Our friends in Straid held an unscheduled breakfast on Saturday the 30th December to bring 2023 to a relaxing and enjoyable conclusion. It was an enjoyable day, with a good attendance, when we all had the opportunity for some chatting and lively discussion between friends and neighbours.
The one major announcement on the day was their intention to run a series of breakfasts on Saturday the 13th January, 27th January and 10th February when books of ballots will be on sale to raise funds for the Friends of Hill Croft School. Ballot will be sold at £1.00 each or in Books of 5 at a cost of 5.00 each. They will then be running the draw ,on the ballot at a special breakfast on Saturday the 24th February 2024, when we shall all discover details of all the winners.
Hill Croft School is a controlled school which welcomes pupils aged 3-19, providing education to approximately 250 pupils with Severe Learning Difficulties through Nursery, Primary, Secondary and Post 16 phases. Hill Croft is situated in the New Mossley area of Newtownabbey. It provided a greatly appreciated service to the public in south Antrim, but like all such services is seriously under funded by the Education and Social Services departments of Central Government.
Once again, our friends in Straid have identified another important area which requires public financial support and have now taken steps to raise some very necessary funds to help this school with additional funds to help them provide the Special Educational Needs and Disability Support, that is a central part of their educational service to the people of South Antrim. We all now have an opportunity to come along on the dates shown, enjoy a breakfast, meet with our friends and Brethren and play our part in helping to raise some monies for this very worthwhile cause. Hope to see many of you in Straid on the dates mentioned above.
All the monies lifted on the 24th February will be going to the School, as the food for the fries will be paid for by the Brethren in the Crumlin Road Hall and the catering will be provided free gratis by the team at Straid.
Robert Bashford