L-R Chris Wood from Friends of ECOS, Alex Scullion from Friends of ECOS, Lynda Surgenor, Live Here Love Here Manager, Pat Barkman from Friends of ECOS, Charus Campbell from Friends of ECOS, Alderman Thomas Gordon and Lynda Crawford from Friends of ECOS.
Live Here Love Here, a people-powered campaign dedicated to improving the local environment and fostering civic pride, has revealed the winners of its 2025 Community Awards.
The event, held at Belfast City Hall on Thursday, February 6 and hosted by TV presenter Joe Mahon, brought together over 150 guests - including DAERA Minister Andrew Muir, local leaders, environmental advocates and volunteers – to honour the outstanding contributions of voluntary community groups across Northern Ireland working to improve the environment and promote civic pride.
Sponsored by Power NI and supported by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), nine local councils, and the Housing Executive, the awards serve as a vital platform for recognising the power of collective action in tackling community environmental challenges such as dog fouling, littering, biodiversity loss, transformation of neglected spaces, and environmental education.
On the night, 12 awards were presented to celebrate the achievements of local community groups, including the Regional Champions Awards, which honoured volunteers from Live Here Love Here’s nine partner council areas.
Ballymena’s Friends of ECOS received Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Regional Champions Award for its work transforming local woodlands and meadows including building a sensory garden while fostering local partnerships and overcoming challenges like anti-social behaviour.
Irene Hunter and Sharman Anderson from Friends of Bashfordsland and Oakfield Glen alongside Lynda Surgenor, Live Here Love Here Manager (centre).
Carrickfergus’s Friends of Bashfordsland and Oakfield Glen was also recognised in this category as runners-up for its environmental work, with 16 volunteers improving biodiversity by removing invasive species, restoring ponds, and expanding footpaths.
Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Beth Adger MBE, said:
“My warmest congratulations to Ballymena’s Friends of ECOS for securing this fantastic award and to Friends of Bashfordsland and Oakfield Glen. We are indebted to the many wonderful individuals, volunteers, organisations and local businesses who actively improve our local environment - improving areas for biodiversity, keeping towns and villages clean and tidy and brightening up forgotten corners.”
Lynda Surgenor, Live Here Love Here Manager, said:
“The Community Awards resonate because they celebrate the unsung heroes in our communities who are driving real environmental change through volunteer work. This year, the theme ‘Community Connections’ made it even more special as we honoured groups that demonstrate the power of collective action.
“Whether it’s transforming vacant land into thriving green spaces or mobilising locals to restore and protect local waterways, these groups are proving that no action is too small to make a difference. We’re reminded that, together, we can build a cleaner, greener, and more connected Northern Ireland."
She added: “We also want to thank DAERA, Power NI, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful, and our nine council partners for their continued support, which ensures the ongoing success of Live Here Love Here.”
For more information on the Live Here Love Here campaign and the Community Awards, visit liveherelovehere.org.