At the drive-in with Radius Housing

The event, hosted in the car park of Vineyard Compassion, was organised by Radius Housing as part of the Department for Communities ‘Housing for All’ programme, and it saw over 220 people park up to view the Aardman Animation classic, Wallace & Gromit: Revenge of the Were-Rabbit.

Radius Housing is a leading social housing provider in Northern Ireland, managing over 13,000 homes and building 400 new homes every year. Radius is currently constructing a new shared housing scheme at Cappagh Green, Coleraine Road, Portstewart. The £11.5m investment at Cappagh Green will deliver 87 new social and affordable homes. The recent Drive-In cinema event is just one of a number of community engagement events planned locally during the construction

phase of the development.

Radius Housing will promote Cappagh Green as a Housing For All scheme and in consultation with the developments new residents and its local advisory group a good relations plan will be created to foster the strong community cohesion and good relations ambitions which underpin the Housing for All programme. Construction on Cappagh Green commenced in October 2019, and the first phase is expected to be completed in late Spring 2021, with the project completing in

March 2022.

Speaking at the movie night event, Melanie Rintoul from Radius Housing said “We all love the experience of going to the cinema, but the Covid-19 restrictions mean that is not an option at this time. We wanted to make sure that families still had the chance to see a great Halloween film on the big screen, and so we organised a Drive-In movie night.

“The demand for tickets was incredible, and everyone was able to enjoy the cinema experience, popcorn and all, from the comfort of their cars. This event is part of Radius’ work to create and promote shared housing and shared space. Bringing people together is an important part of community building, and we hope that Drive In events like this are helping to bring a sense of community to the local area whilst adhering to the important health protection regulations at this time.”

The Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Alderman Mark Fielding said: “I was very pleased to attend this event and Radius Housing should be applauded for helping to make Halloween a special occasion for families during the school holidays, despite the current restrictions.

“The drive-in cinema was a unique experience for many, bringing people together in a safe way. I want to thank the public for their adherence to the current health advice which we must all follow to stop the spread of coronavirus.”