Summer fun at Riverside

STUDENTS at Special Educational Needs (SEN) schools across the Borough, including Riverside in Antrim, have enjoyed a vibrant Summer Scheme thanks to a grant of £5,000 each provided by the Council.

The funding enabled schools to provide children with a wide variety of creative and interactive activities such as kite-making, mug decorating, pizza making and drumming workshops.

These activities not only gave pupils the chance to learn new skills and express themselves creatively, but also created lasting summer memories with their classmates.

In addition to supporting summer activities, the grants allowed schools to invest in new equipment and resources that will continue to benefit pupils during the academic year ahead. This means the impact of the Council’s support will be felt well beyond the summer holidays.

The Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Leah Kirkpatrick, and Deputy Mayor, Councillor Julie Gilmour, visited Riverside School and Hill Croft School to experience first-hand how the funding was making a difference.

“My daughter attends one of the special schools so I know how invaluable the summer schemes are for both parents and pupils,” said the Mayor.

“I believe every child deserves the opportunity to enjoy their summer, and I’m delighted this funding has enabled schools to create such positive experiences while also providing resources that will support pupils in the future.”

Alongside the SEN school projects, the Council also ran a series of inclusive summer events for children and families across the Borough in partnership with the Mae Murray Foundation.

These included activities at Antrim Forum, Crumlin Leisure Centre and Mossley Pavilion, as well as family days at The Theatre at The Mill and Antrim Castle Gardens.