Ballintoy, Ballycastle and Cushendun in Best Kept Awards final

The prestigious Best Kept Awards are organised annually by the Northern Ireland Amenity Council (NIAC), and sponsored by independent retail group SuperValu. They acknowledge towns, housing areas, healthcare facilities and schools for their work to protect and improve the natural and built environment.

Castlerock will compete with villages in other areas for the title of Best Kept Large Village, while Ballintoy and Cushendun are shortlisted in the Small Village section of the awards, and Ballycastle is a finalist in the Small Town category.

Doreen Muskett MBE, Chairman of NIAC said; “The SuperValu Best Kept Awards recognise Northern Ireland’s greenest and cleanest places, where communities work together to enhance their local environment, to the benefit of residents and visitors alike.

“On October 23 we will announce this year’s award-winners, and we look forward to celebrating the success of our most cared for towns and villages.”

NIAC judges visited participating towns and villages across Northern Ireland over the summer months, scoring a number of criteria, including the absence of litter, fly-posting and graffiti, as well as community environmental projects, such as floral displays and wildlife schemes.

SuperValu Marketing Manager Briege McGinty added; “SuperValu and its independent retail partners have been proud to support the Best Kept Awards over the past 8 years, because they help make our towns and villages more attractive places to live and to visit. We would like to wish the finalists the best of luck!”