A Ballymoney group dedicated to promoting positive mental health messages is inviting the community to come together again this spring through two events focused on wellbeing, connection and community.
BEAM- Building Empowerment & Awareness to Mind is launching its 2026 activities with a community litter pick in Riverside Park on Tuesday 31 March at 6.30pm. It will be followed by the return of its popular Dawn Walk on Saturday 16 May.
The litter pick will see volunteers gather in Riverside Park to help tidy and care for one of the town’s most valued shared spaces. Bin bags and litter pickers will be provided, although participants are welcome to bring their own equipment if they wish.
Zara Hutchinson, part of the BEAM group, said the event reflects the group’s belief in the power of community.
“We believe that when we care for our community, we care for each other. Coming together to look after shared spaces like Riverside Park is a simple but powerful way of showing pride in where we live and support for one another.”
The group organised several successful community initiatives during its first year, including a community picnic in Riverside Park last August, following the hugely successful first BEAM Dawn Walk in May 2025, when more than 250 people gathered before sunrise to walk through Ballymoney and promote positive mental health messages.
Planning is now well underway for the 2026 Dawn Walk, which will take place in the early hours of Saturday 16 May.
Participants will meet at 4am in the car park of the Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre, before walking together through Ballymoney. The walk will conclude with breakfast in Ballymoney Town Hall, offering an opportunity for participants to connect and reflect together.
The event is free to attend, but anyone planning to take part is asked to register online in advance at tinyurl.com/BEAMBallymoney26.
Hannah Graham, a member of the organising group, said the walk carries an important message for the community.
“Sadly, there are still too many people across our community who don’t feel valued. By coming together in the middle of the night to walk through our town, we want to say loud and clear that Ballymoney is a community that cares, about each other and about each other’s wellbeing.”
BEAM was established by local community worker Hannah Graham to explore how positive mental health messages and sources of support could be promoted across Ballymoney and the surrounding area.
The organising group includes Hannah Graham, Katherine Murphy (Building Communities Resource Centre), Zara Hutchinson (Ballymoney Community Fridge), Clare Doherty (Community Rescue Service), and Councillor Lee Kane. The initiative is supported by Building Communities Resource Centre.
Members of the group will also be attending the Ballymoney Spring Fair on Saturday 18 April, where anyone interested can find out more about BEAM’s activities and speak to organisers about upcoming events.
Organisers say they welcome anyone from the community to get involved.
“Whether people come along to help tidy the park, take part in the Dawn Walk, or simply want to find out more about what we are doing, we would love to speak to them,” Lee Kane added.
“These events are about bringing people together and showing that Ballymoney is a community cares.”