Beacon for the future

Mayor, Alderman Stephen Moutray will kick the celebrations off and there will be a five-a-side competition, bonny baby, little Mr and Miss Parkmore, bouncy castles, face painting, entertainers and drinks and snacks.

The Parkmore Community Association has arranged for Ulster Cancer Foundation, Closing the Gap, Reach, Opportunity Youth, Access to Benefits and Diabetes UK to attend the fun day providing information stands alongside the fire service and the police.

Young people from the youth club will perform a short play and dance routines.

The beacon project is a culmination of two years work within the Parkmore community, with statutory agencies and neighbouring community groups.

In 2009 Roads Service transformed the roundabout with funding through the Brownlow Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership. The introduction of the beacon was successfully secured through Community Foundation NI’s Communities in Transition Programme and the Brownlow Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership.

Northern Ireland Housing Executive is responsible for delivering the beacon project in Parkmore and is doing so through Groundwork NI who also provided beacons for Belfast City Council through their Bonfire Management Programme.

The organisers thanked Communities In Transition Programme and The Brownlow Neighbourhood Renewal Partnership for the funding.

They also thanked the Housing Executive, Craigavon Bonfire Initiative and the South Area Bonfire Forum, Craigavon Borough Council for its funding under the Neighbourhood Festival Event Scheme, the police and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service for their assistance and advice and for their continued support of this event.

The beacon will be lit at 9.30pm on Saturday and marks the beginning of a new chapter for Parkmore.

Alex McCormick from the community association said: "Parkmore’s Bonfire Celebrations show that it is possible to explore and celebrate traditions in a family oriented inclusive manner.

"Antisocial behaviour, huge clean-up costs, public disorder and unsightly dumping associated with the July bonfire celebrations have been firmly consigned to the estate’s history."