I am delighted to take up the post of Project Development Officer for Cushendun Building Preservation Trust.  My background is one of project management & community development with specific experience in community arts and heritage projects.

This is a very exciting time in the redevelopment of the Old Church, and there is much to do over the course of the coming months in order to submit a second round funding application to the Heritage Lottery Fund.  This will involve a number of pieces of work including a business plan and a programme of activities to link people with heritage and the arts.

This is your village and your local community – the place where you live, go to school and work.  I will be working alongside the CBPT and we need to engage with you closely over the coming weeks and months in order to drive this project forward. 

This will include;

– Working with local residents, groups and schools to ensure that the Old Church is a space where they feel welcome and can utilise.

– Engaging young people to develop a youth sub-committee for the Old Church – harnessing their creativity & talents.

– Ensuring the Old Church is a hub which engages with visitors to Cushendun & develops the tourism potential of the village.

– Planning with local businesses to ensure that anything we develop is working with them and of a benefit to the village as a whole.

I hope to speak with as many of you as possible over the next few months.  I will be here for the Big Arts Weekend, where amongst other things I will be running reminiscence workshops on people’s memories of the Old Church.  This will be totally informal and any memories, good or bad, inside of the Church Building or not would be really appreciated.

I look forward to meeting with you!

Melanie Rintoul