Issue 213 - BT22 • BT23
Freedom of Borough to be conferred on Fire & Rescue Service
Ards and North Down Borough Council is set to confer its highest honour.
From Knit like a Viking to historic guided tours, taster printmaking sessions, and Felting with the Bees in Helen’s Bay Walled Garden, Mayor Jennifer Gilmour is encouraging everyone to discover what Ards and North Down has to offer with more than 40 fabulous experiences running between April and January
Experience Ards and North Down in 2024! Fantastic experiences, fascinating places, delicious food and more.
Discover what Ards and North Down has to offer with more than 40 fabulous experiences running between April and January, providing the opportunity to immerse yourself in the beauty of the Borough. The experience season kicks off at Kiri Cottage in Kircubbin where you can learn to Knit like a Viking (6 April) using Nalbinding, a fascinating way to create textiles. Meanwhile, Castle Espie will host a Wee Birds Art Workshop (14 April) for children who will be able use nature as inspiration to create birds using collage. If you fancy getting your
feet wet, the SUP, Sauna and Swim (21 April) will take you paddleboarding across Strangford Lough before relaxing at Sudor Sauna’s wood-fired haven, and Helen’s Bay Walled Garden provides the perfect location for Felting with the Bees (27 April). You can enjoy some locally produced honey mead and find out how to make your own garden a haven for bees, before creating some felted 2D bee themed artwork with crafter Karen Stevenson. Looking beyond April, other experiences include an Electric Picnic (19 May)
with a guided electric bike tour around the shoreline of Strangford Lough followed by an artisan picnic. There will be taster sessions in printmaking in May, September and October, as well as plenty of opportunities to jump on a boat during the summer months with tours in Bangor, Killinchy, Portavogie and Portaferry. There are lots of food and drink related experiences too, including a new Tea with the Bees and Cake with the Cows (8 June) at ‘The Orlock’ farm, as well as historic guided tours across
many of our towns and villages, while the entire family can enjoy a special Alpaca and tree-planting experience at Eastwell Farm in December. All experiences must be pre-booked so book early to avoid disappointment. For more information, including ticket prices, terms and conditions, and a full list of available Experiences, go to visitardsandnorthdown. com/experienceAND, or avoid online booking fees and visit the Bangor or Newtownards Visitor Information Centres to book!
This is in recognition and appreciation of the Service’s unwavering dedication to duty and selfless service; its bravery in the face of danger; for saving lives and for protecting our community with great honour and distinction. The formal ceremony to bestow the Freedom will take place on 14 September 2024 and include a public display of firefighting skills by Firefighters from the local area at Bangor City Hall. NIFRS respond to fires, road traffic collisions and specialist rescue incidents, including flooding, chemical incidents, collapsed buildings and other types of emergencies to make Northern Ireland a safer place. In addition, NIFRS delivers a range of community engagement initiatives and provides advice on how to stay safe
from incidents it responds to. Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service Chief Fire & Rescue Officer, Aidan Jennings said: “We are honoured to accept the prestigious Freedom of the Borough from Ards and North Down Borough Council. This is a testament to our Fire & Rescue Service and in particular to all of our Firefighters and support employees in the Ards and North Down area who serve the local community. It’s a privilege for us to keep our people safe delivering a service that protects the community. The Council has bestowed the honour only three times since it was formed in 2015 - to staff from Health and Social Care in September 2018, to the Irish Guards in 2022 and to Gary Lightbody, also in 2022.