CEMETERY PROGRESS
Recent Belfast City Council Committee minutes show that a consultant has been appointed to carry out an economic appraisal of a new crematorium facility. This study is looking at various options for siting and the area to be served. A report is expected in mid-April. In addition, the consultant reviewing planning assumptions and potential sites for burial provision is scheduled to report to Council by the end of May. We will ask the Council for copies of these reports when available. Clearly the matter of future burial and cremation provision has not yet been resolved.

SWITCH ON OF CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTS
There was an excellent turn out for the Carol Singing that preceded the turning on of the Drumbeg Christmas tree lights by the Mayor Allan Ewart. Cllr. Basil McCrea MLA and Cllr. Mrs Campbell were present. Music was provided by First Belfast Old Boys Silver band. After a visit by Santa Claus we were treated to soup and hot dogs, very welcome on such a cold night.

DRUMBEG CHURCH CHRISTMAS CAROL SERVICE by J. Martin
A real Christmassy atmosphere prevailed at the 2009 carol service on Sunday 20th December as the snow lay outside and the glow of burning candles brightened the inside of the festively decorated church. The large congregation spanned all age groups from the very young to the many venerable senior citizens, and all the active groups of the community were represented as a member from each took part in the service by reading one of the nine lessons. All those attending joined enthusiastically in the singing of the popular traditional carols while the choir delighted us all by their rendering of some less well known Christmas music.

Everyone present particularly enjoyed the dramatic portrayal of the Christmas story presented so tenderly, and at times humorously, by the children of the Sunday School. As usual the Rector made us all feel very welcome and many enjoyed the hospitality of the younger members of the congregation who provided festive fare after the service in the church hall. A collection amounting to £432 was lifted for the Bishops’ Appeal. All in all it was a lovely beginning to the Christmas season.

COMMUNITY SERVICE 2010
Will be held on Sunday 13th June 2010. Everyone welcome.
There will be an address by a Disability Sports Representative

DRUMBEG RESIDENTS QUIZ NIGHT.
On 4th March the Residents’ Association held a Table Quiz to raise funds for the association. We had an excellent turn out of residents and friends for what turned out to be a most enjoyable evening. Rev Devenney set the wide ranging questions and then acted as a most amiable quiz master. There was much laughter and scratching of heads as in no round did we have a top score. Refreshments were served while participants struggled much and wondered more over the picture round.

DRUMBEG BADMINTON CLUB
The Drumbeg badminton club continues to meet. There is a small and committed membership and new players are very welcome. See you next year on Wednesdays at 7.30 pm in the church hall.

The results of the bulb planting morning.

COMMUNITY BULB PLANTING
Last year Lagan Valley Regional Park provided the Residents' Association with a collection of daffodil, snowdrop and bluebell bulbs. One cool morning in Autumn a large party of local volunteers of all ages planted them in the grass verge and bank at the junction of Drumbeg Road and Upper Malone Road, followed by a welcome tea-and-bun session in the Parochial Hall. The results of the morning's work are now to be seen, as some of the daffodils are in bloom with more expected shortly.

DRUMBEG HISTORICAL SOCIETY
We are contemplating forming an informal organisation to look into the past history of Drumbeg and its immediate area. We would not be having any meetings until the autumn but this is advance warning.

DRUMBEG WELCOMES THE ARRIVAL OF ACORN LISBURN.
Animal centred organisation for rescue in Northern Ireland, Lisburn based!!

Angela and Nigel are both local residents and have been engaged in animal rescue for many years. They have finally decided to go it alone together with like-minded folks, most of whom are also friends and colleagues who live in the area. They have a committee of 8 members and held their first general meeting on the 12/11/09 in the Church Hall in Drumbeg.

It was most successful with lots of ideas and offers of help; the welfare association has been kindly supported by local businesses, Bob Stewarts, Pitstop, Hillhall farm and Drum House Nurseries; not forgetting the use of the hall and the kind help of Mr Hugh Crookshank.
To get involved visit Acornlisburn:
http://acornlisburn.weebly.com
where you will see the sort of things they hope to achieve - in short the rescue of the many abused and neglected animals of all shapes and kinds which sadly find their way into pounds or are thrown out onto streets through no fault of their own!!

All offers of help, great or small, will be most appreciated, as no welfare association can work in isolation-whatever you can offer in terms of time or support will be gratefully accepted.
e-mail: acornlisburn@hotmail.co.uk
Tel: 07958280110 from 09.00-21.00.
Outside these times please only use it for emergencies only. Thank you! Angela and Nigel.

D.O.G.S. DRUMBEG OCCASIONAL GOLFING SOCIETY CAPTAIN’S DAY 2009
There was a great turnout of 21 members and guests for Wendy MacLaughlin’s Captain’s Day at Rockmount Golf Club on 20th. July last. Remember the only good day in July? Luck was with Wendy as the next day saw torrential rain, but, as a church society outing, maybe, the good Lord was thinking of us on the day.

Fine weather produced some fine golf, which was followed by fine food and everybody had an excellent day. The winner of the Captain’s prize, female section, was Moira McKelvey. As Moira was not 100% fit this was a super achievement (“Beware of the injured golfer”).

The winner of the Captain’s Prize, male section, was Frank Young. The team event was won by Tony Hegarty, Rex Crossley and Heather McIvor and the runner-up team was Wendy MacLaughlin with her guests Barbara and Mervyn Brown. A hidden hole prize was won by Martie Boyd while the best visitor prize was won by Mervyn Brown.

DRA ANNUAL SHOW SEPTEMBER 2009
Last year’s show was a great success. Entries in many of the flower and vegetable categories were down in numbers, probably due to the very poor summer of 2009. However it was great to see how our new categories of Baking, Preserves, Photography and Craft drew in new exhibitors from the community

We plan to keep the usual sections for flowers and vegetables plus the new classes in our next show. We may even add some new categories. Households will receive their programme and entry form during the summer. It will also be available on the Drumbeg Residents’ web site.
www.drumbegresidentsassociation.com

The Annual Show 2010 will be held on Saturday 11th September

DRA AGM
It was disappointing to see such a small turnout for our AGM.
This is the place to come and air your ideas and wishes for the future of our community. Do come to our next AGM and air your concerns and ideas on how best we can make Drumbeg an even better place to live.

DRUMBEG RESIDENTS’ OUTING by Peter McBrien
On Saturday 19th December 2009 a group from the Drumbeg Residents enjoyed a lovely evening in Stormont Buildings, along with members from other local community groups as guests of Mr Basil McCrea, MLA. for Lagan Valley. We were entertained by lst Old Boys Youth Band, who played a selection of fabulous music while we enjoyed mince pies and light refreshments. During the course of the evening children from 174 Trust entertained us with their musical talents, it really was a great treat for all present. We then all went upstairs for a lovely supper served in the members dining hall, where we could take in the great views over Belfast from the grand balcony.
After supper Mr McCrea took anyone interested for a very informal and informative tour of the main part of the building including the Chambers where proceedings are televised from.

On behalf of those present Mr Raymond Reid, Drumbeg thanked Mr McCrea and all those involved for their kind hospitality and for making the evening such a success.

DRA SUMMER OUTING
An outing is planned for Tuesday 8th June. Transport will be provided.

PRESENTATION TO ELVIRA TULIP
Elvira and her husband Norman Tulip founded the Ratepayers' Association, the forerunner of the Drumbeg and District Residents' Association. Over tea and buns the committee made a presentation to her, to celebrate her 40+ years of committee work. Elvira has agreed to continue to serve on the committee

ROMANIA 2010 - A REWARDING EXPERIENCE by Aaron Gallagher
Early this year, a group of Lower Sixth students and teachers from Methodist College travelled to Romania for a week with a charity called School Aid Romania. This charity was set up in 1990 with the aim of enhancing cross community relations between young people in Northern Ireland while also helping to improve quality of life and relieve poverty experienced by needy people in Romania. On Saturday the 23rd January, we left
for Romania with two other teams from St.

Patrick's, Maghera and Ballyclare High School. Little did we know that these were to become our closest friends over the week and beyond.
Over the duration, we visited many places including an old people's home in Sacele. For me, this was truly one of the most striking experiences of the trip. Between handing out clothing, singing songs and listening to their stories we were kept busy! But it was incredible to see how grateful they were just to have us there for a short period of time.

On the Monday, some of the team, including myself, visited a home called Timis. It had been set up for people who suffered from severe physical and mental disabilities. I think I speak for the whole group when I say that this was perhaps one of the most challenging and shocking places that we encountered. I remember clearly the uncomfortable feelings as we entered, it really struck me how overcrowded the rooms were. Yet, as time passed, the room came to life and it was fantastic to see the delight on some of their faces. It really is amazing what a few hours can do! That evening we were split into groups and visited different care homes which are supported by School Aid Romania. These had been established for children who had been taken out of Timis and the difference was incredible. These homes were well staffed, spatial and bursting with life and colour which was very satisfying to see. The children there spoke good English and spent more time entertaining us with dance routines, card tricks and singing. It was highly rewarding and it highlighted the importance of our much needed contributions, albeit that these are modest, relative to the overall needs.
On the trip we visited 3 schools, one of which was in a small remote village called Dacia. When we arrived we were greeted with songs and special performances the children had prepared for us. They were incredibly happy to have us there and they showed their appreciation through their smiles and laughter. The girls made bracelets and painted nails while the boys played an intense game of football, despite the altitude and the freezing conditions! It was great to see youth of our age engaged in activities that any average person would do and, to me, it suggested some kind of normality which was wonderful to see.
Six girls on the trip visited the maternity hospital and distributed greatly needed nappies to the mothers and staff. Although I was not there, I understand that this experience touched many of the girls as they struggled to comprehend that some of these beautiful newborns would later end up in orphanages, having been rejected by their families. Another of my personal highlights of the trip was the village food run in Una Mea Mai. This was fantastic as it gave us a true insight into Romanian culture and hospitality. After making up hundreds of food bags, we helped many of the villagers carry the bags to their homes. It was remarkable to see and feel their gratitude and appreciation as they invited us into their homes to warm up and offered us gifts to show their thanks.
This journey really was incredible and something that I will never forget. It was an indescribable experience that was very rewarding and yet emotionally taxing at the same time. Undoubtedly, the memories will stay with me for many years to come as well as the close friendships that I made. I would like to say, on behalf of the whole team, a massive thank you to all the staff, both here and in Romania and to everyone who contributed to this very worthy cause. It would not have been possible without your support. I say a very special word of thanks to the Rosevale, Gowan and wider Drumbeg Community for their splendid support in our fundraising activities. The Romanian recipients would, 1 know, want to commend you and thank you all most sincerely.

Romania needs us and all others who aspire to build for a better future. Equally, we need Romania to keep us grounded in the realities of impoverishment in this harsh world. We must keep it up. Every little helps!

Newsletters