People living at Clanmil Housing's shared housing development at Felden in Newtownabbey have come together to enjoy an afternoon of outdoor fun and activities.

The event was part of a week-long Community Roadshow organised by Clanmil, taking in a number of its shared neighbourhood developments across Northern Ireland. The idea behind the events was to encourage people to reconnect with their neighbours now that COVID-19 restrictions have begun to ease.

Over 50 people of all ages came together to enjoy the family event at Felden which included a climbing wall, fairground attractions, circus workshops, sport and craft activities and even an artist who drew caricatures for attendees to keep as a memento of the day. Information stalls run by Clanmil also provided advice on money and benefits, community engagement opportunities and housing management issues.

Tim O'Malley, Community Development Manager at Clanmil Housing said:

"Clanmil has almost 100 homes here at Felden and we want this to be a great community for everyone who lives here. We continue to work in partnership with the local Advisory Group and Felden residents to develop and deliver the Felden Good Relations Plan. The plan seeks to build good relationships and a sustainable community.

"It has been difficult during the pandemic for people to maintain that sense of community and this event has given them an opportunity to socialise safely together, enjoy an ice cream and pick up some useful hints and advice from the team at Clanmil. We're delighted that so many people came out and joined in the fun. Even the sun made a welcome appearance."

The Felden scheme and associated Good Relations Plan is being delivered as part of the NI Executive Together: Building a United Community strategy, which aims to build a more shared society. The Felden shared housing scheme is also supported by the Department for Communities and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, receiving a total of £6.03m funding to date.