ARDS BOROUGH COUNCIL
News Release
11 December 2006
Lights are twinkling, trees stand tall and decorations are up – it’s most definitely the festive season and my pleasure, as Mayor of Ards, to wish everyone a very happy Christmas.
No doubt, like my own family, most of you will have been busy getting ready for Christmas Day, buying presents, sending cards, preparing for a special dinner and for a special celebration with family and with friends. This is as Christmas should be – a joyful occasion.
For some, however, this is simply a time to be struggled through, when grief, illness, loneliness, debt and a whole range of unfortunate circumstances mean there is no joy to be found in the run up to Christmas or on the day itself. Spare a thought for those who may be in this situation, but do more than that if you can by bringing a little light into dark times – pay a visit to someone on their own, make a phone call to let someone know you are thinking about them, donate a gift to the Family Appeal. In other words, let your practical actions reflect the true meaning of Christmas.
And you can be practical in other ways too. Watch your waste this festive season – think twice about the amount of wrapping paper you use, try reusable gift bags or ‘Santa sacks’ instead; make full use of your blue bin for all that extra cardboard, for your cards, plastic bottles and cans; take your glass bottles and jars to a bottle bank; and, if you have a real Christmas tree, remember to bring it to a recycling centre where it can be turned into valuable compost.
And don’t forget to look after yourself, as well as the environment and other people! If you are fortunate enough to be off for a few days, relax and enjoy a safe, peaceful and very happy Christmas.
Councillor Angus Carson
Mayor of Ards
Posted in
Submitted by The Editor on Mon, 2006-12-11 09:22.
