Autism centre in Northern Ireland gets glow up after Facebook SOS
"I need your help!"When Gerard Donaghy, from Millisle, County Down, shared those words on his Facebook page, he had no idea how people would respond.He had a vision of bringing together painters and decorators from across Northern Ireland to give a building that serves the community a much-needed glow up.On Saturday, a resource centre for families living with autism will be given a free makeover - thanks to more than 50 volunteers."You don't have to look far to find bad news these days - it can weigh you down - but something like this reminds you that there's still plenty of good out there," the father of two told BBC News NI.
As well as looking for volunteers, Gerard, who runs Paintworks NI with his wife Danielle, asked for nominations for a building needing a transformation.The successful nominee was Helping Hands Autism Resource Centre in Dundonald, on the outskirts of Belfast."As a dad of a daughter with additional needs, this one's personal," Gerard said."I walked into their space and saw what they were trying to do and I just knew we could help make it better."A coat of paint might not seem like much to some, but when it's done with care and pride, it changes how a place feels - and that's what these families deserve."
'Act of kindness'
Caroline Birch, chairperson of Helping Hands, said the organisation is "incredibly grateful for this act of kindness"."It means the world to our family members and the local community as well," she said."We are absolutely delighted that Gerard and all the other guys have generously volunteered their time, equipment and expertise to support our charity by redecorating our premises."
"The makeover will create a brighter, more welcoming space for the children and families that Helping Hands supports every day," she added. Rising costs and funding difficulties can be stressful for charities.But Caroline says the transformation has lifted the atmosphere and will allow them to "truly reflect the care and inclusion we strive to provide". "The Paint It Forward initiative stands as an excellent example of local businesses giving back and making a meaningful difference - we cannot thank them all enough," she said."Here's to a colourful brighter future for our charity."
Paint It Forward was something Gerard said he had been thinking about for years."What if we could get a crowd of decorators together, just for one day, to completely transform a place that really needs it? No hoops to jump through, no funding, just people showing up and using their skills to do good."Last year, he met the chairman of the Painting Contractors Association in the US, Nick Slavic, who told him: "It starts with one.""That conversation was the fuel that lit the fire," he said."From the minute we mentioned it, people jumped on it.
'We all have skills'
"I had painters messaging saying 'Count me in', without even knowing the full details."Suppliers stepped up with no hesitation... They just said yes - along with loads of local businesses who are chipping in too."At the heart of it, it's just people wanting to be part of something positive.""I'd love to see this spark something across the board," Gerard said."Whether you're a roofer, a joiner, a landscaper, a plumber, we all have skills."If every trade gave one day a year to a cause in their community, imagine what we could do?"
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BBC News
11 hours ago
- BBC News
Autism centre in Northern Ireland gets glow up after Facebook SOS
"I need your help!"When Gerard Donaghy, from Millisle, County Down, shared those words on his Facebook page, he had no idea how people would had a vision of bringing together painters and decorators from across Northern Ireland to give a building that serves the community a much-needed glow Saturday, a resource centre for families living with autism will be given a free makeover - thanks to more than 50 volunteers."You don't have to look far to find bad news these days - it can weigh you down - but something like this reminds you that there's still plenty of good out there," the father of two told BBC News NI. As well as looking for volunteers, Gerard, who runs Paintworks NI with his wife Danielle, asked for nominations for a building needing a successful nominee was Helping Hands Autism Resource Centre in Dundonald, on the outskirts of Belfast."As a dad of a daughter with additional needs, this one's personal," Gerard said."I walked into their space and saw what they were trying to do and I just knew we could help make it better."A coat of paint might not seem like much to some, but when it's done with care and pride, it changes how a place feels - and that's what these families deserve." 'Act of kindness' Caroline Birch, chairperson of Helping Hands, said the organisation is "incredibly grateful for this act of kindness"."It means the world to our family members and the local community as well," she said."We are absolutely delighted that Gerard and all the other guys have generously volunteered their time, equipment and expertise to support our charity by redecorating our premises." "The makeover will create a brighter, more welcoming space for the children and families that Helping Hands supports every day," she added. Rising costs and funding difficulties can be stressful for Caroline says the transformation has lifted the atmosphere and will allow them to "truly reflect the care and inclusion we strive to provide". "The Paint It Forward initiative stands as an excellent example of local businesses giving back and making a meaningful difference - we cannot thank them all enough," she said."Here's to a colourful brighter future for our charity." Paint It Forward was something Gerard said he had been thinking about for years."What if we could get a crowd of decorators together, just for one day, to completely transform a place that really needs it? No hoops to jump through, no funding, just people showing up and using their skills to do good."Last year, he met the chairman of the Painting Contractors Association in the US, Nick Slavic, who told him: "It starts with one.""That conversation was the fuel that lit the fire," he said."From the minute we mentioned it, people jumped on it. 'We all have skills' "I had painters messaging saying 'Count me in', without even knowing the full details."Suppliers stepped up with no hesitation... They just said yes - along with loads of local businesses who are chipping in too."At the heart of it, it's just people wanting to be part of something positive.""I'd love to see this spark something across the board," Gerard said."Whether you're a roofer, a joiner, a landscaper, a plumber, we all have skills."If every trade gave one day a year to a cause in their community, imagine what we could do?"
The Independent
18 hours ago
- The Independent
UK-wide 2021 census data published for first time
A full set of UK-wide data collected for the 2021 census has been made available for the first time. Many details from the census have already been released, revealing a wealth of population information about the country's nations, regions and local areas. But a complete picture for the whole of the UK has only now been published. The delay in producing a set of UK-wide statistics is due to the unusual circumstances in which the 2021 survey took place. A census of the population has been held regularly since 1801, typically every 10 years and on the same day across the UK. The 2021 survey was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, however. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the census occurred as planned on March 21 2021. But in Scotland it was postponed for 12 months because of the impact of the pandemic, eventually taking place on March 20 2022. This meant that, unlike for previous censuses, data had not been collected on the same date across the whole of the UK – and therefore Scotland's data was not directly comparable with that for the other nations. To solve this problem, the UK's statistical agencies have come together to create a full set of census numbers with a shared point in time of March 21 2021. Scotland's 2022 census data has been adjusted to create notional estimates for 2021, which have then been combined with the actual 2021 totals for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The three agencies involved – the Office for National Statistics, National Records of Scotland and the Northern Ireland Statistics & Research Agency – describe it as 'a solution that is conceptually simple, pragmatic, and creates numbers for a consistent time point'. The new figures show for the first time how key population trends such as religion, ethnicity and marital status compare in the four parts of the UK. For example, while 80% of the population of Northern Ireland on census day identified as Christian, the equivalent figures for the rest of the country are much lower, at 46% in England, 44% in Wales and 40% in Scotland. Some 17% of people in Northern Ireland said they had no religion, rising to 37% in England, 47% in Wales and 50% in Scotland. The proportion of people identifying as white was highest in Northern Ireland (97%), followed by Wales (94%), Scotland (93%) and England (81%). England has the highest proportion of people identifying as Asian (10%), then Scotland (4%), Wales (3%) and Northern Ireland (2%), while the figures for people identifying as black were 4% for England and 1% for the other three countries. There is less variation in the proportion of people who were married or in a civil partnership on census day, with 44% for Scotland and Wales, 45% for England and 46% for Northern Ireland. The figures for people who are divorced or who have had a civil partnership dissolved range from 6% in Northern Ireland to 10% in Wales, with 8% for Scotland and 9% for England. Census results are used by a variety of organisations including governments, councils and businesses, and underpin everything from the calculation of economic growth and unemployment to helping plan schools, health services and transport links. Planning is already under way for the next UK census, which is due to take place in 2031.
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Can you spot the rare coins worth up to £1,127 – how many do you have in YOUR wallet?
CAN you spot these rare coins that could be worth up to £1,127. In the picture below we can all see a range of loose change, but do you know which coins could be worth hundreds of pounds? 7 A coin is usually regarded as rare if a limited amount of the piece was released to the public or if it has an unusual marking or error. These features can drive up demand from sellers, meaning they may be willing to pay a high price for it. What is a rare coin? Coins are only worth what someone else is willing to pay for it - but some are rarer than others. This is to do with how many coins have been produced, those with lower mintages are usually worth more money. Error coins - which are ones that have mistakes - are also worth more because they are rare. You can check how rare a coin is by looking at Change Checker's Salacity Index latest scarcity index. The next step is to take a look at what has been recently sold on eBay or a recent auction. Experts from the coin collecting website recommend looking at "sold listings" to be sure that the coin has sold for the specified amount rather than just been listed. People can list things for any price they like, but it doesn't mean they will sell for that amount. You can scroll to the bottom of the story to see which coins are rare and below we explain each one - and how much they could be worth. Five 50ps that could earn you thousands 2002 Commonwealth Games £2 coin Northern Ireland - £29.16 In 2002, four different designs of this £2 coin were created to commemorate the Commonwealth games. But the Northern Irish version is the rarest with research by Change Checker revealing on 485,000 in circulation. To spot this coin, look for a moving figure holding a banner above their head and the flag of Ulster. Finding this rare £2 coin could help you fetch nearly £30. One seller managed to flog the coin for £29.16 in April after 13 bids. 1983 'New Pence' Error 2p 7 This coin minted in 1983 has become extremely valuable due to an error made during its redesign. That year, The Royal Mint had begun transforming the "new pence" coin into the "two pence". But a number of these coins were struck with the old "new pence" inscription. These coins can be found in old commemorative sets, such as the Great British 1983 Coin Collection released by Martini & Rossi. Condiment maker Heinz also released a similar set which included the coin. These sets can sell for hundreds of pounds on eBay. On May 11, one of the sets produced by Martini & Rossi was flogged for £721.25 after 46 bids. Atlantic Salmon 50p - £132 Research by Change Checker found only 200,000 of these coins have entered circulation, making it one of the rarest coins in the UK. To spot this coin look for a portrait of Charles III on the front, while the back of the coin will show an Atlantic salmon leaping from the waves. The group said only around one in 335 people in the UK could have the chance of snagging one. And it appears collectors are prepared to pay a pretty penny for one of these coins. On June 22, one of these coins sold for £132.08. Kew Gardens 50p - £140 To spot this coin, look for a leafy fine on the reverse of the coin wrapped around a Chinese pagoda. The front of this design will feature an image of the late Queen Elizabeth II. There will also be the engraver's initials, Ian Rank-Broadley. Around 210,000 of these coins are in circulation making you very lucky if you stumble across one. Recently one of these coins was sold on eBay for £140 after 28 bids. 2008 undated 20p coin - £56 7 What you need to look for is a 20p coin that is missing the 2008 date on the "heads" side. Usually coins are dated on the "tails" side but that year, the Royal Mint decided to move the date to the opposite side. A manufacturing error by the Royal Mint in 2008 meant that only around 250,000 coins were printed with this unique error. But spotting this error could help you fetch up to £56, according to recent bidding activity on eBay. 7
