Other News In Brief

Ecos Centre Seeks New Caterer

The Ecos Centre, an environmental and wildlife facility in Ballymena, is searching for a skilled caterer to begin trading from its new café.

It follows a £1.6 million renovation and refurbishment project which made room for a number of innovative companies.

The new café space is located on the ground floor and is expected to be the 'go-to' spot for young families, dog owners and walkers in the local area.

It can accommodate 68 people, with room for more outside during the summer months.

The successful caterer will be expected to serve a range of high-quality barista coffees, a selection of sandwiches/hot paninis and a simple hot food selection.

To ensure the successful operation of the facility, the need for a fully functional high-quality catering facility is required to support the companies, employees and conferences that are held there.

The contract will run for three years with an option to extend by three 12-month periods, subject to review.

All submissions from interested parties will be welcomed up until Friday 01 March 2019.

Sensory Wildlife Gardens Open In Moira

A new sensory wildlife garden has opened in Moira Demesne.

The project was made possible by a grant of £46,625 from the Alpha Programme, which is managed by Groundwork NI and uses landfill tax credit from operations at Mullaghglass landfill site to support the community with amenity and biodiversity projects.

The garden has been designed to appeal to the five senses (taste, touch, sound, smell and sight) and will provide visitors with a calm and therapeutic experience while they enjoy the nature of the park.

Members of the local community, Groundwork NI, Philips Contracts, The Conservation Volunteers, Woodland Trust, pupils from Moira Primary School, Rowandale Integrated Primary School and Stepping Stones NI attended the official opening earlier this month.

Alderman Paul Porter, Chairman of the Council's Leisure & Community Development Committee, speaking at the opening, said: "This new garden provides a variety of elements to enrich the natural environment of Moira Demesne for the enjoyment of residents and visitors. It is an excellent addition to the facilities already available in this popular space.

"Within the garden there is a sensory path, herbs, fruit trees, a viewing platform, a telescope, wooden sculptures, a willow dome, a willow tunnel, a bug hotel, a wildflower meadow, species rich hedgerows, sensory plants and an outdoor classroom, which the Council hopes will appeal to the younger generation too. Both residents and visitors can enjoy this tranquil area when they visit Moira Demesne."

Call For Entries As NI Tourism Awards Head To Armagh

Tourism businesses across Northern Ireland are being encouraged to get their entries in to the 2019 Northern Ireland Tourism Awards.

This year's ceremony, in association with Diageo NI, will take place on Thursday 30th May in the Georgian splendour of the Palace Demesne, Armagh.

The awards recognise and reward excellence, best practice and innovation by tourism and hospitality businesses from across the country over the last twelve months.

This year, businesses have the opportunity to compete for twelve categories ranging from Authentic NI Experience of the Year and NI Tourism Entrepreneur of the Year to Best International Experience of the Year and Best Digital Marketing Campaign.

The full list of categories can be found here.

The deadline for submitting entries is Monday 25 February at 5pm.