A busy month for community group

August is a busy month for Whitemountain & District Community Association (WDCA) after just being awarded Charity status by the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland.

WDCA will hold an art themed pottery workshop on Saturday August 20 and conduct this season’s Whitemountain bee hive project honey harvest.

John Belshaw, chairperson of the association commented: “Our August 20 hands-on pottery workshop will be held at the Little Green Allotments facility. The Grand Choice part funded Whitemountain bee hive project is in it’s second year and despite climate change challenges that were really apparent this year we hope to have pure and almost totally wildflower honey available.

“Anyone considering attending the August 20 workshop or getting some of this years fresh honey crop needs to pre-book very soon via our upgraded website www.wdca.co.uk.

“Our committee deliberated many times on whether to apply for charity status given the extra financial administration effort that is involved, but in the end we commenced the process back in November 2019.

“Now that have been awarded charity status the hope is the effort will be worth it longer term.

“This year has also seen the tourism partnership grow between ourselves and the Ulster New Zealand Trust at Balance house on Glenavy Road - this years activities including tours of Belshaw’s Quarry Nature Reserve and Sculpture Park on the nearby Benson’s Road.

“Our August 20 pottery workshop follows a very successful screen-printing workshop held in June at The Artbarn on Drumcill Road as they prep for a music night charity fundraiser on September 10, specially created for locals.

“Even the bee hive project has had it’s spin-offs with others in the area both taking up and having an interest in taking up bee keeping as part of the Whitemountain part of the all Ireland Pollinator plan.

“WDCA has managed to hold all its events over the pandemic period and our workshops, gratefully supported by the LCCC Community Support Grant, are popular as some folks are still cautious about attending large scale events.”