After the success of last years Summer Scheme a similar scheme will be run this year from Monday 2nd August until Friday 13th August. This year’s scheme, supported by the Workspace Community Fund, will involve a range of sports, co-ordinated by qualified coaches, including:

• Gaelic Football
• Hurling
• Camogie
• Soccer
• Basketball
• Rounders
• Tennis
• Table Tennis
• Dodgeball
• Unihoc
• Cross Country
• Badminton
• Indoor Hurling

Morning Sessions: P3,P4,P5: 10am – 12noon

Afternoon Sessions: P6, P7, Year 8: 12.30pm – 2.30pm

Registration takes place on Wednesday 28th July from 6pm – 8pm at the Backrow Recreation Centre or at Workspace Reception during July. The fee is £10 per child. For further information contact Workspace on (028) 79628113

• The Ballinascreen CCÉ Annual Steak & Chicken Barbeque and Session takes place at An Scoiból on Friday 16th July at 8.30pm. Tickets cost £15 and are available from Séamus Brady (028 79627083), Colm Murray (028 79627082) or the Market Inn (028 79628250)

Folks,

We’ve received the following press release in relation to the recent fundraising activities for Marie Curie Cancer Care:

The amazing people of Ballinascreen put not only their feet on the line but their hands in their pockets to the tune of at least £14,000 to make this years Marie Curie fundraiser the best ever. The annual street collection alone brought in £2,426 – a tremendous response given the current economic climate, the size of Draperstown, and the number of sponsorship cards in circulation.

The organisers would like to sincerely thank:

• • all of those who helped to make the event such a success,
  • the local business men and woman who paid for all the expenses of the ‘Blaze’ team and the “Best Dressed” prize,
  • Ballinascreen Credit Union for their unwaivering support, the use of their Community Window for advertising and in particular Niamh Scullion for her many talents in the development and printing of the “Firewalk” sponsor cards, posters, etc.
  • Big D who was exceelent as always in entertaining the crowd during the “Firewalk” and at the “Black & White” theme night,
  • the magnificent team of street collectors who brave the elements each and every year,
  • all of the local shops who kindly donated raffle prizes,
  • Maurice Regan and the staff of The Market Inn for all their help and support in the build up to the event and throughout the weekend,
  • Danny Scullion, Nuala McDonald, Paddy O’Kane, Sean McGuigan, Kenny McGregor, Kathleen Gray, Brian O’Hagan, Paddy McGregor, Patrick Cassidy, Conor McKenna, Conor McSorley, Kieran O’Hagan, Raymond O’Hagan, Joe McCallion, Sean McCallion, Steven McKenna, Gregory McWilliams, Austin McKillion, Miguel Lagan, Mark Brady, Nora Conway, Eamon McSorley, Gareth Blair, Sean Toner, Niall Falls and all of those who helped in any way,
  • O’Neill & McBride for the use of their salesyard for the “Firewalk”
  • Fr Clerkin for the use of the Holy Rosary car park
  • a special word of thanks to all the brave menu and women who volunteered to “Firewalk”

It is something that has never been attempted in Ballinascreen or the surrounding area before and it took a lot of courage for those individuals to be the guinea pigs. The sponsorship that they have raised to date and pledged is amazing. We want to talk the firewalkers for their immense efforts in raising sponsorship and to thank all of the people near and far who not only donated by came on the night to support them.

Finally we would like to thank Anne Roberts, area fundraising manager for Marie Curie Cancer Care, for attending the finale on Saturday night and addressing the crowd. She thanked all the firewalkers and commended the fundraising team for their tremendous efforts this year and in previous years. She stated that “there are 200 Marie Curie nurses in Northern Ireland who depend heavily on the efforts of fundraisers and the generosity of people such as yourselves. The £14,000 raised here in Ballinascreen this weekend will provide 700 hours of nursing care and support to patients and family in the comfort and privacy of their own home.”

A weekend of fundraising activities in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care will take place on Friday 28th and Saturday 29th May in Draperstown. The highlight of this years fundraiser is a sponsored firewalk on the Friday night from 9pm at O’Neill and McBride’s salesyard on the Derrynoid road. This is the first time an event of this nature has taken place in Draperstown or indeed the surrounding areas and is sure to be a major attraction. There are still a limited number of places available for anyone fit, able and brave enough to take part in the firewalk. If you would like to take part or find out more then please contact 07835289893

The event is being co-ordinated by firewalking specialists, BLAZE, and will involve a 2 hour training session for all participants prior to the walk. Organisers would also like to extend their appreciation and thanks to the local businessmen and businesswomen for their generosity in covering event costs without whom such an event could not have taken place:

• Ballinascreen Credit Union
• Brian & Anne McGurk (Engineering)
• C3 Computers
• Caulfield Insurance
• Chris Devlin Accident Repairs
• Corramore
• Electrical & Data Systems
• Four Dee NI Ltd.
• H & A Mechanical Services
• Heron Bros.
• K Scroll Ltd.
• Laurence O’Kane (Chemist)
• Rogers Fencing Systems Ltd.
• Sperrin Bakery
• Sperrin Switchgear
• Workspace
• Yardmaster

Other fundraising activities taking place during the weekend include the annual street collection on Friday 28th May and the Black & White theme night on Saturday 29th May in the Market Inn. A £100 first prize is up for grabs for the most original Black & White costume on the night.

• Monthly Club meeting takes place on Tuesday 4th May at 9am.
• Hurling training for U6, U8 and U10’s starts on Friday 7th May at St Colm’s High School playing fields from 7pm-8pm.
• Feile fundraising for U14 Camogie team. Recycling bags to be distributed and ready for collection on Sunday 16th May.

A charity Poker Night will be taking place in the GAA complex on Saturday 8th May with proceeds in aid of Habitat for Humanity in Ethiopia. For further details you can contact Leanne on 07749 185183. Admission is by ticket, or you can pay at the door.

The annual street collection in aid of Marie Curie Cancer Care takes place on Friday 28th May followed by a sponsored ‘Fire Walk’. For further details please contact (028) 79628250 or 07835 289893