Council marks National Play Day in Marine Gardens

Council recently celebrated Play Day which is the national day for play, traditionally held on the first Wednesday in August.

As well as a celebration of children’s right to play, Play Day is a campaign that highlights the importance of play in children’s lives.

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Maureen Morrow, said: “Council takes the importance of play seriously and has supported the Play Day initiative for many years. This year, Play Day was supported by PEACE IV funding as part of the Your Place Our Space programme, and saw celebrations with a circus theme take place in Marine Gardens Carrickfergus on Wednesday 7 August.

"Activities included circus themed slides and mazes, arts and crafts, sensory play, as well as an outdoor cinema and a range of community circus performances.

"The event also included an additional relaxed hour in the morning, and designated quiet spaces throughout the day, for those families with specific needs."

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has been awarded £3.1m funding through the PEACE IV Programme.

Match-funding for this project has been provided by the Executive Office in Northern Ireland and the Department for Rural and Community Development in Ireland.

The Your Place Our Space project, delivered by the Parks and Open Spaces Service, is an exciting intergenerational environmental project, focusing on the shared sustained use of outdoor spaces across the Borough. This project is part of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s ‘Local Authority Action Plan’, which is funded by the European Union’s PEACE IV Programme, and managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB).