Dumpers fail to halt Santa ride

Dumpers fail to halt Santa ride

4 December 2019

A MAJOR Christmas charity event planned for Saintfield this weekend is to go ahead as planned.

Organisers of Saturday’s eagerly-anticipated Santa charity ride have dismissed speculation that one of the district’s worst ever incidents of illegal dumping would force them to pull the plug on the event.

Over 200 tyres were dumped at Saintfield Livestock Mart located at the Belfast Road on the outskirts of the town last week in an area which houses a marquee used to host a range of festive fun to raise money for a Ugandan charity.

The dumping incident has angered a number of local politicians but, because the tyres have been dumped on private land, Newry, Mourne and Down Council is not permitted to remove them.

Launched in 2007 to raise funds for underprivileged orphaned children in Uganda whose parents had either died from Aids or been murdered, the Christmas charity event continues to grow in popularity.

Event organiser Joan Cunningham, who has also condemned those responsible for the dumping, confirmed yesterday that the Santa ride will go ahead.

“It is very much all systems go, despite this illegal dumping incident at the livestock mart. The Murphy family which owns the facility have been great supporters of the charity ride and we are indebted to them for their continued backing,” she said.

“It is absolutely disgusting that this incident happened. The Murphy family are such lovely people and they have been very kind to allow us to use the mart for the past few years. The charity event has raised thousands of pounds over the years and we are looking to add to this total this weekend.”

Rowallane councillors Kathryn Owen and Robert Burgess have condemned the dumping and hope that whoever was responsible will be apprehended.

Cllr Owen said: “I hope that the public can report those that are responsible and that these incidents do not happen again. It is good to hear that Newry, Mourne and Down Council will soon have greater powers to penalise fly tippers with greater penalties.”

Cllr Burgess is hoping that CCTV cameras on the several approach roads to Saintfield may help police identify the identity of those responsible for the illegal dumping issue.

He said the bottom line is that there is simply no excuse for any kind of illegal dumping and that those responsible must feel the full force of the law.

“This is not a minor incident we are talking about,” he declared. “Anyone who knows who is responsible for this incident needs to inform the police immediately.”

Cllr Burgess said he is delighted that the weekend charity event, which he described as one of the biggest ever held in the district, is going ahead.

He added: “Joan Cunningham and her team do an amazing job and since the event was launched have help so many children in Uganda. They are real community heroes which is in sharp contrast to those who most probably used the cover of darkness to dump these tyres at the livestock mart.

“The Murphy family who run the facility are at the heart of Saintfield’s economy and this illegal dumping incident is grossly unfair on them.”

Saturday’s charity event starts with people arriving at the livestock mart at 11am for a mulled wine and mince pie reception and to register their entries.  At noon, a cavalcade of several hundred Santas will mount up and ride into Saintfield town centre with the procession returning to the mart at 2pm.

Organisers have confirmed that there will be a change of route with riders leaving Saintfield Mart, before turning left on to the main Belfast Road and then right on to Lessans Road. After a few hundred yards they will turn right on to the Monlough Road before rejoining the Belfast Road and turning left towards Saintfield.

They will turn left on to Windmill Road before taking a right on to Station Road and proceed along Main Street. Riders will return to the mart via the Old Belfast and Lessans roads.

For further details about the weekend charity ride, contact Joan Cunningham on 07775 860744, or email joancunningham1@gmail.com or visit www.saintfieldhorseshow/christmascharityride.com.