Ballymena BID maintains three further defibs in the town (at the Front Page, Wallace’s, Cameron’s) bringing the new addition to a total to four – which enormously helps the BID’s commitment to improving all aspects of life for people working, shopping and living in the town. There are a further 15 in the town, which is thought to be the most in any town in Northern Ireland.

Sinead, who owns Dunclug Spar, unexpectedly took ill in Ballymena town centre on 28^th October 2020. She collapsed with Sudden Death Syndrome, a diagnosis that can often come all-too-late for those who are not near a defibrillator when their heart stops with no warning.

Thanks to the paramedics who arrived on the scene with a portable defibrillator, Sinead’s heart was able to be shocked twice, saving her life.

During her long road to recovery, Sinead reflected on her experience and was inspired to install an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) at her family’s popular shop, Connolly’s Spar & Off Sales, in case anyone else found themselves in the same terrifying situation.

The fundraising efforts included a 12-hour ‘spinathon’ by family and friends, where they raised over £7.5k, which was five times what they needed to buy one unit, so they ended up purchasing a total of five to be stationed around the town.

GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION

Chair of Ballymena BID Stephen Reynolds said: “We are so very grateful to Sinead and her fundraising team for thinking of others during a personal crisis.

“Sinead and her husband are much-valued members of our local business community, and we are very grateful for this generous contribution.

“We also want to extend our thanks to Mid & East Antrim Borough Council for providing the casing and housing for the defibs, and to thank the Department for Infrastructure for allowing BID to position the defib in the very central location in the town.

“Ballymena BID is committed to raising awareness of where all the defibs are located and to maintaining their upkeep, so they will be ready and close at hand should they be needed in an emergency. We have also committed to annual training for any staff member in the town who wishes to be trained in the use of this fantastic equipment.”

‘Ballymena BID is committed to raising awareness of where all the defibs are located and to maintaining their upkeep’

Sinead said: “We were overwhelmed with support from both the Ballymena BID and indeed the local community, and we are so delighted to see this defibrillator installed right in the centre of the town, outside the old Bank of Ireland building beside the Harmony Hub, close to where my own incident happened two years ago.

“The others are located at; SureStart Playgroup, Healthy Kidz in Portadown, All-Saints Youth Club, Geraldine Donnelly School of Irish Dancing the fifth is installed outside our store and all are available to the community 24/7.

DEFIBRILLATOR LOCATIONS

“Working to make this happen has changed my outlook on the terrible incident that almost cost me my life. I can walk past these now with both pride and optimism, knowing that should anyone else suffer the same problem, help is literally at hand,” she added.

Ballymena BID is delighted with Sinead’s contribution to the health and safety of the town and proud of her courage and hard work to help other people. The organisation is keen to publicly thank her and to raise awareness of where all the defibrillators are located.

If you want to know where your closest defibrillator is located and if it is emergency ready, visit www.defibfinder.uk This is a national map of all registered defibs.

The post Ballymena BID gives heartfelt thanks to shop owner for life-saving equipment first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

The Shutter Art concept is now featured on eight businesses within the town centre.

The concept was introduced by BID Board Member, Lesley McCaughan, owner of Follow Coffee. She engaged with local artist, Sam McAleese, during lockdown, and was so impressed with Sam’s shutter and internal art mural that she submitted the idea to the BID’s Marketing Subgroup for consideration.

Ballymena BID ran a competition across all businesses to win shutter art for their premises. Alongside this, 23 businesses were gifted green planters to adorn their entrances, in a bid to make the town centre more attractive.

The shutter art was created by Sam McAleese, a local artist and Tattooist, who is about to open his first Tattoo business in the town within The Barber Collective located on Church Street. He is delighted to be able to showcase his art in such a unique and highly visible way.

Speaking about the new initiatives, Emma McCrea said: “The shutter art has been a fantastic addition to our town centre.

“It has added a unique, vibrant and colourful element to each business, with the artwork tailor-made to suit the business. Willow Beauty has a gorgeous, soft, muted tone mural featuring Willow Trees, UPS has a streetscape showcasing house sales.

“We also ran an initiative to introduce 46 green planters into the town, to help create a welcoming environment to shop entrances. We were delighted with the interest and were able to secure the trees from a local Ballymena garden centre Ben Vista.”

Roy Smyth, owner of Outdoor Adventure, who has a camp scene painted on his shutter, said: “We absolutely love the art work, the scene is really beautiful, and it has really added to our business and helps us market the place when we are closed. We have had many visitors comment on it and even taken their photograph outside the premises for social media.”

Lesley McCaughan, BID Board member and owner of Follow Coffee said: “Sam’s work is second-to-none and it is lovely to support a young, up-and-coming artist and fellow business owner in this town. Like ourselves, I am delighted to see so many businesses benefit from the artwork.”

Ballymena was the first BID to be established in Northern Ireland in 2015 and since then it has been committed to the improvement of the town centre.

They have a £1M budget allocated for a five-year term, with a remit to invest back into the town centre to attract further trade. The money is allocated between marketing and promotion, making the town a safer, cleaner and more welcoming place for all and also providing additional business support to the businesses. BID also work hard to secure additional funding to help support local businesses.

For details of the Ballymena BID’s business plan visit www.ballymenameans.com.

The post Local artist transforms face of Follow Coffee & Ballymena businesses first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

The Mayor is encouraging shoppers to pay the town a visit for some excellent deals across all retailers.

The annual Discount Day, formerly known as Church Street Discount Day, is organised by Ballymena Business Improvement District (BID).

Running from 9am to 9pm, Discount Day will see the majority of local independent and high street retailers offering shoppers special promotions and discounts throughout the day.

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor William McCaughey, said: “Once again, we are hoping for a hugely successful Discount Day in the town centre following what has been a very difficult time for retailers.

“Support from both retailers and visitors is increasing and it will be great to see the shops in the town thriving with deals that you do not want to miss out on.

“We will be delighted to welcome many new and returning visitors to the town centre to see our fantastic selection of independent and high street stores, not to mention our bars and eateries.”

Manager of Ballymena BID, Emma McCrea, said: “We are delighted to see so many businesses get involved in discount day following such a challenging year.

“BID and all participating businesses are excited to welcome customers back from near and far for the most anticipated shopping day of the year.

“Ballymena, unlike other towns, is over 70% independent business so the support and custom means so much to them. We wish everyone an enjoyable shopping day.”

Ballymena Discount Day is a great way to get more for your money and use your High Street Voucher issued by the Department for the Economy.

There will be discounts throughout the whole town so explore every street and if you want to stay overnight there will be offers available from just £37.50 per person.

Visit www.ballymenameans.com for a full list of discounts and  follow @ballymenameans on social media for regular updates.

Shoppers can also avail of all the best offers by using the ShopMEA app which launched in early October.

Caption: Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor William McCaughey, pictured with Ballymena BID Manager, Emma McCrea.

The post Ballymena Discount Day promises to be an ‘add to cart’ kinda day first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

The post Ballymena’s business leaders back bid for city status first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

ShopMEA is a revolutionary new marketplace platform, which will put your business, and any special offers or unique product ranges, straight into the hands of consumers, and the best bit is that it’s completely free to register.

Designed exclusively by app developers bubltown, on behalf of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Town Centre Recovery Group, to support our local business community, ShopMEA is being launched this summer by Council and funded by the Department of Communities.

Special offers

Now is the time to showcase your business, and whether you have special discount days or loyalty rewards you want people to know about, this new app will provide the opportunity to escalate sales through exposure to a massive local audience.

By registering quickly and easily, town centre businesses in the Ballymena, Larne and Carrickfergus areas can update their own profile 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ensuring their customers have all the information they need to know about why their shop, restaurant, bar or beauty salon is worth a visit.

ShopMEA

The ShopMEA app is open to a maximum of 400 local businesses initially, and interest to date is high as momentum builds towards being part of this exciting new opportunity.

This is one of the many supports offered by Council to our businesses to be able to deliver the famous Mid and East Antrim welcome and hospitality safely and sustainably post-pandemic.

Shoppers and visitors have been enjoying supporting their local traders in recent months and it’s great to see the streets of our towns and villages come alive again this summer.

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor William McCaughey, is encouraging businesses in the borough to register now.

“The ShopMEA app is really easy-to-use, regardless of your level of digital skill. It costs you nothing to join, gives you free promotion and provides access to a range of powerful features your customers will love including click-and-collect, local deliveries, scheduled deliveries and much more.

“Council continues to find new and creative ways of supporting our business community, and ShopMEA will help recharge the local economy with free promotion, powerful tools and dedicated support.

“If you’re interested in getting involved, but would like more information, please email Linda.Stevenson@midandeastantrim.gov.uk or speak to a member of the Town Centre team by calling 0300 124 500.”

Communities Minister, Deirdre Hargey, added “My Department has been working with local councils to help local businesses recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The ShopMEA App will provide a great opportunity for businesses in the area to keep existing and new customers updated on the range of products and services they offer.

“I would encourage town centre businesses in Ballymena, Carrickfergus and Larne to get involved, and maximise the benefits of this innovative offering, which will play an important role as we encourage citizens back to our high streets.”

Ballymena BID

Hugh Black, Ballymena BID Board Member and Tower Centre Asset Manager, said “The Shop MEA app and website will be a fantastic asset for local businesses in the Mid and East Antrim Borough to reach a huge audience of shoppers and reward them with discounts and offers all year round.

“The app has been designed with the latest digital technology and will keep subscribers informed with up to the minute information and its aim is to drive the regeneration of town centres who face many challenges in a changing retail world.

“Ballymena BID has been delighted to have worked in partnership with MEABC and other stakeholders to deliver this cutting-edge digital app and website.”

Visit https://join.shopmea.co.uk/ to see your business included in the ShopMEA app and website while initial spots last.

The post There’s a new App in town – retailers should sign up asap first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.