15 minute read
New Executive Vital To Economic Rebuild
EyeonNews
(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.
The 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.
“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.”
(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.
EyeonNews
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.
Dr 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 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.
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.
EyeonCloud 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.
That 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.
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 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
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
EyeonNews
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.
Voice 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.
EyeonNews
St George’s Market traders are pictured with Jay Thattai, Founder and Steering Authority at Voice for Locals (second from right).
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.
