South Antrim Group Update
The South Antrim winter programme has continued at pace, with members benefitting from a varied and informative schedule of speakers.
We were pleased to welcome David Ruddell and Andrew Cornett from Wylie Ruddell Accountants, along with Peter Brown from Martin King French and Ingram LLP. Their presentations covered a wide range of legal and financial topics and generated excellent engagement and discussion among members.
In December, our annual family quiz took place at the Ballymac Hotel, Lisburn. The event saw an excellent turnout and a lively evening of fun and competition. Funds raised through the raffle and on the night donations have been presented to our chosen charity for the year—Dementia NI.
We were also joined by Alexander Kinnear, UFU Parliamentary Officer, who delivered an indepth update on his work across various levels of government. Alexander kindly conducted our AGM, during which Gareth Murray was elected as the new South Antrim Group Chairman. Gareth is a poultry and sheep farmer and also brings his experience as a Farm Business Worker with Rural Support. Martin Cunningham was elected as our new Group Vice-Chairman. Martin farms in the Belfast Hills alongside his father, where they manage a suckler cow herd.
In February, members attended a special meeting with Tonia Antoniazzi MP, Chair of the NI Select Committee, held at the Lough Neagh Fisherman’s Co-operative in Toomebridge. Tonia provided an overview of current parliamentary affairs and addressed numerous questions from the floor regarding the future of farming in Northern Ireland.
We are also delighted to welcome Chris Breen to the group office as our new Technical Officer. Chris will be available on Tuesday 24th March from 10am, hosting a Help Hub session. Anyone wishing to book a 1to1 meeting with Chris to discuss an issue is encouraged to contact the office on 028 9442 2185.