10 minute read
welcome to the chamber
CONNECTED is highlighting some of the Chamber’s newest members. Let us introduce you to the wider range of members that the Londonderry Chamber represents across the North West. Will your business be featured in the next edition?
#GrowingBusinessNW
Welcome to new member 4Rs Recycling CIC. The 4Rs is a social enterprise promoting reskilling, reusing, recycling and reducing waste through programmes such as the She Shed and Active Inclusion.
Welcome to new member Foyle River Gardens. The Eden Project Foyle is a world-class tourism and heritage led regeneration project, opening access to 225 acres garden that will unlock the landscape along the River Foyle for 400,000 visitors each year, exploiting a connection to more than 400 years of the city’s history and generating £62 million each year for the local economy. At the heart of Eden Project Foyle, an ambitious project for an important site (Boom Hall & Brook Hall Estates) in Derry~Londonderry, is Foyle River Gardens Charitable Trust, a local Educational Charity, and Eden Project International, a globally recognised regeneration project.
Welcome to new member Mullan Motorcycles. Mullan Motocycles stock a variety of used motorbikes, motorbike accessories and equipment. They aim to be actively involved in the North West biking community and provide excellent service to the North West and beyond. Welcome to new member Disten. Disten carries out all types of construction based activities from restoration and reinstatement work for insurance companies to larger commercial contracts in NI and the UK. Welcome to new member Easy Customs. They are a customs clearance agency with offices in Donegal, Derry and Dublin. They provide customs clearance services and consultancy to businesses who are moving goods to and from GB.
Welcome to new member Horizon Engineering Solutions Ltd. Established in 2015 the company was formed to fill the gaps in the marketplace within NI for the provision of specialist Mechanical & Electrical Engineering support services to major blue-chip clients operating in NI. They are currently delivering specialist services to global companies within the aerospace, automotive, healthcare and food and beverage industries both in NI and overseas.
Their business policies and practices are approved and certified to comply with internationally recognised industry standards, including ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001.
More recently the company responded to the need for increased oxygen supply in hospitals and designed systems that could be fully assembled within 40 foot containers.
Horizon Engineering has embarked on an ambitious project to develop a High and Low Voltage Systems operational training facility with a fully equipped working area. They believe this will be unique in NI. Welcome to new member InnovateNI. Innovate-NI is an innovation and management consultancy headquartered in Derry, Northern Ireland led by co-founder Clare McGee and Dr Barney Toal. They concentrate on small business development, entrepreneurship, digital and social innovation projects. Their client base includes micro and small businesses, public sector bodies and VCSE clients across Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, UK and Europe.
They specialise in the provision of business mentoring and consultancy support, project management, business planning, event and conference development/management. To strengthen their service delivery, they manage an associate framework of specialist professional business mentors and technologists.
Welcome to new member North West Medical Limited. North West Medical Limited supply Medical Face Masks producing Type IIR and FFP3 face masks in an ISO 8 Cleanroom environment with a fully accredited ISO13485 Quality Management System.
Welcome to new member Pat Kirk Ltd. Pat Kirk Ltd is a family-run, new and used car dealer group in the heart of County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. With two state of the art showrooms in Omagh and Strabane and over 50 years motor industry experience, their aim is to ensure that all their customers’ requirements are fully met by offering you services that are specifically tailored to suit your needs.
Welcome to new member The Web Crew. The Web Crew helps businesses & organisations to grow via websites, ecommerce & online marketing strategies. With over 22 years’ experience, The Web Crew team works with clients throughout Ireland & UK, providing niche online services to boost their business growth.
Welcome to new member Wild Atlantic Distillery - an award-winning gin, vodka, and whiskey distillery based in Co. Tyrone. The business draws its inspiration from Ireland’s stunning coastline and the Wild Atlantic Way. The distillery is located on the outskirts of Aghyaran – close to the Sperrin Mountains – and only 15 miles from Donegal’s Wild Atlantic Way. As lovers of traditionally crafted spirits and history, they are all about maintaining the long history of independent, traditional and craft distilleries that Ireland and particularly Co Tyrone. Welcome to new member Pro-Ice Clean. The company provides Dry Ice Blasting & sanitization services to the public, commercial, engineering and industrial sectors throughout Ireland. They are also Irish Distributors of the Germ Range of OZONE and UV disinfection - the latest weapon in the fightback against Covid-19 and other environmental pathogens. They are continually striving to bring the most environmentally friendly, effective and safe products to the public health and safety arena.
All their technicians are fully trained and safety certified in the operation of our equipment and our company maintains an impeccable safety record.
Welcome to new member UV Arts C.I.C. Established in 2015, UV Arts C.I.C is a fun, dynamic, not-forprofit social enterprise and urban arts company based in Derry. The company specialises in grassroots led street art, graffiti and mural arts projects across the UK and Ireland. Welcome to new member SCT, a leading fire and security company established in April 2013. SCT was established with the aim of offering excellent customer service, high quality products, first class installations and servicing. They have since ingrained it into the ethos of everything they do; from their office staff, to their sales team and engineers, the SCT team all work hard to achieve the company’s goals. As part of SCT’s ethos they are constantly endeavoring to improve and add to their third-party accreditations. Their expanding list currently includes BAFE, SSAIB and NICEIC. They are also proud members of the FIA.
Welcome to new member Version 1. Version 1 proves that IT can make a real difference to their customers’ businesses. They are trusted by global brands to deliver IT services and solutions which drive customer success. Visit www. version1.com.
How does your membership
benefit you? with Foyleside Centre Manager, Fergal Rafferty
It is no understatement that the pandemic has turned the retail world upside down. Local retailers have faced stark, unforeseen challenges in the last 15 months and, despite the hardships they’ve faced, employees continue to work tirelessly to serve our local communities. In the North West, the difficulties have been farreaching, with each sector of our economy put under extreme pressure in recent months.
As a Chamber member, however, you are never alone. In our time as a member, we have seen first-hand the community spirit that really makes the Chamber special to be a part of. Whether it’s the highly informative events’ series, the businessto-business marketing and networking opportunities, or the Learning Centre, being a Chamber member means there’s always the chance to strengthen, develop, and learn alongside other North West businesses.
Foyleside is the largest retail destination in the North West, with over 1500 employees and 55 tenants from across the sector. As a longstanding member of the Chamber, we see the benefits our membership continues to bring on a day-to-day basis. When times were at their hardest, the Chamber lobbied the Executive for financial assistance, securing vital support to keep our retailers trading. And with restrictions constantly changing, the Chamber provides timely, informative updates on what we need to know.
Like all businesses, retailers have spent the last 15 months adapting and tailoring their plans, responding to each challenge one after another. In our sector, whilst some have seen their activity curtailed and are planning to restructure, we are seeing real growth at Foyleside. The exciting arrival of an 80,000 square foot Frasers department store, alongside new stores Bperfect, and Butlers, represents a very exciting, multi-million-pound investment in the Centre. These new opportunities are an illustration of the promising future of the North West’s economy, a future which the Chamber is helping to create.
The Chamber truly is the voice of business in the North West, and through its engagement with Stormont, Westminster, and Oireachtas Ministers, they continue to present the case for infrastructure and growth development across our region. To build the strong, prosperous regional economy that we need, investment in our road, rail, and air networks is crucial, and the Chamber has proven itself proactive in seeking substantive economic development in the North West economy.
The City Deal especially represents an incredible opportunity for our local economy, and with the Chamber’s Growth North West events programme, we have been able to capture the fantastic international growth opportunities the City Deal presents. This investment in innovation, digital, health, and tourism will be a godsend for job creation and employability for our entire region. And with other exciting projects such as the Walled City Centre, the North West has the potential to become a world-class tourism destination.
Very few can say they have reacted perfectly to the challenges the pandemic has presented. But with the Chamber and its continued support, we have been able to listen, learn, and develop from others to benefit our business when we needed it most. From monthly webinars to the Chamber WhatsApp group, the business community in the North West has never been stronger with the Chamber.
Who supports you supporting your staff?
Helen McDonnell, Principal Coach, IndigoLife Coaching
For many executives, senior management can be a lonely place. In the last 15 months especially, the pressure of managing a business combined with the added difficulties posed by the pandemic have left many feeling burnt out, stressed, and not themselves. From losing our work-life balance to losing face-to-face communication with our team, management in the Covid-era is much more difficult than before.
Every day, managers and business owners consider how they can support their staff and keep them thriving. Less often, however, do these same people stop and consider: what support do I need?
Since the start of the pandemic, coaching has proven to be a lifesaver for many managers and business owners navigating the ever-changing pandemic world. As we look beyond Covid, these challenges may change, but they will still test your leadership skills just as much as before. Executive coaching will help you develop your communication and teambuilding skills and help you become that inspirational figure you’ve always strived towards. By receiving one-to-one, bespoke support, you’re not only helping to build and grow your own personal performance, you are also helping your team out too. Research shows that for every single executive coaching intervention, a positive impact was felt by 9 other staff members. This highlights a key point that the coaching process has a dual effect – by improving yourself, you’re improving others!
Organisations who use these alternative coaching approaches are reporting significant improvements in people’s learning, wellbeing, and organisational performance. But this doesn’t just apply for work. With one-to-one coaching, the skills developed are generic and applicable in everyday life. Building your personal resilience doesn’t just mean dealing with stress at work easier, it means being able to manage life’s challenges well and effectively.
Keen to know more? Contact me for a free consultation to explore whether coaching is something that could support you in your professional and personal development. You can email me at helen@ indigolifecoaching.com or call me on 07719302988. Creating personal strategies for a future of possibilities...
