A 10ft tall lighthouse built by prisoners in Maghaberry is to help shine a spotlight on the convalescent work of a cancer charity.
The wooden structure, which took several months to construct in Maghaberry Prison, was this week re-located to Hope House Cottage on the beach at Browns Bay at Islandmagee.
Hope House is a registered charity providing free self-catering accommodation by the sea for adults with cancer.
Eight inmates and three prison instructors worked on the lighthouse which is modelled on the Hope House crest.
In addition, dozens of other prisoners and staff in its kitchen, horticulture and recycling workshops, raised £4,000 for the charity.
"Through purposeful activity we have been helping those in our care and supporting them in their efforts to give something back to the community where they will return to," Governor David Savage said.
"When we were asked by one of our staff who was a friend of the Hope House charity, if we could do anything for them, we were only too delighted to do so."
Charity founder Dawn McConnell said: "Hope House gives people with cancer somewhere to rest and relax away from the pressures of hospital treatments and appointments.
"All of our services are free and we are very dependent on the support we receive. The donation from Maghaberry Prison is very much appreciated, and very timely as we have just started work on new accommodation for terminally ill cancer patients.
"The lighthouse is absolutely magnificent and will certainly shine a beacon on our charity which reaches out to many people with cancer across Northern Ireland."
