Business Eye April May 2022 by Buckley Publications

Issue 214 April/May 2022 £2.50 Voted best Business Magazine in Ireland 2005 and Magazine of the Year for Northern Ireland

TLT Celebrates Ten Years in Northern Ireland Features:

Riada Capital Partners New Private Equity Firm Launched

Energy Challenge Planning For A Better Future

IQ:EQ - Investment Services Firm’s High Hopes For Belfast Base

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Contents

April/May 2022 ISSUE 214

Belfast Ups Its 10 Tourism Target

The Energy Challenge - How 40 Can NI Build For The Future?

Belfast’s tourism sector expects to see further growth this year, buoyed by a steady and sustained rise in consumer and business optimism, according to the organisation responsible for promoting tourism in the city.

Business Eye joined forces with sponsors NIE Networks to stage its first in-person Round Table Discussion since the Covid pandemic. Taking place in the unique surroundings of The Innovation Factory on Belfast’s Springfield Road, a wideranging discussion looked at the energy challenges facing the region as well as the specific issues facing manufacturers, business in general and household consumers.

TLT Celebrates Ten Years In Northern Ireland

UK law firm TLT is celebrating its tenth anniversary of law practice in Northern Ireland. The firm opened its first office in Belfast in 2012 with the aim of strengthening relationships with strategically important clients, helping win new business and growing its market share.

Tough Times Ahead

While the local economy has prospered over the last 12 months, the combination of macro factors at play has the potential to be too much for many smaller businesses over the coming months, says Gareth McGonigle from ASM Chartered Accountants.

NI - At The Heart 28 OfDiageo The Community Diageo is an integral part of the community in Northern Ireland both as a major exporter and employer and is best known for a wide range of brands including Guinness, Harp, Hop House 13, Rockshore, Smithwick’s, Baileys, Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Gordons and Tanqueray.

Riada Capital Partners Investing In Local Businesses

Riada Capital Partners is a new independent advisor and private equity investor setting out, in its own words, to work with and invest in good companies facing financial difficulty and/or a high degree of current or future uncertainty.

IQ-EQ - Investor Services Firm Has High Hopes For Belfast Base

IQ-EQ is a global firm with $500 billion in client asset value. A specialist in servicing the private equity sector, it has 150 people based in Belfast and firm plans to grow and develop its Northern Ireland base.

NIE Networks Business Eye 46 Family Business Awards The shortlists have been revealed for the brand new NIE Networks Business Eye Family Business Awards in association with Harbinson Mulholland with the awards due to be presented on May 19th.

Eastside Awards - Celebrating 56 The Best Of East Belfast East Belfast’s leading businesses and individuals were honoured at the return of the Eastside Awards, with the event held recently at the city’s Stormont Hotel.

In Good Company - Action 66 Cancer & Its4Women Local online car insurance company its4women has announced the renewal of its partnership with Action Cancer for a further three years.

New Executive Vital To Economic Rebuild

Manufacturing Month has kicked off in Northern Ireland, throwing the spotlight on the key issues being faced by manufacturers of all sizes around the region. Effective government is vital, they say, to economic success.

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Another year, another election here in Northern Ireland. But this one turned out to be a little bit different.

Comment

“In the wake of the pandemic and with economic headwinds making recession look more and more likely,this is not the time to play politics. But, for one of our largest parties, economic arguments, even the cost of living crisis, count for nothing.“

Richard Buckley EDITOR Irish Magazine Editor of the Year 2005

oes it mark a seismic shift? Does it mean the end of the United Kingdom as we know it? Does it mean that there’ll be a border poll just over the horizon? The answer to all three, now that the dust is settling, is no. But, while the future of the political institutions at Stormont are uncertain in the immediate wake of the election result, and we stand in limbo, the business community – to a man and woman – will be hoping that sense will prevail and that effective government can somehow be put in place. In the wake of the pandemic and with economic headwinds making recession look more and more likely,this is not the time to play politics. But, for one of our largest parties, economic arguments, even the cost of living crisis, count for nothing. What did the election show us? Firstly, that the rise of Sinn Fein continues. It might not be seismic but it’s fairly impressive nonetheless. There’s little doubt, mind you, that the party’s vote was boosted by the DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, who managed to rile potential voters into decisive ballot box action. But what was also significant was the continued evolution of nationalism. It’s not that long ago when the SDLP was the biggest party. This time around, they’ve dropped right down the scale to go into the next Assembly (if they do) as the fifth largest party. It’s a sad state of affairs for a party with a proud history. On the other side of the fence, the DUP had a poor election by its own standards, but perhaps not as poor as some pundits had expected. But, while nationalism is becoming united under the Sinn Fein banner, unionism is heading in the other direction.

Jim Allister managed to inflict significant damage to the DUP’s ship for the sake of one seat. It was a terrible result for the oneman band who had hoped to become a two, three or even four-man band, and a costly exercise for unionism as a whole. Meanwhile, the much heralded Beattie Bounce over a the Ulster Unionists didn’t happen. The party, like the SDLP, was squeezed again. All of that said, the bigger story – and the good news for anyone of us who populate the non-sectarian middle ground – was the quite remarkable performance of the Alliance Party which more than doubled its number of seats, became the clear third party in Northern Ireland politics, and won seats all over the place. The victory of Patricia O’Lynn in North Antrim, where she effectively dumped DUP veteran Mervyn Storey, served as an effective metaphor for all Alliance’s performance. It’s a performance that gives us some hope amid the polarisation of the other parties. Should one party be allowed to hold government here to ransom? Of course not, but it’s the inevitable result of the convoluted structures under which government here can work. Should one party be allowed to hold government back when there is a cost of living crisis, huge problems in the health service and real pressures facing households and businesses alike. Definitely not. But that’s exactly where we stand.

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Eye on News

Belfast’s Grand Central Hotel Awarded Five-Star Rating THE tallest hotel on the island of Ireland, the Grand Central, has been awarded a five-star rating by the AA.

he AA’s inspector’s report praised the hotel’s ‘5-star service delivered by a friendly and engaging team’ and said ‘first impressions of the Hastings Grand Central are excellent, with a well-kept fascia in a highly accessible location. The diverse, spacious and versatile public areas present extremely well, having benefited from some serious investment. Bedrooms and bathrooms are equipped and furnished to a high standard.’ The Seahorse Restaurant has also been awarded an AA Rosette which is given to restaurants that achieve standards that stand out in their local area, serving food prepared with care, understanding and skill and using good quality ingredients. The Grand Central is the second in the Hastings Hotels collection to be given a 5-star rating, joining sister

Pictured at the announcement that the tallest hotel on the island of Ireland, the Grand Central, has been awarded a five-star rating by the AA are Damian Tumilty, Executive Head Chef; Suzanne McCrum, Events Manager; Damien McDonald, Hotel Operations Manager; Aimee Drummond, Food & Beverage Supervisor and Stephen Meldrum, General Manager.

property the Culloden Estate & Spa. Stephen Meldrum, General Manager of the Grand Central Hotel said: “We are thrilled to have been awarded a five-star rating by the AA and I would like to pay testament to every single member of staff as it is because of them that this recognition has been

made possible. It is great, not only for Hastings Hotels, but also for tourism in Northern Ireland as we continue to produce a first class offering both in terms of the product and the people.” “When we opened the doors of the Grand Central in June 2018, we wanted to bring a different experience to Belfast

and we have achieved that. From the very beginning we have provided a 5-star proposition, so it is fantastic for this to have been made official. We offer first-class service, luxurious accommodation and a fabulous selection of dining options including the Grand Café, with beautiful patisserie selections, brunch and locally roasted coffee and the Seahorse Restaurant, with menus created by an award-winning team using the very best of local provenance. And the pièce de résistance is the Observatory on the 23rd floor, which is the tallest cocktail bar in Ireland offering breathtaking views over Belfast and beyond,” Stephen continued. To celebrate its five-star rating, the Grand Central Hotel has launched two new packages – the Bollinger Celebratory Overnight Stay (from £80pps) with a ‘Demi’ bottle of chilled Bollinger delivered to your room on arrival and breakfast the following morning and the Observatory Celebratory Experience (£120 for 4 people) with a table for up to four people in the Observatory to enjoy a bottle of Bollinger, mixed charcuterie and cheese selection served with breads and tapenade.

DWF announces new executive partner in Belfast DWF, the global provider of integrated legal and business services, has appointed Julie Galbraith to become its new executive partner in Belfast.

ulie joined C & H Jefferson in 1998 as a trainee solicitor, and was a partner when the business merged with DWF in 2016. She is DWF’s Northern Ireland Head of Real Estate. She manages a team of legal professionals delivering advice on all aspects of real estate law and with specific expertise in acting for retailers, commercial occupiers, developers and investors.

Julie will take up the role on 1 May 2022 to lead the 100-strong Belfast team at DWF, following the retirement of long-standing executive partner, Ken Rutherford. Ken joined C & H Jefferson in 1988 and together with Mark Tinman developed the commercial side of the business and ultimately led the business through its merger with DWF in 2016. He has enjoyed a long career in law, specialising in banking, corporate, M&A, and insolvency law. Ken is also Global Deputy Head of Finance and Restructuring at DWF, alongside his position leading the Belfast team. The Belfast office of DWF has a number of sector and practice area teams including Insurance, Employment, Real Estate, Corporate, Dispute Resolution, Construction and Banking, and acts for a range of multinational businesses,

banks, insurers, property developers, retailers and supermarket chains. Julie said: “I want to highlight the fantastic legacy which Ken has created by firmly establishing and growing our Belfast team within the global DWF network and it is an honour to take on this new role. “We recently announced a number of new appointments to the team with more significant recruitment to come, in a strong signal of our aspirations to enhance our offering even further. I’m looking forward to working alongside our colleagues to deliver this next exciting phase in our journey.” Ken Rutherford said: “I’m delighted that Julie is taking on the role. Julie is already running an excellent team in Belfast and has all the qualities to excel in her new position. I wish Julie and the team every success in the future.”

Eye on News

Ulster Bank Backs £500m Fibrus Full Fibre Broadband Roll-Out Ulster Bank is providing £50million in funding to support a major investment by indigenous company Fibrus that will see 330,000 homes and businesses in rural and regional areas connected with full fibre broadband.

he £500m investment in increased connectivity is funded by public and private capital including Project Stratum, the NI Executive scheme which has provided £197m to boost rural broadband connections. Ulster Bank is one of six banks providing a total of £220m in support for the multi-million investment. Ulster Bank is the only Northern Ireland bank involved in the deal, and the joint biggest lender alongside the UK Infrastructure Bank Limited which is also lending £50m. Colin Hutchinson, chief financial officer with Fibrus, welcomed the funding. He said: “We’re well aware

of the importance of high-speed broadband across Northern Ireland, and with every connection we make, we are making lives better. Too many homes and businesses have been left behind by other broadband providers and that is not acceptable. “This latest investment helps us to meet our current plan of connecting 330,000 premises and we are already well ahead of schedule. Together we’re improving lives, connecting communities, growing the economy, and making Northern Ireland a better place to live, to work and to invest in. We are grateful to Ulster Bank and the other lenders for their support.”

Damien Long Ulster Bank

Damien Long, Relationship Director at Ulster Bank, said: “We’re really pleased to be supporting the roll out of full fibre broadband to even more homes and businesses. This is a strategically important

project for Northern Ireland and one that will make a positive impact for the economy and for businesses, homes and communities.”

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Eye on News

Titanic Distillers unveils new Irish vodka Following its hugely successful launch into the whiskey market last year, Belfastbased Titanic Distillers is expanding its spirits portfolio with the introduction of Titanic Distillers Premium Irish Vodka.

ast year was a huge one for Titanic Distillers with the launch of its Premium Irish Whiskey blend and the approval of plans to convert the historic Titanic Pump-House into a new distillery and world class tourist attraction. The launch of Titanic Distillers Premium Irish Vodka marks the brand’s first move outside of whiskey, and into the booming vodka category which, according to food and drink research consultancy CGA, accounts for 36%* of spirit sales (by value) in Northern Ireland and 26%* in the Republic of Ireland, growing faster on the island than any other spirit during the latest quarter. In an innovative twist, instead of being a traditional potato or grain-based spirit, the new vodka is distilled using the finest hand-picked Irish sugar beet from Co Wexford and Co Antrim, and cut with pure local spring water from Co Down. “Vodka is the fastest growing spirit category on the island of Ireland,” explained Titanic Distillers director Stephen Symington, “so we had a look and saw a gap in the market for

a premium Irish vodka – created on the island using local ingredients “It was imperative that we put our own Titanic Distillers stamp on it, as we did with our whiskey, so we decided to distil it in our own way, slowly and with Irish sugar beet. Taking only the best part of the spirit, we cut it with pure local spring water and left it unfiltered to let its raw, distinctive character shine through,” he added. “The result is Titanic Distillers Premium Irish Vodka, a strong, honest brand that is clean and smooth, with a crisp brightness and a sweetness, which can be enjoyed neat, in a cocktail or with your favourite mixer,” concluded Stephen. CGA research* also reveals that 18% of vodka drinkers are now buying it more often than they did a year ago, with two in five (40%) drinking it every or nearly every time they are out. The market in Ireland is led by women and young adults, with two thirds (65%) of drinkers female and just over half (52%) aged 34 or under. Titanic Distillers Premium Irish

Vodka, available in a 70cl bottle (40% ABV), will be launched exclusively in the On-Trade, to be followed with an Off-Trade launch later in the year. Distributed by Craigavon-based United Wines, the all-Ireland launch will be supported with a heavyweight marketing campaign that will include PR, digital and social media, sampling and category sponsorship at this year’s AVA Festival, an electronic audio, visual, arts festival taking place at Titanic Slipways on June 3/4. Founded by Belfast businessmen Peter Lavery, Sean Lavery, Richard Irwin and Stephen Symington, Titanic Distillers is based at the

Titanic Pump-House, a listed building that was first opened in 1911. The neighbouring dry dock was built to accommodate the massive White Star transatlantic liners Olympic and Titanic, and remains a scheduled monument – within walking distance of Titanic Belfast, the world’s biggest Titanic exhibition centre and Northern Ireland’s number one tourist attraction. Work is now underway to convert the Titanic Pump-House into a working distillery and authentic world class tourist attraction with more details and news on a potential opening date expected to be announced soon.

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Eye on News

Visit Belfast ups its Tourism Growth Target to £97m for 2022

Belfast’s tourism sector expects to see further growth this year, buoyed by a steady and sustained rise in consumer and business optimism from the city key tourism sectors – business events, city breaks and cruise, according to the city region’s destination management and marketing organisation, Visit Belfast.

aunching its marketing plans to more than 150 industry partners and stakeholders at Titanic Belfast – its largest gathering in over two years – Visit Belfast said its strategy going forward will be to drive Belfast’s tourism recovery, supporting partner businesses and converting visitor interest in the city to visits through focussed target marketing, sales and visitor servicing.

despite the challenges ahead, there are many reasons for optimism. “Tourism plays a pivotal part in Belfast’s social and economic life and is key to the city’s wellbeing, regeneration and development as it continues to recover from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. “Despite current challenges, Visit Belfast remains optimistic that Belfast’s resilient tourism sector will continue to move towards full recovery. Showcasing Belfast’s unique and authentic tourism experiences to audiences across Great Britain, Ireland and beyond will enable us to compete effectively and grow, position and sustain city tourism.” Visit Belfast plans aim to attract 144 cruise visits with an estimated 345,000 cruise visitors as part of its Cruise Belfast partnership with Belfast Harbour – adding to the city’s international arrivals.

digital campaigns and online content in order to support its sales activity and attract new and repeat local, national and international visitors, generating 150,000 bed nights and 100,000 daytrips during 2022-23. Gerry Lennon, Visit Belfast’s Chief Executive, said: “Last year continued be a particularly challenging one for the city. However, through a dynamic and collaborative partnership approach, and agile marketing, Visit Belfast contributed to the recovery of visitor numbers from our key closer-to-home markets of Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, while continuing to reach out to international markets to keep Belfast front-of-mind for future visits. “The Belfast City Region is well placed to recover given the strength of our tourism and cultural offer alongside a wealth of visitor experiences

Visit Belfast embarked on its three-year tourism recovery plan, Rebuilding City Tourism, early last year with its aim to rebuild Belfast’s tourism economy to above pre-pandemic levels by 2025, delivering a forecasted £150 million

It is also targeting a significant number of major business events with the aim of generating £40 million in economic value and attracting up to 30,000 delegates, adding to the 118 event bookings already secured and worth an estimated

including world class attractions, award-winning hospitality and food and a vibrant music scene. Our industry has a track record for its resilience and determination to succeed against the odds. I’m therefore confident that the outlook

economic return, up from £135 million in 2019. Visit Belfast Chair Kathryn Thomson said that after a difficult two years, and

£79m for Belfast over the next few years. Marketing activity will play a key role in Visit Belfast’s plans with an increased focus on

for the year ahead is positive and Visit Belfast will play a key role in ensuring city tourism returns to the record levels enjoyed in 2019.”

Visit Belfast Chair Kathryn Thomson and Chief Executive Gerry Lennon with travel journalist Simon Calder

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Eye on News

Diageo MD to speak at leadership conference Catherine Toolan, Managing Director at Diageo Irish Brand Homes will address local businesspeople at a leadership event in Belfast on Wednesday 18 May.

osted by Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber) in partnership with Electric Ireland, it is an opportunity to learn from progressive, pragmatic business leaders as they discuss innovation and visionary approaches to change. As Managing Director for Diageo Irish Brand Homes, Catherine has responsibility for Ireland’s leading visitor attraction, the Guinness Storehouse, as well as Guinness Open Gate Brewery, Roe & Co Distillery and the Smithwicks Experience in Kilkenny. She will share

Ann McGregor (Chief Executive, NI Chamber), Dermot McArdle (Business Markets Manager, Electric Ireland) and Catherine Toolan (Managing Director, Diageo Irish Brand Homes)

her experience of overseeing some of the largest hospitality projects in the world, including hospitality for elite athletes at the Summer Olympic and Asian Games in Beijing, Guangzhou,

London and Rio De Janeiro. Catherine will discuss her approach to leading complex global projects and the role of leadership in organisational success. Attendees will also hear from

Mairead Mackle MBE, Founder & CEO at Tarasis Enterprises. A values-based, multi-award-winning entrepreneur, Mairead owns and operates a diverse suite of progressive businesses which create both community impact and innovative solutions for the future of living. Tarasis Enterprises employs over 1,200 people and operates across multiple industries including healthcare, housing and renewables. Mairead will share her lessons on leadership from experience in multiple industries and discuss why business and community impact go hand-in-hand. Leadership LIVE takes place on Wednesday 18 May from 8.30am – 10.30am in the Grand Opera House Belfast and is free for NI Chamber members to attend. To register visit the NI Chamber website. Leadership LIVE takes place on Wednesday 18 May from 8.30am – 10.30am in the Grand Opera House Belfast and is free for NI Chamber members to attend. To register visit the NI Chamber website.

Back to the farm for 2022 Bank of Ireland Open Farm Weekend, which is led by the Ulster Farmers’ Union, is celebrating being back on farms after a three-year hiatus, by partnering with a new sponsor, telecommunications company Fibrus.

t is hoped this new partnership will give Fibrus an opportunity to connect with the farming community and showcase its broadband infrastructure to support the rural network across Northern Ireland. This is the first time the 18 working farms participating in this year’s event have been able to host an in-person event since

2019 and they are looking forward to throwing open their gates and welcoming visitors on Friday 17-Sunday 19 June. Pictured is David Brown, Ulster Farmers’ Union newly appointed President (left), Adrian Jamison, Jamison Farms (centre) and Dominic Kearns, Fibrus CEO (left). More information at www.openfarmweekend.com.

Eye on News

Around Noon Lands Major Tesco Deal Around Noon, the award-winning food-to-go manufacturer, has secured a new contract to supply its Scribbles range of sandwiches and wraps to 60 Tesco stores across Northern Ireland.

he deal will see the Newryheadquartered firm, which produces an extensive range of products – such as sandwiches, salads, wraps and fruit pots – supply the Scribbles range across the retail giant’s supermarkets, Tesco Extra and Tesco Express stores, including its petrol forecourt sites. Around Noon has been in business for over 30 years and employs over 300 people. It already supplies a broad range of high-quality chilled, hot, frozen and bakery products to customers including forecourt and convenience retailers and cafes throughout the UK and Ireland. Commenting on the new supply deal, Philip Morgan, Around Noon sales director, said: “At Around Noon we work hard to help our customers

move with and stay ahead of changing trends and our Scribbles range is an enticing and engaging proposition for the on-the-go consumer. “We currently occupy a strong foothold in the convenience retail and foodservice markets. Our new supply deal with Tesco Northern Ireland further expands our market presence as we grow our product offering with the large multiples.” Michael Crealey, Tesco buying manager for Northern Ireland, added: “We’re proud to support local and our new partnership with Around Noon reflects our commitment to continually improving and expanding our popular lunchtime meal deal offer. The Scribbles range, with its unique personality unlike anything else in the local market, is the perfect

Your employees will be able to choose from local independent retail businesses, big retail brands, cafes, restaurants, hotels and bars.

Spend is retained in Belfast One, Linen Qtr. and Cathedral Qtr. BID Areas thanks to the support of over 200 City Centre Businesses who are making it even easier to shop, stay and dine in our amazing City Centre.

Pictured are Philip Morgan, Around Noon sales director (left) and Michael Crealy, Tesco buying manager for Northern Ireland (right).

addition to complement our existing food-to-go offering and has been an instant hit with consumers.” Alongside its own-brand products, which include Scribbles and Twelve, Around Noon offers a white label service for blue chip convenience retail and coffee house brands. In

2016, it established Around Noon Bakery, which supplies well-known high street retailers and independent stores under the Sweet Things brand. Last year, the business secured rank in the prestigious Food & Beverage Fast 50 report produced by global advisory firm Alantra.

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Eye on News

Patrick McAliskey Becomes Chairman At Outsource Group

A new chairman is incoming at one of Northern Ireland’s fastest growing IT businesses with a remit to help create the best workplace culture in Northern Ireland and lead a series of ‘game-changing’ acquisitions and aggressive growth plans.

utsource Group, founded and led by CEO Terry Moore, has secured former Novosco boss Patrick McAliskey to head its board as the company gets set to implement a transformational expansion plan. The announcement follows hot on the heels of Outsource’s merger with ANSEC IA, one of the most highly regarded IT security consultancies in the UK & Ireland. Patrick founded Novosco and grew it into one of the UK’s most respected IT managed service providers before selling it to an international PLC in 2019. During his time with Novosco,

Patrick led a series of successful mergers or acquisitions and turned the company into one of the best companies on these islands to work for. Outsource Group currently employs around 70 people and expects to grow that to over 100 this year. Longer-term, the group has aggressive growth plans at home and abroad, with a number of additional strategic opportunities currently being progressed, which will see staff numbers and revenues continue to grow significantly year-on-year. Outsource Group CEO Terry Moore says that Patrick’s

appointment is central to its plans. “Our plan is for Outsource Group to be the number one securityfocused IT managed services business on these islands. We are delighted that Patrick has agreed to take on this leadership role as chairman, which both validates our existing development plans but also provides us with the sector’s most experienced and proven leader to support us over the longer term. The next stage is to fast-track our growth by acquiring more brilliant businesses that complement what we do, and to ramp up our recruitment by creating a workplace that is a magnet for the very best talent.” “Patrick was a star IT leader at Novosco, and his experience and skills will be game-changing for Outsource Group. We feel really privileged to have Patrick join us and can’t wait to get started on

delivering on our plans under his leadership,” Terry adds. Patrick, who has also supported IT mergers and acquisitions in his role as non-executive chairman of tech firms such as Elemental Software, will join Outsource Group as chairman this month. He says: “I see Outsource Group as a company that is set to achieve really rapid growth, win big contracts and attract the best talent. The company is incredibly well led by Terry Moore and his management team, and they have the vision, the ambition and the plan to do really big things, both in the short term but also over the longer term. I’m incredibly excited about working with the team and helping them shape and deliver on their plans.”

Eye on Events

Fibrus marks the connection of more than 100,000 premises ‘With Fibrus there is no long and winding road, no long history to delve into and no series of landmarks going back years to recall.’

hose were the opening words of Fibrus Chief Executive Dominic Kearns as he reflected, in typically forthright style, on what is an early and major milestone for Northern Ireland’s fastest growing full fibre broadband network, which marked the connection of more than 100,000 premises at an event in Crumlin Road Gaol last month. Fibrus is rolling out a regional full fibre infrastructure across rural Northern Ireland, connecting communities

Dominic Kearns with Billy McClean

and making lives better. The programme is ahead of schedule and Dominic paid tribute to the efforts of all the Fibrus employees which now number more than 250. “You are the reason this business is at 100k homes passed and with continued effort and partnership with our supply chain, we will continue to exceed targets. Our partners are a major part of the Fibrus success story so far, and that will be the case going forward as well. We don’t take pleasure in meeting targets,

we take pride in smashing them. That’s the Fibrus way.” There was a sense of determination in the air alongside the celebrations as Fibrus continues to strive forward, connecting towns and villages previously neglected by traditional telecoms providers. The Firm has plans to more than double the existing connection numbers by the end of this year and in fact is targeting the connection of 250,000 premises by the end of 2022. There were almost 300 people in attendance at the celebratory event, including staff, suppliers, as well as partners and friends of Fibrus. Dominic recognised the ongoing effort of all suppliers to Fibrus and had a special word for those delivering the full fibre roll out on the ground.

“I want to thank Charles Brand and Viberoptix, they have been with us from the very start, delivering our infrastructure across the North, just like they said they would. Also to KN Circet who came on board as another primary contractor for the Project Stratum contract and to our design partner Entegro would have also been with us from the first step on this connectivity journey.” Dominic told the guests at the north Belfast venue, “From the very beginning Fibrus had an ambition to transform digital connectivity for local communities in regional and rural NI. These communities had been left in the digital darkness for too long. Facts, statistics and measurements are important because that is how we record progress.

Eye on Events “But to our customers, connection to quality, affordable full fibre broadband is more than a statistic, it is transformational. We have heard from customers first hand how finally being connected has improved their lives. That means families communicating with each other, locally and globally. That means local small businesses being able to trade reliably with customers around the corner and around the world. That means being assured that when streaming a movie or conducting an online meeting, your connection is as stable in your rural home as it would be in Belfast or Derry. “That means digital equity and there is nothing more satisfying than customers telling us how their lives have been improved by the Fibrus offer. It means everything to us.” In a little over 3 years Fibrus has grown to be a major player in the telecommunications sector in Northern Ireland and has taken tentative steps into the GB market. Recruitment continues apace and the Firm has recently strengthened it’s senior management team as they face up to the challenge of making this region the most connected across the UK and Ireland.

Michael Brady, Kevin Lyttle, Matthew Clarke and Stefan Gunning from Fibrus

Dominic Kearns with representatives from Nokia

Clare Loy, Rebekah Lilburn & Gemma Stewart from Fibrus

Eye on Cover Story

TLT Celebrates Ten Years in Northern Ireland UK law firm TLT is celebrating its tenth anniversary of law practice in Northern Ireland. The firm opened its first office in Belfast in 2012 with the aim of strengthening relationships with strategically important clients, helping win new business and growing its market share.

s well as being part of the firm’s long term-growth strategy, the move into the legal market in Northern Ireland cemented TLT’s position as a national firm capable of delivering legal advice in all three UK legal jurisdictions – England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland. In the last decade TLT NI has grown from delivering litigation services to a number of key clients in the Financial Services sector to expanding service lines across Clean Energy, Real Estate and Public Sector. Over

the years, the team in Belfast has built a reputation for providing commercially-astute and diligent services, which has helped to cement TLT’s position as a top 50 UK law firm collecting accolades such as the highly competitive Law Firm of the Year amongst many others. In an active legal market against the backdrop of economic challenges, Brexit and the pandemic, TLT have continued to grow and invest in Belfast to deliver outstanding services for its clients – some of which

are Northern Ireland’s largest investors and major corporations. The office has grown from a couple of employees to a team of over 60 professionals (legal and other) led by 8 partners and boasting an impressive portfolio of cross-sector legal professionals offering a wide variety of expertise and experience. Katharine Kimber, partner and head of Northern Ireland at TLT said: “Ten years ago, when we first opened in Northern Ireland, we had a small serviced office space and one key client. We have

come a long way and established ourselves as a firm to watch in a vibrant and long-standing legal community. Our people-first approach, our focus and dedication towards our clients, and our ambitions to be the law firm ready ‘for what comes next’ makes us stand out from the crowd and are key drivers of our success”. As the office has expanded the Belfast team has been involved in some of the biggest and most significant deals in the market. For example, in 2021 the firm acted for Dankse Bank on the refinancing

of Clanmil’s existing term debt facilities - one of the largest debt financing transactions completed in Northern Ireland last year (and shortlisted for “Bank-funded deal of the Year” at the Northern Ireland Dealmaker Awards 2022). Other wins have included working with Alpha Real Capital (as advisor to WRIF and Elm) on their first clean energy investments in Northern Ireland, advising on the £87m acquisition of Merchant Square, PWC HQ building, and acting on the purchase of Holywood Exchange for David Samuel Properties.

The firm ‘For what comes next’ TLT’s outstanding success in Northern Ireland has in part been attributed to the firm’s people firstculture, which places inclusivity, diversity, equality and wellbeing at the heart of everything it does. In 2021, the firm launched TLT World – which embodies a significant, long-term shift in its working practices to create a fully flexible, progressive and inclusive work environment. The new approach – grounded

in firm wide consultations with employees and partners – is unique to the market and places TLT among the legal industry’s most progressive firms in terms of workplace flexibility. As well as allowing employees the freedom to decide when and where they work, the new approach also aims to enable an inclusive working culture by acknowledging that no-ones working and personal life is the same. The introduction of TLT World is being supported by a multi-million pound investment

Eye on Cover Story Law Firm of the Year TLT has been awarded countless important titles throughout the years serving as a testament to how far the firm has come and how much the team has managed to achieve. Most recently however, the firm hit a new high being named as Law Firm of The Year at the national Lawyer Awards. The Lawyer editor praised the firm for its long-term reinvention, early adoption of the green sector and achieving a decade of ‘transformation, strategic nous, sector focus and client delivery.’ TLT’s Belfast office has been a key part of the success and growth of the firm in the last ten years and strategic investment in its people, processes and technology has led to the firm’s robust financial performance, with an 11% increase in turnover to reach £110m in 2021. The firm’s 2025 strategy will build on this solid platform for further growth and success for its people and clients across the UK. Katharine Kimber commented: “Our focus is to protect, prepare and progress our clients ‘for what comes next’. We’re excited to be hitting this ten-year milestone and our ambitions for the next ten years will be to continue to invest and grow. Our knowledge and expertise in the legal market is second to none and we’re fortunate to have a team made up of some of the best professionals in the industry. Thanks to our people-first culture and innovative approach I’m sure we will continue to attract top talent and deliver for clients for many years to come”.

programme to deliver a digital and physical workplace to support choice, inclusion and sustainability. TLT excels in encouraging everyone to bring their whole selves to work, to have a voice and to contribute. This is reflected in the firm’s equality, diversity and inclusion strategy which includes initiatives such as committing to targets to improve senior-level representation (starting with 33% female representation at partner level by 2025), launching two new BAME and LGBTQ+ employee networks, introducing mental health and wellbeing champions. As well as being one of the firm’s core values, sustainability is also at the heart of TLT’s story of growth in Northern Ireland. The firm has worked in the clean energy sector for over 20 years, advising on everything

“We’re excited to be hitting this ten-year milestone and our ambitions for the next ten years will be to continue to invest and grow. Our knowledge and expertise in the legal market is second to none and we’re fortunate to have a team made up of some of the best professionals in the industry.”

from electric vehicles to solar energy. TLT knows more clients are choosing to align themselves with businesses that prioritise sustainability and require their chosen law firm to meet ESG criteria. Many clients are keen to understand how they can continue to make sustainable progress and begin or advance their net zero journeys.

Eye on Cover Story

Katharine Kimber Katharine Kimber, partner and head of Northern Ireland at TLT, discusses the 10th anniversary of the firm in Northern Ireland, the highlights from the last ten years and what is in the pipeline for the next decade.

atharine joined TLT in 2012 and was one of the first employees on the ground in Belfast. She heads up the dispute resolution team and, in the last decade she has had the pleasure of leading a team that has grown from strengthto-strength and is regarded as a leading practice in the Northern Ireland market. Katharine has significant experience in a wide range of disputes including property litigation, debt recovery and professional negligence. She is recognised for her stand-out experience in managing financial services litigation involving bank security as well as reputational issues and fraud.

Tell us about the journey you have been on with TLT since 2012. How have you seen the firm develop in NI in the last decade? “As one of the first employees in Belfast, I am immensely proud of how we have grown the NI business in such a short space of time. Our ten year anniversary touches a chord with me as my son was eight months old when I joined the firm so I always reflect on our journey with reference to that and I can’t believe we have reached this milestone so quickly. “We were one of only a few national firms operating in Belfast when we first opened our office and the market looked very different back then. We have worked hard to establish ourselves as a law firm of choice and to create our success story. Today, we are attracting the best talent in the industry who excel at delivering results for our clients. It’s been a rollercoaster but I feel so privileged to have been given the opportunity to lead the office and help it get to where we are today. “It’s incredible to think about the change and expansion of TLT over that time. In 2012, we started our journey with one client and two members of staff. We have gone from offering purely financial services litigation to delivering a full comprehensive menu of

support and advice to a wide portfolio of clients. This is what I am the most proud of – we’ve succeeded in breaking out of a mould and into something much broader.”

What are the top personal highlights for you from the last ten years?

In your opinion, what makes TLT stand out from other law firms?

“2019 marked a highlight moment for me. This was the year we acquired new office space in River House in the Cathedral Quarter. The move was reflective of how far we had come having grown by over 60% in five years. Our investment in some of the city’s most impressive office space firmly cemented our position as a leading player in Northern Ireland and has allowed us to further develop the services we offer our clients. “As a female leader I’m also proud to have been part of a law firm that has embraced its equality, diversity and inclusion journey. Law firms have to prioritise and invest in ED&I if they want to succeed and grow and I am confident this is something we are leading the way on within the legal sector and will ensure that our future talent can flourish and contribute to our success. “We work closely with colleagues across all of our UK locations to foster a deep sense of teamwork. Being part of the wider growth nationally means that we can combine the scale of resource, technology, skills and investment capacity with local expertise and market knowledge to deliver the best here in Northern Ireland for the benefit of our clients. One of the things I think has really contributed to our success during the turbulence of the last few years in particular has been our focus on the health and wellbeing of those who work at TLT. Whilst many businesses are only just jumping onto this bandwagon postpandemic, it’s something we have been working on for a long time and which is now firmly engraved in the DNA of the firm and has a played a key part in our success and resilience in the last decade”.

“Culture is at the centre of everything we do at TLT and one of the key things that makes us stand out from the crowd. I’m incredibly proud to work for a law firm that puts people first by investing in its talent and working in partnership across the UK. I strongly believe that creating a healthy and sustainable working culture feeds back to our clients and is reflected in the results we produce for them. We rolled out our new brand and 2025 strategy last year and the values have been embraced across the firm because they feel authentic – without a strong culture you can’t achieve that.”

What is in the pipeline for the next ten years? “It’s a really exciting time for TLT at the moment, evidenced by our recognition as Law Firm of the Year by The Lawyer magazine which is just fantastic. We are continuing to invest in our growth strategy with ambitious senior recruitment activity underway to support our plans in Northern Ireland. The introduction of TLT World, our progressive fully flexible approach to working practices, has shown that we are truly committed to trusting our people to know what works best for them. We intend to keep trailblazing and working in partnership to support clients, achieve results and ensure the next decade delivers yet more success.

Eye on Accountancy

Will the current headwinds be the straw that broke the camel’s back? R

ewind the clock to St Patrick’s Day, 2020. Many businesses were preparing to shut their doors, not knowing what was around the corner. Fast forward to St Patrick’s Day 2022, many businesses have weathered the storm of uncertainty and various lockdowns to emerge as strong, if not stronger, than the same date two years ago. It is unassailable that government support – the furlough scheme, government guaranteed bank lending and HMRC deferrals, to name but a few - has played a huge part in this for many businesses in Northern Ireland and beyond. However, as if an unprecedented pandemic was not enough for local business leaders to navigate and eventually emerge from, they now face a new economic and political landscape like never before. It is fair to say that certain sectors are feeling the impact of the ever-changing macro-economic environment more than others. The effects of increasing raw material costs as well as disruption to global supply chains arising from the unsettling events in Ukraine have undoubtedly been felt in Northern Ireland. Local food producers reliant on raw materials from the region are finding it increasingly difficult to fulfil orders. Even when raw materials are available, the constantly increasing cost of energy to run production lines is causing a squeeze on margins, and cash reserves, like never before. In the hospitality sector, the recent increase of the VAT rate from 12.5% to 20% is a tremendously unwelcome shift for operators at a time when input costs are rising across the board

While the local economy has prospered over the last 12 months, the combination of macro factors at play has the potential to be too much for many smaller businesses over the coming months.

Gareth McGonigle, Restructuring and Insolvency Director at ASM Chartered Accountants

and staff shortages are apparent across the industry. National Living Wage increases, as well as higher national insurance contributions, are two of the main drivers. Those increases cannot be absorbed by businesses in their entirety and will invariably be passed onto consumers…but at what cost? In the construction sector, the acute labour shortage combined with increasing material costs and recent ban on red diesel for many industrial uses are causing a slowdown in local private sector output in comparison to Great Britain. This is all set in the context of a landscape where creditors were largely unable, or unwilling, to pursue debt recovery over the last two years. HMRC took an

uncharacteristically passive role in the recovery of outstanding tax debts; however, recent experience shows the tide is on the turn on that front. The recent lifting of temporary provisions around winding up petitions expired on 31 March 2022 with the original debt threshold reverting to £750 from 1 April 2022. Although the High Court continues to deal with a backlog of matters in this field, it is only a matter of time before creditors in Northern Ireland will get the green light to issue winding up petitions again. Across many industries and sectors, businesses and business leaders are feeling the heat. One or two of the above external factors would be manageable for many, but the vast number and pace of

various headwinds are causing great concern to many business leaders and significantly, raising the question as to whether their current enterprises remain viable. And that is without considering the impact of local political instability…

Gareth McGonigle is Restructuring and Insolvency Director at ASM Chartered Accountants and is a Licensed Insolvency Practitioner. If you or your clients could benefit from restructuring or insolvency advice, please do not hesitate to contact Gareth on 02890 249 222 or at gareth.mcgonigle@ asmbelfast.com

Eye onCSR

Eye on CSR

In the business of giving back: SPAR Nurtures Neighbourhoods across NI

Patricia McCabe and Anne Hannan from Marie Curie are pictured with Bronagh Luke from Henderson Group, who recently announced over £160,000 was raised at SPAR’s recent 60th anniversary gala ball, which will be split between Marie Curie and Cancer Fund for Children.

2021 was a milestone year for SPAR in Northern Ireland. It celebrated 60 years since the brand arrived in Northern Ireland, SPAR reached a £2 million fundraising mark for charity partner Marie Curie across the UK – with a whopping £500,000 contribution from Northern Ireland stores, and pledged to raise £60,000 more in their anniversary year.

ast forward to 2022, and the team at Henderson Group which own the brand in Northern Ireland finally got to celebrate their 60th anniversary with a Gala Ball at the ICC at the end of March, bringing together retailers, suppliers, special guests, directors and employees from across the SPAR and Henderson

Group network, where they pledged to raise £120,000 on the night for Marie Curie and Cancer Fund for Children. Bronagh Luke, Head of Corporate Marketing at Henderson Group has just announced that their target was smashed on the night; “I am delighted to say that at our gala ball, we raised over

£160,000 for Marie Curie and Cancer Fund for Children, with over £80,000 going straight to each charity to help them continue the vital services they provide in our local communities.” The business and its brands have a culture of giving back, which is also reflected in their recent multi-million-pound investment in community engagement and brand positioning; The Joy of Living Locally. Bronagh commented; “As one of the biggest employers in Northern Ireland, it’s not just our responsibility to give back to local charities and community organisations, but it’s an essential part of what forms the culture within the Group and our brands.” And it was recently announced that SPAR will plant five trees at every store across Northern Ireland from September 2022, meaning around 1,500 will be planted in partnership with One Tree Planted. Bronagh continued; “With SPAR stores nestled in the heart of communities across Northern Ireland, The Joy of Living Locally communicates through three brand pillars: Value on Your Doorstep, Passionate about Local and Nurture our Neighbourhoods, which assures our shoppers that being there for our communities is what we’re about.” “Nurture our Neighbourhoods encompasses our CSR strategies to give back to and support community organisations and local charities, celebrate neighbourliness and provide local employment.” Now employing over 4,500 across its companies and stores, it was announced at the start of the year that Henderson Group would form a new partnership with local mental health awareness charity, Action Mental Health

(AMH). The partnership aims to fundraise for the charity, which promotes the mental health and wellbeing of people in Northern Ireland, plus ensure Henderson employees have access to even more wellbeing resources. Bronagh continues; “Our workforce is at the backbone of our entire Groups’ success, and keeping them motivated and focused is an important factor. We have been working at a distance for over two years now, so by working with Action Mental Health we are further prioritising the wellbeing of our employees with even more incentives to enable them to connect and thrive.” Reflecting on the Group and SPAR’s community impact over the years, Bronagh finished; “Since coming to Northern Ireland over 60 years ago, SPAR has supported around 24,600 local organisations and groups, and has raised over £7m for local charities in the past 20 years alone, while also saving lives through our Heart of the Community defibrillator campaign. SPAR is a champion of local, helping grow local businesses and supporting local food producers, which means over 75% of our fresh food comes from local suppliers. “It is our local shoppers, retailers and employees who put their all into our community engagement, and we look forward to many more years of supporting those local communities, our charity partners and our own team members across the business.”

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Eye on CSR

Diageo NI - At The Heart Of The Community

Claire Hutchinson, Corporate Relations Manager at Diageo Nl, with Sharon Thorpe from the Springboard Charity and Nicola O’Hare, Guinness Learning for Life programme participant.

Diageo is an integral part of the community in Northern Ireland both as a major exporter and employer and is best known for a wide range of brands including Guinness, Harp, Hop House 13, Rockshore, Smithwick’s, Baileys, Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Gordons and Tanqueray.

mploying over 320 people across three sites in Northern Ireland, the company’s footprint includes a beer packaging plant in East Belfast, the Baileys global supply facility at Mallusk and corporate headquarters in Belfast city centre.

In November 2020, Diageo launched ‘Society 2030: Spirit of Progress,’ a 10-year action plan to help create a more inclusive and sustainable world. The plan includes a range of bold and ambitious goals designed to make a positive impact in the ‘Decade of Action’ to 2030.

Building on a long track-record of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) progress globally, Diageo is focusing its action over the next ten years in three core areas, carefully selected to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Promoting positive drinking We want to change the way the world drinks for the better

by celebrating moderation and continuing to address alcoholrelated harm, expanding our programmes that tackle underage drinking, drinkdriving and binge drinking. No amount of underage drinking is safe, which is why by 2030 we will educate over 10 million people on the dangers of drinking underage through SMASHED, our award-winning alcohol education programme. SMASHED has returned to in-person performances in schools throughout Northern Ireland throughout March and April 2022 and will be delivered to 10,000 students this year

Eye on CSR with the initiative set to reach and empower a total of 60,000 young people here since it was first launched in 2016. The theatre-based programme relates to and challenges young people about the dangers of underage drinking in a creative, engaging, and impactful way. The performances equip young people with the information, awareness, and confidence to make responsible choices with additional teaching resources for schools that have been endorsed by The Council for the Curriculum, Examinations, and Assessment in Northern Ireland.

Championing inclusion and diversity We believe the most inclusive and diverse culture makes for a better business and a better world; so we will champion inclusion & diversity across our business, with our partners and communities, to celebrate diversity and help shape a tolerant society. Part of this commitment includes creating an inclusive and thriving hospitality sector that works for all. We are providing skills and resources to 1.5 million people through the Diageo Bar Academy and improving employability and livelihoods of a further 200,000 through Learning for Life, our business and hospitality skills programme for those seeking employment in the hospitality industry or associated industries but who may have faced barriers to employment. The Guinness Learning for Life - Gateway to Hospitality programme was run in Belfast in October 2021 with employment charity Springboard and the Andras Group. A free 15-day preemployment training programme, it was designed to help young people access employment in the hospitality sector, while investing

Education Minister Michelle McIlveen joined year 10 pupils at Glastry College, Ballyhalbert, to see for herself how the Smashed programme can help young people make the right choices around alcohol.

in the skills needed to support the industry’s economic recovery. Those involved gained targeted industry and business skills, achieved an accredited industry qualification, and were provided with CV and interview technique support and an industry interview.

Pioneering grain-toglass sustainability We want to be the industry leader in grain to glass sustainability by setting ambitious targets to preserve water for life; accelerate to a low carbon world; and become sustainable by design. In Ireland, the Baileys and Guinness brands will lead the

implementation of Diageo’s 2030 targets. Every drink produced will take 30% less water than it does today, packaging will be 100% reusable, recyclable or compostable and the production operations on the island of Ireland will become net carbon neutral. The brands will also work in collaboration with farmers and those in its value chain to halve their indirect carbon emissions by 2030. Diageo’s packaging facility in east Belfast is integral to Diageo’s plastic packaging ambition and has replaced plastic ring carriers and shrink wraps from multipacks of canned beers with 100% recyclable, sustainably sourced and biodegradable cardboard. Since switching to these new beer packs, 600 tonnes of plastic have been removed from the site’s operations each year, with more new opportunities in the pipeline for making the business more sustainable.

James Davies, Country Director, Diageo NI comments: “We believe doing business the right way contributes to a fair and just society. In Diageo Northern Ireland, we are accredited at a gold level in Business in the Community’s CORE programme – Northern Ireland’s only standard for responsible business. While proud of our achievements to date, we know that there is much more that we can do, which is why we have set clear targets as part of Society 2030: Spirit of Progress to grow as a business in the right way from grain to glass.”

Eye on Charity

HIV charity Positive Life launches new £500k fundraising initiative Positive Life, Northern Ireland’s only charity dedicated to supporting anyone affected by HIV has launched a brand-new project at an event at the Europa Hotel hosted by the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Kate Nicholl.

he Northern Ireland Buyers Club aims to tackle the stigma associated with HIV in Northern Ireland. The Club is membership based and aims to bring together organisations and like-minded philanthropic individuals to support Positive Life, allowing for growth over the five year project. The event was compered by journalist Amanda Ferguson and over 100 invited guests heard from founding members of the Northern Ireland Buyers Club including Mark Regan, CEO of Kingsbridge Healthcare Group and Ciaran Moynagh, Partner at Phoenix Law. The Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Kate Nicholl and the Chief Executive of Positive Life, Jacquie Richardson also made contributions. Research by Positive Life has shown that support for people living with HIV in Northern Ireland is chronically underfunded and is seldom a priority for the public when considering charitable donations. It is expected that the £500,000 funding raised by the ‘NI Buyers Club’ will target the challenges of HIV related stigma through increased awareness and education, funding research and supporting new projects to meet the changing needs of Positive Life service users. Jacquie Richardson, Chief Executive of Positive Life said: “We are thrilled to have launched the NI Buyers Club, an innovative initiative and bring together organisations and like-minded individuals to support the work of Positive Life.” “This is an ambitious new project

(L – R) Ciaran Moynagh, Partner at Phoenix Law; Jacquie Richardson, CEO of Positive Life; Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Kate Nicholl; and Mark Regan, CEO of Kingsbridge Healthcare Group

that will create a shift change and place us in a position to independently launch new projects and undertake research to meet the changing needs of our service users. This is an exciting proposition for us as an organisation.” “Operating in an often-challenging funding landscape, we have felt restricted in our ability to impact the society-wide change needed to how we think about HIV here in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Buyers Club will see us able to step outside of these financial restraints and build a vibrant network of corporate donors and individual supporters.” Reflecting on the event at the Europa Hotel, Jacquie Richardson added: “I would like to thank everyone who attended our launch event at the Europa Hotel and our panellists for their valuable contributions. Special thanks to the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Kate Nicholl for hosting our event and choosing us as one of her mayoral charities.” Panellist and founding member of the Northern Ireland Buyers Club, Ciaran Moynagh, Partner

“At Positive Life, we have always been ambitious. Fundamentally, we want to create real change and deliver the best possible outcomes for people who are impacted by HIV. The Northern Ireland Buyers Club is all about scaling up this ambition so that we can deliver lasting social impact.” at Phoenix Law added: “For many years now, Positive Life have been playing a truly vital role in supporting individuals, families and whole communities impacted by HIV in Northern Ireland.” “Phoenix Law wants to commend the innovative and sustainable approach that Positive Life is taking to addressing the harm and social isolation caused by stigma. We look forward to working with Positive Life to target the challenges of HIV related stigma through being involved with the Northern Ireland Buyers Club.” One of the founding members of the Positive Life Buyers Club,

Mark Regan, CEO of Kingsbridge Healthcare Group said: “We are very pleased to step out in support of Positive Life to ensure the long-term sustainability of the charity and the vital support it provides to this region.” “As a project that aims to build lasting relationships that will serve an issue many feel is no longer a major crisis, The NI Buyers Club represents a bold new initiative from Positive Life in its mission to tackle the crippling levels of stigma that still exist in Northern Ireland and through our own Kingsbridge Foundation we are delighted to support this cause.”

Eye on Charity

Experience The Camino with Self Help Africa

Ulster Rugby and Ireland international & Self Help Africa Ambassador Rob Herring joins Denny Elliott, Head of Self Help Africa Northern Ireland, as he prepares for the charity’s Camino Walk.

Ever imagined walking one of the most historic routes in Europe while raising funds for charity?

ell this September, Self Help Africa Northern Ireland is hosting a 120km walk on The Camino Inglés (English Way) which is the first historic maritime route to Santiago de Compostela. The pilgrimage was an essential part of life for medieval European Christians when there was a host of routes, both by land and sea, to satisfy the spiritual longings of believers from all over the continent. The walk will begin on Sunday 4 September in Ferrol, with participants expected to raise £2,000 in sponsorship to assist Self Help Africa Northern Ireland’s development programmes in Africa. Denny Elliott, Head of Self Help Africa Northern Ireland, said: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for anyone who has dreamt of walking the Camino. It’s a chance to get some

great exercise in a unique and breathtaking setting, an opportunity to meet new people in glorious sunshine and most importantly to raise vital funds for Self Help Africa Northern Ireland.” The week long walk will take participants from the fishing village of Ferrol, to Neda with views of the estuary of Ria de Ferrol and the town of Neda. The next stage of the journey will take walkers to the beautiful medieval town of Pontedeume and then on to Betanzos, with a steep climb! The following day is the most challenging and rewarding as it takes in a path through the Galacian landscape of forest trails and fresh avenues. The terrain of As Mariñas. Next up is a day of walking along quiet country roads and gravel paths with plenty of refreshment stops along the way. The final stretch is a 17km walk on the Sigueiro to Santiago de Compostela where walkers are encouraged to savour every stride as they reach the city of Santiago and see the unmistakable silhouette of the city’s cathedral ahead. Self Help Africa is an international development organisation that works through agriculture to

end hunger and poverty. The organisation works in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Togo, Uganda and Zambia. In 2018, Self Help Africa’s work in Africa supported millions of people to grow more food and earn a better living. Self Help Africa has been working to end hunger and poverty amongst rural communities in Africa for over 30 years. It seeks to empower local communities with training and knowledge, and to support small-holder farming families to produce more, earn more, and access new markets and better prices for the crops that they grow. Your participation in this year’s Camino Walk will provide a valuable contribution to the charity’s work.

For further information on the walk and on fundraising activities to help raise your sponsorship, please contact Denny Elliott on tel 07799 346997 or by email at denny. elliott@selfhelpafrica.net.

Eye on Finance

RIADA Capital Partners – Investing In Challenged & Stressed local Companies

RIADA Capital Partners might be a new name to the investment and advisory space here in Northern Ireland but the new firm’s two principals need little in the way of introduction to many in the private sector here.

hat’s RIADA about? It’s a new independent advisor and private equity investor setting out, in its own words, to work with and invest in good companies facing financial difficulty and/or a high degree of current or future uncertainty. It’s description that covers a lot of bases. Neil Adair, one of the partners in the business, takes up the story. “We’re here to work with companies under pressure, maybe needing a financial restructuring or a turnaround

plan,” he says. “Companies with the potential for further growth that would benefit from a fresh injection of capital. “We’re here to help business owners, directors and management teams, lenders, investors and creditors to solve what might be complex and challenging problems. At the end of the day, that means delivering some certainty to all the stakeholders of a business.” Neil Adair is a PwC-trained chartered accountant and a UK and Irish licensed insolvency practitioner with 36 years

of experience under his belt. A former partner in a leading firm of chartered accountants here, he led the corporate banking operations of an Irish bank from 1996 until 2004. He’s also a director of a number of companies and an existing and long-standing private equity investor. “So I know what it’s like to risk my own capital, to have my skin in the game,” Neil smiles. “More importantly, I like to think that I bring empathy and understanding to businesses. That probably counts for more than the

years of professional experience.” Alongside Neil Adair at RIADA Capital Partners is Gordon McElroy. A solicitor and founding partner of MKB Law in Belfast, a firm with a substantial insolvency and restructuring practice, he sits on the board of a number of NI and ROI companies advising on strategy and corporate governance. He’s also a former President of Belfast Chamber. “I’ve built up plenty of experience dealing with secured lenders in stressed situations,” says Gordon. “It’s a skill

Eye on Finance that was definitely honed during the global financial crisis and I suppose it’s founded on an understanding of the commercial and practical objectives that both borrowers and lenders need to achieve. It’s important to understand both sides of the same picture.” RIADA Capital Partners business divides into two distinct areas. Investment in stressed and challenged businesses in return for a share of the equity of those businesses and Advisory services across areas like the provision of debt, financial and operational restructuring, insolvency, sourcing finance, governance, shareholder exits and disposal, including management buyouts and buy-ins. “From our own funds, we can make investments anywhere from £50,000 to £1 million,” explains Neil Adair. “What are our target companies? Those facing what might be called a credit crunch, in need of funding to get through an immediate working capital problem. But we’re talking about companies with the potential to turn around, transform and grow. That’s important. “Even more crucially, we’re only interested in working with consensual shareholders, directors and management. Once that’s established, we’ll work hand in hand with existing teams or seek to bolster the management team if that’s what is required. Our aim will always be to deliver the best and fairest outcome for all stakeholders.” Gordon McElroy emphasises the importance of connecting with a business and its directors and management. “It won’t work if we don’t see eye to eye and if we don’t connect. We can empathise, we can understand but we also have to be able to relate. It can often come down to good personal relationships. Don’t forget that we’re talking about good businesses in financial difficulty, not bad businesses.” Both men agree that Northern Ireland companies have been historically reticent about private equity investment, but that the picture is changing, driven in part by a changing credit environment and successive economic downturns. It’s also reflective of the fact that this region has a particularly high proportion of family-owned enterprises, and family businesses have long had an aversion to equity investment. “Change has become necessary for some companies here,” says Gordon. “And they’re a lot more accepting of the various finance options available these days.” Access to cash and poor governance, he says, are the two main causes

“What are our target companies? Those facing what might be called a credit crunch, in need of funding to get through an immediate working capital problem. But we’re talking about companies with the potential to turn around, transform and grow. That’s important.”

of business failure. “If we can plug those two holes and bring practical solutions, we can be well on our way. Many businesses experiencing a challenging problem (eg. succession issues, funding growth or financially stressed/distressed) have a solid core and the potential to grow.” Not surprisingly, the partners in RIADA think about their own end game before they hit the start button on any deal. “We have to think about an agreed exit strategy as soon as we go in. That’s the nature of the game,” adds Neil Adair. “We make no bones about the fact that we will seek to take a significant shareholding in the investee company and that we’ll be looking for a return at the end of a period of time. “But, at the heart of everything we say is the fact that we’re prepared

to take a look under the hood of any company and, if we’re happy with what we see, we’ll put our own money where our mouth is. It’s worth emphasising, though, that we’re backing people as much as backing companies.” “So there is a clear route ahead for directors and management teams. They can aim to transform the business and buy us out at the end of that process, but with the company in a much more positive state. In a lot of ways, companies can be getting a relatively cost effective resource at board level,” says Gordon McElroy. “In a lot of ways, it’s like a marriage. It will work if the two parties get along with each other and take on each other’s views.” RIADA Capital Partners won’t be concentrating on any particular areas of business, with Adair and McElroy describing their approach as ‘sector agnostic’. “It’s much more about the right businesses, the right teams and the right partnerships. The partners expect a healthy proportion of their referrals to come via professional advisers, accountants and solicitors in particular. “Professional advisers should see us as a welcome alternative in the advisory and investment space, another option for client companies who are going through periods of financial difficulty.” Broadening the scope, RIADA Capital Partners can provide advice on:• raising all forms of finance • solvent and corporate restructuring • negotiation with incumbent funders and debt providers • statutory insolvency and restructuring

• M&A opportunities • asset protection strategies “All of those areas are potentially relevant in different circumstances, depending on the nature of the challenge facing a company, be that the onset of financial distress due to a lack of working capital or the lack of funding to deliver growth or indeed the incumbent owners and management looking to resolve a succession problem” says Neil Adair. Both partners expect to talk to a number of potential client companies over the coming months. “There are only two of us so we can’t get overloaded,” says Gordon McElroy. “To borrow a hospital phrase, we’ll use a triage system, we’ll look for the best companies we can find and we’ll take it from there. “We’re all too aware that there is plenty of money chasing good businesses out there. But we think we have an offering that can make a real difference for companies in certain challenging circumstances.”

For further information, contact:Neil Adair:neil@riadacapital.com Gordon McElroy:gordon@riadacapital.com

Eye on News (L-R) Stephen Kelly, Manufacturing NI; Mary Meehan, Manufacturing NI; William Taylor, KPMG; John Mathers, Barclays Bank; Laura Gillespie; and Tony Murray, Lockton Companies LLP.

New Executive vital to economic rebuild, says Manufacturing NI Manufacturing and business leaders from across Northern Ireland gathered this morning to officially kick off Manufacturing Month at a business breakfast in Belfast.

he event, hosted at KPMG’s offices at the Soloist Building in Belfast City Centre, was held to launch Manufacturing Month, an initiative to celebrate and cherish the local manufacturing and engineering sector in Northern Ireland. First held in March 2020, Manufacturing Month will run through the entire month of May with a series of events, roundtables, factory tours, school visits, webinars, and the Anchor High leadership summit at the Galgorm. The Month is a chance to celebrate and highlight the innovation and ingenuity of Northern Ireland’s manufacturers, as well as cherishing the people who make the sector the leading industry that it is. Panellists at this morning’s event focused on the manufacturing sector’s resilience during the Covid pandemic, the industry’s recovery and rebuild, how to manage challenges like labour shortages and the rising cost of doing business, and the importance of a new Executive being formed as soon as possible after Thursday’s Assembly Election.

The breakfast was held in partnership with Business Eye, chaired by editor Richard Buckley, with a panel including Mary Meehan, Deputy Chief Executive of Manufacturing NI, William Taylor, Strategy Director at KPMG, Laura Gillespie, Partner at Pinsent Masons, Tony Murray, Senior Vice President at Lockton Companies LLP, and John Mathers, Corporate Development Director at Barclays. Manufacturing Month is sponsored by KPMG, Pinsent Masons, Invest NI, Lockton Companies LLP, Barclays, and supported by Northern Ireland’s six further education colleges. Speaking at the breakfast, Manufacturing NI Chief Executive Stephen Kelly said: “We’re thrilled to be launching Manufacturing Month once again. After the inaugural Manufacturing Month was cut short in March 2020 due to the arrival of Covid, this year is an opportunity to recognise the resilience of our makers over the past two years and highlight the skilled people, talented leaders, and worldclass products that make our local sector the success story that it is.

(L-R) Tony Murray, Lockton Companies LLP; Laura Gillespie, Pinsent Masons; John Mathers, Barclays Bank; Stephen Kelly, Manufacturing NI; William Taylor, KPMG; and Mary Meehan, Manufacturing NI.

“The Northern Ireland manufacturing sector has proven its resilience in recent times with the pandemic, Brexit, rapidly rising inflation, and supply chain difficulties. Despite these challenges, our manufacturers continue to bring in over £15bn for our local economy. Recent figures show that two thirds of firms here are growing again as we come out of the pandemic, a huge success and one to be proud of. “Our companies provide secure and skilled jobs which support thousands of households across the country. Areas like Mid Ulster are world renowned clusters of manufacturing and employ thousands of skilled technicians and engineers. It’s crucial that following this week’s Assembly Election a fully functioning and

committed Executive is formed, one which is focused wholly on recovering and rebuilding from the pandemic, creating new jobs, and securing investment which will transform our economy and our communities. “Manufacturing Month is an exciting initiative which will shine a light on all that is good about our local industry, the people, the leaders, the products, and the innovation. The Month would not have been possible without the valued support of our sponsors, KPMG, Pinsent Masons, Lockton Companies LLP, Invest NI, and Barclays, and the support of the six local further education colleges. To have the backing of such prominent and leading organisations proves the strength of our local manufacturing industry.”

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Businessman Boosts RVH Children’s Unit

Over 2000 children referred annually to Paediatric Ophthalmology in Belfast will be able to avail of the most advanced sight-saving screening available, following the introduction of a new retinal camera in the Children’s Eye Unit thanks to Dr Terry Cross OBE.

r Terry Cross OBE, a serial entrepreneur, has delivered specialist, sight saving equipment to the Children’s Eye Unit at the Belfast Trust Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH). The equipment will have a life-altering role for children of all ages, including premature babies, and their families and is supported by ForSight – Northern Ireland’s newest chain of charity shops dedicated to raising funds for children and adults who are blind or visually impaired. Explaining how the equipment will assist, Ms. Eibhlin McLoone, Lead Clinician of the Paediatric Ophthalmology Network Northern Ireland, said: “This new, specialist, potentially sight saving equipment gifted by Dr Terry Cross OBE is the most powerful and advanced tool available to image the retina. This will be the

first machine of its kind available in Northern Ireland. Not only will the machine benefit premature babies who require careful monitoring in the first months of life, it will also make a valuable contribution to the screening of children at risk of eye tumours and management of children with complex needs, autism or ADHD. It marks a positive step forward in treatment care plans and it is a truly welcome addition.” Thanking Dr Terry Cross OBE for making the donation, actor James Nesbitt, who is also a supporter of the premature baby unit at RVH Belfast, said: “Terry’s kindness in providing early screening and intervention will change families lives immeasurably and will gift sight to those babies at risk”. Chris White, CEO at ForSight, added: “As a new charity, we’re delighted to

L-R Dr Terry Cross OBE, Patron of the David Cross Foundation for Peace and Reconciliation; Linda Hamilton, Assistant Service Manager in Paediatric Ophthalmology;Ms. Eibhlin McLoone, Belfast Trust Consultant Paediatric Ophthalmologist and Actor James Nesbitt.

be involved in this donation as our mission is to empower and support people living with sight loss through the funds raised in our chain of charity shops. Having access to pioneering equipment is central to this as it aids early diagnosis and informs treatment plans.” Commenting on the substantial donation Dr Terry Cross OBE, Patron of the David Cross Foundation for Peace and Reconciliation, said: “I feel privileged to be in a position to support the wider community and I am a firm advocate of early intervention and prevention when it comes to health matters. I believe such an approach delivers better outcomes right across the spectrum, whether it relates to eye checks or cancer checks. “It is vital that we all remain active in our responsibilities and do what we can. Our health service has been under immense pressure due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and resources are stretched. If we can do something to support health workers to deliver the best service possible, then we should try to do it. As a result of

this investment, over 2000 children referred annually to Paediatric Ophthalmology at the RVH Belfast can avail of the most advanced sight saving screening available, following the introduction of a new retinal camera in its Children’s Eye Unit.” Dr Terry Cross OBE is a wellknown businessman in Northern Ireland who has supported local charities throughout his life. He has been President of the Red Cross NI since 2008 and has recently established his own charitable trust – The David Cross Foundation for Peace and Reconciliation, named in memory of his son, David, who tragically died at the age of 33 from malignant melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer. Terry continues to generously support research programmes at Ulster University around melanoma, as well as many early detection projects, highlighting the dangers of excessive sun exposure and other risk factors. He has also made a remarkable difference in bringing about social change in local communities.

Eye on Cloud Communications

Boosting business efficiency for fresh challenges ahead Northern Ireland businesses have always faced challenges and running a business in 2022 is no mean feat, with soaring inflation, skills shortages, wage demands and falling consumer spending causing fresh havoc in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

hat said, local businesses have always shown their powerful resilience and ability to adapt, innovate or reinvent themselves to keep growth and profitability ambitions alive. And in another year of profound change, those goals will be similar to before. Driving productivity, output and cost efficiencies, winning new clients and customers and investing for the future will be as important as ever – as will drawing up a fresh plan to ensure you reach your objectives. At Radius Connect, we’ve been growing and adapting ourselves to ensure that we’re best placed to help businesses across Northern Ireland with theirs. For almost three decades, we’ve been building solutions enabling companies to transform the way they work, drive growth and productivity to create a more successful and sustainable future for all. Based in Belfast with more than 100 talented staff and part of Radius Payment Solutions, a UK Sunday Times Top Track 100 company, we excel in the delivery of industry-leading telecom and IT solutions for many of the region’s best-performing businesses, including CBRE, Hastings Hotels, UPU Industries, Deli Lites and more – and we already support more than 40,000 customers across the island in best-in-class telecoms, connectivity and tech, fuel cards, telematics (vehicle tracking), insurance and EV charging. For solutions-focused businesses, there are always big areas for improvement and the potential for dramatic results using the best technology. At Radius, we directly assist business owners and managers seeking to improve the service they offer, reduce costs or drive greater efficiency and value for customers and clients. Mobility, Connectivity and Technology are our three strategic themes that link all our solutions, unifying our unrivalled range of solutions to support our growing customer base. We firmly believe technology and innovation hold the key to future success. With offices across the UK and Ireland, and operating globally in 18 countries, we have built an unrivalled global ecosystem of strategic partners to help us support our

customer base of more than 300,000 organisations. To support local exporters and fleet users in increasingly challenging times, Radius is helping to drive a new era of growth using best-in-class telematics solutions which are driving down fuel costs, increasing operational efficiency and allowing managers to better plan routes, resources and maintenance. Radius is also the UK and Ireland’s leader in the provision of fuel cards – Radius Fuel Solutions was established more than three decades ago and our customers include businesses of every size from Belfast to Cork and London and everywhere in between and supporting micro businesses to large fleet operators, offering a convenient way to pay for fuel, greater security and a better way of managing and analysing this important business expense.

“Mobility, Connectivity and Technology are our three strategic themes that link all our solutions, unifying our unrivalled range of solutions to support our growing customer base. We firmly believe technology and innovation hold the key to future success.”

In fact, operating from offices in the City of Derry and Galway, our long-established DCI fuel card division has been a stellar success in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland for over 25 years, issuing over one million cards and managing more than 2.7 billion litres of fuel each and every year. In addition, we continue to invest in our leading vehicle technologies. At the forefront of our own digital innovation, we provide an unrivalled customerfocused portal and reporting platform known as ‘Velocity’ which gives our customers a dashboard that provides a complete overview of fuel cards, vehicles and costs at a glance, making the vehicle management and tracking process the most efficient it can be. Never before have our solutions and our focus on technology or innovation been more important to support SMEs and the local economy. Radius has a long, strong record of business success in Northern Ireland and across the island

Stephen McQuoid

and we’re unifying and strengthening our talented and skilled teams under the Radius brand to deliver a new era of growth and even more support for businesses across the region who rely on us for the best technology, telecoms and business advice. At Radius, our goal is simple. To increase efficiency and improve the profitability of all our customers and to support every business to compete and succeed with the best products that generate the best return.

Stephen McQuoid is Regional Director, Ireland, Radius Connect. Radius Connect is rapidly becoming a leader in business telecoms in the UK and Ireland. For more information on Radius Connect and the wider family group of Radius businesses, visit www.radiusconnectsolutions.com

Eye on News

St George’s Market traders sign up to ‘Voice for Locals’ to level up their business and trade online The Voice for Locals Initiative offers digital tools, marketing techniques and customer experience training for small firms, and it is set to digitise NI marketplaces and high streets.

oice for Locals, which received a £1.82m grant from the UK Government to bolster small businesses’ potential, has digitised over 200 local businesses across Northern Ireland in less than 30 days. The initiative launched its latest drive ‘Times Are Changing’ at St George’s Market last week to help traders, who typically rely on in-person footfall, to extend their services online and tap into the world of e-commerce.

The Voice for Locals team met traders to introduce them to their tagline “Times Are Changing”, to illustrate that their trading times are changing. They can now expand sales, trading online every day of the week. It also signifies the fact that it is an opportune time for traders to take their business to a digital platform. The initiative allows engagement with a broader audience, on a more consistent

basis, beyond the confines of St George’s Market official trading days, thanks to the Voice for Locals digital directory of all rated businesses across Northern Ireland, ni.voiceforlocals.co.uk. The momentous event saw traders at the iconic venue use a mobile app to collect ratings, reviews, manage bookings and drive loyalty effortlessly. The traders, who typically trade on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays were seen proudly sharing the news of their online presence with their customers. The platform allows traders to go digital with mobile apps, get marketed locally, get certified with e-learning courses endorsed by City and Guilds, and avail of personalised business and technology advice,

to build a self-reliant economy in the wake of the pandemic. The initiative, delivered by a consortium of organisations including Unloc Limited, TieTa and City & Guilds, has plans to extend this drive to other marketplaces and high streets. Jay Thattai, Founder and Steering Authority at Voice for Locals, said the campaign would help businesses “recover, rebuild and rebound.” He said: “It was gratifying to see 71 traders signing up for online business in a single day. 55% of traders onboarded are women entrepreneurs with basic digital skills. Every trader will have their own landing page with their business description, pictures and videos featured in the Voice for Locals NI directory.

Eye on News

St George’s Market traders are pictured with Jay Thattai, Founder and Steering Authority at Voice for Locals (second from right).

L-R St George’s Market Trader Sean Gallagher from Fin McVeg is pictured with Jay Thattai, Founder and Steering Authority at Voice for Locals.

They are also given tools to collect genuine customer ratings and reviews in the market which will reflect online automatically, to boost their credibility for online shoppers to shop locally with confidence. “Every trader’s landing page also has an enquiry button to generate leads for the traders

during the non-trading days. The leads automatically go to their personalised mobile apps. “The iconic St George’s Market has an international appeal and attracts tourists from all over the globe. With the expanded digital presence, traders can now tap into rest of the UK, Europe and world markets that would have

otherwise been unattainable, via the initiative’s extension plans.” One trader who availed of the initiative is Cathy McLaverty from Randalstown. Cathy is Chair of St George’s Market Traders Association and sells a range of women’s accessories. Her business is Cathy McLaverty Accessories.

She said: “All we have is a few hours in a day to make something, market and sell it. We have always looked forward to Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at St George’s market to sell our products. We do not have the team, the skillset, or the time to digitise and market our business. Until this point, we did not have an opportunity to own the database of customers that shopped from us. “Most importantly, we could not reach out to them when we introduced new designs. We did not know if we had a happy customer and if that individual would recommend us on social media and refer us to friends and families. With Voice for Locals, we have this information at our fingertips. We have the tools to personalise rewards and promotions and ensure we are continuously engaging with our customers, and we truly feel empowered. “The NI directory will also help generate leads for the traders from Monday to Thursday, when the market is closed. We are looking forward to pinpointing new business opportunities.” The consortium’s tender win for the project makes it the recipient of the fifth largest grant in the UK and the largest in Northern Ireland. Unloc will provide the technology, marketing and skills development element of the offering while TieTa will offer business and technical support. The team is working closely with City & Guilds to gain recognition for e-learning programmes delivered to local businesses throughout the scheme’s duration. This project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund.

For further information about the Voice for Locals Initiative, log on to voiceforlocals.co.uk

Eye on Round Table

The Energy Challenge: How Can Northern Ireland Build For The Future? The Participants Business Eye joined forces with sponsors NIE Networks to stage its first in-person Round Table Discussion since the Covid pandemic. Taking place in the unique surroundings of The Innovation Factory on Belfast’s Springfield Road, a wideranging discussion looked at the energy challenges facing the region as well as the specific issues facing manufacturers, business in general and household consumers. Noyona Chundur Chief Executive, Consumer Council NI

Roger Henderson Network Assets Director, NIE Networks

Chaired by Richard Buckley, Editor, Business Eye RB – Summarise from your own perspective the challenges that we face on energy policy, on infrastructure and investment. Can we create opportunities, can we support growth and can we protect business customers and consumers alike? We’ll start with the NIE Networks representatives and move around the table.

Adrian Doran Head of Corporate Banking, Barclays Bank NI & Chair, CBI Northern Ireland

Dr. Patrick Keatley Lecturer in Energy Policy & Infrastructure, Ulster University

Stephen Kelly Chief Executive, Manufacturing NI

Gavan Walsh Finance & Regulation Director, NIE Networks

GW – Energy is in everything we do and the impact that it has is enormous. At the moment, we’re pawns in a global game. It’s about taking back that control and the energy transition is central to that. We must displace fossil fuels with indigenous renewable energy. This is a big opportunity for us as a society to build on what we’ve already achieved. RH – We published our Networks For Net Zero plan last year. But the context has already shifted within the past year. We’ve now got a legislative mandate to hit 80% renewable energy. The current energy crisis has been driven by our reliance on fossil fuels, so we have to invest in clean technology

and associated infrastructure. The crisis impacts on everyone, so we really have to grasp the nettle. RB – Let’s have a business perspective from both Stephen and Adrian. How do you see the challenges facing us, Stephen? SK – Our largest energy users are manufacturers, many of them serving global markets. Price is important for them, but more important is competitiveness. Prices have trebled in many cases, it has been a big shock to manage, yet we’re surprised by the resilience of many firms. They’ve been helped by their customers and their shareholders and by the fact that almost everyone is being affected at the same time. If you’re a small business, every pound makes a difference and you’re worried about whether you can pay the wages on Friday. So when you get that against decarbonisation, there’s an obvious question. Who is going to pay for it? The Executive isn’t going to pay for it, Westminster isn’t going to

Eye on Round Table

pay for it. The consumer will pay for it, with the domestic consumer accounting for 20% and business consumers the rest. If they hurt and they close, then no one will be there to pay for it. So we’ve got to tread incredibly carefully through this process. Everyone needs to be really focused on our competitive position for companies trading globally but also on the cost position for domestic consumers. AD – Energy is a topic we’ve all taken for granted for many years. More recently, we’ve had the decarbonisation agenda and now a crisis brought on by global events. We haven’t invested the way we should have. But there is still an opportunity with energy transition. We can do things differently over the next five to ten years. We’re a small economy and we should be able to be joined up. There are some key enablers. We have a government-led energy strategy but, while we’re good at strategies here, we’re not so good at delivering on them. We also need political stability and we need a working planning system.

NC – Consumers are right at the sharp end. The first thing to say is that we can’t make decisions that don’t look at the ramifications for the consumer. The second, that no one has mentioned so far, is the importance of behavioural change. Why do people change behaviour? Because they think it’s the right thing to do, because their friends are doing it, because it’s affordable. We need to build on our consumer insights and focus on what’s needed. Everyone needs to start talking to each other with real purpose. There’s no point in having a net zero bandwagon if only those who can afford it can jump onboard. PK - The work I’m currently involved in through the SPIRE 2 project is about the role of consumerowned storage in energy markets. Consumers effectively have a veto on net zero and they have to be empowered for it to be achieved. Markets in which consumers have a central role are being developed elsewhere. Northern Ireland is ahead in some respects, wind

connections for instance, but way behind in others. Because we have an inefficient market, we waste a lot of our wind energy. We don’t have the smart storage technologies and market products to make use of it when it’s available. We still have a 20th century market structure in which prices are set by the most expensive fossil generators. That’s not sustainable in a renewablesdominated system. The price setting structure needs to change. AD – There have been some successes. The all-island energy market had brought prices down. Likewise, where we are on renewables. We’ve done pretty well, even though there are challenging targets ahead.

because the market allows that to happen. It needs to be addressed by government and the regulator. NC – What’s more, our tariff regime is not fit for purpose given the decarbonisation targets. If anything, the current crisis has amplified mistrust, misinformation and an opt out attitude amongst consumers. Empowerment is only going to happen if there is an acceptance that what is being pitched to a consumer is the right thing.

PK - Yes, but the gas price surge has exposed a major weakness in the market structure by which we continue to price our energy.

GW – We have to be careful not to foster an air of mistrust. Some are seen to be doing well but it’s much more complex than that. There are no winners in the current climate. We can work together towards solutions but this is where leadership is really important, from the regulator and from government.

SK – It’s indefensible that any business can make an 80% gross margin and that’s what is happening in renewables and it’s

NC – Yes, it’s about collective leadership. We have to prioritise market stability and a sense of fairness.

Eye on Round Table

has our disjointed government been? And will it be an even bigger problem is Stormont doesn’t come back in the short term?

co-ordinated investment and huge improvements in energy efficiency across homes and businesses. AD - What’s clear is that there are solutions out there. What it needs is for government to be bold and take the decisions that need to be taken to turn strategies and plans into action.

RH – Without government oversight, we’ll all be grappling with where we’re going and how we’re getting there. So, yes, we need a blueprint or strategy that moves us forward. At the moment, various departments and parties are looking at things from their own perspective. There is a real need to bring that together in a co-ordinated way. PK - The prime example of how bad things are is in energy efficiency. That’s spread across four government departments. Yet, there is no route to net zero that doesn’t require massive

NH - It’s also true that even if we concentrated only on energy efficiency, we could make strides towards net zero. There are conversations going on about what can be priorities, but the problem is that we can actually prioritise very little. The net zero model requires us to scale up and skill up at the outset rather than phase it in. We need to have a mature and honest conversation about the skills, the labour, the technology and the ability of the supply chain to cope with whats needed here. RB – We don’t want to get into politics, but how big a problem

SK - In eight and a half years in this job, I’ve found that the most opaque sector I have to deal with is the energy sector, even one that is subject to regulation. That’s one issue. And whatever comes next can’t be seen as the next Klondike. That’s what happened before with RHI and wind. So there have to be lessons learnt going forward. On government, a blind man on a galloping horse can tell you that the Executive hasn’t worked well. Everything is seen as a battle rather than a collaboration. If we don’t get good government, we’ll continue to drift. NC – If our political leaders can’t work together, how can anyone expect the community to buy into energy transition or even care about it? Leadership is critical at all levels of government. And, as Roger has said, it’s critical for government to set the pace on net zero and its fiscal implications. So we need an Executive. It’s fundamental. AD - Energy is a long term issue and a long term opportunity. But there just isn’t the money in government to fund what needs to be funded at the moment. We need the private sector to invest. But government must lead. If you

ask any business what they need, political stability will always be top of the list, closely followed by a functioning planning system. We have an energy target for 2030. But it’s not that far away, especially if you consider that it takes three years to get a big planning approval through here. PK - The technologies around us, like digital systems and big data, are changing, consumer behaviour is changing, but our market structures aren’t. NC – Energy can be a bit nebulous, but when you have an ambition this big, you need a whole system approach. Everyone has to do their bit. The Energy Strategy has a very comprehensive action plan, but it requires all of the departments and interested bodies to coalesce behind it. We might be running out of road but there is a risk inherent in doing things quickly. RB – Are we saying that the targets we’ve set ourselves are unachievable? GW - It requires investment but there are a lot of people willing to invest, I think, who see the longterm benefit. It’s not about quick gains or Klondikes, but investment that has value in the long term. We need to decide if we’re boiling the ocean or if we’re picking the areas

Eye on Round Table to move on. There is real value in pilots and initiatives if they’re done right. So let’s take small steps and demonstrate that it can be done. But we’ve got to remember that this is about behavioural and societal change. So, the targets are achievable but not in a perfect, utopian way. It’s going to be a bit mucky and imperfect, but it will be a lot better than it is today.

be done in the future. There isn’t much to be gained from pumping money into short-term solutions without looking much further down the tracks.

PK - There is a really central role for the regulator in all of this. The regulator will be there whatever happens at Stormont but my worry is that the regulator’s office continues to operate like a subsidiary of the department.

GW - In other UK regions, anticipatory investment for future goals is part of the broader picture. Building ahead of need for long term value is now an integral part of policy, and that’s how it should be. You’ve got to have a real goal and then get everyone bought into it.

GW - There also needs to be a willingness to take risks. but the legacy of RHI has left the public sector a lot more risk averse. SK - Lets talk about investment. Local companies have been urged to invest in green energy with the promise of getting their money back over the next number of years. But, given the choice of investing in that or investing in a piece of equipment which can actually make them money, what are they going to choose? It might seem over simplified but it’s no less true. RH – A lot of this comes down to action, or the lack of it. There have been a lot of strategy documents created over the years but what we really need is to back all the ambition with tangible action. AD - And that’s why the next Assembly is absolutely vital. It will make or break our energy ambitions, for sure. Can we hit our targets? Yes, but only if the Assembly gets back and hits the ground running. NC – We don’t have an entrepreneurial attitude to policy making but it’s something that we badly need. But our policy making and our ambition has to be not just about driving investment but about how we are going to get the right people with the right skills to do the job. PK - A lot of this is driven by short term-ism. We tend to look at what needs to be done this year, not what needs to

AD - It really is a problem short term government with short term budgets. There is always the danger of throwing good money after bad.

AD - There is a strong argument for an Infrastructure Commission to take infrastructure away from the political arena. Governments and ministers can come and go, but the plan stays set in stone. That’s what they’ve done down south and it could work really well here. NC – We haven’t talked much about fuel poverty. But we have to see energy transition and all that is around it as an opportunity to alleviate poverty. We have significantly higher levels of poverty here. Government figures put it at 16% of the population. Our own research suggests that it’s 34% and some think it’s even higher. So energy transition has to be viewed through this lens. RB – In broad terms, how do we compare to comparable regions?

SK - Our prices are a bit lower in consumer terms. We used to be the second highest-cost region in terms of business energy. We dropped to fourth but now we’re back up to second. We’re hitching our wagon to the UK and it has some of the most expensive energy prices in the world. NC – The other big issue is home heating oil. We have two thirds of our homes using home heating oil and it’s a self regulated market with no real safeguards for consumers. Overall, our calls have gone up by 70% and many are from people in extreme hardship. Consumers are really exposed. RB – Let me ask each of you a closing question around the table. Over the next couple of years, what needs to change and where would you like us to be as a region in energy terms? PK - Making better use of consumer resources, especially when it

comes to wind energy. And to have a proper strategy backed by the right levels of investment in energy efficiency, electrification, smart systems and that clear commitment to the net zero target. AD - For me. political stability, a fit for purpose planning system, and some bold, purposeful decision making. SK - From a price perspective, languishing in mid-table would be a comfortable place to be. Decarbonisation, security of supply and price are the three legs of the stool and two of them have regulatory protection. The only one that hasn’t is price, which is where the consumers are. NC – Behavioural change. Consumers need to feel involved. Let’s collect the right data, take the right temperatures, see where we are and link it back to agile policy making. And we need a more effective, modern regulatory regime to match our net zero ambitions. RH – For me, it’s about a co-ordinated leadership approach. Let’s be as bold on that as we are bold on ambition. We can strategise all we like. But we need tangible action. GW - We have to have real goals so that people have something to hang their hats on and acts as an anchor for investment. It would be good to have demonstrable example of what has been done and can be done. Consumers need to be able to see the right energy choices as an investment in their home and in their future.

Eye on News

Belfast Harbour Commissioners Marks 175th Anniversary

Belfast Harbour has launched a programme of celebratory events to mark the landmark 175th anniversary year of Belfast Harbour Commissioners.

ocal communities and visitors alike are invited to share in a summerlong calendar of events that will mark the innovations of the past and celebrate the ongoing transformative impact of Belfast Harbour on the City’s landscape. Taking place along Belfast’s iconic waterfront and Maritime Mile in the coming months, communities can share in a host of activities that will showcase the significant economic and social contribution of Belfast Harbour to the region over many generations. From its foundation in 1847, Belfast Harbour Commissioners has been at the forefront of innovation, establishing Belfast as a world

leading maritime Port. In recent decades, Belfast Harbour has continued to transform its Harbour Estate, creating an iconic waterfront district for all communities to enjoy, and developing a key economic hub for the region. As a Trust Port, Belfast Harbour is celebrating 175 years of investing in both the Port and in its stakeholder communities. As a socially responsible Port, Belfast Harbour is committed to developing sustainably across all aspects of its diverse trading portfolio and to delivering clear social and economic impact. Belfast Harbour’s current programme of £254 million of strategic investments in its Port and wider estate continues to build on

Belfast Harbour CEO Joe O’Neill and Chair Dr Theresa Donaldson launch the 175 year anniversary celebrations.

the legacies of past generations, by developing a modern and resilient Port and estate, that generates jobs and stimulates social and economic growth. The delivery of Belfast Harbour’s ambitious ‘Port for Everyone’ vision, and its significant programme of community investments also ensures that Belfast Harbour continues to provide a gateway to opportunity for current and future generations. Joe O’Neill, Chief Executive at Belfast Harbour said: “For decades Belfast Harbour Commissioners has been known for its civic leadership and contribution to the growth and development of the city of Belfast and the whole region. “We are proud of our heritage and draw inspiration from the work started 175 years ago, as we continue to innovate and deliver for the people of this region and play our part in the ongoing evolution

and transformation of Belfast.” Working in close partnership with Maritime Belfast Trust, the milestones that mark Belfast Harbour’s 175-year journey so far will be celebrated in the coming months in a range of activities along Belfast’s Maritime Mile. An outdoor photographic gallery is already open for free public access on Belfast’s iconic waterfront, marking the start of the 175thanniversary celebrations. Delivered in partnership with Belfast Photo Festival, the City Quays Gallery, will showcase the work of world class photographic artists until September 2022. For more information and updates about activities happening at Belfast Harbour in 2022, follow Belfast Harbour on social media or visit the website https://www.belfastharbour.co.uk/news/

‘We anticipate your business needs today to deliver the right service’ Donna Linehan - Client Services Director Jonny Hill - Operations Director

venyou.co.uk

Eye on News

FPM Announces Merger With AAB

Feargal McCormack Managing Director of FPM and Graeme Allan, Chief Executive of AAB.

Leading Irish independent accountancy and business advisory firm FPM today announced a merger with Anderson Anderson & Brown (AAB), the tech-enabled business critical services group, to fast-track ambitious growth plans and create a significant regional presence across the UK and Ireland. FPM is an independent audit, accounting, tax and business advisory firm with revenue of c£9.5m and a team of over 120 people across 5 office locations in Belfast, Balbriggan (Dublin North), Newry, Dungannon and Mallusk. The 9 FPM shareholder directors are all remaining in their current roles and will continue to drive the growth of FPM as part of the AAB Group. AAB Group has grown rapidly in the last 12 months, following 3

M&A transactions and investment from August Equity in October 2021. FPM’s complementary geographic presence will further enhance the wider AAB Group as a key player in the UK & Irish accountancy and business services markets, adding Ireland to its other regional hubs across Scotland and England. The merger with FPM is another major step forward in AAB’s growth journey as it becomes a group with £50M+ revenue and 550+

team members in 10 offices across the UK and Ireland. Following the merger, AAB shall continue to actively pursue its organic and M&A growth plans, looking to strengthen its team with further recruitment across all locations, and continue to identify attractive M&A opportunities which augment the group’s current activities. Managing Director at FPM, Feargal McCormack added “We are delighted to be merging with AAB. The synergies across our teams, service provision and sector specialisms, provide a fantastic platform for exciting future growth. In addition to this, we were attracted to AAB as the group has impressive global connections and experience working with highgrowth SME businesses and large corporations internationally. This

instantly gives us the capabilities to do even more for our clients, wherever they wish to do business across the world, whilst also providing our teams with enhanced opportunities to progress and develop as part of a larger group.” Graeme Allan, Chief Executive at AAB commented “This merger is a very important milestone for the group. With FPM, we gain an impressive team with a great reputation and significant presence across the island of Ireland. There is a strong cultural fit between our firms, and at the heart of this is a passion for helping team members and clients achieve their goals, which makes us hugely excited about the opportunity this merger presents.”

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Eye on Investment

IQ-EQ – Investor Services Firm Has High Hopes For Belfast Base If you haven’t heard of IQ-EQ before, you’ll no doubt become familiar with the global firm soon as it prioritises growth in Belfast.

t its base in the city’s Forsyth House, IQ-EQ already employs a highly qualified team of 150 specialists providing a range of fund administration and accounting services to its clients, most of them in the private equity sector. “We’ve successfully built a large-scale investor services firm globally through a mix of organic and acquisition-led growth over the past number of years,” says IQ-EQ’s Head of Operations in Belfast, Eoghan Harney. “From the group’s original base in Luxembourg, IQ-EQ has grown to be active in 24 locations worldwide, from the United States to Japan, and the Belfast

operation – established 10 years ago – is key to what we’re doing.” IQ-EQ’s $500 billion in client asset value puts it at the top end of the market and the company works with 11 of the top 15 private equity firms worldwide. “Private equity has exploded since the global financial crisis,” Eoghan Harney explains. “We’re right at the forefront of serving those funds, and ESG (Environment, Social & Governance) is key for us. “The UK remains the second largest market base for private equity firms. London is still an epicentre of finance, but there’s no doubt that private equity is a global business.

Eye on Investment

“Across all of our offices, we have a team of over 4,000 people working across three key servicing divisions: funds, private wealth, and debt, capital markets and corporates. We offer expertise across all asset classes and we also have a depositary business and a global payments team based here in Belfast.” The IQ-EQ Belfast team additionally provides what are known as AML and KYC services to its investment clients. The former is effectively the prevention of money laundering and monitoring for suspicious transactions whilst KYC, or ‘Know Your Customer’, refers to customer identification and screening. “In addition, we have local HR and business development units working from this office, as well as members of our Group Legal, Group Technology and Group Marketing teams.” Eoghan Harney says that IQ-EQ has firm growth plans for its successful Belfast operation. “We’ve got a bit of room in which to expand at Forsyth House, especially at the moment with hybrid working in operation for all of our employees. But we’ll expand elsewhere in the city if we can’t do it here.” Republic of Ireland-based, although not far over the border in County Louth, Eoghan Harney has been mightily impressed, he says, by Belfast and the quality of the people it can offer employers. “It’s one of those things that you hear when someone is selling you Belfast or the North as an investment

“When we first came to Belfast, it was a cost play. We needed a shared service centre to work alongside our operation in London. A replica of the London office, if you like. But the quality of the people we found here meant that we changed our plans fairly quickly. We realised that we could do a lot more right here in Belfast.”

location,” he smiles. “But it’s actually true. We’ve been really impressed by the quality of the people we employ here. To such an extent that we’ll almost certainly bring more and more of our client work to the team here. “To be honest, when we first came to Belfast, it was a cost play. We needed a shared service centre to work alongside our operation in London. A replica of the London office, if you like. But the quality of the people we found here meant that we changed our plans fairly quickly. We realised that we could do a lot more right here in Belfast.” IQ-EQ has a range of graduate specialists in its Belfast ranks, amongst them a number of qualified accountants providing key financial services to the company’s worldwide client base. “They’ll find themselves talking to clients in Mauritius one day, Luxembourg the next and maybe Guernsey after that,” says Eoghan Harney. “It’s work that they enjoy, but perhaps even more importantly,

our clients like working with them. “We’ve developed this office into a real Centre of Excellence and that’s helping us to attract new people to work for IQ-EQ.” This is a key point as IQ-EQ, the big accountancy practices and a range of other market players are all competing for the same top talent. The variety and international nature of the client work helps to make a difference. But it’s not the only factor. The company’s name is an interesting one and its corporate mission statement goes some way to explaining the link to both IQ and EQ. We strongly believe in the power of duality and that valuing both IQ and EQ is essential for our people, our clients and our business. IQ-EQ brings together a rare combination of global expertise with a unique corporate culture that knows the importance of truly understanding the needs of our clients. IQ-EQ expresses exactly who we are and how we like to operate.

IQ enables us to respond to mental challenges. It empowers us with deductive logic. It gives us the ability to understand complex information and provide insightful solutions. It helps us identify the challenge and plan how to tackle it. Intellectual intelligence generates the solution. EQ gives us the ability to engage on a personal level. It helps us listen and create connections. It enables us to see the challenges that lie behind the challenge. It gives us insight into how to relate to another person so trust develops. It allows us to balance the professional with the personal. Emotional intelligence brings out the best in people. “EQ is important to us when it comes to employee engagement,” adds Eoghan Harney. “We’ve also worked hard to create a really attractive working environment here in the office.” IQ-EQ called in Antrim-based fitout specialists Calibro to re-design and re-work its office space over the top two floors of Forsyth House in Cromac Square. It’s an impressive job and all the more important as employees begin the phased return to the office after the pandemic and the Working From Home era. “We’ve definitely got expansion plans, both global and local” he adds. “We’ll certainly grow here in Northern Ireland. It’s a great place to do the kind of business that we’re doing. We’ll be growing and we’ll be getting closer to the community here at the same time.”

Eye on Destinations

A Taste of Galgorm Collection A unique collection of hotels with award-winning spas, a golf club and 2 city centre restaurants, we offer amazing places to rest, meet and dine.

Our destinations have something different to offer you, from ultimate relaxation and wellbeing retreats to adventurous and outdoorsy country escapes. Our delicious foodie experiences lie at the heart of what we do, with dining to suit any occasion. When you’re not indulging your taste buds, there is a wealth of experiences to discover and enjoy in our hotels, each perfectly situated to explore the region’s most renowned attractions and world class golf courses.

Galgorm, County Antrim Switch off, disconnect, and rest your head in luxury at Galgorm, County Antrim. Set within 163 acres of lush parkland with the spectacular River Maine flowing through the estate, Galgorm Resort has a truly unique setting. Boasting world-class hospitality and unrivalled spa, accommodation and golf facilities, the renowned Galgorm is the jewel in Northern Ireland’s hospitality crown.

The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat, County Antrim Burrowed lakeside in the heart of Templepatrick, County Antrim in Northern Ireland, The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat is an idyllic haven, a quirky laid-back home from home with a show-stopping open-air spa that exudes a mix of sophisticated luxury and Bohemian glam.

Eye on Destinations

Fratelli Belfast

The Old Inn, County Down

Ristorante, Pizzeria & Bar, Fratelli oozes rustic Italian charm with a contemporary edge. Perfectly positioned on Great Victoria Street, we promise a family friendly informal environment where the focus is on simple yet quality cookery and a warm welcome. Menus boast inspiring Italian cuisine with the freshest pasta, finest pizza, delicious cocktails, handcrafted mini desserts and much more. Make it a family day out with the kids as they get creative and build their own pizza before enjoying a mini bambinocino whilst reading the story of the three little boars. Elevate your evening with drinks on the 2nd floor terrace as you take in the hustle and bustle of the city, paired perfectly with cocktails and cicchetti to while away the hours with friends.

Nestled in the charming village of Crawfordsburn in beautiful County Down, The Old Inn offers the perfect rural retreat. A historic property harking back to 1614, The Old Inn embodies a playful blend of the old with the new, the local with the worldly. With luxurious bedrooms individually decorated to their own traditional style, a quintessentially comfy laid-back 1614 Bar and The Restaurant guaranteeing delicious dining from seasonal menus that marry homely classics with modern dining, The Old Inn is home to time-honoured hospitality.

Parisien Taking prime position in Belfast city centre with unrivalled views of City Hall, Parisien is your cosmopolitan destination made for relishing the moment. With a chic yet comfortable ambience and style in abundance, gather with friends for a leisurely lunch, celebrate life’s milestones with family or host your private event or wedding with loved ones. For summer evenings, the 2nd floor terrace is Belfast’s most soughtafter spot for sipping cocktails and soaking up the city vibes.

So, what are you waiting for? Our collection is full of places perfectly located to fill your Spring with fresh adventure. Find out more at galgorm.com 51

Eye on Health

Improve the health and wellbeing of your employees with free, personalised support

Work Well Live Well is a FREE workplace health and wellbeing support programme delivered by Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS) and funded by the Public Health Agency (PHA).

he aim of Work Well Live Well is to help local workplaces to improve the health and wellbeing of their employees through personalised support. The programme will support you in carrying out a health and wellbeing survey within your workplace, analysing the results to determine health priorities and subsequently develop a bespoke, 3-year action plan for your team.

Why take part in Work Well Live Well? • Delivery of Health Champion training for employees to help drive health and wellbeing initiatives forward • Access to three NICHS Well Talks or Webinars to support staff in making informed lifestyle changes for improved health • Provision of advanced workplace health training including Mental Health First Aid

• Support with signing up to and implementing the Equality Commission’s Mental Health Charter • Provision of resources for health and wellbeing initiatives • Ongoing support from our experienced Workplace Health and Wellbeing team

We are recruiting workplaces to participate in Work Well Live Well nowregister your workplace today: www.nichs.org.uk/ workwelllivewell

Eye on Awards

SHORTLISTS REVEALED FOR FAMILY BUSINESS AWARDS The shortlisted entries for all 14 categories in the brand new NIE Networks Business Eye Family Business Awards in association with Harbinson Mulholland have been revealed. The eventual winners are due to be announced on Thursday, 19th May, at the Culloden Estate & Spa when inaugural awards will take place in front of an expected audience of 450 people from across the Northern Ireland business community. “Northern Ireland has a really strong family business sector, from some of our very largest companies to a network of SMEs across every sector,” says Business Eye’s Brenda Buckley. “The Family Business category at our annual Business Eye Awards has always attracted our largest and more diverse entry by some distance. “So we feel that the time is right, especially as we emerge from the Covid pandemic, for Northern Ireland’s many family businesses to have their very own awards scheme, and that their achievement can be showcased and recognised.”

A planned 14 categories will cover areas such as Manufacturing, Tourism & Hospitality, Retail and Emerging Business, and there will be individual awards aimed at high-achieving family business owners and leaders.

“We are looking forward to seeing both up and coming businesses, together with established companies, vying to scoop the top spots and we would encourage all family businesses to enter now.”

Head of Stakeholder Engagement at lead sponsor of the awards, NIE Networks, Edel Creery, said;

Darren McDowell, Senior Partner at Harbinson Mulholland, added:

“NIE Networks is honoured to sponsor the inaugural Business Eye Family Business Awards. In what has been a turbulent few years for all businesses, the awards are a fitting opportunity to showcase the resilience of family owned businesses from every sector within Northern Ireland. “We have such a vibrant family business community here. We know how important it is to support and champion those businesses - it’s something we do every day through our connections and business support work, whether for locally focussed start-ups or those expanding to global export.

“The family businesses that we work with have faced down the challenges of the last few years with typical resilience. The ability of this sector to tap into the family values that run deep in their organisations will make them a powerful and vital part of the economic recovery. “It’s right that we should celebrate the contribution that this sector makes to the wider NI economy, so we are delighted to be a part of this.”

C ATEGORIES

Fastest Growing Family Business

Most Innovative Family Business

Derry Brothers Customs Clearance

Shelbourne Motors

Pacem

Energystore

Shelbourne Motors

Environmental Street Furniture (ESF)

Diamond Systems

Kukoon Rugs

Mac Animal Health

MDE Installations

Brand Ambition

Continu

Construction and Property Family Business w

M&M Contractors Hagan Homes MCG Investments Glandore

Food and Drink Family Business

McGinnis Group

Next Generation Family Business Leader w

McCracken’s Brewery Jane Lamph – Rahon Enterprises

Fish City

CSR Family Business Of The Year

Alan Mercer – Hillmount

Carr’s Elite Foods Hagan Homes

Hinch Distillery

John Mulholland Motors

TS Foods

Energystore

Emerging Family Business of the Year w

Connor McCandless – Energystore Shona Mulholland – John Mulholland Motors Christopher McGuicken – City Office NI

Hospitality and Tourism Family Business

Michelle Weir – Philip White Tyres

Workpal – Ian Megahey

Bob & Berts McCracken’s Brewery

McKeever Hotel Group

Taylor Yates

Larchfield Estate

Convert My Conservatory

Killyhevlin Hotel & Lodges

Holywood Private Clinic

Hinch Distillery Montalto Estate

Employer of the Year McKeever Hotel Group Finnebrogue Artisan

Retail Family Business of the Year w

Hillmount On The Square Emporium Menarys Bathshack

Manufacturing Excellence Award w

The Wooden Floor Company/Store Henderson Retail

Industry Training Services (IDS)

Edge Innovate

Pacem

Fergusons Irish Linen/Franklins

Menarys

Copas Technologies

Henderson Retail

Whitenoise

Mac Animal Health

McKeever Hotel Group

Family Business Of The Year

M&M Contractors

Family Business Legacy Award

Service Sector Excellence Award

Uform

Shelbourne Motors

Nimbus

Vaughan Engineering

Diamond Systems

Industry Training Services (ITS)

Menarys

Safe Gas NI

Workpal

Diamond Systems

David Jameson Roofing Services

Safe Gas NI

AG Paving & Building Products

SUPPORTED BY

Eye on Charity

EASTSIDE AWARDS CELEBRATING THE BEST OF EAST BELFAST The much anticipated Eastside Awards in association with George Best Belfast City Airport, celebrating all that is good about East Belfast, returned after a year’s absence with winners being recognised in 16 sought after categories.

he sense of celebration was almost palpable as sponsors joined with finalists and their guests at the glittering awards ceremony, hosted by television presenter Tara Mills, in Hastings Stormont Hotel. Emotionally charged, the evening climaxed with the announcement that Eileen Kerr of Care Counselling would receive the coveted Outstanding Contribution Award sponsored by East Belfast

Enterprise. Eileen’s counselling service has been vital in East Belfast as she has helped men who faced a difficult upbringing, young people uncertain of the future, women who have lost a baby and cancer nurses stretched to their limit. She has worked with ex-paramilitary men who thought they were sinners beyond forgiveness to clergy who were doubting themselves, members of the LGBTQA+ community, people

who have faced abuse and people who felt they could no longer go on. Eileen has been there for all of them, supporting her clients no matter their background or the shape of their journey. She has laughed with them and cried with them, supporting them to realise their full potential. There was double delight for Pacem as the accountancy firm took the titles of The 2021 Eastside Award for Business Growth

sponsored by Kainos and The 2021 Eastside Award for Employer of the Year sponsored by Fleet Financial. Pacem previously won the title of Eastside Awards Employer of the Year in 2020. There was a double celebration too for LaVeau Hair being named Favourite Hairdresser for the second time, having won the category previously in 2019. Stephen Patton, Human Resources and CR Manager at George Best Belfast City Airport,

Eye on Charity

Arts: The 2021 Eastside Award for Contribution to the Arts sponsored by Phoenix Natural Gas: Ballymac Friendship Trust – Roz Small presented by sponsor Jonathan Martindale and host presenter Tara Mills

said: “This is the sixth year Belfast City Airport has had the pleasure of partnering with the Eastside Awards to celebrate the very best of this fabulous place we call home. “Despite a challenging couple of years, spirit and hope have prevailed within our community and we have witnessed phenomenal efforts by businesses, charities, community groups, and individuals, both old and young, towards making East Belfast a great place to live, work, and play. “The bar was once again raised in terms of the calibre of finalists in this year’s awards and I would like to not only congratulate each and every nominee but sincerely thank them for their invaluable contributions to our community.” Jonathan McAlpin, Chief Executive of East Belfast Enterprise and Chair of Eastside Awards Committee, said: “The Eastside Awards has truly established itself in celebrating all that is good about East Belfast and, in this our sixth year, I’m honoured and humbled in congratulating those who have achieved magnificent success within our community in this past year. Since our last in person awards ceremony just before the pandemic began, to recognising our heroes virtually last year with our film ‘East Belfast Our Story 2020’ and having the joy of meeting again this year to recognise 16 wonderful winners, I am filled with immense pride at how the people of East Belfast are recovering from the impact that COVID-19 has had on our community groups, our businesses, our sports initiatives and our people, both young and old. The 2021 Eastside Awards has been a truly memorable occasion and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate every one of our award winners.” Eastside Awards finalists were treated to a VIP reception courtesy of sponsor Belfast 1912 Gin and entertainment was sponsored by The Urban Villages Initiative.

Beauty: The 2021 Eastside Award for Favourite Beauty Business in East Belfast sponsored by We’resure Insurance Services: Nails by Lauren Ralph presented by sponsor James Johnston and host presenter Tara Mills

The 2021 Eastside Award for Business Start-Up sponsored by Belfast City Council: Nicola Cherry of Refresh Property Solutions Ltd presented by Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast AldermanTom Haire and host presenter Tara Mills

BusinessGrowth: The 2021 Eastside Award for Business Growth sponsored by Kainos: Daniel Glover of Pacem, presented by sponsor Adam Donnelly and host presenter Tara Mills

Community: The 2021 Eastside Award for Community Impact sponsored by Belfast Harbour: Ashfield Girls’ High School – Principal Mrs Louise Hanvey, presented by sponsor Mark Doherty and host presenter Tara Mills

The 2021 Eastside Award for Favourite Eatery (Café/ Restaurant) in East Belfast sponsored by Solv Group: Dock Café, Ronan Mahon and Heather Gibson presented by Lauren McDonald and host presenter Tara Mills

Employer: The 2021 Eastside Award for Employer of the Year sponsored by Fleet Financial: Daniel Glover of Pacem presented by sponsor Damian Campbell and host presenter Tara Mills

Eye on News

West Belfast Centre Named Northern Ireland’s Building of the Year

The Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA) has awarded the Liam McCormick Prize for Northern Ireland’s Building of the Year to Áras Uí Chonghaile, the new James Connolly visitor centre on the Falls Road in Belfast.

he centre, designed for Fáilte Feirste Thiar (Visit West Belfast) by McGurk Architects, joins a list of the finest buildings in Northern Ireland to have won the prize which includes the Lyric Theatre and Giant’s Causeway visitor centre. The project was also awarded the RSUA Integration of Art Award for the portrait of James Connolly on the perforated-metal gable wall, central to the creation of this was Fergal Rainey who was named Project Architect of the Year. Ciarán Fox, Director of RSUA, said: “This year’s overall winner is a brilliant example of building re-use. To help tackle our climate emergency we need to focus in on how our existing buildings can be re-purposed, not just those of great historic value. Demolishing and starting from scratch should be a last resort. This

year’s entries were required to have been in use for at least one year so that the judging panel could better evaluate the sustainability and reallife performance of these projects.” The construction of Áras Uí Chonghaile entailed the adaptation and extension of a Victorian twin end-terrace building, transforming the structure into a museum with learning and exhibition spaces as well as a café, library and office with conference facilities. The judging panel described the building as a “crafted and characterful addition to the local community… and a fine demonstration of what can be achieved through re-use.” Speaking about the win, Colm McGurk, Director of McGurk Architects based in Magherafelt said: “We are delighted that our work on this very special project has been recognised

by the Royal Society of Ulster Architects. It was a privilege to work so closely with our client to create a new landmark building for West Belfast, one which will attract visitors to the area for many years to come.” Not only did an architects practice based in County Londonderry claim the top prize but the four other RSUA Design Award-winning projects were all based in Derry. Located in Bellaghy, House Ballyscullion, designed by McGonigle McGrath has been named Northern Ireland’s House of the Year. Owners, the Graham family, who painstakingly managed the self-build process over a five-year period, also picked up Client of the Year. The judging panel described the project as “a beautiful testament to a client’s commitment and an architect’s skill.” Cited as “a model for rural

dwellings” by the judges, House in the Glebe near Eglinton was praised for its energy efficiency and the sympathetic way it blends in with the local surroundings. This project was designed by Ballymenabased architects Marshall McCann and collected an additional award for Small Project of the Year. The final two RSUA Design Award winners can be found in the heart of Derry City. Consarc Design Group won for its work on the North-West Multi Modal Transport Hub. The project involved the restoration and rejuvenation of the old Waterside Train station on behalf of Translink with the judges saying that the architects had “brought life back to a forgotten piece of Derry’s built heritage.” The project also won the Conservation, Sustainability and Living Places Awards. Finally, the new North Wing of the Altnagelvin Acute Hospital designed by winners HLM Architects and Hall Black Douglas was described by the judges as an “uplifting place for staff to work and it delivers an environment rich in healing potential.” Mr Fox continued, “Our winners and shortlisted projects demonstrate that when clients make an investment in good design the benefits are both tangible and long-lasting. Architects can help deliver buildings which are both functional and beautiful and which enrich the lives of those who use them.” “After two years it is wonderful to once again be able to gather and recognise excellence in the design of Northern Ireland’s built environment. We would like to offer our sincere thanks to our sponsors, without whom in this annual awards scheme would not be able to operate.”

Eye on News

Hughes Insurance To Sponsor Mary Peters Corporate Games Hughes Insurance has been announced as the headline sponsor of the Mary Peters Trust’s inaugural Corporate Games. The exciting new team-building event, which is open to entry from businesses across Northern Ireland, takes place on Friday 24th June at the Mary Peters Track.

orkplaces can enter teams of eight who will have the opportunity to take part in a vibrant mix of activities including competitive sporting events such as the 100m run, Long Jump, Shot Put and 800m Relay race, and informal classic sports day events, ensuring it is a day that all can enjoy. Lady Mary Peters said: “Sport is a powerful mechanic which, can be used to strengthen bonds and grow camaraderie amongst teams, all very important when it comes to teamwork, so we are really excited to introduce this new platform to businesses across Northern Ireland and have the support of Hughes Insurance to do so. I extend my hearty thanks for their continued investment in our work. “2022 marks 50 years since my gold win so the addition of the Corporate Games to the calendar this year is quite significant. My Trust has had the opportunity to reflect on the work we do in helping young athletes to reach their full potential. “I hope businesses will get behind us to support the Corporate Games and have a great day out together at the track.” Paralympian gold medallist Michael McKillop will be offering his advice to entrants on the day and is supporting the Trust to create the event. He said: “I was really pleased to be asked to be an ambassador for the Mary Peters Trust Corporate Games. If I had to offer advice to the entrants, it would be to always work as a team and remember to have fun. “Throughout my career, the support I received from Mary Peters Trust was incredible

Lady Mary Peters and Bethany Carroll, Marketing Executive at Hughes Insurance

and allowed me to advance to the next level, so it’s great to be able to give back.” Mary Peters Trust is the only organisation in Northern Ireland to support young athletes from all recognised sports and the Corporate Games will help fund its activities across 2022. Hughes Insurance has been an avid supporter of the Trust with its bursary programme, which awards the province’s young sporting talent, currently in place for the second year running. Bethany Carroll, Marketing Executive at Hughes Insurance comments: “It’s a great honour for Hughes Insurance to be named as the headline sponsor for the inaugural Mary Peters Trust Corporate Games. In 2022 we renewed our partnership with Mary Peters Trust which through our bursary programme, allows us to support young athletes on their journey and realise their sporting potential. “This new partnership is an ideal platform for us given our ongoing commitment to supporting wellness and our people. Values that were recognised last year when Hughes Insurance was named as one of the Best Workplaces for Wellbeing by Great Place to Work UK.”

Taking place last week in London the UK’s Best Places to Work 2022 Awards saw Hughes Insurance officially recognised as One of the Best Workplaces in the UK. Hughes Insurance, which employs 250 people across the UK ranked 34th amongst 105 medium sized businesses and organisations across the UK. The leading insurance company has now received a ‘Best-in-class external accolade in Northern Ireland, Ireland, Spain and Portugal. In addition to Hughes Insurance, Mary Peter’s Trust is also supported by Alchemy Technology Services who are a podium partner for the upcoming Corporate Games.

To enter a team in the Corporate Games 2022, and for more information visit marypeterstrust.org. For more information on Hughes Insurance, visit hughesinsurance.co.uk.

Eye on Tourism

Tourism On Track To Recover in 2022

John McGrillen Chief Executive Tourism NI

Last month Titanic Belfast celebrated its tenth anniversary with a programme of events including a get together for all of those who played a role in the creation of the attraction which has become the iconic image of the modern, confident and vibrant city that Belfast has become over the past decade.

s a visitor attraction it has exceeded all expectations. Since opening its doors on 31 March 2012 it has welcomed over 6.5 million visitors from 145 countries and helped propel the Northern Ireland tourism industry to become a £1 billion industry in 2019. Over the past decade huge cruise ships

have also become part of the Belfast cityscape and 1st April saw the first of the 130 vessels expected to arrive in the city bringing 340,000 visitors which are expected to come ashore this year and spend millions in local attractions and businesses in 2022. What didn’t make the headlines to the same extent was the return of

international tour operators to our shores for the first time in three years to participate in Tourism NI’s flagship annual business to business event. Meet the Buyer, which is organised by Tourism NI in partnership with Tourism Ireland, saw 145 of the world’s leading tour operators from 16 countries travel the length and breadth of the country over three days to get a taste of fantastic array of experiences which they can offer to customers who are considering a trip to Ireland in 2022 and 2023. Local businesses took part in over 3000 sales appointments with over 140 local tourism attractions, activity providers and hoteliers in ICC Belfast making it the largest ever business to business networking platform held in Northern Ireland. The high attendance was down to the hard work of our local tourism industry, who have shown incredible resilience to survive the Covid pandemic, as well as the efforts of our own team at Tourism NI and our colleagues in Tourism Ireland who have ensured that Northern Ireland remains on tour operators’ itineraries despite being unable to visit us over the past two years. Our international markets are crucial to the recovery and the long term growth of our tourism industry. In 2019 visitors from beyond the island of Ireland spent almost £550m in the local economy supporting over 65,000 jobs across every part of the region. Given that by the summer, air seat capacity to the island of Ireland is expected to be back to 88% of the record levels of 2019 and the interest shown by international tour operators last month, we can be cautiously optimistic that tourism business from overseas will fully recover by 2024. Whilst we rebuild that business from overseas, the market that is closest to home, the Republic of Ireland, offers still further potential for growth. Over the past two years, in the absence of business from overseas, our industry has been dependent upon the staycation market and visitors from the Republic to survive the devastating impact of Covid-19. I am exceptionally proud of the recent success that Tourism NI and our partners have had in securing new business from south of the border. In 2016, of all the short breaks taken by Republic of Ireland

residents here in Ireland, less than 3 in every 100 were taken north of the border. By 2019 that figure had grown to 5 in every 100 and by the Summer of 2021 we saw 1 in 10 ROI residents take a short break or a holiday here. During June-September 2021 data collated by Tourism NI showed spend in hotels, bars, eating places and attractions had increased by one quarter compared to the same period in 2019. More impressively, spend by Republic of Ireland residents more than doubled during that same time period. Tourism NI’s consumer research indicates that approximately half of Republic of Ireland visitors to Northern Ireland during 2021, and the first two months of 2022, were first time visitors. Furthermore online reviews left by Republic of Ireland visitors indicate the majority of tourists from south of the border felt that their trip north met or exceeded their expectations. The same study found that 23% of Republic of Ireland residents were considering taking a short break in Northern Ireland over the next 3-4 months with Easter promising to be a busy period for local tourism providers. These positive indicators would suggest a step change in the level of business coming from the Republic and Tourism NI will continue to work with our local industry to encourage them to invest in their marketing activity in the Republic of Ireland market in the short, medium and longer term. The pandemic has fundamentally altered the travel landscape for the foreseeable future. Consumer concerns about climate change means that sustainable travel is here to stay with many people re-evaluating the impact of their travel choices. Covid has also led to consumers wishing to spend more time with family and friends and developing a greater understanding and appreciation of the attractions and activities on offer close to home. They want to engage with local communities and in activities which impact positively on their mental and physical health wellbeing. In Northern Ireland we have a vast array of ‘giant experiences’ – our culture assets, myths and legends, our cities and rural landscapes and our food and drink - that will continue to attract and inspire visitors from both the Republic of Ireland and further afield over the next decade.

For more information on how Tourism NI can support your business visit: www.tourismni.com

Survive, revive,

Thrive

Is your business in the tourism and hospitality sector? Then the Tourism Enterprise Development (TED) programme is here to support you.

Support and advice The TED programme comprises of a range of workshops and webinars, supported by toolkits, instructional videos, best top tips, tools, tactics and action plans to ensure the future development of your business. Expert mentors are at hand to guide and give meaningful advice at the right time for you at whatever stage your business is at. Tourism NI can also update you on the latest research to enable you to make key business decisions.

Forthcoming events Northern Ireland Tourism Conference - An Innovative and Sustainable Future: Friday 13th May, ICC Belfast To find out more about this and other events, please visit tourismni.com, events & webinars.

To be the first to hear about all the programme’s, news and features, sign up to our mailing list at tourismni.com/ted

Eye on Awards

Lisburn Students Receive Young Enterprise Company Of The Year Award Students from St. Patrick’s Academy, Lisburn, have been named Young Enterprise Northern Ireland Company of the Year 2022.

heir business, 103 Things, published a self-care journal entitled ‘103 Things I Love About Myself’ in response to the postpandemic mental health struggles of their peers. The 17–18-year-old entrepreneurs started their business through the Young Enterprise Company Programme with the support of volunteer business adviser Sarah Ferguson of Sarah Ferguson Consulting. The group competed against almost 80 student companies from across Northern Ireland and will now represent Northern Ireland at the Young Enterprise UK Company Final Awards in June. The glittering return of the Young Enterprise Awards to Belfast City Hall, hosted by Sarah Travers and Pete Snodden, celebrated the charity’s top companies, volunteers and supporters following a two-year absence during the pandemic. Young Enterprise Chief Executive, Carol Fitzsimons MBE said: “It is fitting that after such a challenging time for young people for 103 Things to win this award. The students fully deserved their win, and their book has focused their fans on the positive mental health benefits of journaling. “The Company Programme again has shone light on

103 Things from St. Patrick’s Academy, Lisburn: Overall Company of the Year. 103 Things, published a self-care journal entitled ‘103 Things I Love About Myself’ in response to the post-pandemic mental health struggles of their peers. The 17–18-year-old entrepreneurs started their business through the Young Enterprise Company Programme with the support of volunteer business adviser Sarah Ferguson of Sarah Ferguson Consulting.

the outstanding talent of Northern Ireland’s young entrepreneurs, and we are very proud of all the student companies and their achievements this year. “It is crucial that we develop entrepreneurship skills in our young people and the Company Programme offers them the opportunity to do so with the support of experienced volunteer business advisers with the support of their teachers and peers.” Several additional awards were handed out at the event. Sustainable shopping bag business, The Happy Bag Company from Bloomfield Collegiate, was named

The Happy Bag Company from Bloomfield Collegiate School: Belfast Area Company of the Year. The Happy Bag Company, created sustainable, fashionable shopping bags from upcycled material.

runner up Company of the Year and recognised for outstanding teamwork. The profitability award went to cookbook publishers Easy Peasy from Omagh Academy. Candlemakers from Belfast High School, Spark, were also awarded for their sales and marketing impact. The Young Enterprise Company Programme provided entrepreneurship opportunities to around 800 young people in 2022 and is made possible by the support of Allstate Northern Ireland, EY UK & Ireland, and Ulster University Business School while the charity is principally funded by the Department of Education.

Young Enterprise Chief Executive, Carol Fitzsimons and Chairman Tim Brundle with Business Eye’s Richard and Brenda Buckley.

Eye on Awards

Safe & Sound from Banbridge Academy: Southern Area Company of the Year. Safe & Sound, created a range a personal safety items including a drink cover that protects against spiking, personal alarms and door stops.

Tidal Trinkets from Glenlola Collegiate School: South East Area Company of the Year. Tidal Trinkets, created a range of jewellery and gifts that utilise discarded seas glass from local beaches.

Safe Sippin’ from Thornhill College: North West Area Company of the Year. Safe Sippin’, tackled the issue of drink-spiking by manufacturing a portable drink cover that doubles as a hair tie.

Safe & Sound from Banbridge Academy: Southern Area Company of the Year. Be Mindful, created a clothing range that promotes good mental health through the group’s own unique drawings and slogans.

Spark from Belfast High School: North East Area Company of the Year. Spark, created sustainably manufactured candles with a range of scents and was also awarded sales and marketing impact.

Easy Peasy from Omagh Academy: South West Area Company of the Year. Easy Peasy, published a cook book that encourages young people to get into making their own meals from fresh ingredients, and was given the profitability award on the night.

Eye on Charity

Merchant’s Fashion Teas Raise £29k For Ukraine Appeal With a host of familiar faces strutting their stuff down the catwalk, The Merchant Hotel raised a whopping £29k for the DEC Ukraine Appeal as it saw the return of its everpopular Fabulous Fashion Teas on Saturday 9 April as a very special, one-off event.

ith entire proceeds donated to DEC Ukraine Appeal, guests were entertained by a line-up of famous faces, sports stars and models showcasing the latest ladies and gents’ fashion, generously provided and styled by Blush Boutique and The Style Gallery. From BT9’s best-known resident,

Paddy Raff’s alter ego ‘Nigel’ to UTV legend, Julian Simmons, other famous faces included Bloodlands’ Actors James Nesbitt and Chris Walley, Chef Michael Deane, Q Radio’s Ibe Sesay, Radio 1 DJ Gemma Bradley, Antrim Hurling star Neil McManus, TV chef Suzie Lee, model Nuala Meenehan, Broadcaster Claire McCollum, Beannchor MD Bill

Wolsey and former Miss NI’s, Gemma Garrett and Fiona Hurley. Hosted by Petra Wolsey, Eximo’s Andi Jarvis and supported by Style Academy Model Agency’s Director Tracey Rodgers, the Fashion Teas was a wonderful afternoon for all those who attended. Guests enjoyed Moët et Chandon champagne and mouth-watering

Ukrainian coloured blueberry and lemon macarons by Head Pastry Chef Sarah Jade Jameson during an exciting auction and ballot, which saw bids as high as £9k and gave guests the chance to go home with some truly amazing, money can’t buy prizes that were kindly donated by a number of generous sponsors.

Eye on Charity

James Nesbitt walking the catwalk at The Merchant’s Fabulous Fashion Teas for Ukraine.

Nuala Meenehan walking the catwalk at The Merchant’s Fabulous Fashion Teas for Ukraine.

Gemma Garrett walking the catwalk at The Merchant’s Fabulous Fashion Teas for Ukraine.

Petra Wolsey, Group Marketing Director of The Beannchor Group said: “Around three million people have had to flee their homes, leaving behind loved ones, jobs and belongings and now face an uncertain future because of the conflict in Ukraine. “The Beannchor Group and our dedicated team at The Merchant felt a sense of responsibility to do everything we could to raise awareness and funds for this important appeal and we are delighted that this Fabulous Fashion Tea was a sell-out event, raising an impressive £29k for those in need.” Spoilt for choice, guests had the chance to get their hands on a luxurious overnight stay for two in the five star Merchant Hotel including dinner in Berts Jazz Bar and his and hers vouchers for glam outfits

Gemma Bradley & Paddy Raff as ‘Nigel’ at The Merchant’s Fabulous Fashion Teas for Ukraine.

courtesy of Blush and The Style Gallery; also up for grabs was a five day holiday at the luxurious Mas Des Agasses in Provence, dinner for six in Michelin starred restaurant Eipic, a limited edition framed print from Carrie Neely’s Myrtle and Mary range - Belfast gal ‘Millie’ accompanying a professional studio photoshoot with Collette Creative and styled hair from Stephen McCusker and makeup from The Makeup Pro Store kindly donated to the auction. Alongside the high-end auction, the event also included a ballot with prizes donated by Bullitt Hotel, Touched Wood, The Barista Bar and James Black Restorations. Ensuring as much money could be raised as possible, Beannchor also donated an additional £1 to the DEC Ukraine Appeal for every Instagram story shared at the event.

Eye on Charity

In Good Company – Action Cancer and its4women

Its4women Marketing Manager Kerry Beckett; Action Cancer’s Public Fundraising Manager Leigh Osborne and Action Cancer Breast Friends Ambassador Coirle Butler.

Local online car insurance company its4women has announced the renewal of its partnership with Action Cancer for a further three years.

ction Cancer’s ‘Breast Friends’ campaign was launched in 2019, sponsored by its4women. The campaign encourages members of the public to fundraise for Action Cancer’s life-saving breast screening service for

women aged 40-49 and 70 plus. The funds are raised by groups of ‘Breast Friends’ getting together and enjoying a social gathering. Its4women pledged to match all ‘Breast Friends’ fundraising up to the value of £30,000 per year, totalling a financial commitment of £90,000 from 2019 to 2021. Even though the pandemic greatly affected the ability of the general public to fundraise, its4women generously stood by their pledge and donated the maximum £90,000. In total, the campaign has raised £143,245 to date.

Speaking about the partnership, its4women Marketing Manager Kerry Beckett, said: “We are delighted to announce the continuation of our partnership with Action Cancer for the next three years. The £90,000 provided by its4women, in addition to the incredible public fundraising efforts, has enabled Action Cancer to screen 1,440 women for breast cancer. Its4women is making a real difference to women in communities across Northern Ireland. “From a business perspective, the ‘Breast Friends’ campaign has provided its4women with the

opportunity to align with Northern Ireland’s best loved local charity. We are looking forward to the next phase of the fundraising campaign which has already been recognised as an exemplar in the charity sector. A shared ethos of female empowerment, combined with the fact that ‘Breast Friends’ provides women in Northern Ireland with a potentially life-saving breast screening appointment, made it an easy decision to do it all over again. “Knowing the generosity of the Northern Ireland public, I am confident they will join us in raising

Eye on Charity

Winner of the “Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility” Award at the Causeway Business Awards, Gary Thompson from Riada Resourcing congratulates Kerry Beckett from MCL InsureTech and Leigh Osborne from Action Cancer.

“I can honestly say that Action Cancer saved my life. My breast cancer was detected at the age of 42, at an early and treatable stage. After undergoing surgery, I am now cancer free.” ACTION CANCER ‘BREAST FRIENDS’ AMBASSADOR, COIRLE BUTLER

these vital funds for Action Cancer. Its4women will match all ‘Breast Friends’ fundraising until 2025 to a total value of £90,000. This means that, together, we have the ability to raise £180,000 which will deliver a further 1,500 breast screenings for local women.” The ‘Breast Friends’ campaign has received recognition at award ceremonies, recognising and rewarding fundraising excellence and best practice. Recent accolades include ‘Winner of Excellence in Corporate Social Responsibility’ at the 2021 Causeway Business Awards; ‘Winner of Best Corporate Marketing Campaign’ at the 2022 Northern Ireland Women in Business Awards and Finalist in the CSR Category at the 2021 Business Eye Awards. With over 400 participants in community

fundraising activity, the team at Action Cancer has succeeded in increasing brand awareness amongst key target audiences. Action Cancer’s Public Fundraising Manager, Leigh Osborne, added: “The funding from its4women was pivotal in enabling Action Cancer to stay open and operational throughout most of the pandemic. Our cancer prevention, detection and support services continued for those who needed them most, and so did fundraising, where possible. Prior to the Covid-19 restrictions, ‘Breast Friends’ fundraising was generated by coffee mornings, fashion shows and themed evenings that appealed to women’s interests. “These in-person events were not possible for so long which is why I am thrilled that its4women has renewed its pledge to match

a further £90,000 over the next three years. I look forward to a full term supporting the general public in organising these types of events that we have missed so much. As we approach the summer months and embrace longer evenings, I would like to encourage members of the public to host a ‘Breast Friends BBQ’ and raise vital funds for Action Cancer.” Action Cancer ‘Breast Friends’ Ambassador, Coirle Butler (54), is married to Nick and is a mum to twin boys Patrick and Rory aged 25. Coirle is an active fundraiser and explains how Action Cancer impacted her life: “I can honestly say that Action Cancer saved my life. My breast cancer was detected at the age of 42, at an early and treatable stage. After undergoing surgery, I am now cancer free. “I would like to encourage other women to avail of this amazing service. I, along with my sister Ciara, have together raised over £4,000 over the last two years for Breast Friends. With the match funding provided by its4women, this equalled over £8,000 for the charity”. Action Cancer’s breast screening service is unique in Northern Ireland and is available to women aged

40-49 and over 70 — those who fall outside the NHS screening age range (50 – 70). Action Cancer aims to screen 8,000 women a year for breast cancer. The service is always free to the user. However, each appointment costs the charity £120. With no regular government funding, Action Cancer is reliant upon community and corporate fundraising in order to deliver this life-saving service which is available at Action Cancer House in Belfast, and on board the Big Bus mobile screening unit, which travels to over 200 locations each year. Action Cancer’s ‘In Good Company’ series seeks to highlight the strength and range of current fundraising partnerships.

To find out how you could get involved in the ‘Breast Friends’ Fundraising campaign, please contact Leigh Osborne, Community and Public Fundraising Manager on 028 9080 3347 or email losborne@actioncancer.org

Eye on Sustainability

Transforming livestock manure and silage into biomethane could reduce NI’s carbon footprint.

Left to right: Chris Johnston (AFBI), Iain Hoy (Phoenix Natural Gas), Aine Anderson (AFBI/Queen’s University Belfast PhD student), Thomas Cromie (AgriAD), Dr Neha Mehta (Queen’s University Belfast), Dr James Young (Enerchem), Professor David Rooney (Queen’s University Belfast) and Martin Doherty (CASE).

Turning livestock manure and grass silage into biomethane could help to meet demand for energy as well as significantly reducing Northern Ireland’s carbon footprint, researchers at Queen’s University Belfast have found.

he study, which was led by experts at Queen’s University and AFBI and supported by The Centre for Advanced Sustainable Energy and industry partners Phoenix Natural Gas, Agri-AD and Enerchem, included spatial mapping and life cycle assessment to evaluate the potential of biomethane for the decarbonisation of the gas grid. One of the key findings was that Northern Ireland has

significantly greater volumes of the renewable gas available than previously thought. In total, there is estimated to be over 6000 GWh worth, which is more than 80 per cent of Northern Ireland’s Gas Distribution Network demand. The researchers also found that using biomethane produced through anaerobic digestion of livestock manure and under utilised grass silage could lead to a

significant greenhouse gas emission reduction of c.845,000 tonnes of CO2 in Northern Ireland. This is around the same amount of carbon dioxide that would be released in driving a family diesel car around the globe 170,000 times. The findings, revealed during a launch event at the Stormont Hotel in Belfast, were supported by The Centre for Advanced Sustainable Energy (CASE), which is funded through Invest Northern Ireland’s Competence Centre Programme. Professor David Rooney, Dean of Internationalisation and Reputation at Queen’s University Belfast, revealed the key findings at the event. He comments: “Tackling issues of climate change and rising fuel costs has led to an

increased interest in regionally generated renewable gas and decarbonising gas use has never been more important. “At Queen’s, this is something we have been working on for many years and our latest study highlights the unique opportunity we have in Northern Ireland. We are a country that has high agricultural intensity and there is huge scope to work closely with the sector to capture problematic emissions and redirect them to where they have greater value to the regional economy. “We have shown that not only could 80 per cent of the current gas demand be displaced, but that the approach would also help to deal with other problematic emissions which impact water quality. Future work will more closely examine the costs as well as economic and environmental value.” Iain Hoy, Energy Transition Manager at Phoenix Natural Gas outlined the opportunities this amount of biomethane opens up. “6000 GWh of biomethane is a vast source of renewable energy with the potential to heat over half-a-million homes every year. “Investing in the production of this indigenous energy source and injecting it into the gas network supports the decarbonisation of our homes and businesses, protects the biodiversity of our rural landscape and will create significant numbers of new jobs throughout the rural economy - supporting the Executive’s target of doubling the renewable energy economy by 2030. “Biomethane’s ability to offer multiple benefits to many different sectors makes it extremely valuable and alongside Hydrogen it will perform a critical role in the NI Gas Network’s Pathway to Net-Zero.”

Eye on Sustainability

Businesses Leaders To Come Together In First All Ireland Sustainability Summit In Belfast Business leaders and officials from across the Island of Ireland will be gathering at The ICC Belfast, venue partner, on the 9th of June 2022 for the first All-Ireland Sustainability Summit, where attendees will have an opportunity to put sustainability firmly on their radar for 2022 and beyond. L-R: Gordon Boyd - G.B. Associates, Event Organiser, Jacqueline Gibson - International Synergies NI, Headline Sponsor, Iain Bell - ICC Belfast Venue Sponsor, Danielle McCormick - Triterra - Event Organiser, Amy O’Hare - Triterra, Judy McElroy - NIE Networks - Event Sponsor

he event, organised by Danielle McCormick, Triterra, and Gordon Boyd, G.B. Associates, is sponsored by International Synergies NI and supported by NIE Networks, with the aim of raising the profile of the wider sustainability agenda and helping companies create positive change within their own organisations. Danielle McCormick, Owner and Lead Consultant at sustainability consultancy, Triterra, comments “There has been a huge shift in businesses adopting more sustainable practices over the past couple of years and feel that this has really come in to play across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in more recent months.” She continued “Research from HSBC has revealed that 78% of UK businesses expect sales to grow over the next year as a result of an increased focus on sustainability, with the main reasons cited including improving operational efficiency (26%), meet regulatory requirements (26%) and to gain a reputational

advantage (24%). In organising this event we were keen to help businesses transition towards a more sustainable and profitable business model that could also see benefits for the environment, the wider economy and society as a whole.” Lead Sponsor spokesperson, Jacqueline Gibson from International Synergies NI comments “We are delighted to come onboard for this event as resource efficiency is at the very core of our business delivery. We want to enable organisations to move towards more sustainable business models that stand the test of time, ensuring that increased profit, and positive impacts for people and the planet are met in equal measure.” Julia Corkey, Chief Executive of ICC Belfast, the venue sponsor, adds “We are seeing more and more of our Association and Corporate clients beginning to embrace the green agenda, and keen to introduce sustainability measures into their events and conferences. We have also committed to a Green Tourism journey, having achieved our green

meetings accolade in January this year. We are proud to partner with Danielle and Gordon to deliver such a valuable, and inspirational event for stakeholders across the region as sustainability continues to be a priority for businesses.” Judy McElroy, Sustainability & Environment Manager at NIE Networks, continued by stating “At NIE Networks we are committed to delivering a sustainable energy system for all by leading the transition to a low carbon future in Northern Ireland. We are committed to working towards decarbonising the electricity sector while also reducing the carbon footprint of our operations. We are embracing our own sustainability journey, so that we can effect positive change for our customers, employees and our environment. We are delighted to support the summit and help lead the way in creating positive change within the sustainability space.” The All-Ireland Sustainability Summit has something to offer all sectors through its lively mix of presentations,

panel discussions, case studies and networking opportunities, and promises a fantastic line up of speakers and industry experts from across Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and beyond, with an event that is designed to take attendees on a journey from the ‘what’, to the ‘how’ within their business. Gordon Boyd, G.B Associates, ends by saying “There are a huge range of benefits to be had for organisations who choose to integrate sustainability into their business models, and with future legislation changes, increasing operational costs and changing customer demands, we fully expect sustainability to become an essential element to the future of business.” Tickets are available at a cost of £70 per person via: www.allirelandsustainability. com, and a limited number of opportunities also remain available for those keen to participate or exhibit. For further information contact Danielle via Danielle@Triterra.co.uk.

Eye on News

Woodgate Aviation to expand approved training into Republic of Ireland and EU

Woodgate Aviation (NI) Ltd, the aircraft charter and general aviation maintenance company, has its sights set on expanding its Approved Training Organisation (ATO) into the Republic of Ireland, EU countries and the UK.

he company, which has its main base at Belfast International Airport, secured coveted ATO status from the UK Civil Aviation Authority five years ago and has since added several highly prized approvals for a range of aircraft. Approvals include rating on the King Air type and aircraft manufactured by British aviation company, Britten-Norman. Woodgate Aviation can also provide instructor and examiner training alongside approved seminars for flight instructors and examiners.

The expanded, fully accredited ATO status opens the way for a significant boost in business in a highly specialised end of the aviation market. Woodgate Aviation’s Head of Training, Captain Simon Atkins (40), said that from an initial desire to become selfsufficient in training its own pilots, the company is now going out to the aviation sector nationally and internationally with a simple message: ‘we’re here and you can use us.’

Woodgate Aviation’s Head of Training, Captain Simon Atkins, beside the Northern Ireland Air Ambulance at the company’s purpose-built hangar.

Captain Atkins said: “We’re ready to cast our net much wider. ATO recognition expands the range of aviation services we can offer. We are able to meet a small but important niche in the industry where potentially there’s high demand. “We saw that gap in the market and we’ve got the formal approvals to fully exploit it. As well as being a CAA Approved Training Organisation, we will also be able to provide EU Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) Examiner and Refresher training. “Once word gets out there, and we begin to win business, it may form a major part of the income stream for Woodgate Aviation and the development of the company. Our fixed wing air ambulance, aircraft charter provision and general aviation

maintenance services will continue to be the largest elements of the company, but approved training programmes offer great potential. “The EU is not that far away. It’s only a few miles down the road in the Republic of Ireland and the company is hoping that with the EU EASA Approvals that we’re getting, we’ll be able to tap into that market. “Ireland is the first priority within the EU. As soon as we’re able to provide the Seminar aspect of the training, we believe that a significant proportion of our ATO business will come from the island of Ireland in its entirety.”

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For when business success needs admin support

Eye Moving On 1 Keith Dunn has been appointed as an associate in the commercial department at A&L Goodbody’s Belfast office, specialising in commercial contracts, intellectual property and data protection. He has extensive commercial experience having previously worked in-house for several multinational companies. Keith is also a certified data privacy practitioner.

1. Keith Dunn

2. Ian Stewart

3. Lucy Marshall

2 Ian Stewart has been appointed as Quality Engineer with Newry based testing company, Resonate Testing. Bringing extensive experience in quality management and testing and validation to the role, Ian will be responsible for ensuring quality standards are maintained and developed within the company. He also played an instrumental role in the company’s recent achievement of the ISTA Certification for packaging testing. Ian’s previous experience includes roles at Schrader Electronics/Sensata Techologies and Lucas Stability Electronics. 3 Lucy Marshall has joined Workplus as Community Manager. Lucy will be working alongside Workplus’ member companies as well as growing the apprentice community in Northern Ireland. She will also be working with Workplus partners including schools, colleges and government organisations to promote Workplus in a wider context and grow the apprenticeship culture.

4. Jackie Elliott

5. John O’Connell

7. Conor Murphy

8. Andrew McKibbin

6. Daniel McClintock

4 Jackie Elliott has been appointed as Commercial Director for AbbeyAutoline, Northern Ireland’s largest Insurance Broker. Having worked in the Insurance industry since early 2000’s, Jackie has held various management positions throughout her career. 5 Also at Abbey Autoline, John O’Connell becomes Commercial Account Executive. With over 15 years of experience in the insurance broking environment, both within corporate and family owned brokers, John will bring a wealth of market knowledge and understanding of all aspects of general insurance to the growing team. His focus will be on ROI. 6 Daniel McClintock and Conor Murphy 7 also become Commercial Account Executives. Specialising in Fleet Insurance and Commercial Combined Insurance, Daniel will work closely with clientele across the Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry~Londonderry areas. Within his role at AbbeyAutoline, Conor will continue to grow his expertise in Commercial Insurance, as well as Cyber Cover and will be a valued member of AbbeyAutoline. 8 Deloitte Digital has appointed Andrew McKibbin as a new Partner in its Belfast office. In his role, Andrew will lead on delivering digital transformation in Deloitte’s Government & Public Services team and will continue to build the Deloitte Digital brand. Prior to joining the Deloitte team, Andrew spent nine years working for software company Kainos, delivering large-scale agile transformation programmes across Government.

For when business success needs admin support

Eye Moving On 9 Eversheds Sutherland has appointed Deborah Archer as Banking and Finance Partner in its Belfast office. Deborah brings over 20 years’ experience advising local and international financial institutions, industrial and provident societies, and corporate entities and individuals across various sectors, on all aspects of borrowing and lending. Deborah is dual qualified and can practice in Northern Ireland and England and Wales. Deborah has previous experience in a number of local law firms including Tughans, Cleaver Fulton Rankin, and MKB Law, and comes to Eversheds Sutherland from PwC.

9. Deborah Archer

10. Clare McCann

11. Susan Hill

Waterman House Cookery School, Niall McKenna’s newest food experience in Belfast, 10 has appointed Clare McCann as cookery school manager, following its relocation from James Street South. Clare, who brings more than 15 years of senior management experience to the role, will be responsible for the customer experience and day to day operational, technology and stakeholder liaison. Fast-growing Outsource Group has appointed one of the leading HR professionals in Northern Ireland’s tech sector to help it immediately recruit 30 new people and ultimately double its workforce. 11 Susan Hill becomes the IT company’s head of people and culture following roles with Decision Time and Novosco, where she worked for 13 years. During her tenure with Novosco she played key roles in helping the workforce grow from 35 to 300 people.

12. Ellen Dickson

13 David Armstrong

14. Stuart Anderson

12 Telefónica Tech UK&I has appointed Ellen Dickson to the role of Strategic Director of Health. In her new role, Ellen will concentrate on key health clients, developing long term strategies to deliver enterprise services in Telefónica Tech UK&I’s Cloud, Security and Managed Services practices. A key part of the role will be to continue the development of the Strategic Health Practice. 13 David Armstrong has been appointed CEO at leading IT and telecoms provider b4b Group. David has extensive experience within the ICT and telecoms sectors, most recently as Managing Director of Fibrus ISP.

15. Grant Robinson

16. Simon West

14 Stuart Anderson has been appointed as Head of Public Affairs at Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber). A qualified lawyer in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, Stuart worked in leading commercial law firms in Belfast and Dublin for over 10 years. Now an experienced expert on business policy and public affairs, he is also the current Convenor of the Northern Ireland Business Brexit Working Group. 15 Grant Robinson has joined Millar McCall Wylie as a Senior Solicitor. Specialising in Commercial and Residential property, Grant will drive continued growth in this area. Graduating with a law degree from Queens University Belfast and almost 2 years’ experience in Real Estate, Grant spent several years in a suburban practice as a paralegal before deciding to focus on Residential property. 16 Simon West has been appointed to the position of Production Manager at Kilwaughter Minerals. Simon will utilise his wide-ranging experience gained throughout 25 years in industry to produce exceptional results and promote a culture of continuous improvement within the business whilst ensuring that health and safety is of paramount importance.

Eye on News

NI Small Business Conference 2022 Launched

Newry Chamber have launched their annual NI Small Business Conference. The event, which has been online only for the last two years, will take place in person this year on Thursday 9th June 2022 from 8:30am to 4pm in the Canal Court Hotel & Spa, Newry. It will include keynote speakers, case studies and a larger exhibition space.

he event is supported by principal sponsors, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and supporting sponsors, Federation of Small Businesses NI and Southern Regional College. It is open to organisations from across Northern Ireland, not just the Greater Newry Area. The conference will include expert speakers from specialist organisations and local employers who have continued to grow. There will be six workshops covering: • Accessing Finance for Growth • Sales & Digital Marketing • Recruiting & Retaining Talent • Future of the High Streets • Sustainability & Dealing with Surging Energy Costs • Focus on Start Ups

Keynote speakers include: • Simon Hamilton, CEO of Belfast Chamber of Commerce • Glyn Roberts, CEO of Retail NI Tony McKeown, CEO of Newry Chamber said: “We have been engaging with our members over the last number of months to better understand what the current challenges they face and opportunities they see. This conference is all about connecting our small business community with each other and with organisations that can support them.” “Our conference programme covers the main areas we hear about when talking to businesses. We have inspirational case studies from many small businesses that have not only grown but thrived during the pandemic. Some hot topics include accessing finance for growth, the

L-R: Margaret McNamee, Business Development Executive at Southern Regional College, Brendan Kearney, Regional Chair of FSB in NI, Cllr Oonagh Magennis, Deputy Chairperson of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council and Tony McKeown, CEO of Newry Chamber help to launch the NI Small Business Conference.

emerging gig economy to address the skills gap, growing sales online and across export markets, the desire to shop local and support our high streets, being proactive about net zero and how to deal with the surge in energy costs.” “We are extremely grateful to our sponsors Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, FSB NI and SRC. Without their support we could not run this, not to be missed, conference.” Oonagh Magennis, Deputy Chairperson of Newry, Mourne and Down District Council said: “We are delighted to support Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade with this important initiative. As a Council, one of our key objectives is to support the development and growth of our businesses. This conference offers a vital opportunity for businesses to learn of the range of business supports on offer right across our District. The Council’s own businesses support programmes will be promoted at this event and I encourage local companies to contact the Council to find out more on the support available.” Brendan Kearney, Regional Chair of FSB in NI said: “The business community have shown remarkable resilience over the

last two years. For many it was about survival. However, we are now looking to a better future. The FSB are here to help and this conference is a fantastic way to come together and discuss how we can work together to create a better economy for all. In Northern Ireland, we know that the economy is driven by small and medium enterprises. So please get involved and see what help is available.” Tracy Rice, Head of Business Engagement at SRC commented: “SRC are delighted to be sponsoring this important conference and work with Newry Chamber and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council to support local businesses. We are thrilled to see small businesses in the Greater Newry Area taking such a proactive approach. We work with many local firms and feedback from employers is that initiatives like higher level apprenticeships and upskilling current workforce is making a positive difference to their bottom lines.” The conference is FREE to attend for Newry Chamber and FSB NI Members and £35.00 + Booking Fee for Non-Members. Breakfast and Lunch will be provided on the day. You can book your place at www. newrychamber.com

Eye on News

Carson McDowell Appoints Four New Partners

Belfast law firm Carson McDowell has continued its recent expansion with the appointment of four new partners in Belfast and Dublin.

arson McDowell is Northern Ireland’s largest independent law firm, with 120 solicitors and more leading individuals and top ranked practice areas than any other local firm in respected industry guides Chambers UK and the Legal 500. The firm announced today that it has expanded its senior team to 32 partners with the appointment of Hilary Griffith as a corporate partner, Richard Dickson as a partner in its real estate division, Damian McElholm as a partner in its banking & finance team and Kathleen Byrne as a partner in its healthcare team, based in the firm’s Dublin Office. Carson McDowell achieved the ‘Band one’ rating in 21 out of 25 practice areas

Carson McDowell partners (L-R) Richard Dickson, Hilary Griffith, Neasa Quigley, Roger McMillan, Kathleen Byrne and Damian McElholm.

ranked in the 2022 Chambers guide and had 13 partners given the top accolade on an individual basis, more than any other Northern Irish law firm. It also had 11 practice areas ranked as tier 1 in the 2022 edition of the Legal 500 guide, also higher than any other local firm. As it announced the continued growth of its team in Belfast, the firm also confirmed that it plans to further expand its office in Dublin and will shortly move to new premises in order to accommodate this growth. Carson McDowell’s Managing Partner Roger McMillan said: “I’m delighted to welcome four new partners to the firm who add significant experience and expertise to a market leading team that remains as focused as ever on delivering for our clients and helping them to take advantage of opportunities for growth. “As well as continued growth in Northern Ireland it is fantastic to

see the further expansion of Carson McDowell’s specialist healthcare team in Dublin, where there continues to be significant demand for our services.” Neasa Quigley, Senior Partner at Carson McDowell, added: “The growth of the firm remains closely aligned to the growth of our clients and at the moment it is a very active market. We are fortunate to represent a large number of commercially sophisticated local businesses, high-profile international clients and prestigious organisations in education and the public sector. “As an employer of 200 people the wellbeing of our colleagues is of utmost importance and striving to make this a great place to work is a major focus for us. Carson McDowell has a strong track record of attracting and developing the best talent and retaining that talent is key as we look to the future.”

Eye on Charity

Ellen Finlay - Leading From The Front For Samaritans In Northern Ireland Ellen Finlay is Policy and Development Manager for Samaritans. She leads on the development and implementation of Samaritans Ireland strategic policy and influencing objectives in Northern Ireland, including identifying and pursuing new statutory funding opportunities and partnerships.

llen has over 20 years’ experience in the community and voluntary sector. She has delivered project management, group facilitation, community consultation and research. A social scientist by training, Ellen’s professional interests encompass social inclusion and methodologies for effective community consultation and engagement. Ellen has worked at the cutting edge of government policy consultation first within the Women’s Sector, and more recently as Policy Officer at Children in Northern Ireland. During this time

of work, she has championed issues surrounding women’s lack of engagement in policy, child poverty and holiday hunger, early years investment and mental health. Notable achievements for Ellen was obtaining Royal Ascent for the Children’s Services Co-operation Act which was a piece of legislation to compel government departments to work together to improve outcomes for children and young people. Ellen was also instrumental in convincing the Department for Education Minister to make direct payments to those on free school meals during the Covid-19 crises.

This was coupled with securing over £400,000 in funding from the National Lottery to address holiday hunger through a programme she helped develop called the Get’s Active project designed to address food poverty through good nutrition which is vital for the development of children and young people alongside a learning and development programme coupled with a physical/recreational/ fun element to build children’s confidence, engagement with peers and improve physical and emotional health and well-being. As Deputy Chair (VCS Pane) of the Joint Forum Ellen worked with colleagues to develop and lead an effective working relationship between Government and the Voluntary and Community Sector in Northern Ireland and in particular to address the bureaucracy experienced by VCS organisations. As a board member of the Northern Ireland Food Advisory Committee, she provides insight and advice on Northern Ireland specific issues, advises on the development of policy and legislation undertaken by the Food Standards Agency, and helps to establish priorities taking account of consumer concerns. As Policy & Development Manager at Samaritans in Northern Ireland, Ellen has been advocating policy change to help reduce suicide in Northern Ireland. Today suicide is a major public health concern for Northern Ireland. Ellen believes that realising the Samaritan’s vision of fewer people die by suicide

that working in partnership and collaboration is key. In the run-up to the Assembly Elections, Ellen – in partnership with Start360, held a hustings event to raise these issues with political candidates. She also provided a policy priorities document listening 3 key asks in the area of Prevention, Early Intervention and Reduction. Priority 1. Prevention Sufficient funding to allow Samaritans to continue to roll out and train those in public facing roles on their best practice media and memorial guidelines. Priority 2. Early Intervention All medical and care staff to be trained in suicide prevention, so they can spot the signs of mental ill health and potential suicidal feelings. Priority 3. Reduction Samaritans are urgently demanding that a new offence be created: ‘Encouraging or assisting serious self-harm with clearly malicious intent’. Ellen will be working with all newly elected MLAs and in partnership with other organisations to realise these policy priorities. In her spare time, Ellen loves gardening especially growing her own vegetables. She took this past time up during the first lockdown in 2020 and hasn’t looked back, now turning half her garden space into a kitchen garden!

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Eye on Motoring

Motoring with James Stinson

Off-road master As the name suggests, the Subaru Forester is a rugged, go anywhere kind of car, writes James Stinson.

e have a soft spot for Subaru in these parts, thanks largely to the rally successes the likes of Colin McRae and Bertie Fisher and their Imprezas back in the 90s. But despite those successes Subaru has never made it into the mainstream, perhaps deliberately so. It remains a niche car maker with only a handful of models, with this Forester SUV among the better known. Subaru does still enjoy something of a cult following

though for very different reasons. Subaru owners have a connection with their cars that few others do. They like the old school Japanese feel, safety credentials and bullet proof reliability. They love the rugged and genuinely brilliant off-road capabilities. They likely hold on to their cars for longer and are probably more likely to buy another one. But what about the rest of us, is there something in this latest Forester to tempt us? In the flesh, it looks the part. It’s a big, chunky, no nonsense SUV. In a bid to increase efficiency, the latest version has been hybridified with the addition of a small battery and electric motor. For a short time only and at very low speeds, the Forester will move on battery power alone but

“There’s also blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and lane-change assist as standard, plus reverse automatic braking. It may be genuinely hard to have an accident in the Forester.” 78

the electric motor is mostly used to augment the petrol engine. Combined, these deliver some 148bhp and 196Nm of torque. The 0-62mph time of 11.8 seconds is adequate rather than stellar while mpg in the mid thirties is nothing to write home about. Some of this is no doubt because of the four-wheel drive, which unlike systems employed in rivals is a full-time configuration. There’s a generous 22cm of ground clearance and handy features like Hill Descent Control as well as a number of driving modes, including “Snow/Dirt” and “Deep snow/Mud”. Take the Forester off-road and it will be in its element – from muddy fields to greasy tracks… few will be as assured as the big Subaru. Elsewhere the Subaru does feel like a Japanese car of old… and in a good way. There’s a reassuring thud to the way the doors close and a softness to the controls. It feels like it’ll never break. There’s a raft of safety features too. Subaru’s EyeSight safety system is fitted as standard – it uses a series of cameras mounted

in the windscreen that are used to scan the road for hazards and can use automatic emergency braking to avoid collisions with cars, pedestrians and cyclists. It also incorporates adaptive cruise control, pre-collision throttle management and lane keep/departure assistance. There’s also blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and lanechange assist as standard, plus reverse automatic braking. It may be genuinely hard to have an accident in the Forester. The ride is on the softish side while the steering is light and nimble. There’s acres of room around the cabin and a near 1,800 litre boot with a 1.98 metre long loading area when the seats are down. Towing capacity, at some 1,870kgs, is impressive too. The latest model has moved the Forester on a good deal but it is operating in an incredibly competitive market. Prices start from £36,410 which will get you a generously specced Toyota RAV4 or Mazda CX-5. Both are better cars overall, but If it’s a proper mud plugging workhorse you’re after, the Forester hits the mark.

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Eye on Motoring

Motoring with James Stinson

Suzuki’s tale of two hybrids

The path to electric motoring is a giant leap for some and lots of tiny little steps for others.

uzuki isn’t planning to launch its first all-electric car until 2025 but has been eagerly working away introducing hybrid versions across its range in recent years. The latest to get the hybrid treatment is the popular Vitara SUV. There was already a ‘Mild Hybrid’ in the range but Suzuki has just launched this meatier ‘Full Hybrid’ version, with a

larger electric motor, that promises better economy and lower emissions. The Suzuki Vitara Full Hybrid comes in just two trim levels: SZ-T and SZ-5, with the latter one of the few compact SUVs too also come with the option of four-wheel drive. Under the bonnet is a 1.5 litre normally aspirated petrol engine which is aided by a 24 kW electric motor and

REVISED T T-ROC

140V battery. Together they produce some 115bhp, which is capable of moving the Vitara from a standing start to 62mph in 12.7 seconds. In two-wheel drive form the latest Vitara will deliver a claimed 53mpg, which is in the ballpark for a car of this size. You might be able to eek out more by using the Eco drive mode though this comes at the expense of performance. There are more refined cars out there but the Vitara is well engineered and feels sturdy and reliable, and it does provide good value for money.

he Volkswagen T-Roc compact crossover has been given a mid-life makeover, with a sharp new look, more luxurious interior and new cabin tech. At the front, there’s a revised grille and a new LED strip running through its full width from one headlight to the other. The bumpers front and rear have been reprofiled, while at the back there’s revised tail lights and scrolling indicators. Particular attention has been paid to the model’s interior, which benefits from both a redesigned dashboard and higher-grade materials. There’s a new eight-inch touchscreen while cushioned materials have replaced the hard plastics on the dashboard. The T-Roc is available in three specifications – entry-level Life, comfort-focused Style, and sportily-styled R-Line. Life, from £25,000 gets LED headlights; an 8.0-inch Digital Cockpit; wireless App Connect; a suite of driver assistance systems including Lane Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control and Front Assist; and 16-inch ‘Chester’ alloy wheels, black

The entry level SZ-T model includes, among other things, LED headlamps, Traffic Sign Recognition, Blind Spot Monitor, Adaptive Cruise Control, keyless entry and start, 17-inch silver painted alloy wheels, rear privacy glass, Smartphone link audio and navigation system. Moving up to SZ5 adds 17-inch polished alloy wheels, suede seat upholstery, Panoramic sunroof, front and rear parking sensors and availability of ALLGRIP 4WD as an option. The Vitara Full Hybrid range is priced at £25,499 for SZ-T, £27,499 for SZ5 2WD and £29,299 for the SZ5 ALLGRIP model, with zero per cent finance available on Full Hybrid models until the end of June. Taking the best-selling SZ-T model as an example on Personal Contract Purchase, a deposit of £4,485 would be required followed by 48 monthly payments of £249 and a final optional payment of £8,702 to keep the car at the end of the agreement. For the time being, the Full Hybrid Vitara is only available with the Auto Gear Shift gearbox, which is an automatic that also allows you to intervene and change for yourself. It’s not the best auto around and I still prefer the manual… which though comes in the Mild Hybrid version only, is a much more engaging drive, only slightly less economical and some £1,700 cheaper.

roof rails and interior ambient lighting. The T-Roc Style – expected to be the top selling trim starting at £27,635 comes with a larger Digital Cockpit; sports comfort seats finished in ArtVelours microfleece; privacy glass from the B-pillar backwards; and LED ‘Plus’ headlights with different light modes for poor weather. From the outside, a bespoke rear bumper and 17-inch ‘Johannesburg’ alloy wheels mark out the Style from the rest of the new T-Roc range. With R-Line specific body styling, 17-inch ‘Valencia’ alloy wheels, sports suspension, silver roof rails and an interior featuring sportier elements such as a black roof lining and R-Line badging, and gloss black design trim in the dashboard, the T-Roc R-Line (from £30,435) lives up to its billing as a sportier alternative to the Life and Style versions. It adds features such as progressive steering for additional driver focus and selectable driving modes which can alter the car’s character to suit the driver’s mood. There’s a good range of engines – two diesel and three petrol – to choose from which come with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic gearbox.

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Business Eye April May 2022

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