There was smiles and laughter, fire sticks and smoke with loud music and even a Pocahontas as residents came to their front doors for the launch of the Gallaun Residents Association in Downpatrick.
The Gallaun estate has seen another step forward this week as the residents have consolidated their group and enjoyed a street celebration to the sounds of the Downpatrick Community Collective.
Maya Goodfellow, Gallaun Residents Association Chairperson, said: “I am delighted our local residents came out and supported the setting up of the Residents Association. We have nine members on the committee and myself as chairperson.
“Our officers include Peter Cunliffe as Treasurer, and Siobhan Kelly who is Secretary.”
“We are using social media just now to communicate and help with social distancing issues because of the Covid-19 situation.
“The residents are keen to tidy the area up. They have been working on gardens, picking up litter, painting fences etc…, and working with Clanmill Housing Association to look after the estate.
“It is good that people are taking pride and an interest in their community. Recently I’ve been involved in a litter picking campaign in the area and have collected bin bags full of rubbish. But many hands make light work so I’m glad my neighbours are getting involved.
“Clanmill Housing Association supported an art competition along with HIAP to find the best poster, which addressed the topic of ‘what community means to us’. My daughter Shanta and I won it with our collage, and Clanmill commissioned a banner which we unveiled at the top of the estate joining the Vianstown Road. Shanta was delighted at receiving a Fire Tablet as a prize.
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“We have been well supported by local businesses such as Vader Cleaning Services, Gerard Murphy, Nucoat Interiors Downpatrick, Kelly’s Hardware, and Nigel Hall collected the electrical appliances and scrap metal from the area.
“Newry Mourne and Down District Council too were very helpful, supplying heavy duty bin bags, litter pickers, and posters highlighting the need to ‘pick up the poo, before they do’.
“Local councillors John Trainor and Oonagh Hanlon too have been very supportive along with Colin McGrath MLA.
“Initially we liaised with the Down Community Collective with Dan McEvoy and they have been a great help in getting people moving, and his visit during the week to the estate with the Collective’s entertainment package lifted up spirits for a while bringing the residents out onto the streets.
Councillor John Trainor said: “It is great to see an increase in the level of cooperation between different groups and businesses and people taking an interest in their community.
“They are addressing matters in the environment and getting involved in different activities and issues.
“It will be a very positive and engaging initiative going forward.”
Linzi Webb, Good Relations Officer at Clanmil, said: “At Clanmill Housing we encourage people to work together and we are delighted that people in our communities are taking the initiative and supporting each other.”
“In a time of need, the newly formed Gallaun Residents Association are showing themselves to be a truly resilient community, coming together to carry out fence painting, gardening, clean-ups and helping their neighbours with grocery shopping. This shows great strength and unity in their partnership.
“We congratulate Shanta Kelly once again on winning the Housing Associations Integration Projects Art Competition, which has been funded by EU’s PEACE IV Programme, managed by the SEUPB. Shanta’s work will be displayed at the entrance to the Gallaun scheme at the Vianstown Road end, showcasing the community spirit at Gallaun.”
A spokesperson for Newry Mourne and Down District Council said: “Council welcomes the opportunity to engage with community groups and seeks to help them address locally identified issues.
“Gallaun Residents Association is one of a number of recently formed community groups in the Newry Mourne and Down area and the Council has been in touch to offer preliminary advice and support to the association.”
