Latest - 28/02/05
Representatives of the group today met with Mr Frank Cushnahan, Chairman of the Port of Belfast. Frank as it happens used to play for the Glens back in the late 50's, and looked back fondly on his days at the Oval.
We would take this opportunity to thank Frank for his valuable time and advise ... and for the craic :-)
Latest - 27/02/05
Today's Sunday Life - HERE
Latest - 25/02/05
Thanks to the assistance today of Belfast City Councillor Mr Wallace Browne (DUP), we now await a second meeting with Mr Mervyn Elder, Director of Client Services at Belfast City Hall.
The group now also look forward to a meeting with Mr Brian Turtle, Director and Chief Executive of the Belfast Institute of Further & Higher Education (BIFHE).
Latest - 24/02/05
Further to our recent meeting with Mr Peter Robinson MP, further meetings at Westminster with Rest in East have now been requested. We are very grateful to Mr Robinson for all his assistance.
Amongst others, our list now includes:
Labour
Mr Paul Murphy, MP - Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
Mr Ian Pearson, MP Dudly South - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office since 2002.
Mrs Angela Smith, MP Basildon - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office since 2002. Minister for Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL)
Mr Tony Clarke, MP Northampton South - Member Northern Ireland Affairs Committee since 1999.
Former Backbencher National Heritage/Culture, Media and Sport 1997-2001, Vice Chairman of Northampton Town Football Club Supporters Trust & Director of Northampton Town Football Club.
Mr Harry Barnes, MP North East Derbyshire - Member Northern Ireland Select Committee, President of 'New Dialogue' - the cross-party peace group, the British-Irish Inter-parliamentary Body, the Commons Grand Committee on Northern Ireland, & Vice-chair of the Labour MPs' Departmental Committee on Northern Ireland.
Conservatives
Mr David Lidington, MP Aylesbury - Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.
The Lord Brooke of Sutton Mandeville CH - Formerly Chairman of the Conservative Party from and Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Lord Brooke is currently Chairman of the Association of Conservative Peers.
Liberal Democrats
Mr Lembit Opic, MP Montgomeryshire - Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and educated at Royal Belfast Academical Institution.
Mr Alastair Carmichael, MP Orkney & Shetland - Northern Ireland Spokesperson since 2001.
Latest - 23/02/05
Representatives from Rest in East held very productive talks today with East Belfast MP Mr Peter Robinson.
In advance of the groups trip to Westminster in less than 2 weeks time Mr Robinson became the first to sign a Charter drafted up by Rest in East, a declaration committing VIP's "To the exploration of all possibilities into Glentoran Football Club (founded 1882) remaining within the boundaries of its geographical and spiritual home in East Belfast." (Photo's and more details to follow). It is the groups intention to now harness the goodwill of all influencial individuals in some tangible form in the coming months, and attempt to commit as many VIP's as possible to helping us achieve our long term goal.
Latest - 22/02/05
Members of Rest in East will tonight attend North Down Councils' meeting at Bangor Town Hall. The plight of Bangor Football Club and their proposed ground move is to be discussed, a situation the Seasiders find themselves in with more than a little resemblance to our own.
Latest - 21/02/05
Rest in East are delighted to accept an invitation to attend and discuss the progress of the campaign in the Raven Glentoran Supporters Club.
Latest - 20/02/05
Today's group meeting of Rest in East saw NIGAG Chairman Mr Glynn Roberts in attendance. As a major authority on Lobbying practice both locally and on the mainland, Mr Roberts observations could prove invaluable to the group ahead of both Wednesday's meeting with East Belfast MP Mr Peter Robinson, and our forthcoming trip to Westminster. We would place on record our sincere thanks to Mr Roberts for his time.
Also in attendance today were: Ronnie Hoy, Steven Henderson, Sam Robinson, Jim Welsh, Billy Cully, David Blanchflower, Brian Dawson, John Moore, and George Dorrian.
Latest - 19/02/05
Many thanks to Victoria Glentoran Supporters Club for the invitation to Rest in East to address their club meeting last night. Once again we hope all in attendance found the venture very worthwhile, and would remind everyone that we offer the same facility to all interested Supporters groups and clubs.
Latest - 17/02/05
We are following with interest the fortunes of Bangor Football Club. Bangor FC's situation is not dissimilar to ourselves, in that they have sold their ground to a developer and are seeking to relocate, most recently to the North Down Council owned Ballykillair Athletics Site. At a recent presentation to North Down Councils' Tourism and Leisure Sub-Committee, the club narrowly failed in an attempt to have their proposal recommended to full Council. However, undeterred, Bangor are pressing on, and will have their case debated at a full North Down Council meeting next Tuesday night at Bangor Town Hall (7.30pm) - the meeting is a public affair. Given the uncanny similarities between our own situation and that of Bangor FC, Rest in East intend having the group represented in the public gallery. In light of Glentoran Football Clubs' current circumstance, we would suggest someone from the Glentoran 'Project Team' might also find this unique opportunity an invaluable insight into Council procedure and protocol.
Latest - 16/02/05
Ahead of our planned trip to the Houses of Parliament in a few weeks time Rest in East are delighted to have secured yet another meeting with East Belfast MP Mr Peter Robinson.
Latest - 15/02/05
We can confirm the group have now secured a meeting with the Chairman of the 'Port of Belfast', Mr Frank Cushnahan. Many thanks to Tommy 'Halfers Draw' McKee for all his assistance.
Rest in East note and welcome a recent Statement from Glentoran FC on the clubs' Official website - HERE.
Acknowledgement of the groups imput and efforts to date is certainly very much appreciated, although referring to the campaign as a 'Pressure' Group one would think an unfortunate choice of language - We're here to help, certainly no-one at Glentoran FC should feel under pressure ... ?
A few other points we believe merit some clarification. The group does not now benefit by having one of the Directors of Glentoran present at all our meetings. What has been proposed by the Board is that Mr Jim Rodgers be dedicated as Director to liaise more closely with the group, to act as a direct conduit between ourselves and Glentoran FC. While we are in agreement that closer links between Rest in East and the Board of Directors is undoubtedly in the best interests of Glentoran FC, to date it remains a proposal.
Reference was also made on the Official site to a 'Position Statement' presented by Rest in East to the Board some 3 weeks ago. The Position Statement comprised a 4-page document detailing the groups Findings of Deliberations and Recommendations after 4 months of the campaign. While fully aware the risks of certain information being released into the public domain, we believe the majority content of said Statement should be at the disposal of all Glentoran supporters, and intend publishing an edited version online in due course.
Latest - 14/02/05
Yesterday once again saw the group meet en bloc to discuss recent developments and the current week's schedule. Amongst other business discussed was a planned meeting with repesentatives from BIFHE (Belfast Institute of Further & Higher Education), the upcoming meeting with NIGAG, ongoing discussions with BBC's sports programme 'Season Ticket', approaches to UTV's new sports programme 'The Football Show', and our forthcoming trip to Westminster.
Latest - 12/02/05
Rest in East would take this opportunity to thank Dundonald GSC for the invitation to address their members at last night's meeting. Once again a very cordial and worthwhile venture for all concerned, and we look forward to returning to update their members on the progress of the campaign at a future date.
Apologies to the late cancellation of attending Victoria GSC, due to the understandable concern among fans in relation to the ground move, presentations by the Rest in East group are now taking somewhat longer than first anticipated. We look forward to attending a Victoria GSC meeting later this week.
Latest - 09/02/05
The group have now secured a meeting with representatives of the Northern Ireland Government Affairs Group (NIGAG). NIGAG members come from a wide range of backgrounds - commercial public affairs and PR companies, the voluntary sector, education, trade associations & business public affairs. Lobbying activities on behalf of local interest groups are undertaken professionally and responsibly. They believe that lobbyists enable interest groups and sections of the electorate to participate in the political process beyond casting votes at elections, and thus ensuring decision makers remain responsive to public opinion between elections.
Latest - 08/02/05
For the second time in a few weeks the group would like to thank Mr Sammy Douglas, a prominent member of the Inner East Forum and Chairman of the East Belfast Social Economy Company for his time today. Sammy has been extremely helpful with regard to information on a particular location within the Inner East Belfast area. We look forward to further discussions in the very near future.
Rest in East would take this opportunity to thank Ballymacarrett GSC for last nights invitation to their clubrooms to update their members on the progress of the campaign. We like to think all agreed it was a very positive venture and extend the same offer of a meeting with RIE to any and all interested parties.
Latest - 07/02/05 All roads lead to London!
A deputation of 12 members of the Rest in East campaign group will travel to London for the talks.
Amongst those we plan to see are:
Kate Hoey MP - Labour Member of Parliament for Vauxhall.
Former Northern Ireland High-Jump Champion, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Home Office (1998-99), Minister for Sport (1999-2001), and former Educational Advisor to Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Queens Park Rangers, Chelsea and Brentford.
Kate is also an ardent follower of the Northern Ireland National Football Team.
Sir Brian Mawhinney MP - Conservative Member of Parliament for North West Cambridgeshire.
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Northern Ireland Office (1986), President of Northern Ireland's Young Conservatives (1987), Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office (1990-92), Chairman of the Conservative Party and Minister Without Portfolio (1995-97), Shadow Home Secretary (1997-98), and current Chairman of the English Football League.
Lord Glentoran CBE DL - Conservative Party Peer and Shadow Minister for Northern Ireland.
MBE for services to sport (1985). In 1983, Lord Glentoran set up and became the Founder Chairman of the Ulster Games Foundation in an attempt to bring international sporting events to Ulster. In 1987 he was appointed Chairman of the Northern Ireland Tall Ships Council, and successfully managed to bring the Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race to Belfast, an event which he then subsequently organised.
Between 1992-96, Lord Glentoran was Chairman of Positively Belfast, which aimed to promote Belfast as a potential host city for major events. Because of these and other significant achievements, in 1992, Lord Glentoran was awarded a CBE for Services to Northern Ireland and Industry. Shadow Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (2001-03), he is also a member of the British/Irish Parliamentary Body.
Further details and a full list of the intended meeting schedule will follow in due course.
Latest - 06/02/05
A further meeting of the Rest in East group took place today. Amongst other things discussed were confirmation of addressing the Ballymacarrett GSC tomorrow night (Monday), then both Dundonald and Victoria GSC's this coming Friday night (11th). In attendance today were Ronnie Hoy, John Quinliven, Steven Henderson, Sam Robinson, Jim Welsh, Billy Cully, David Blanchflower, Brian Dawson, John Moore, and George Dorrian.
Latest - 03/02/05
Press Cuttings page updated
Latest - 02/02/05
Rest in East can confirm we have accepted invitations to address a further two Glentoran Supporters Clubs. Dates to attend Dundonald GSC and Victoria GSC for updates on the campaign will be posted shortly.
Latest - 01/02/05
New Sunday Life article now online - HERE
