The Mayor Wishes Us a Blooming Success at the Countryside Alliance Award Finals

We’re now preparing for the finals of the prestigious Countryside Alliance Awards at the House of Lords in June, and the Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Mark Cooper BEM, paid us a visit to wish us good luck.

Against fierce competition we won the Northern Ireland Rural Enterprise of the year final on 25 March at a special awards ceremony held in the Titanic building in Belfast and we now go on to represent Northern Ireland in the National winner’s reception at the House of Lords in June, competing against other finalists from England, Scotland and Wales.

The Countryside Alliance Awards, now in its 17th year, honours the efforts of businesses that go the extra mile for the benefit of their local community by public vote. In the Rural Enterprise category, those wishing to nominate are required to consider if the business enhances the local area, are they committed to the future of jobs and to the local community and is the business a growing asset and making a real contribution.

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During his visit, the Mayor toured the garden centre, meeting with staff and management to personally commend them for their dedication and hard work that led to this significant accolade.  During his visit, he highlighted the importance of local businesses like Coleman’s in sustaining the local economy and making a real difference to the local community.

“Winning the Northern Ireland Countryside Alliance Award for Rural Enterprise is a testament to the exceptional service, commitment to sustainability and customer experience that Coleman’s consistently provides. It has been an established business in the local community and known across Northern Ireland for over 60 years and provides an exceptional economic boost to our Borough through their products and services, not to mention the hundreds of coach trips they host from visitors near and far. I am delighted they have been recognised as Northern Ireland Winner in this category and I wish them every success for the National Finals in June”.

Richard Fry, Managing Director of Coleman’s added; “Firstly we need to give a huge thanks to our loyal customers who voted for us leading up to the Northern Ireland award in March.  I also need to thank our incredible staff across the garden centre who always go the extra mile and make Coleman’s such a wonderful place to visit and enjoy. We are incredibly proud to have made it this far and we are honoured to represent Northern Ireland in the National Finals in June. Finally a big thanks to the Mayor Councillor Mark Cooper BEM for taking the time to visit us and wishing us all the best for next month”.

The Mayor’s visit underscores the Council’s support and commitment for rural enterprises and recognises the pivotal role they play in both economic and community development across the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough and beyond.