Sian Mulholland MLA and Cllr Chelsea Harwood Prepping the phone box for painting
Alliance Councillor for Braid, Chelsea Harwood has helped to celebrate the bi-centenary of the village of Newtown-Crommelin by getting stuck into a social action project involving a historic phone box.
Cllr Harwood had been engaging with the local Community Assocation, Glenravel, about their upcoming celebrations for the 200th anniversary of the area when the state of disrepair a vocal point of the community was mentioned.
The phone box stands in the heart of the small village and has been left to deteriorate since the removal of the telephone capabilities. Having become an eyesore, Cllr Harwood set about improving the box so it could become a much needed site for community resources.
Before and after of the Phonebox
“I am acutely aware, through my engagement with the Mid and East Antrim Loneliness Network, that rural isolation is a big issue, particularly amongst those who do not have access to the internet and online resources. So, a plan to refurbish the phone box and engage with the local Men-Hen Shed to fit out the inside to become an information resource was made.”
The plan was not without some glitches and Chelsea had to think outside the box to achieve the official 'Currant red' of the original box.
Marian Maguire of Glenravel and District Community and Residents Association LTD
“Unfortunately, there were problems getting our hands on the official paint in Northern Ireland but officials in BT were really helpful and gave me the paint code which i was able to have made up locally. Then, with help from Sian Mulholland MLA and other local activists, we were able to get started on the sanding, priming and painting of the box”.
The completed project will have pride of place in the upcoming celebrations and Cllr Harwood has asked for suggestions of other resources that could be utilised within rural communities to be identified and refurbished to help tackle rural social isolation in a creative way.
