Carnlough Community Association helps mark Housing Executive’s 50th anniversary

The housing authority has invited a number of tenants, colleagues and partners to share their views and memories, including Mary Watson, secretary of Carnlough Community Association.

The Association has developed a number of environmental schemes in the village with help from Housing Executive funding. Mary works alongside chair, Patricia McConnell, and a small team of committee members. Established in 2005, the group provides activities for young and old and environmental projects in schools.

Mary said: “We hope to make Carnlough a better place to live in and also better for visitors too – as we are aware it’s a tourist village. People love to come here and the village is still expanding. For a very long time, we have had help through Supporting Communities and the Housing Executive. They’ve provided grants to help us do projects with the schools, environmental improvements and work with different groups of people.

“We have an input into housing and the needs of tenants with the local Housing Community Network, and I am involved in the Rural Residents Forum.”

Through the latter, Mary looks at the particular needs of rural residents in the area. She said: “We have a number of different issues here such as transport and internet connectivity and the hidden problem of homelessness. It’s not the kind where you will see someone on the streets – it’s the likes of people in their twenties who are still living at home and cannot find a place to live unless they go to Belfast.”

Environmental schemes that received funding from the Housing Executive have helped transform the harbour area in Carnlough – as well as encouraging pupil involvement with growing vegetables and flowers in both village schools.

Mary added: “Recently the Housing Executive has funded and supported a local residents’ group and transformed a piece of spare ground into a community orchard and garden on the Croft estate. The group are busy growing fruit and vegetables in raised beds. This has helped to develop terrific community spirit.

“As someone who lived in England for a long time and came back 10 years ago, I feel the Housing Executive is an absolutely wonderful organisation. It’s not just about the houses, it’s the people who live in the houses and the quality of their lives.”