Ballysally fights back!
Thursday, 2 February 2012
Controversy raged in Ballysally estate after the new fly-on-the-wall documentary series, ‘The Estate’, from BBC Northern Ireland
BALLYSALLY residents are fighting to protect their estate's reputation with a Facebook campaign aimed at countering the BBC's weekly screen portrayal. Householder Colin Browne said he was appalled by The Estate's depiction of alcoholism and benefits dependency.
He has now set up a Facebook page - Ballysally Fights Back - to redress the balance by highlighting positive work and the estate's famed community spirit.
With thousands of hits already from as far afield as Canada and Australia, he told the Chronicle the aim is to say, "We are not like this."
He continued: "It provides a forum to vent frustration at the programme but also confront the issues raised.
“We don't want to get caught up in a blame game. People have been having a go at the characters who featured in the documentary but the problems are with the system that allows people to get caught in the benefits trap.
"We are getting hits from all over the place and we are now starting to talk about what changes people want to see in Ballysally and how they can contribute."
Colin said Ballysally had progressed a lot in the last 10 years and, while it still has a long way to go, he added: "People in Mountsandel also have problems. Why don't you see cameras up the Malone Road instead of focusing on poor people," he asked.
Mayor
The view that issues covered by 'The Estate' were universal was echoed by Mayor Maurice Bradley.
He said: "This is a fly on the wall documentary, and although it is based in Ballysally, it could have been filmed on any estate, private or public, anywhere in Northern Ireland, and the same types of problems, struggles, highs and lows etc., would be found."
But, he said, residents feared the documentary would not focus on the vast majority who enjoy a peaceful existence, nor give credibility to those working tirelessly on the estate's behalf.
“There is so much positive work through Ballysally Primary School, the churches, Focus on Family, Ballysally Youth and Community Centre and the Healthy Eating Cafe, in fact, Ballysally has more going for it than most other areas in Northern Ireland, and I sincerely hope that that is the overall message this documentary brings to light.
“I have seen first hand, and I have confidence and believe that the people of Ballysally are amongst the finest in Coleraine."
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