at Harris Academy.   I hope to also run one at Ancrum Road Primary School. 

Both will also take place on Tuesdays – with details to follow.

The Executive’s Coronavirus public information campaign has won a prestigious industry award.

Economy Minister Gordon Lyons announced today that leading US IT and Cybersecurity services provider Agio is to create 100 jobs and a new technology centre in Belfast.

Up-skirting, down-blousing and adults masquerading as children online are among the new offences that today are one step closer to becoming law, following the introduction of the second stage of legislation by Justice Minister, Naomi Long.