CONNECTED Issue 16 by Londonderry Chamber of Commerce

Magazine of the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce

ISSUE 16

KINGSBRIDGE PRIVATE HOSPITAL NORTH WEST – ONE YEAR ON

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Message from the CEO

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Chamber Life

president’s message Cover Story

Kingsbridge Private Healthcare reflecting on one year since acquiring the private hospital in Ballykelly in the North West

North West Regional College North West Business Awards Welcome to the Chamber The Final Word

by Craft Training’s Seamus Nealis

40 22

Message from the CEO Welcome to the 16th edition of CONNECTED, the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce magazine.

CONNECTED, Londonderry Chamber of Commerce’s full colour publication. Designed and produced by business people for business people. Distributed to businesses across the North West.

CONNECTED Magazine Editor Brown O’Connor Communications Content Editor Carolann Doherty Production & Design Big Moo Design Advertising Carolann Doherty Email Address carolann@londonderrychamber.co.uk Front Cover Image Stephen Latimer Photography

Londonderry Chamber of Commerce President Aidan O’Kane Interim Chief Executive Anna Doherty Business Development Executive Carolann Doherty

This feels like our first CONNECTED edition firmly in the postpandemic world – and what a relief that is! The past two-and-a-bit years have been incredibly tough on us all, not least our small and independent businesses and entrepreneurs. In the face of unprecedented challenges, however, our local business leaders have shown strength and resilience like never before and they deserve all the praise in the world for soldiering on. As we emerge from the pandemic, it’s crucial that we keep buying local, staying local, eating and drinking local, and supporting local. There’s an element of déjà vu in many respects about the issues before our businesses now, however. An absent Stormont and Brexit disagreements are dominating our politics yet again, familiar to everyone in Northern Ireland. As I write, the UK Government has tabled legislation which would override large swathes of the NI Protocol, creating further uncertainty for businesses. Our Assembly and Executive remains absent after the elections in May, a deeply frustrating situation for people and businesses across Northern Ireland. The message from the Chamber has been clear, consistent, and loud since the Assembly collapsed back in February – an absent Executive delivers for and benefits no one here. We’re all well aware of the impact that political instability can have on our attractiveness as a location for investment. Every day that goes past without a fully functioning Assembly and Executive in place is more investment lost to other markets across the globe, more jobs and wealth not created for our communities and households. As we all continue to grapple with this cost-of-living crisis, the absence of our Executive is even more pronounced. It’s a source of shame that our MLAs cannot deliver for households who are struggling to pay energy and electricity bills, as well as our high street businesses whose bills have gone through the roof. After navigating the impacts of the pandemic, this summer should promise to be one of the most important and significant in recent memory for traders. However, the squeeze on households will likely have a knock-on effect on sectors like tourism, hospitality, and retail. The Chamber will continue to work constructively with all parties and MLAs to ensure the Executive returns as speedily as possible and support can be delivered to families and businesses without further delay.

Marketing and Events Coordinator Wendy McDermott

There are reasons to be optimistic this summer, especially with the return of large-scale events like the Clipper Around the World Race, and an influx of tourists and visitors to our region. But it’s vital that our political leaders constructively overcome this latest impasse for the good of everyone in Northern Ireland.

Accounts Administrator Elisha Kealey

I hope you enjoy this latest edition of CONNECTED and read about the strength of our local businesses across the entire North West region.

t: 028 7126 2379 w: londonderrychamber.co.uk Follow us on:

Disclaimer: Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, the publisher accepts no responsibility for omissions or errors within this publication. Editorial submissions are included at the discretion of the editor. The opinions expressed in articles within this publication are not necessarily those of the Chamber. All offers, promotions and competitions appearing in CONNECTED are the sole responsibility of the advertiser/promoting party and Londonderry Chamber of Commerce does not accept any responsibility for any representations made within them.

This is my first edition of CONNECTED since being appointed interim CEO of the Chamber. I want to thank our members, partners, my colleagues, the board and council, and everyone else who has helped me settle into my role since then. I am proud to be leading the organisation and working closely with some of the most innovative and fascinating businesses across the North West.

Anna Doherty Interim CEO

Commercial Insurance Corporate Partner:

corporate partners

corporate Patrons

BISHOP’S GATE HOTEL

Rewarding your staff with a Bishop’s Gate Hotel Gift Voucher Reward and recognition are vitally important in the creation of a positive company culture. In fact, according to Forbes Magazine, a staggering 79% of employees leave their jobs because they feel underappreciated. Successful, thriving companies keep their employees engaged year-round by establishing a strong, cohesive ethos in their workplace. This has become especially important in the post-Covid era, with the advent of hybrid working presenting new, unforeseen challenges to businesses. But despite the radical changes introduced by the pandemic, one thing has not changed – the importance of a strong, positive culture underpinning your work.

As part of an employeecentric reward and Each voucher the Hotel offers does not have an expiry date recognition strategy, vouchers can help to inspire success and improve practices the gift can choose from the likes of within an organisation. Amongst afternoon tea, Sunday lunch, dinner, the many benefits such as increased or an overnight stay. Each voucher retention, fewer absences, and does not have an expiry date, giving higher productivity, strong employee your employee the flexibility to enjoy it engagement has shown to generate without constraints. 43% more revenue compared to companies with disengaged If you want to treat your employees and workforces. give them the reward they deserve, call the Bishop’s Gate Hotel on A Bishop’s Gate Hotel Voucher is +44 28 7114 0300 or visit their website a fantastic way to help employees at www.bishopsgatehotelderry.com. celebrate milestones, reward good work, or simply act as a pick-me-up if morale is low. Individuals who receive

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Welcome to all our members and thank you to everyone who has contributed to this edition of CONNECTED. This is my first edition of CONNECTED as President of the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce. The first half of 2022 has been a turbulent one for many of our local businesses. Whilst the pandemic is behind us, inflationary pressures and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis has sent the economy into a tailspin, with prices continually on the rise. However, I have been heartened by the persistent resilience of our local traders and business leaders. Even while facing skyrocketing energy costs and staffing difficulties, 3 in 4 businesses here are optimistic that this year will see growth for their business, according to our recent survey. And while much more needs to be done by both Stormont and Westminster in support of our local economy, we have amongst us the skills, expertise, and vision to succeed. This year has already seen a significant change in our political landscape. May’s Assembly election saw 90 MLAs elected, but as of now, unable to get to work. As your Chamber President, I have been loud and clear, the absence of a functioning Executive is simply unacceptable for business and society. The most vulnerable will suffer, those on hospital waiting lists will wait even longer, and investment opportunities are sure to be missed. We simply cannot afford to leave Stormont empty for one day longer. Despite significant challenges, we know that the future of the North West economy is bright. But key regional commitments, like the expansion of Ulster University Magee and the completion of the A5, can no longer be characterised by dither, delay, and false dawns. City Deal projects are beginning to take shape, and we must grasp this immense economic opportunity with both hands. People here voted for delivery and political leadership. Anything less is a dereliction of duty. One major cause for optimism this year has been the full return of in-person events.

I was delighted to speak at the President’s Lunch in March where we heard a virtual address from Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney TD, unable to visit Derry due to the war in Ukraine. This was a very special occasion, and along with the recent North West Business Awards, illustrated all that is good about doing business in our part of the world. Looking forward, I am hugely optimistic about the future of our local economy. Tourism is starting to reach pre-pandemic levels, spurred on by the likes of the Derry Jazz Festival and the hotly anticipated Clipper Race and Foyle Maritime Festival, taking place this summer. Cross-border trade is surging, with the North West beginning to take full advantage of our unique access to both EU and UK markets. All in all, despite current

issues, we are firmly on an upward trajectory. This edition of CONNECTED is jampacked full of inspiring stories from across our business community. From expanding start-ups, to diversifying workforces, to award wins, I would like to congratulate each company on their fantastic work undertaken across our business community. The road out of the pandemic has been long and arduous, and I commend you all on the hard work, determination, and entrepreneurial zeal you have shown. May you and your business go from strength to strength in the months ahead. Aidan O’Kane President of the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce

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NEWS

Andrea McGill joins familiar faces at McCay Solicitors

For most of us, our cousins are our earliest friendships. For Gareth McCay, Aaron Mullen and Andrea McGill, that bond has carried its way through their careers and has now brought them back together at McCay Solicitors. Andrea joined the practice in March as an Associate Solicitor in its Probate & Property department, with Aaron having joined McCay as an Associate Solicitor in the Employment Law & Litigation department in 2018. Gareth founded the firm in 2015 and it has grown to a team of ten across three branches in Derry, Strabane and Omagh. The company was recently listed in the Top 40 law firms in Northern Ireland by the Belfast Telegraph. “It is fantastic to have Andrea join the firm. She has the qualities that we look for. Diligent, ambitious, and with a fantastic reputation over the past few years”, says Gareth. “While we recruited Andrea for her ability, not her genealogy, it does feel like a natural fit as she, Aaron and I are from the same family. I have always kept an eye on Andrea’s career and had always hoped that our firm would grow to the point that we could bring her on board, when the opportunity arose, I was delighted that she accepted”, he explains.

Charity and social enterprise HURT celebrate 21st birthday HURT (Have Your Tomorrows) is a community-based addiction treatment and education charity based in the city. When current coordinator Sadie O’Reilly’s only son Tony died as a result of a drug overdose, she set up the service to address the deficit in support for families and individuals impacted by addiction in the North West.

we have the strong internal infrastructure to boost our charity’s reach and help more people in need”, Sadie says. New resources that the charity will seek to develop include a preventative strategy focused on primary and post-primary schools, awareness campaigns, and further development of their support services.

“We are a family support organisation helping individuals affected by substance misuse”, Sadie explains, “all of our services are free of charge.” Individuals accessing the charity’s support has increased by 20% to over 330 per year, primary because of mental health issues exacerbated by the Covid-19 lockdown and the associated isolation.

The charity has recently developed its social enterprise offer and, through their corporate training campaigns, work closely with the business community to ensure their employees are supported. Their services are also available to those in the third sector, teachers, and parents.

Having just employed a Business Development and Social Enterprise Manager, HURT is on the cusp of taking their charity to the next level. “We now feel like

Celebrating 21 years in operation, Sadie and the team are determined to continue to support their local community and beyond in the years to come. To find out more about the charity, visit: www.hurtni.org.uk.

Andrea is looking forward to her new challenge. “When Gareth told me that he had a role that he thought I would be perfect for, it was just too good an opportunity to turn down. I feel that if our grandparents were still with us that they would be very proud to see us working together here in Strabane”, she says. McCay Solicitors has grown from a niche employment law firm to practice commercial law, litigation, medical negligence, property, and probate now also. If you wish to discuss any of these issues with a member of the team, please call them on 02871 877107 or visit www.mccaysolicitors.co.uk

Sadie O’Reilly established the charity following the death of her son Tony

NEWS

Children in Crossfire’s corporate partnerships offering inspiration and motivation to workforces North West-based international development charity Children in Crossfire have been supporting some of the most vulnerable children in the world since their foundation in 1996. Today, they deliver life-changing early years’ education and life-saving health programmes in Tanzania and Ethiopia. The charity’s origins can be traced back to a dark day during the Troubles. On May 4, 1972, ten-year-old Richard Moore was shot and blinded by a British soldier’s rubber bullet as he walked home from school in Creggan. Thanks to the deep love and support of his family and community, Richard grew up with no bitterness. Through Children in Crossfire, hundreds of thousands of young lives have been positively impacted over the last 25 years. Like Richard, the charity dedicates itself to ensuring other children caught in the crossfire of injustice and poverty would have opportunities to fulfil their potential.

Aisling Cunningham, the charity’s Corporate Fundraiser, is encouraging Chamber of Commerce members to discuss new corporate partnerships with her. She said, “We are always keen to engage with local businesses – not just to get fundraising support from them but to build strong partnerships that deliver genuine benefits for them as well.”

The charity have worked with several local companies including Learning Pool

“To kick-start any collaboration, we can arrange for Richard Moore to meet with staff and share his truly life-affirming story with them. That is always an experience that inspires and enriches. We firmly believe that building a corporate partnership with Children in Crossfire is perfect for renewing team spirit and cultivating real positivity among teammates.”

pride we all felt at completing the challenge and raising a lot of vital funds, we also further deepened our team spirit. I heartily recommend to businesses that they sign up and take part in future challenges - I know we will!”

Karen Hamilton, Manager of Action Trauma, took part in a similar event in 2020, saying, “Several members of the Action Trauma team took part in Children in Crossfire’s September (2020) walking challenge - and we all absolutely loved it. Aside from the

If you would like to explore a corporate partnership with Children in Crossfire – big or small – please contact Aishling Cunningham on 028 7126 9898 or at aishling. cunningham@childrenincrossfire.org.

JMK Solicitors recognised as Northern Ireland’s top personal injury law firm for eighth consecutive year the reduced volume of traffic on the roads in 2021 due to the pandemic.

Olivia Meehan, Legal Services Director, Jonathan McKeown, Chairman, Maurece Hutchinson, Managing Director

JMK Solicitors have continued to hold their position as Northern Ireland’s number one personal injury firm, marking their eighth consecutive year in the prestigious top spot. JMK were instructed by almost treble the number of clients than the next solicitors practice providing personal injury claims services, despite

The legal practice has branches in both Belfast and Newry with a third branch due to open in the North West in Summer 2022. Their long-term investment in technology means they are also able to provide services remotely to clients in any part of Northern Ireland.

Managing Director, Maurece Hutchinson, said, “Every year, our staff go above and beyond for our clients, ensuring that our core values are part of all our processes and that we achieve the best possible outcome for those who have instructed us to resolve their case. We believe that the fact that JMK Solicitors have spent an eighth

consecutive year at Number 1 is a direct result of our dedication to client care.” During the 2021 Lexcel assessment, JMK Solicitors were praised for the consistent investment in client care and technology with the bespoke JMK App, used by over 1500 clients, as well as the JMK Court Guide, which was highlighted as, “an excellent way of putting clients at ease.” Speaking about JMK Solicitors’ widely publicised workweek reduction from 37.5 hours to 30 hours, effectively a four-day week with no reduction in pay, the assessors concluded that the reduction in work hours without compromising output, performance or remuneration was “now well established” and “nothing short of an amazing achievement.” With a team of over 80 people including a team of personal injury experts, JMK Solicitors assist clients all over Northern Ireland. To contact them, call 028 9032 0222 or email at law@jmksolicitors.com

NEWS

Fleming Agri Products winners at the Made in Northern Ireland Awards Now in their ninth year, the Insider Made in Northern Ireland Awards recognise the excellence of the manufacturing sector in Northern Ireland. The prestigious ceremony, which took place on Friday 13 May at the Titanic Hotel, showcases the successful achievements of innovative and forward-looking businesses across the whole region. Fleming Agri Products were delighted to win the Manufacturing Apprenticeship/ Training Scheme Award, with apprentice welder Chloe Rankin also making the final three in the Apprentice of the Year Award. Chloe, who is studying for a Level 3 Apprenticeship at the North West Regional College’s newly refurbished Springtown Campus, was the only female welder

working in the Fleming Agri team. The company’s success in the Awards reflects their long association with North West Regional College, with Fleming Agri training many apprentices over the last 30 years. Adrian Wilson has been appointed by the company as their Internal Welding Training Officer and helps new recruits settle in to the program as well as providing one-to-one mentoring. A real success story, he started his career at Fleming over 40 years ago and is now helping to develop and promote welding as a career for all of their new recruits. Fleming Agri Products are determined to bring in more apprentice welders and spray

Maggie McCartney, Fleming Agri Products, and Chloe Rankin, Apprentice of the Year finalist

recruits to ensure that the youth of today can build the skills for tomorrow. This Award win marks

a continued step in the company’s path to further growth and contribution to the North West economy.

Apex’s work in Creggan recognised at the CIH Awards Apex Housing Association was presented with a CIH All Ireland Housing Award on Friday night in recognition of its work in building a greener environment and stronger community in Creggan in Derry~Londonderry. The award entitled ‘More than Bricks and Mortar’ was presented to Teresa McCloskey from Apex and acknowledged the partnership work with the Bogside and Brandywell Initiative to create and develop the Ballymagowan Allotments and Urban Park. Teresa McCloskey, Performance and Quality Improvement Manager, commented, “We’re thrilled to have won this award for our work in Ballymagowan. We are proud to have worked alongside the community to create a beautiful

Apex was shortlisted for two other awards - ‘Working in Partnership’ for its work with Greater Shantallow Area Partnership in the Skeoge area of the city; and ‘Housing Hero’ for the fundraising efforts of Seamus Crossan of Belmont Cottages during 2021. The CIH All Ireland Housing Awards took place in the Europa Hotel, Belfast on Apex Housing Association delivers services for around Friday 27 May. The awards 15,000 tenants and residents across Northern Ireland celebrate and recognise the best in housing in Northern space and innovative project that has Ireland and the Republic significantly improved the area and of Ireland and showcase the amazing delivered positive and sustainable work and inspirational people seen in outcomes for local people and the communities every day. environment.”

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A DAY IN THE LIFE

a day in the life Name

appeals in Scotland and Northern Ireland. These included four Macmillan Cancer Support Centres in Craigavon, Antrim, Belfast and Derry/Londonderry. The centres are continuing to support people living with cancer in NI by offering nursing, medical and financial support.

Paul Sweeney

Age 53

Home Town Derry/Londonderry

Company

What is the best advice you have been given?

The Playhouse

In my career I have worked with amazing leaders and teams that have influenced me in many ways. It’s always about how you empower people, lead change, share a vision, and inspire people. I have taken the advice that you need to be at your best more of the time, focus on the people, and the rest will follow, be comfortable to be uncomfortable, keep it simple, and make it count.

Job Title Head of Development

Describe What your job entails As Head of Development, I am responsible for designing and leading our five-year development strategy. I work in collaboration with our Board, CEO, Engagement, Marketing, Finance, and Production Teams to approach trusts/ foundations, high-net worth donors, groups/associations, and corporates, and lead our direct marketing/capital appeal and legacy campaigns to build mediumto-long term sustainable relationships and partnerships. The Playhouse is a charity, and we fundraise for over 75% of our funds annually.

Describe in detail a day in your business Every day in The Playhouse is unique. It is one of the most vibrant and loved arts centres in Northern Ireland. I work with some of the most creative and talented individuals that inspire and influence me daily. My work involves securing strong pipelines whilst using market analysis to develop new networks for funding opportunities. I meet corporate and major donors to outline the benefits of working with The Playhouse and how a partnership can, for example, inspire emerging young talent to take that next step into a career into the arts and become a potential star in the West End or Broadway.

What has been your most memorable day at work? Currently we are producing a new play called Beyond Belief - The Life and Mission of John Hume which will mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement in 2023. A recent sponsorship meeting with the Derry Credit Union about the production gave me the opportunity to read the original minutes from their first meeting in 1960. It was truly inspiring to view and touch history that made a major impact in our city and throughout the world.

What is your greatest achievement? I have been working in the fundraising/voluntary sector for over 25 years. My greatest achievement was as Head of Fundraising for Macmillan in NI and Scotland. I successfully planned, implemented, and completed 11 major fundraising

What are the most satisfying aspects to your job? In the development department, we work as one team around our supporters to maximise income so that The Playhouse can deliver creative, innovative, and accessible theatre, arts, education, and peacebuilding programmes. It’s so exciting to develop new networks and build relationships with key funders.

How important are the arts to our economy and wider society? The transformative power of the arts helps us to make peace with ourselves, with others and the planet we share. It’s in the theatre and television we watch, the sights we see, and the music we listen to. It’s in the media we consume every day and is a world-wide billionpound economy. At The Playhouse, we use the arts to provide a platform for your voice to be heard and your story to be told. Sharing stories through the arts informs a new narrative – one that can inspire peaceful change and help us build a world, community, and economy oriented towards the common good.

FOYLESIDE SHOPPING CENTRE

Foyleside festivities driving high street footfall As normal retail activity results on the high streets, Foyleside Shopping Centre’s vast array of themed events continues to drive increased footfall into the city centre. St. Patrick’s Day, Mother’s Day, Easter, and the City of Derry Jazz Festival have all featured on the calendar so far, with a wide range of entertainment, activities, and giveaways organised to complement each occasion. The Employment Fairs have been amongst the most popular, with the shopping centre collaborating with North West Regional College in showcasing their courses available. “It is great to see our loyal shoppers back in Foyleside engaging with our range of events and visiting the wider city centre”, said Fergal Rafferty, Centre Manager. “Not only does it create a wonderful bustling atmosphere, but it also provides some welcome foot traffic for our retailers. This includes

those who have only recently joined us such as Pandora, Regatta, Frasers and BPerfect.” Fergal says that the increase in tourism post-Covid is a welcome boost to the local economy. “Foyleside and Derry’s city centre continue to deliver as a top tourism destination, re-energising our Shoppers have returned to the Centre as Covid-19 restrictions local economy in the have eased process. This has been further boosted by the the remainder of 2022 with a series of success of the hit TV show Derry Girls world-class events taking place right on which has been invaluable in generating our doorstep”, he says. “We are already interest here”, he explains. looking forward to the Foyle Maritime Festival in July and, before we know it, Foyleside has several events on the it will be time for our famous Halloween horizon and is looking forward to what and Christmas events!”. promises to be a very busy second half of 2022. “We are full of anticipation for

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Kingsbridge Private Hospital North West General Manager Anthony McKenna

Kingsbridge Private Hospital North West – One year on CONNECTED recently sat down with General Manager Anthony McKenna to hear more about Kingsbridge’s first year in Ballykelly since taking ownership of the North West Independent Hospital, some of the services they provide, and their plans for future growth. “I think everyone’s much more conscious of their and their family’s health since the pandemic, so it’s fantastic that we can provide life-changing services to people in the local area.”

Some of the nursing staff at Kingsbridge Private Hospital North West

Anthony McKenna is no stranger to the North West. Born in Derry, raised in Lavey, and now living in Magherafelt, he was appointed General Manager of Kingsbridge Private Hospital North West in Ballykelly. With a background in diagnostic radiography, Anthony is now in his seventh year with Kingsbridge, having previously been the group’s

Diagnostics Operations Manager in Belfast. “I’ve had a fantastic seven years with Kingsbridge but once I got the opportunity to lead our new hospital in the North West I jumped at the chance”, says Anthony. “The ability to work closer to home was, of course, a big draw, but leading our new private hospital here was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down. After acquiring the Ballykelly site in June 2021, the hospital underwent a major £3m redevelopment project which

KINGSBRIDGE PRIVATE HOSPITAL

modernised wards and facilities as well as developing new out-patient services and a laminar flow theatre. “It was crucial that we didn’t simply change the name on the front of the building”, explains Anthony. “It was important to us to stamp our mark on the hospital and ensure our patients received the best and most comfortable experience possible to them. This included refurbishing 48 rooms, complete with 50” TVs in each of them, and providing five star food made fresh on site with locally sourced and seasonal products.” Anthony is conscious of the group’s role in supporting the local North West economy and wider community and says it’s a driving force for everything the hospital does in the area. “We didn’t want to become an offshoot of the Belfast hospital. It was vital that we developed our offerings and services as much as possible to serve our local patients and enhance our reputation for world-leading healthcare. We now have serious aspirations to make the North West hospital a centre of excellence for a number of surgical specialities including ENT, paediatrics, and spinal surgery.” An increasingly significant part of Anthony’s role is to ensure Kingsbridge are fully integrated in the North West, making connections with local businesses and groups, and giving back to the local community. “We’ve been really active since we set up shop last year. Being from the area, community relations are a massive focus for me and I’m proud that we have supported schools, sports clubs, and other community organisations since 2021”, says Anthony. “For example, we’ve installed a defibrillator and provided life-saving CPR training for the local community in Ballykelly; we’ve sponsored the Limavady Grammar School rugby team; we’ve donated £800 to the local primary school in Ballykelly which has meant they can provide healthy, nutritious snacks to their pupils; and we also provided playground equipment and

sensory toys to two other local primary schools.” Other businesses have also availed of the group’s outreach programmes to educate and support their staff as well. “One of our GPs, Dr Brown, recently met with staff at the City of Derry Airport to deliver a talk on male health and wellbeing and give them some tips and techniques to stay mentally and physically healthy”, says Anthony.

The team at Kingsbridge Private Hospital North West

“This is only the start, however, and we’re always looking to do more to pay back to the community in which we’re based”, says Anthony. “It’s also why we’ve recently launched the Kingsbridge Foundation, the formal charitable arm of the group. Through the foundation, we’re aiming to support a variety of worthy community causes which are doing stellar work in their local areas across Northern Ireland.” After a successful first year, then, what does the future hold for Kingsbridge North West? “We’re constantly evolving and improving our patient offerings”, says Anthony. “We’re currently installing a new state-of-the-art private MRI unit, which will enable patients to be scanned while under anaesthesia, a Group first. We’re also delighted to be able to offer a new Cardiac Surgery Service and ICU for the North West through our hospital in Belfast. But we’ll still have a dedicated and skilled team of consultant cardiologists in the North West who can refer patients to Belfast for surgery, rather than having to travel across the water or to the Republic of Ireland. “We’re also excited to be launching our corporate membership scheme, the Kingsbridge Membership Club. Employers will be able to sign their staff up and they’ll be able to avail of

discounts for private medical treatment. There are flexible options for employers of all sizes and can really help set you apart in the recruitment market, at a time when securing good talent is getting harder and harder. “Improving and enhancing our own team is also an important focus for us. Our greatest asset is our highly skilled staff, so we are always looking to improve our team by getting the best people out there. We’ve been recruiting new staff very frequently over the past year and hope to continue over the coming months.” Reflecting on a successful and busy year, Anthony says he is excited for the future. “As a Group, we’re immensely proud of the progress we’ve made this year. The team in Kingsbridge Private Hospital North West have embraced the KHG culture with both hands and should be congratulated for that. Our CEO, Mark Regan, and Operations Director, Sarah Marks, are always there to support us for whatever is needed, both clinically and personally. “As long as our patients continue to trust us to provide world-class healthcare in their local community, I have no doubt that Kingsbridge North West will continue to grow, expand, and improve.” To find out more about Kingsbridge Private Hospital please visit kingsbridgeprivatehospital.com.

DEVELOPING HEALTHY COMMUNITIES

Could workplaces hold the key to men’s health? Workplace health checks don’t save lives. Measuring blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose and emotional wellbeing might prompt one or two employees to make a necessary trip to the doctor. They might give employers a clearer picture of health challenges in their workforce, reduce absences and increase productivity over the medium term, but workplace health checks don’t save lives. Except when they do. “We’ve had a nurse carrying out basic health checks who picked up seriously high blood pressure in one man, too high to let him go back to work,” explains Health@Work NI project manager Sabrina Moore. An ambulance was called, and the man ended up being fitted for stents. It is no coincidence that it was a man

who came this close to crisis. Men are famously more reluctant than women to seek help for their emotional or physical health, and not wanting to take time off work to go to the doctor is a familiar excuse. Physical health checks have been part of Health@Work NI’s portfolio of services for years, but after witnessing the impact of the pandemic on mental wellbeing, the social enterprise wanted to develop a simple way for employers to identify mental health challenges in their workforce using a range of recognised screening tools.

Health@Work NI Project Manager Sabrina Moore

Sabrina adds, “Last year 17.9 million working days were lost due to work-related stress, depression, or anxiety in the UK, according to the Health and Safety Executive. Our health checks are supposed to pick up concerns, whether they are emotional or physical, before they become a crisis, refer individuals to relevant services, and give employers the anonymised data they need to manage trends in the health and wellbeing of their employees.” So, workplace health checks don’t save lives, but they can save money, and at least give people the nudge they need to take their emotional and physical health more seriously.

A Health@Work NI nurse conducting health checks at MDE Installations

In the North West, Developing Healthy Communities, the charity that manages Derry City and Strabane’s membership of

the European Healthy Cities Network, have been leading on wider work to improve the health and wellbeing of our city region. Earlier this year saw Derry and Strabane being recognised as one of WHO’s Healthy Cities and Districts for the third time, a historic accolade that is a testament to hard work done across Derry~Londonderry. “Being a WHO Healthy City and District doesn’t mean that we are perfect, but it does mean that we are committed to tackling the very real challenges to health and wellbeing that we face locally”, says Developing Healthy Communities Chief Executive, Erin McFeely. “As tough as those challenges are, the Council, the community and voluntary sector, our educational institutions, and our local businesses are committed to the process of making it easier for anyone to live a healthier life.” For more information on the work undertaken by Developing Healthy Communities and their programme Health@Work NI, visit: www.dhcni.com.

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CITY OF DERRY AIRPORT CHALLENGECURVE

Why London-born ChallengeCurve now calls Derry home Specialist software Quality Assurance and Testing consultancy ChallengeCurve was established in London in 2015. Led by Chris Bean and Derry born Paul Nelis, the company works with a range of UK and international clients including Nationwide, Prudential, Tandem Bank and the NHS. At its core, ChallengeCurve helps businesses achieve their ambitions by quality assuring and testing critical applications such as smartphone banking apps and backend payment systems. The company works with the likes of start-ups, FinTechs and established organisations to get their applications ‘launch ready’ by making sure that the systems are robust, performant and scalable. In June 2021, Chris and Paul sought to open a remote office to serve their multinational clients. After evaluating several destinations across the UK and Ireland, they chose Derry and the North West. “The pandemic had a massive impact on the ways of working and one of the better outcomes has been the acceptance of remote working within the financial services sector in particular”, Paul explains. “Setting up in the North West was a no-brainer. It is an area with a youthful, educated, and energetic population, the perfect place to be the centre of our new Quality Assurance and Test Centre of Excellence.” Combining technical skills with FinTech domain knowledge,

We do not shy away from challenging our customers to ensure they achieve their business goals

ChallengeCurve are a trusted partner to their growing client base. One of their most recent additions includes a London based FinTech responsible for some of the most innovative banking solutions in the Middle East. “We have deep-rooted skills and experience, but we are also young, dynamic and innovative”, says Chris, who has spent over 25 years in the industry. “We do not shy away from challenging our customers to ensure they achieve their business goals.” Above all else Chris, Paul and the team are determined to become an active and collaborative member of the city’s vibrant business sector. “Since our inception we have had a ‘Derry First’ approach”, Paul says. “This means we have transferred our suppliers from London to businesses based in Derry. This includes legal, HR, accountancy and recruitment. We have also engaged a local web design agency to help with our launch in the city and to revamp our website for July this year.” The company are supporting and contributing socially and economically to the North West with regular team nights out and by making donations to five local charities, which were nominated by employees.

One of the highlights of the company’s journey so far has been their Gala event held in March this year. This was to celebrate the launch of the company’s Quality Assurance and Testing Centre of Excellence, based in the AMP Incubator in Ebrington Square. Hosted by the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Alderman Graham Warke, the Guildhall event featured other local dignitaries and business people who came together to hear the ChallengeCurve story and ambitious plans for the future. While the company has enjoyed great success in recent years, for Chris, the best is yet to come. “We started 2021 with two employees and ended the year with eleven. In this year already, we have nearly doubled that and currently have 21 employees. We have ambitious plans for further growth and have our sights set on reaching 50 staff by 2023.” Since being in Derry, the company’s revenue has grown significantly, with 2021 seeing a staggering 400% yearon-year increase. The only dedicated Quality Assurance and Testing Consultancy in the city, ChallengeCurve is looking forward to growing their Derry operation to fulfil their ambition of the city being recognised as an international FinTech hub.

CHAMBER LIFE

chamber life The first half of 2022 is off to a flyer for the Chamber with a whole host of events, networking sessions, webinars, political engagement, dinners, lunches, and everything else in between! With Covid restrictions officially gone, society is beginning to get back to normality and we’re all looking forward to our first ‘normal’ summer in over two years again. Derry and the North West are welcoming tourists and visitors from across the world again with open arms and, with the return of large-scale events like the Round the World Clipper Race, there’s a palpable sense of excitement across our region. Our busy period kicked off with our AGM in December 2021, when Allstate Director Aidan O’Kane replaced Dawn McLaughlin as President of the Chamber.

New Chamber Vice President Selina Horshi and President Aidan O’Kane

Speaking at the AGM, and outlining his vision for the year ahead, Aidan said, “Our region is on the cusp of something special. There’s an energy and optimism among colleagues, among key stakeholders, and among businesses to lift up the North West. We are fast approaching the next Assembly election, and it’s crucial that our local elected representatives, new ministers, and the incoming NI Executive recognise this and commit to doing all they can to positively

develop our region during the next mandate.” In one of his first engagements as President, Aidan gave evidence on behalf of the Chamber to the Oireachtas’ Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. Aidan outlined to TDs, Senators, and MPs the huge crossborder potential of the North West region, some of the challenges facing businesses here including Brexit and Covid, and what the Irish Government can do to better support the North West as a whole. Into 2022 and our first event of the year was a HR and Finance support webinar for SMEs on 18 January. Hosted by HR expert Julie Pollock and Chamber Past President Dawn McLaughlin, the webinar provided upto-date business advice and support for small businesses dealing with the various impacts of the pandemic including home working, VAT, and the minimum wage. On 20 January, we held our first Meet the Chamber event of the year at the Bishop’s Gate Hotel. Held especially for our new members, we had a fantastic turnout of business owners and leaders who got to meet the Chamber team face to face for the first time and get to know the organisation a bit better.

Members at the first Meet the Chamber event of the year

CHAMBER LIFE

Speakers at the Strabane Succeed North West event at the Fir Trees Hotel

Café Conversations with Prof Louise Dubras, Ulster University

We met with our colleagues at the Letterkenny Chamber the following day to discuss our priorities for the year ahead. After signing a memorandum of understanding with the Donegal organisation in 2021, this was an opportunity to review the partnership to date and share ideas about how to address similar issues including Brexit, the pandemic, and North West infrastructure challenges. On 1 February, the Chamber leadership team welcomed Northern Ireland Office Permanent Secretary Madeleine Alessandri to the North West. As the UK Government’s representative in Northern Ireland, we had productive discussions on their levelling up agenda, the implementation of the Derry and Strabane City Deal, the NI Protocol, and the Government’s plans to drive economic growth in the North West. A couple of days later we continued our outreach in Strabane with a Meet the President event at the Fir Trees Hotel. The first of two events in Strabane in February, this was an opportunity for local businesses to meet our new President, Aidan O’Kane, and hear more about his plans for the Chamber in 2022. We welcomed Finance Minister Conor Murphy and his departmental officials to the North West on 9 February for a Budget engagement

John Harkin, Alchemy Technology Services; Senator Emer Currie; Chamber President Aidan O’Kane; and Claire McCollum, host, at the President’s Annual Lunch

session. Hosted at Learning Pool’s fantastic offices in the city, this gave Chamber members an opportunity to question the Minister on his department’s plans for future spending, what the Executive was doing to help traders after the pandemic, and what the Budget would mean for business across Northern Ireland. We were back in Strabane on 11 February for our Succeed North West event. Hosted by localborn journalist Declan Curry, and over 100 local business leaders in attendance, Succeed North West Strabane showcased the town’s economic strengths and reinforced the wider North West as a great place to live, work and do business. Attendees heard from Chamber members and businesses based in the town including Kieran Kennedy from 21 Training, Stephen Lomas from Allstate, Pete Boyle of Argento, and former Derry and Strabane Mayor Cllr Graham Warke.

Our first Café Conversations event was held at the Sandwich Co on 16 February with Prof Louise Dubras, Foundation Dean of the School of Medicine at Magee. Members heard about the latest progress at the city’s School of Medicine after it welcomed its first students in September 2021, a vital institution for the city and the wider North West which will bolster the local health service workforce and bring greater investment to the city. The next day saw our first Speed Networking event of the year at the Everglades Hotel. Always a popular event, over 30 business people got to share contacts, generate new business leads, and get to know each other in an informal and comfortable setting. Our first major event of the year was held on 3 March with the President’s Annual Lunch. Held at the City Hotel Derry, over 200 business leaders, politicians,

CHAMBER LIFE

Chamber Vice President Selina Horshi and French Ambassador to the UK Catherine Colonna

and invited guests gathered to hear from Fine Gael Senator Emer Currie, a video message from Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney, and Children in Crossfire founder Richard Moore. Full coverage of the event can be found on pages 60 and 61. We welcomed the French Ambassador to the UK, Catherine Colonna, to the North West on 5 April. This was an excellent discussion with the Ambassador on our members’ vision for a vibrant, open, and globally connected regional economy with strong links

across the UK, EU, and beyond, as well as discussing the Protocol. DUP MLA Gary Middleton and Chamber President Aidan We held another O’Kane and Interim CEO Anna Doherty successful Meet the Chamber networking event on 26 April. Sponsored by the City of On 19 May, we held our business tax Derry Airport, it was a fantastic briefing in collaboration with the Cross opportunity to connect with new Border Partnership for Employment and old members alike and hear Services at An Grianan Hotel just across about the exciting plans that our the border in Donegal. Always an local businesses have for the year important event and very well received, ahead. this was the first briefing since the winding down of EURES after the UK’s exit from the EU.

A week later, we hosted our Growth from Recovery webinar in conjunction with Ulster Bank. Aimed at SMEs in the North West, it brought together retail, hospitality, agricultural, and manufacturing leaders to discuss how we recover from the pandemic, overcome adversity, and capitalise on opportunities for future growth. Ulster Bank’s Ciaran McLaughlin also gave an overview of the varying financial supports available to local businesses of all sizes.

Chamber President Aidan O’Kane and Interim CEO Anna Doherty with SDLP MLAs Mark H Durkan, Sinead McLaughlin, and Cara Hunter

Into June and we have our first awards ceremony since the pandemic! The North West Business Awards, sponsored by Derry City and Strabane District Council and delivered in collaboration by ourselves and City Centre Initiative, returned for its 20th year on 17 June at the City Hotel. With 17 awards up for

CHAMBER LIFE

Chamber President Aidan O’Kane meeting with Sinn Féin MLAs Pádraig Delargy and Ciara Ferguson

Chamber board members meeting with Northern Ireland Office Parliamentary Under Secretary Lord Caine

grabs, it was an excellent night which recognised the very best of business in the North West and was an opportunity to celebrate after a tough couple of years. Full coverage and photos from the event can be seen on pages 40 and 41. Next up was our webinar in collaboration with Horizon Engineering focused on all things health and safety responsibilities for businesses. We heard from Horizon’s founder Michael Burrows on what businesses must do to effectively manage their onsite electricity systems safely and legally, as well as how to keep costs down.

Chamber President Aidan O’Kane addresses the North West Business Awards

With the Assembly Elections on 5 May, we began our political engagement with the local Foyle MLAs who had been successfully elected. First up was the DUP’s Gary Middleton on 15 June. The next day we welcomed Sinead McLaughlin, Mark H Durkan, and Cara Hunter from the SDLP to the Chamber. And finally, we met with Sinn Féin’s Padraig Delargy and Ciara Ferguson on 24 June. These were productive and useful meetings, focused on delivering for the city and the region in the new Assembly mandate, and we pressed our local representatives to ensure they deliver on key priorities like expansion of Magee, infrastructure improvements, and attracting greater investment to our region. Our final engagement before the summer was with Lord Caine, Parliamentary Under Secretary at the Northern Ireland Office on the NI Protocol and the Government’s

plans to amend it. We reiterated the views of our members that the Protocol presents a serious opportunity for the North West and put

across that any changes to the Protocol must be done through dialogue and bilateral discussions with the EU.

Look Forward : Making Tax Digital – Toast Accountants 8 September Ulster Bank Webinar with Richard Ramsey 20 September President’s Annual Dinner 7 October Annual Energy Conference & Exhibtion 17 November AGM & Christmas Drinks 8 December

CITY OF DERRY AIRPORT

New partnership announced with CEF and City of Derry Airport The Construction Employers Federation (CEF) for Northern Ireland and City of Derry Airport (CoDA) have joined forces in an exciting new partnership. As the Gateway of the North West, the Airport will be offering convenient and budgetfriendly business connectivity for CEF members across Northern Ireland that are regularly commuting to London, Liverpool, Manchester, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, as well as the provision of commercial discounts on airport services and facilities. The CEF is the sole certified representative body for the construction industry in Northern Ireland, representing approximately 70% of construction and around 800 businesses of all sizes that employ over 30,000 staff directly and 65,000 in the wider supply chain. CEF is the voice of the NI industry on the UK Construction Leadership Council, BuildUK, and the NI Procurement Board. “The CEF is delighted to welcome City of Derry Airport as a Commercial Partner at a time when the construction industry is looking at time and costeffective connections to sites across the UK”, said Mark Spence, Managing Director at the CEF.

“CoDA brings significant additional route choice and the door-to-door times of this Mark Spence, Managing Director at CEF with Brenda regional airport compares Morgan MBE, Head of Business Development at CoDA, and very favourably with the larger Maressa McWilliams, Senior Marketing Executive at CoDA airports. We look forward to working together with CoDA to offer local firms greater choice City of Derry Airport recently welcomed Ryanair and convenience when travelling for back to Northern Ireland for the new service to business.” Manchester. The route provides a convenient connection to one of the UK’s key industrial “We are absolutely delighted to hubs, with fares available from just £11.99pp partner with the CEF and offer their one way. extensive community of members the opportunity to ‘Fly Local’ with us”, “The budget-friendly service to Manchester added Steve Frazer, Managing Director is available four days per week – Monday, at City of Derry Airport. “We work Wednesday, Friday and Sunday – which offers with our airline partners Loganair and the flexibility of departing at the start of the Ryanair to provide daily connections working week and returning either halfway to the UK, as well as NI award-winning through the week or at the weekend, for anyone tour operator, Travel Solutions, to commuting for work purposes”, explains Steve. offer holiday packages to Spain and Portugal. “The beauty of travelling from City of Derry Airport is the fast, friendly and stress-free “Loganair operates daily services experience where you can proceed from the between CoDA and London Stansted airport carpark, through the single-level access and regular connections to Liverpool, Terminal Building, to your departure gate in less Glasgow, and Edinburgh throughout than 15 minutes”, added Brenda Morgan MBE, the week. The all-inclusive fare system Head of Business Development at City of Derry from Loganair means you can travel Airport. with 15kg checked-in luggage and enjoy in-flight refreshments at no “We will also be offering a special Loyalty extra cost – a huge benefit for anyone Card for the CEF, whereby members can travelling on a weekly basis. avail of 10% discount on Airport Parking and access to the Amelia Earhart Lounge, making “Loganair’s rewards sign up business commuting a much more pleasurable programme, ‘Clan Loganair’, offers experience!” regular passengers the opportunity to build points every time you fly which For more information on the business services you can then use towards a reward available from City of Derry Airport, visit flight of your choice. The airline also www.cityofderryairport.com. offers a ‘FlyFlex’ fare which provides the opportunity to get home earlier, should your plans change, and you can hop on an earlier flight on the same day (subject to seat availability).”

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VISIT DERRY

Visit Derry showcasing North West to the world with new Ambassador Circle As a conferencing, events and meetings destination, Visit Derry aims to showcase the North West as a world-class business hub. Their new Ambassador Circle, launched earlier this year, seeks to promote, and attract more conferences and events to the city region in the coming years. The organisation is now calling on businesses to play their part in bringing the world to Derry~Londonderry, setting out the very best of what we have to offer. Ambassador Circle members are academic and professional leaders who help bid for conferences within their sector that bring economic growth and value to the region. A joint initiative supported by Derry City and Strabane District Council and Tourism Northern Ireland, the Circle is an integral part of Visit Derry’s ambitious strategy to make our region a leading spot for global conferences.

Put simply, we cannot achieve this goal without the hard work and expertise of our partners in the Ambassador Circle”, explains Visit Derry Chief Executive, Odhran Dunne. “When

Members of the new initiative are academic and professional leaders from the North West

John McGrillen, CEO at Tourism NI; Former Mayor of Derry City & Strabane District Council, Alderman Graham Warke; Eimear Callaghan, Head of Programmes at Tourism NI; Odhran Dunne, Chief Executive at Visit Derry

considering where to hold a conference, an association or society can be strongly influenced by the input of a local member. More than 90% of all conferences and events secured here are made through the support of ambassadors, who make vital introductions and influence the decision-making process to host events in the city.” The organisation works with an extensive network of medical, academic, and corporate professionals who promote the city as a conference destination among their connections, colleagues, and clients. They also work within their affiliations with professional bodies, Associations, Societies, and Institutes.

On why businesses should join the Ambassador Circle, Odhran explains the kind of work that businesses in the group are undertaking. “If your work is cutting-edge or you’re making waves in the field, we want you to tell the world. By joining the Ambassador Circle, you can raise the profile of your work and organisation across Ireland, the UK and internationally; build relationships with national and international colleagues; gain professional recognition for world class research and knowledge; and generate substantial revenue to help support the local economy.” With the continued rollout of the Derry City and Strabane City Deal,

VISIT DERRY

It is envisioned that the new Ambassador Circle will bring new conferences and flagship events to the region

there is no better time to express an interest in hosting or bidding for a national or international conference. Our region continues to display excellence in the likes of technology, manufacturing and engineering, medical health and life sciences, creative and digital, and professional services. The work of the Ambassador Circle will ensure that each of these sectors is supported in their continued expansion in the North West. “If you are bidding to bring a conference to support economic recovery, then Visit Derry is here to help”, says Michelle Simpson, Visit Derry Chairman. “Whether you are considering bringing a meeting of 50 people, or a conference of 1,000 people, our team of event experts will support you in creating a successful bid. Through our free advice and assistance, from all things venue sourcing, to hosting site inspections, tailored social programmes and itineraries, we can help you showcase the best both you and the North West have to offer.” Business events and conferences generate mid-week, year-round demand to our venues, hotels, and

hospitality sector. With large-scale events planned for this summer like the Foyle Maritime Festival and Clipper Race, it is envisioned that, by bringing the likes of international businesses and trade bodies to our shores, the North West can continue to be a tourism hotspot for both domestic and foreign visitors. Addressing regional imbalance has always been an integral ask of trade bodies across our region. When the new initiative was first announced last year, it was ensured that Visit Derry would be working closely with Visit Belfast, Invest NI, and Tourism NI in the delivery of the Ambassador Circle. By working closely in collaboration with all regions, this initiative will seek to truly harness the education, research and talent that defines the North West economy, bringing about more prosperity for all. Reflecting upon his vision for the new body, Odhran is confident that this will be a game-changer for tourism recovery and economic development. “As well as providing immediate economic benefits, business events which we hope to bring in provide a high-profile opportunity to

showcase Northern Ireland as a place to invest and do business. We firmly believe that the Ambassador Circle now marks a new era of collaboration between tourism, economic development, education and research that will be a game-changer for Derry~Londonderry.” Industry leaders like you have invested heavily in this place and its people. Now, Visit Derry are asking you to play your part in bringing the world to the North West and showcasing the very best of what we have to offer. For more information on joining the Ambassador Circle, please contact: matt.doherty@visitderry.com visit www.visitderry. com/conferencing/ ambassadorcircle or call +44 2871 377577.

NORTH WEST REGIONAL COLLEGE

Stepping up to the plate Industry demand for trained staff is increasing, and it’s a fantastic sector to be a part of. “We are committed to continuing to work with employers adapting our courses to their needs, training future employees, and promoting the huge benefits of working in hospitality.” In February 2022, NWRC launched the four-week Chef Bootcamp, fully funded by ERAP (the Economic Recovery Action Plan Funding through the Department for the Economy).

Denzil Browne is the lecturer leading NWRC’s new courses in Food Photography

Ten budding chefs have completed a four-week bootcamp at North West Regional College (NWRC) where they were trained by the best in the hospitality industry.

“For many years NWRC has been the ‘go to’ place for expert training in Hospitality Services and Professional Cookery, as well as courses in Travel and Tourism”, she said.

The four-week intensive course is one of many new and specialised courses in Hospitality being offered by the college at campuses in Strand Road and Limavady. They include Food Photography, Chocolate Skills, Bread, Pastry, and Desserts, Patisserie and Confectionery Skills, and Barista Skills.

“Students train in industry-standard kitchens and work in the college’s three restaurants – the Flying Clipper Brasserie, Flying Clipper Fine Dining Restaurant, and Garnett’s Limavady, as well as our Barista coffee shops.

Leyonia Davey, NWRC’s Curriculum Manager for Hospitality and Catering, said the courses are a direct response to demand from industry for trained and experienced staff.

“The pandemic has changed circumstances for many, and an increasing number of people are on the hunt for a new job or considering a change in career. “The hospitality and tourism industry in Northern Ireland is growing and gaining internal recognition for top-quality talent.

Successful applicants were given the opportunity to achieve industryrelevant qualifications, develop valuable kitchen skills, and gain a vital understanding of how a commercial kitchen operates. As well as work placement, participants received training in skills required to work in a kitchen, including knife cutting techniques, practical food preparation, identifying cuts of meat, and commercial kitchen processes. “Our focus, as always, is on skills, qualifications, and industry insight”, Leyonia continued. “Delivered onsite by the college’s own lecturers at NWRC, the Chef Bootcamp was a new initiative that provided participants with the opportunity to gain practical skills and experience in food preparation and basic cookery, alongside qualifications in Food Safety and Food Allergen Awareness. “We were also delighted to welcome well-known chefs Derek

Students take part in NWRC’s four week Chef Bootcamp

Creagh, and Brian McDermott to the college to deliver a masterclass to the students, and Paul Sharkey, Executive Head Chef from Bishop’s Gate Hotel who gave students a talk on his career in the hospitality industry. “Students celebrated the completion of the Bootcamp with a gala dinner preparing all the food themselves, allowing them to showcase their new skills to invited guests and employers. The quality of the food was superb. It is amazing to see those skills cultivated at the NWRC to produce that quality of food.” Following the Bootcamp, NWRC hosted a Chef Taster Week offering a unique insight into life as a chef. This intensive one-week taster course allowed participants to learn from industry experts and included masterclasses by locally renowned chefs. NWRC is now an expert barista training centre delivering the City and Guilds Level 2 award in Barista Skills to industry, taught by Gareth O’Connor. The qualification allows students to create handcrafted

beverages, understand the history of coffee and the coffee bean, and perfect the techniques required by a modern barista. NWRC also became the first college in Northern Ireland to offer an accredited Food Photography course, running at both Strand Road and Limavady campus, where students learn how to create beautiful, vibrant food shots. The course is open to everyone, especially those with an interest in food blogging, businesses, chefs, and current hospitality students. “Food photography has never been more important in terms of business, marketing, and social media”, explains Leyonia. “Capturing the perfect image, in the right setting, in the correct way, can make all the difference to chefs or bloggers trying to reach a wider audience. “The college is delighted to collaborate with OCN and our colleagues in our School of Art and Design to deliver this course which will develop the much-in-demand skills of food photography.

“NWRC worked with OCN to write the qualification for the course and recently we worked with OCN to write the qualification for the Level 2 Bakery and Patisserie Techniques course which is currently running part-time in Limavady.” NWRC is also delighted to announce that the Level 2 qualification in Professional Cookery will become a traineeship from September helping students to gain work experience as well as acquiring digital skills and project-based learning. The college’s Hospitality and Catering Department is continuing to grow and develop. NWRC offers a huge array of full and part-time courses including Hospitality Services, Professional Cookery, and Travel and Tourism. For more information on Hospitality and Catering courses at NWRC log on to www.nwrc.ac.uk and for further details on how the BSC can help your business contact businesssupport@ nwrc.ac.uk.

ULSTER UNIVERSITY

BSc (Hons) in Business Analytics helping students and businesses succeed in the future of work From Citibank to PwC, graduates from the Ulster University Business School’s BSc (Hons) Business Analytics course are now front-and-centre in the dynamic world of global business. This undergraduate degree at the Magee campus is focused on in-demand skills like analytics, software development, and internet technologies, granting students a truly future-proof career pathway.

“Students on the course are offered opportunities for paid internships and placements locally and globally, so they really gain that practical experience required to succeed as an analyst”, says Course Director, Dr Christopher McLaughlin. “The course provides them with the transferable Dr Christopher McLaughlin, and technical BSc (Hons) Business Analytics skills attractive to Course Director employers in our ever-changing world of work. By working with real businesses and community Business analytics is a set of disciplines organisations, the graduates we produce and technologies for solving business can go straight into leading employers problems using data analytics, statistical across the North West, the UK, and methods, and other quantitative Ireland”. methods. It involves a methodical exploration of an organisation’s data, BSc (Hons) Business Analytics has been with an emphasis on statistical analysis, a recipient of the Ulster University to drive decision-making. This Business Academic Excellence Award. The Analytics course offers students a direct course provides a supporting learning pathway into the tech, professional environment and has achieved high services, manufacturing, and public results in the national student survey. Dr sectors, and is facilitated by leaders with McLaughlin believes that the full impact strong industry links in both teaching of the course has yet to be realised and and research. has encouraged businesses to consider

what analytics could add to their work. “Business analytics is a vital decisionmaking tool used daily by businesses across the world, but it’s use locally is somewhat behind”, Dr McLaughlin said. “Data-driven companies treat data as their business asset and actively use it to their competitive advantage. Businesses may use KPIs, but predictive and prescriptive analysis are equally if not more important when analysing the state of your business.” Graduates from the course will go on to pursue managerial or consultancy careers in the business or technology sector, guided by the skills and expertise they have developed over the 3-4 year course. With placement opportunities available for local employers, this course will help both students and businesses thrive in the emerging analytics-focused working world. To find out more about the courses available at the Ulster University Business School, visit https://www.ulster.ac.uk/ faculties/ulster-university-businessschool/global-business-and-enterprise or contact uubsmagee@ulster.ac.uk.

ANITA DELIVERY

Anita Delivery delivering for local communities Most businesses who started up only for a pandemic to shut everything down weeks later would have cursed their luck. But for Derry-based Anita Delivery and its Founder and CEO Joseph McVeigh, a negative was quickly turned into a positive. Established supermarket chains have their own delivery services, but for those who get their groceries and bits and pieces from local shops or businesses, Anita Delivery provides a valuable service. With the early days of the pandemic meaning that many were wary of venturing out to get their supplies, Anita Delivery soon found its app buzzing.

“I set the business up four weeks before the pandemic”, explains Joseph. “So we had to keep it going and I was doing deliveries myself from seven in the morning to 11.30 at night – seven days a week for about three months.”

“It’s strange but the pandemic definitely helped business. But Anita was going to work, no matter what. This is a massive thing for shops and places like England and America – it just hadn’t been done here”, explains Joseph.

From humble beginnings, Anita Delivery now has 18 delivery drivers and plenty of local businesses under their belt including Nearby on Spencer Road, Clooney Meats, Urban Ivy Aromas, Carraig Off Licence, Vivo on Abercorn Road, and Shop 48 in Skeoge.

Anita Delivery also gives back to the community. “We have a donation button on our own Anita Delivery app for customers to make a donation to local charities. Both ourselves and our customers have donated just over £1000 to Foyle Food Bank and £600 to Foyle Search and Rescue so far.”

Joseph admits that the pandemic provided him with the opportunity to provide a much-needed service, but insists that Anita’s success would still have taken off given that people were reliant on the business.

Download the Anita Delivery app now for free on the App Store and Google Play, contact hello@anita.delivery for more information, or visit anita.delivery

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We lead, others follow 33

AIR COOL ENGINEERING

‘Cool’ Work Placement Inspires Single Parent on a Career Path to Senior Position From pricing projects, ordering equipment, and organising engineers to be onsite at the crack of dawn, it is all in a day’s work for air cool engineering NI’s Senior Estimator, Louise Martin. However, looking back to 2008, life and work for Louise was very different. That year, with two young children, Louise signed up to the Government’s Lone Parent Programme. The employment initiative gave her the opportunity to complete a six month work placement. Armed with nine GCSEs, no work experience or clear career ambitions, Louise joined Limavady based heating, ventilation, and air conditioning contractor air cool engineering NI as a General Admin Assistant. “Our company has always been passionate about ‘growing our own talent’ from within the business”, says Martin Mullan, Managing Director of air cool engineering NI. “Louise was placed with us not knowing what career path to follow. The six-month work placement was the perfect gateway into a career in the HVAC sector for her.” Louise’s six-month work placement saw her work in several departments. At the end of her placement, the company offered Louise a permanent position in the Estimating, Design

Louise is inspiring younger colleague Kyle Eakin to further his knowledge in Building Services

and Construction department. She said, “From my very first day with air cool engineering NI, I was encouraged, supported and even challenged to expand my skill set and advance my studies.” In 2010, the company After joining the company in 2008, Louise is now a Senior Estimator at air cool engineering NI encouraged Louise to study part-time for a Foundation Degree in Building to our needs, and to train them to Services and Renewable Energy plug specific skills and experience at South West College. The HVAC gaps. Ongoing investment in my business further supported Louise staff futureproofs the business. I’m to achieve a BEng Honours Degree very proud of Louise’s continued in Building Services and Sustainable commitment and contribution to the Energy in 2020. business. She has achieved so much over the last 14 years, and has actively Louise added, “The degree was inspired others to develop personally, aligned to my job, enabling me professionally, and academically.” to focus on live projects, and gain a deeper understanding of the For more information, visit global need for all businesses to aircoolengineering.co.uk or get in prioritise sustainability and actively touch at +44 (0)28 777 67114 or play their part in reducing energy sales@ni.aircool.co.uk consumption.” Martin Mullan said, “As a business we have a great opportunity to inspire and shape our workforce according

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One of the company’s innovations during the pandemic included supervised antigen testing over Zoom

testing experts JACE Medical set to expand into new markets post-Covid 36

When Consultant Intensivist Dr John T Doherty started JACE Medical twelve years ago, neither he nor anyone else could have anticipated the global health emergency that would hit our shores eight years later. Dr Doherty worked in intensive care on the front-line of the pandemic, witnessing the devastation of Covid-19 each day in Altnagelvin Hospital. Seeing the need for increased testing provision, John turned JACE Medical from a blood-testing company to one specialising in Covid-19 almost overnight, and has not looked back since. “Having worked closely with local labs over the course of my career, I knew the challenge in scaling testing facilities to the numbers required by the pandemic”, John says. “In the last two years, we have helped some of the Ireland’s leading companies, ranging from the likes of Intel, Seagate, Amazon, and many more, with their testing requirements. Our facilities helped keep employees safe and sites open, crucial for many companies who could not send their staff home.” JACE Medical have gone from virtual anonymity to being the largest private sector testing company in Ireland. Recruiting 80 local healthcare staff over the course of the

JACE MEDICAL

JACE Medical recently won the NW Excellence in Innovation Award at the North West Business Awards

pandemic, the testing provider utilised innovative technology to streamline the process, developing software solutions for mass testing and Covid-19 management in the workplace. This included the development of an app, use of QR codes to register those being tested, and even supervised antigen tests over Zoom. As the pandemic subsides, John and the team are looking towards expanding into pastures new. “While we are still busy with Covid-19 travel testing, we recognise the need to diversify our service to this new post-Covid world”, he explains. “Any profits we make we are using to invest into the local economy and to innovate our products. In the coming months we will have our own HQ in the North West, and we will create 30 new positions in the company in the next year.” Among the new offering is corporate medicals, where the JACE Medical team will provide companies large or small with bespoke health checks assessing their overall wellbeing. Utilising the latest cutting-edge technology, the team have already been working closely with the likes of Phoenix Gas to help develop a new system that tracks employee welfare. John’s brother, and JACE Medical Marketing Director, Donal Doherty, said, “Alongside our work with companies,

As JACE Medical grows, the company is still working in sectors including Covid-19 travel testing

we are also set to launch a new private ambulance service for the North West. We envisage working closely with the NHS to help address the growing backlog of ambulance care, especially regarding transport to-and-from different hospitals. Event hire, too, will be an integral aspect of the new service.” Individual health has become a hot topic since the pandemic began. From cholesterol to carbs, many of us have began to think twice about our diet and lifestyle choices. A brand-new service JACE Medical are offering is home blood testing, where with a prick of your finger you can find out what you need to do to better your health. With this market set to expand significantly over the coming years, Donal sees huge potential in this innovation. “Your blood paints a vivid picture of your overall health”, he explains, “telling you if you need more sleep, increased vitamin uptake, or more exercise. We are using the data that your blood gives us to create individual health dashboards so you can see what progress you’re making towards your health goals. And with it being compatible with the likes of an Apple Watch, it is highly accessible.” Regardless of the new ventures, for Derry natives John and Donal, the most important thing is to be giving back to the local economy. A team of five

currently, their hiring of 30 new staff from the North West will ensure that any profits made are circulated throughout the local economy as the company expands. Looking ahead, JACE Medical founder John believes that the short-term impact of the pandemic is now giving way to a long-term transformation in how people view their health. He hopes that, by providing local companies with their innovative new services, they too can bring a new lease of life to their employees. John said, “Covid-19 made us all stop in our tracks and reconsider our health. People now realise that by taking the time to undertake a medical, or try a blood test, you can start to rethink how you view your life choices. Companies who have invested in testing are now looking to use that same funding to improve the welfare of their staff. This is positive. But it is just the beginning.” To get in touch with the JACE Medical team, visit www.jacemedical.co.uk email hello@jacemedical.co.uk or call 0333 4041 999.

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OUR PARTNERS

CONSULT HR

Consult HR launches ‘one stop shop’ for HR support Leading North West HR professionals, Consult HR, have produced a new and innovative ‘one-stop-shop’ for businesses to effectively manage and handle all their HR obligations. The new Consult HR Members Vault will provide guidance and assistance, off-the-shelf tools and techniques, and a vast array of documents to help business owners spend less time on HR and more time on running their own businesses. Designed and developed by Consult HR founder Julie Pollock, the Consult HR Members Vault was created with the sole purpose to make the management of staff and employees easy for business owners. With over 25 years’ experience working in human resources, Julie has focused the last 15 years on helping managers and business owners like herself with staffing issues, providing them with long-lasting solutions and helping them avoid costly mistakes down the line.

“I’m delighted to be launching this new product which I have no doubt will add serious value for so many of my existing clients and other local businesses”, says Julie. “I know from my own experience as a small business owner that you start out with a burning passion or a great idea. “Quite quickly, however, the realities of owning a business dawn on you, and all the other obligations that go with entrepreneurship like hiring and managing staff, doing your taxes, and sorting your insurance come into play. It was with this in mind that I created the Consult HR Members Vault, as it was clear my clients and other businesses like them were crying out for support which would allow them to free up more time and focus more on their day jobs.” The Members Vault makes managing your staff as easy and straightforward as possible. It includes ‘how to’ guides on everything from handing absenteeism to terminating an employment contract;

quick checklists which lay out key tasks and milestones and keep you on track; several template forms which help you keep track of absences or leave requests; downloadable staff management systems; and a full, comprehensive library of letters which can be sent to your staff members but which you don’t have to spend time writing. “I was introduced to Julie through my accountancy firm and we were so thankful for her HR expertise, especially during lockdown. Julie continues to keep us abreast of all legal HR requirements in the ever-changing world of furlough and job schemes, always there to advise us”, explains Grainne Kelly, Chief Executive of BubbleBum. “Her answers are always concise without the fluff and the information updates she regularly shares with us pre-empt most issues before we even get to that stage which is really helpful. Her direct, yet personable, manner makes her a pleasure to work with and I would have no hesitation in recommending her for any and all HR needs.” Julie says the new product, which will launch in the coming weeks and is open to businesses of all shapes and sizes, will really help companies keep focused on their own products and services. “Compliance, HR, and employment law and obligations can be a real headache. But the Members Vault is designed to reduce as much stress as possible for business owners and give them the time and freedom to focus on what they excel at and be the best entrepreneurs they can be.” For more information, contact Julie at julie@consulthr.co.uk, call 07858 089006, or visit www.consulthr.co.uk

The FinTrU team after winning NW Large Business of the Year

Return of the North West Business Awards! After two long years off due to the pandemic, the North West Business Awards returned for its 20th year in June! Celebrating the best in business throughout the Derry and Strabane Council area, the Awards took place at the City Hotel on Friday 17th June.

The North West Business Awards returned for their 20th year in 2022

Chamber President Aidan O’Kane addresses the North West Business Awards

It was an evening celebrating the strength and innovation in the North West with lots of surprises and recognition for local businesses. The awards were sponsored by Derry City and Strabane District Council and invited nominations from businesses and entrepreneurs operating within the council area. The award organisers, City Centre Initiative (CCI) and Londonderry Chamber of Commerce thanked everyone who nominated, supported, and attended the event this year and said it was an evening of celebration, respect, and appreciation for some of the most industrious businesses and entrepreneurs within the region. The big winner of the evening in the Business/Entrepreneur of the Year

Find Insurance’s Colin Mullan with Ceara Ferguson (CCI), Peter McVerry (U105), and Anna Doherty (Londonderry Chamber)

category was Little Acorns Bookstore. Founded in 2010 by Jenni Doherty, Little Acorns Bookstore was borne of a market stall of 100 books. From humble beginnings, the bookstore on Foyle Street now boasts a stock of over 45,000 books and has a strong online presence. During the ceremony, a message was read from Derry Girls writer Lisa McGee, explaining why the bookstore deserved the prestigious title. “In our industry, reading books is not only our love and joy but also crucial to us as film and tv makers. Creative writers inspire each other and drive our imagination”, Lisa wrote. “Most

NORTH WEST BUSINESS AWARDS

successful films come from books and the existence of independent book stores, keep literature alive and are cornerstones for communities. The White Horse Hotel picked up two awards, NW Restaurant of the Year and NW Hotel of the Year

“Personally, I am delighted that this business is receiving the accolade it deserves. Not only for the business itself but for others working within the arts, this gives recognition to them all, that they can be a vital piece to our economy and tourism. Congratulating the winners, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Sandra Duffy, said, “I want to extend my congratulations to all who were shortlisted for the North West Business Awards and all Jenni Doherty from Little Acorns who picked up accolades this evening. Bookstore, winner of the Overall NW These businesses are playing a hugely Business/Entrepreneur of Year important role in driving the local economy and adding to the diversity of exciting products and services available here in the North West. They are an inspiration to anyone setting out in the business world. This is an exciting time for Derry and Strabane, with our City Deal plans afoot and the opportunities this will bring for both local business and those Mayor of Derry and Strabane Cllr Sandra Duffy who choose to invest in our addresses the North West Business Awards skilled and talented people.” Jim Roddy, Chief Executive of CCI, speaking on behalf of the organisers added, “I would like to extend my sincere thanks to our main sponsor, Derry City and Strabane District Council and our category sponsors for supporting local business and their achievements, without them we would not be able to host these awards. “Selecting winners from the nominations we receive is always very difficult and our panel of judges worked rigorously through the nominations to select very worthy winners for these awards. Not only our winners, but those shortlisted should be very proud to represent the best of the North West this year. To those who didn’t make the shortlist, we encourage you to keep applying, 2023 could be the year for you all!”

Nominees of the Young Business Person of the Year with winner, Ben Sayers (Bearney Nurseries)

Contribution to the NW Economy winner Brian O’Neill (Enterprise NW) with Anna Doherty (Londonderry Chamber) and Brenda Morgan (CoDA)

The 2022 North West Business Award Winners Young Business Person of the Year – Ben Sayers, Bearney Nurseries NW Pub of The Year – The Grand Central Bar NW Restaurant of the Year – Best Western Plus White Horse Hotel NW Retailer of the Year Award – Ferry Clever NW Hotel of the Year – Best Western Plus White Horse Hotel NW Creative Industries Business of the Year – In Your Space Circus Award for Contribution to the NW Economy – Enterprise North West Visit Derry Ambassadors Award – IASP Ambassadors: Siobhan O’Neill, Rory O’Connor and Barry McGale NW Excellence in Innovation Award – JACE Medical NW Green Business of the Year – Ethical Weigh Best Use of Marketing, Digital or Social Media – Ferry Clever NW Food Hero – Hidden City Café NW Business Hero – John Harkin, Alchemy Technology Services NW Small Business of the Year – Find Insurance NI NW Large Business of The Year - FinTrU Overall NW Business or Entrepreneur of Year – Little Acorns Bookstore

PAKFLATT

World leaders in accessible election equipment Our people, our customers and suppliers Located in Springtown Industrial Estate since August 1981, the company employs just under 20 full time local people, many who have worked for the company for the majority of their working lives. We are specialists in the elections industry and continually endeavour to make political elections accessible for every citizen. We do business with every UK and Irish Returning Officer and have distributors in the USA and Europe. We enjoy a reputation for innovation and reliable problem solving. Our accessible election equipment is regarded as best in class with a dominant presence across all our markets.

assist the company with our research and development activities. The disciplines included are general engineering, product design, graphic design, digital animation, and substantial manufacturing process experience and expertise. But the available expertise is not limited to engineering. Business and financial expertise are constantly there to support the board of the company on matters of planning investment and strategy.

Our Derry Operation

We maintain strong working relationships with our key supply chain partners in the UK and Ireland with relationships of mutual dependence that started in the 1980s and continue to grow and prosper.

Our Innovation Group In 2007, Managing Director Patrick McGonagle developed an innovation group of specialists to

Our Springtown factory is a world class facility with a sophisticated CNC machining centre providing high quality precision engineering on the hundreds of thousands of metal components that we produce annually. Our specialist RimMix polyurethane injection plant enables us to take comparatively light weight plastic blow moulded components and convert them into high stress and load bearing structures for our MXB Kiosk Range which is offered exclusively by our US Distributor.

PAKFLATT

Our Distributors Our exclusive US distributor since 2012 is based in Evanston, Illinois, and as a result of their expertise in the US market, our products are being used in some 1400 counties across all 50 states and three US National Territories. Our European Distributor is based in Roche La Moliere in the RhoneAlps region of Southern France. We have teamed with them in recent years to take full advantage of the significant benefits of our being in the European Union for goods. Our cargos ship effortlessly from Dublin to Cherbourg with a minimum of red tape, using our white glove courier service where the driver who loads in Derry delivers in France.

Our External Resources Pakflatt (UK) Ltd has contractual arrangements with several external resources who manufacture some of our patented products under license and provide service to our customers. We have a plant in Hampshire that has historically manufactured our specialist Tactile Voting Devices since 2001. We have cardboard engineering partners in Yorkshire who manufacture and distribute a range of our products directly to our UK and international customer base. We have a service facility in

StratfordUpon-Avon that provides contracted repair and parts replacement services to our UK customer base.

Our Intellectual Property Assets Pakflatt has multiple Patents in Ireland, the UK, European Union and the United States, granting the company the right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or importing without our authority any of our protected products. These rights can remain in force for up to 20 years from the date of publication. Pakflatt also has multiple Trademarks which are awarded when a mark is deemed to have acquired distinctiveness. Trademark rights can remain in force for the life of the mark, providing it remains commercially active. The United States has two Trademark Registers, the Supplemental & Principal. The much sought after Principal Register has a high bar to entry, being limited to marks with no less than five years continuous use in commerce. Furthermore, the five year anniversary of a Principal Registration makes it eligible for “incontestability” status.

been accorded incontestability status with another two pending and expected to go to grant later in 2022.

constant innovation The new Elections Act 2022 is now in force, having received Royal Assent on 28 April 2022. This new law mandates assistance in voting for persons with disabilities. The ‘Relevant Persons’ identified in the Act are citizens with visual and cognitive disabilities. Our R&D team is already preparing for the launch later this year of the “McGonagle® Reader’, a new and exciting patented invention that on polling day will enable these previously excluded groups to vote independently and in secret like every other citizen.

A US Principal Registration is widely regarded as a lifetime achievement. The Pakflatt company has four Principal registrations, two of which have already

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Helen McDonnell, Principal Coach, IndigoLife Coaching

Ever sit down to do a piece of work, only to frustrate yourself, get distracted, and achieve little? If that sounds familiar, you are not alone. Far from it. In this modern world, the constant pressure, stress, and disruption can easily leave our thinking spaces in unhealthy, unproductive states. And while we go through the motions of our roles every day expecting things to change, they rarely do. There’s a quote for everything, and Nancy Kline once said, ‘The quality of everything we do depends on the quality of the thinking we do first.’ Each day you might be hit with KPIs, sales targets, and so on. While the emphasis is often on productivity, we tend to measure effectiveness by what is done, not how we did it and our thought process behind it. You may wonder, well, why is that important? I got it done, didn’t I? For many of the world’s top-performing Executives, just getting it done doesn’t cut it. Instead, they take the time to think, understand, and focus on the task at hand. And that doesn’t mean holding endless meetings. It means giving yourself that reflective thinking space. It means taking ten minutes to yourself during your day to calm your mind. It means empowering yourself and getting the best out of your career.

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Executive coaching is a simple but effective tool that can transform how you go about your day. But don’t take my word for it. I recently asked clients for their feedback on their experience with me on the course, with one saying, “Meeting with Helen enables me to have a sounding board to work through my business, helping me focus on being the leader my company deserves. Helen brings a certain perspective to everyday life that we often forget.” With space to think and talk freely, these sessions offer the confidential, reflective thinking space that many of us overlook in our professional lives. As things settle down post-pandemic, maybe now is the time you put your best foot forward and ‘think again’ about your daily routine. Contact me for a free no obligation conversation to explore whether coaching is something that could support you in your development. You can email me at helen@ indigolifecoaching.com or call me on 07719302988.

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The largest commercial insurance broker in Northern Ireland

For more information please contact: Kieran Hurley ACII Chartered Insurance Broker E: kieran.hurley@uk.lockton.com T: +44 (0)78 2666 4810 global.lockton.com Lockton Companies LLP. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

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TRANSLINK

Translink on the road to a better ‘CONNECTED’ North West High quality public transport is essential for the economic, environmental, and social wellbeing of everyone in our community. Translink, led by Group Chief Executive Chris Conway, is committed to the ongoing transformation of the public transport network across Northern Ireland, including in the North West region. In keeping with its commitment to achieving a net-zero public transport network by 2040, Translink is looking forward to the introduction of its fleet of battery-electric vehicles, both single and double-deck, on its Foyle Metro routes in 2023. The company is delivering its first fully battery electric city bus fleet anywhere in the UK or Ireland, requiring a substantial investment in its infrastructure. To that end, it will be undertaking the installation of electrical charging points at Pennyburn depot in the city to facilitate this shift. The reliability and improvement of the vital inter-city rail corridor is a priority for Translink, and it is working with the Department for Infrastructure to enhance the track and signalling infrastructure between Derry~Londonderry and Belfast, which has the potential to improve frequency and journey times. The company also await the publication of the findings of the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, with potential impacts on greater

A fleet of battery-electric vehicles will be introduced to the Foyle Metro routes next year

all-island connectivity The North West Transport Hub has won a series of awards for its innovative design and expansion of the network, including to the benefit of the North West. The North West Transport Hub itself, in operation since 2019, continues to inspire as a source of civic pride. The Hub has won prestigious awards at all levels, including the National Rail Heritage Award for Best Overall Entry, an EU REGIOSTARS award for Best Regional Project, and Sustainability, Design and Conservation awards from the Royal Society of Ulster Architects. The project, supported by the EU’s INTERREG VA fund and the Department for Infrastructure, has restored a much-loved 19th Century listed building and linked it to active and sustainable travel across the region. Working with Sustrans and North West Greenways Network, Translink has also facilitated an Active Travel Centre at the Hub, which will see the delivery of a range of walking and cycling projects focused on the site, helping to deliver sustainable transport options at all levels.

In the years ahead, Translink’s focus right across its network will be on the role of public transport as an individual’s first choice for travel, today for tomorrow. Translink Group Chief Executive, Chris Conway, said, “The pandemic has made us realise what is important in our lives, as well as shining a spotlight on issues around climate and air quality. Climate change remains the biggest threat we all face, and air pollution is a clear risk to personal health. Public transport will be vital to combat climate change, decarbonise our cities and towns and drive the change towards a healthier, more active, and better quality of life for future generations.” “As our society rebuilds after the pandemic, public transport in the North West and beyond faces challenges. But they are challenges Translink is well placed to meet”, he explains. Its ambition is a better connected future for everyone, and in the years ahead, will seek to make Northern Ireland and the North West a leading location for sustainable transport. For more information, visit: www.translink.co.uk.

WHITE HORSE HOTEL

White Horse Hotel – Natural choice for local businesses With first-class conferencing facilities for up to 600 guests, the White Horse Hotel has established an excellent reputation for hosting events of all sizes. Our venue has welcomed political dignitaries, TV celebrities, and sporting legends, but we take care to ensure every function - whether it’s a small boardroom meeting or a huge gala dinner - receives the VIP treatment. We pride ourselves on our professionalism and staff training. Our friendly team can work with your unique requirements and budget, and assist with seating layouts, free high speed WIFI, audio visual equipment, administrative and technical support. Our award-winning restaurant is also at your service to create bespoke menu plans and everything from homemade scones and classic light lunches to hearty hog roasts and oneof-a-kind banquets.

With decades of experience staging conferences and special occasions, the White Horse Hotel can provide expertise each step of the way to help make your event a success.

Location Our convenient location is just 1015 minutes’ drive from the historic walled city of Derry-Londonderry, where the Wild Atlantic Way meets the Causeway Coast. We are easily accessible by road from Belfast and Dublin, with many free car parking spaces, and plenty of room for coaches. We are also the nearest hotel to the City of Derry Airport, just three miles away. Belfast International Airport can be reached in 80 minutes, and George Best Belfast City Airport in just 90 minutes.

Conference and event facilities Our flexible range of conference spaces includes two large suites (and one of the biggest hotel suites in Derry-Londonderry) with capacity for hundreds of delegates, a smaller suite for up to 30 delegates, and an intimate boardroom for meetings of up to 20 people. With capacity for up to 600 guests, plus its own private bar, reception area, and toilet facilities, our Willsboro Suite is ideal for large conferences, exhibitions, banquets, and fashion shows. The hotel has a variety of AV presentation equipment to help your event run smoothly, such as roving microphones and podium microphones, screens, projectors, recording and live streaming capabilities. Staging is also available, and extra equipment can be hired in at additional cost. High speed, complimentary WIFI is also available throughout the hotel with our own dedicated line. For more information or to make a booking, visit whitehorsehotel.biz

BUSINESS ADVICE

business advice

Lorraine O’Malley

Adviser, Cross Border Partnership for Employment Services organisations, and public sector bodies should now be asking different questions at board meetings.

Sean McDermott Owner, LoughTec

HOW SECURE IS YOUR COMPANY NETWORK?

Cybercrime - the new certainty to sit alongside death and taxation. The sooner we accept that its threat is ever-present and not a one-off, the better for everyone. More often than not, the security breaches reported in the media tend to focus on the large multinational corporations which might in some way suggest that they are the most vulnerable to attack. The truth, however, is that your business is just as likely to be subjected to a cyberattack. Truth is, as you read this article, your company network may already be breached and you won’t even know. Scare tactics? Unfortunately not some businesses we have dealt with would bear testimony to that, if they were ever willing to talk about the problems they have encountered openly. According to UK Government figures published in March 2022, almost 40% of UK businesses identified that their business had suffered an attack. Decisionmakers at SMEs, enterprise-scale

Instead of “Do we have a problem?”, the question must now become “How quickly can we find the problem?” Our advice to any business owner is to consider that your business is already under attack or has already been hacked and start from there. There will be no big bang - not even a sniff of a warning. In fact, some of the threats might only make themselves known weeks or months after they have accessed your company network via an email, unauthorised download, open port, or corrupt USB stick. It’s time to start asking some tough questions. Consider the impact that a data breach would have on your business. The average ransoms this year, so far, increased 89% from £6,733 to £12,762. The average number of days to address an attack has risen from 6.2 to 7.3 days. Downtime has risen 47%, resulting in an average downtime cost of £64,645. How would seven days of network downtime impact the productivity of your sales team, your production facility, accounts at month-end, or your overall customer service? What if seven days of downtime was the best-case scenario for your business? Always expect to be targeted. Understand that your company network is already open to attack and just because you can’t see the threat, doesn’t mean it isn’t there. Start asking the right questions about your business and don’t be afraid of the answers - fear will come from doing nothing.

ALL CHANGE FOR THE EURES CROSS BORDER PARTNERSHIP

After almost 25 years in existence, the EURES Cross border Partnership Ireland – Northern Ireland will cease to exist. The partnership had been a member of the European Employment Services family and is one of around ten partnerships across the EU, made up of representatives from government bodies, chambers of commerce, trade unions, and employer organisations from both sides of the border. The EURES Cross Border Partnership has always supported cross border workers, jobseekers, and employers from both sides of the border. Funded and backed by the European Commission, it has provided a network of advisers to help workers with their queries, jobseekers to find jobs, and employers to widen their net in their search for workers. The Partnership has supported and facilitated the free movement of workers and jobseekers. However, when the UK exited the EU, funding to support the programme from EURES ceased on 31 December 2021. The good news, however, is that the Cross Border Partnership will continue to operate, under the new name of the Cross Border Partnership for Employment Services (CBPES). Funding will be provided from the Department of Social Protection (Ireland) and the Department for Communities (Northern Ireland). With the partners remaining the same, the adviser network will continue to be as strong and vibrant as it has in the past and will continue to offer similar services to the cross-border worker, jobseeker, and employer, as it has done for over 20 years. The value of the Cross Border Partnership cannot be underestimated, and it will continue to offer support to employers, workers, and jobseekers in the North West region, as well as across the whole border area.

BUSINESS ADVICE

More details to follow in the coming weeks but keep an eye on our website and social media for further updates.

surface and came up with the solution of giving each team member a stylus to use to clock in instead of using their hands. In a hotel we have multiple tills and screens with touch screen surfaces – a different industry facing the same risks. We took Fleming Agri’s idea and made it work for us, issuing each team member and each hotel guest with a pen that had a biro at one end and a stylus at the other.

Selina Horshi

Managing Director, White Horse Hotel LESSONS FROM THE PANDEMIC

Speaking at a recent Ulster Bank webinar, I reflected on what I had learned about doing business through a pandemic. From the point of view of hospitality, we were certainly hard hit. We had to adapt to operate and enhance to survive. By looking at what we learned I hope I can take some lessons into 2022/ 2023 as we face the uncertainties of inflation, workforce shortages, and war.

Inspiration from afar When Covid-19 was first breaking out across the UK and Ireland, it had already established itself in other countries especially across Asia. Simultaneously, TikTok was starting to become popular here, but was already strongly used in Asia. By looking at TikTok videos on how hospitality was operating in other countries, we could see what might be coming and cherry pick strong ideas to help our business survive. We also extended our outdoor offering by adding an uncovered beer garden. We were seeing many images of Nordic countries offering this - and if they can brave their weather we were confident that in living with Covid, we would brave ours.

Ideas from other Industries Hospitality was closed at the start of the pandemic, but other industries were open and finding solutions to problems that we hadn’t even considered yet. I remember listening to a Chamber webinar where George Fleming was talking about how he had identified his clocking in station as a multi touchpoint

Your team will have Ideas that never occurred to you The feeling of fear at the start of the pandemic was intense. We didn’t know if our families would survive, never mind our businesses. That panic can be very isolating. You want to protect your team, you want to keep them and support them, but you simply don’t know if it will remain in your power to do so. At some stages of the pandemic, hotels were able to stay open to essential business travelers only. If the decision was made on a spreadsheet, the White Horse would have remained closed. Our Accounts Director pointed out the human cost of being closed. By being even partially open, we maintained the sense of being a team, we kept our staff up to date on Covid-19 protocols, and maintained training.

Michael Rutherford Partner, TOAST Accountants

WHAT IS CLOUD ACCOUNTING ALL ABOUT?

You’ve probably heard the term ‘cloud accounting’ but what does it mean? And, more importantly, why does it benefit your business? Whilst I have seen quite a range of descriptions, in simple terms, it is accounting software hosted on the internet. In some ways it changes nothing but changes everything if that makes sense. The power really comes from one word -

‘integration’. Once you can integrate with other services, such as banking or payment services, you really start to see the benefits. Here are some of the benefits of a cloud-based approach: Automation – Do you ever perform the same task each month and think “there has to be a better way”? Well, there is. Keeping track of your finances can be quite repetitive but this is where automation can help. You can set up rules, so when an event happens you can tell the software what should happen next, whether that’s raising an invoice, chasing a payment, or marking an invoice as paid. Integration - This is where the magic happens. You can connect everything from your bank account, online payments, stock management, CRM, project management, even crop and livestock management and everything in between. No more duplication of information - your systems all talk to each other. Instant Access – You can see all sales, spending, reports, and more, instantly, from anywhere. This is invaluable in terms of planning and identifying problems. Get Paid Faster – You can send invoices on the go or set them up to be sent on the same date every month so you never forget to invoice. You can also easily provide direct debit or online payments with a few simple steps. The system will automatically remind your clients they have an amount outstanding so avoids any awkward conversations as well. Accuracy – Because you are not having to duplicate information and it is coming from the original source, your information is significantly more accurate. Eco Friendly – The days of duplicating invoices and printing all payment receipts will be a thing of the past. With everything possible online, it makes it faster, better for the environment, and, ultimately, better for your business.

DOWN MEMORY LANE

Down Memory Lane Paul McElvaney

Executive Chair, Learning Pool

What age are you? I am 45 years old.

Where in the city are you from? I grew up in Monaghan and moved to Derry in 2003 as an experiment. 19 years later we’re still here, so, I guess it worked!

Explain what your business does Learning Pool empowers workplaces to deliver extraordinary learning outcomes with our suite of innovative technologies. We support more than 1,400 businesses globally to invest in learning experiences that drive essential compliance programmes, onboard new employees, and develop the next generation of leaders.

their way to welcome visitors from the Learning Pool team.

Has the ethos of the business changed over the years?

What is your title and how long have you been in post? Today, my job title is Executive Chairman, but I prefer to think of myself as Founder. I was part of the team that started Learning Pool way back in 2006 and I’ve been here every step of the way since. In that time my role has changed dramatically but I think it’s safe to say I’ve done most of the jobs in the business (badly you might say) at one point or another. These days, I help the team deliver our ambitious growth plan. It’s been a little over a year since I began my current role after Ben Betts stepped into the CEO seat and took over the dayto-day management of the business.

Tell me how your business began We set the business up at my kitchen table around an idea of using online learning to deliver value to some customers that we knew from some consulting work that we were doing. We started by knocking on local authority doors across mainland UK and eventually some people started buying from us. Learning Pool was offering something different – instead of paying fees upfront, organisations would pay an annual fee which reduced their commitment and made our technology and content affordable.

It’s been a very personal journey for me to grow the business to where it is now. These days I work hard to sustain the unique culture we’ve built Learning Pool around while continuing to build great relationships with clients.

What was the city like outside your windows in that era? How has it changed? Derry in 2006 was a very different place to what it is now. I remember bringing my Chief Operating Officer to Derry from the UK around that time and she showed up to work drenched because she couldn’t get a taxi to the office. These days she and I often reflect on how lively, dynamic, and enthusiastic Derry has become since that time. We love bringing people from our global teams together in Derry and they always have a great time. Derry is home for the Learning Pool team regardless of where they are from and the people, the restaurants, bars, and attractions make it easy for us to sustain that. Of course, that, in the end, comes down to the people who go out of

Growing up as a business in Derry we learned quickly that we’d need to hire talent rather than experience. Our first round of hires were young people, mainly from the local area who’d got buckets of energy but hadn’t built a business before. Most of those people are still with us and performing key roles in our success. I think that set the tone for us as a business to look after our team and each other and to always build for future growth. These days we bring a mix of experience and energy into the team. We expect to hire 100 people in the next 12 months and the values of the company are what we use to make the right hiring decisions. I like to think that although Learning Pool has changed dramatically, especially in recent years, the company is still recognisable for what was good when we were finding our feet.

What’s the best bit of business advice you have been given over the years? I’ve benefited from loads of great advice over the years so its hard to call out one example. Something that does stand out though is that when you’re growing a business, especially these days, it can seem difficult to prioritise the important things. I see a lot of founders getting dragged into things like networking in their industry. But the best piece of advice I received was to stick to the only two things that truly matter - your team and your customers. Nothing else matters, particularly when you’re at the early stage of your business journey.

BANK OF IRELAND

Bank of Ireland hosts ‘meet the team’ event to showcase newly modernised Culmore Road branch Eighrean Horner, Culmore Road branch manager, and her team recently welcomed customers and local community organisations from across the city to take a tour of the newly modernised branch followed by a reception.

Customer Wi-Fi has now been rolled out across all Northern Ireland branches meaning that customers and colleagues can use the facility in the main banking hall.

Culmore Road was refurbished and modernised at the end of 2021 and the new look branch is now spread across two floors, creating space for two new private customer consultation rooms.

“Overall we’ve got such a sense of pride in our modern and bright branch and really appreciate the investment the Bank is making”, says Eighrean. “We’ve always had great people, and now we have a great branch to match!”

Other new features include an express banking area with three lodgement ATMs, online booths offering customers access to phone/internet banking, and a light and bright cashier area and digital screens for customer and community messages.

“Customers are so impressed when they enter the branch, and for those who still find themselves shopping in town, we make sure we explain what they can do at the Post Office, which

may be easier and more convenient for them.” This year Bank of Ireland will continue with its investment in the branch network in Northern Ireland with £2.2M committed to continuing the modernisation at pace.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ENGAGE

ENHANCE

INFLUENCE

Directly with current and potential customers, stakeholders and key influencers

Your profile and deliver some of your key messages to a captive business audience

Government policy whilst networking with key influencers and business leaders

APPOINTMENTS

appointments

Londonderry chamber 1. Carolann Doherty Carolann was appointed Member Relations and Business Development Executive in April 2022. Carolann has worked in the financial industry for 19 years, holding numerous posts including Operations Manager and Business Development Officer. Carolann is passionate about Derry and wants to see the North West thrive. She is very people orientated and will assist Chamber members with any queries they may have. 2. Elisha Kealey Elisha Kealey is the Accounts Administrator for Londonderry Chamber of Commerce and started this role in April 2022. She has ten years’ experience working in an accounts department within a small number of companies since graduating from University with a Psychology degree. Elisha is responsible for documenting and reconciling the accounts and processing payments from members and to providers. 3. Wendy McDermott Wendy is the Marketing and Events Coordinator at the Chamber where she oversees coordinating Chamber events and marketing, developing marketing and sales collateral, and interacting with members to offer advice and support as needed. Dedicated to making an impact, she aims to improve engagement and strengthen the Chamber’s digital presence. Wendy gained experience in marketing and events while employed as the Digital Communications and Events Assistant at Seagate Technologies, where she was

also a member of the Smart Nano NI consortium. Wendy is a proud alumnus of Ulster University where she/he earned a degree in Business and Marketing. She was also recognized with The Department of Global Business and Enterprise Aspiring Marketing Graduate Award and EDGE Award.

ChallengeCurve 4. Cathy Harron Cathy Harron has recently been appointed as the Office Manager at ChallengeCurve’s new home in the AMP Incubator, Ebrington Square. Cathy has an extensive 20 years of administrative experience, working across a diverse range of industries in NI, GB, and abroad. Until recently Cathy was one of the many exiles working in Australia and New Zealand. However, after having spent four years abroad, she has now decided to return home to the city. Qualified in Business Administration and IT, Cathy is responsible for several functions in the company, but her main responsibility is to assist staff and customers for seamless business operations. ChallengeCurve wanted to appoint someone with a strong work ethic, who could take on a broad range of activities and build good working relationships. Equally, Cathy was open to a role that was varied, rewarding, and offered her real potential for growth.

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5. Gerard Ryan ChallengeCurve have appointed Gerard Ryan as Sales and Marketing Consultant. Coming from a project management, social media, and marketing background across a vast range of industries internationally, Gerard will be committed to growing the ChallengeCurve brand and helping bring in new business partnerships. Gerard will be key to getting the ChallengeCurve message out there! 6. Cheneen McLaughlin ChallengeCurve have appointed Cheneen McLaughlin as a Test Consultant at their city location. Cheneen joins the ChallengeCurve team with over thirteen years of leadership experience across the retail and logistics sectors. Having previously worked with Primark Stores Ltd as part of their store management team across four markets including the U.K, U.S, the Netherlands, and Belgium, and with Amazon Logistics UK in an Area Manager for Delivery Operations role at their hubs in Belfast and Portadown. Cheneen studied at Ulster University and attended the Magee campus here in Derry where she received a BSc in Business and Accounting. Her first project with ChallengeCurve will be within the Financial Crime & Enhanced Due Diligence squad for our banking client.

APPOINTMENTS

NWRC 7. Helen McGonigal Helen McGonigal has been appointed Skills Development Officer (Training Support) at North West Regional College. Helen previously worked within the college as a lecturer and Senior Learning Support Officer at Learning Link. In her new role, Helen is responsible for coordinating Higher Level Apprenticeships (HLAs), liaising with local employers to create apprenticeship opportunities for new roles, and bridging skills gaps in existing employees. You can contact Helen on helen.mcgonigal@nwrc.ac.uk

Workplus 8. Lucy Marshall Lucy Marshall has joined Workplus as Community Manager. Workplus makes it easier for employers to find apprentices, by providing a single place for applicants to apply, as well as offering a simple, thorough selection process for employers. 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. Workplus’ latest campaign had over 120 apprenticeship opportunities, which received hundreds of applications. Its next campaign runs in August. For further information or to find out about how to become a Workplus member, visit www.workplus.app

HURT

9. Leanne Doherty Leanne Doherty, Business Development and Social Enterprise Manager, for the Charity HURT started her role in December 2021. This is a new role for HURT as well as Leanne and she is very much making it her own. With a clear strategy in which sustainability for the charity is key, Leanne has been developing corporate training campaigns, more strategic charity partnerships, and engaging business on lots of exciting projects. Her previous role as Business Development Manager, within the education and skills agenda for Ireland with Makematic and 12 years with Business in the Community as NI Employability Manager, prioritised purpose driven business and developing innovative partnerships with stakeholders is high on Leanne’s agenda. Leanne was also an account manager supporting companies through developing their corporate social responsibility plans and showcasing responsible business at its best. Leanne is extremely passionate about this agenda, as seeing first-hand the difference it can make in communities. Engaging businesses to create positive outcomes is core to Leanne’s ethos and likes to identify new opportunities to engage.

12 11

McCay Solicitors 11. Andrea McGill Andrea joined the firm in March 2022 and is an Associate Solicitor within our Private Client department specialising in wills and probate and property matters. Andrea graduated from Queen’s University Belfast with a degree in Law in 2014 and graduated from the Graduate School of Professional Legal Education at Ulster University with First Class Honours in 2016 and was thereafter admitted to the Roll of Solicitors in Northern Ireland. Andrea previously practiced at a regional law firm in the North West following qualification. Andrea specialises in the drafting of Wills, the Administration of Estates, the execution of Power of Attorney and Enduring Power of Attorney Instruments, preparation and exercise of Controllership applications and all areas of contentious and non-contentious Probate matters. If you would like to arrange a consultation with Andrea please give us a call on 02871 371705 or email andrea@mccaysolicitors.co.uk.

Catalyst JC Halliday & Sons 10. Shelley Brolly Shelley joined the team at JC Halliday & Sons in December 2021 as Finance Officer. Shelley joins the team with a wealth of over 20 years’ experience in accounting practice throughout a range of organisational sectors, is also a graduate of Ulster University with a BSc Hons In Business & Finance, a fully qualified Accounting Technician and is currently completing her ACCA, which she is due to complete in 2023.

12. Adrian Johnston The former director of Digital Catapult in Northern Ireland has joined Catalyst as Director of Strategic Business Development, a new role created to help Catalyst develop and strengthen strategic partnerships across industry, academia, and government. Adrian has 20 years of industrial experience in advanced semiconductor manufacturing with a focus on collaborative research, technology innovation, automation and AI.

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NEW MEMBERS

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

NEW MEMBERS

Whatever the purpose of your visit to the Millennium Forum, a warm welcome awaits from our dedicated team. Located in the heart of Derry/ Londonderry, We are one of the largest, purposebuilt theatres on the island of Ireland, the Millennium Forum hosts a wide range of live musical and theatrical performances, corporate, and community events and provides space for creative learning for individuals and groups of all abilities.

Harbinson Mulholland are accountants and business advisors based in Belfast and the hosts of the NI Family Business Forum With a team of 50, we work with a wide range of owner managed and family businesses across NI.

JACE Medical provides COVID-19 Testing and Health Screening to keep your workforce safe and business moving forward. The company provides testing for many of Ireland’s leading companies including Intel, Amazon, Aurivo, Engie, ESB, and many more.

Welcome to new member Tierney Tax Consultancy (NI) Ltd. Specialist Crossborder Tax Practice - Ireland and UK Tax, VAT & Customs compliance and advisory services.

Welcome to new member QCD Solutions (QCD). They provide competitive business support solutions to solve issues, create value, maximise growth, and improve business performance including: Business Consultancy/Digital Services/Business Development (International Pathfinder Service)/ Project Management for Collaborative Innovation Partnerships/Supply Chain Management Services Initial consultations are free and will include advice on how funding may be available to cover or contribute to the cost of the services provided by QCD. QCD are an approved service provider for InterTradeIreland and Invest NI.

Allied Ship Supplies (Ire) Ltd was founded in 1998, and after two decades of growth, now trades from a 72,000 sq ft warehouse near Londonderry Port and Harbour. We currently employ four full time members of staff. We supply shipping vessels visiting ports in Ireland and the UK with all provisions including: hardwares, dairy products, soft drinks, underbond stores, beers, spirits, wines, tobacco and cigarettes, including both commercial and cruise liners such as P&O Cruises and Princess Cruises. We hold HMRC Customs approvals such as our General Storage and Distribution Licence and Warehousekeepers and Owners of Warehoused Goods Regulations (WOWGR) certificate. These allow us to provide all services and goods in duty suspense and for export to our customers visiting the ports and direct export.

Welcome to new member HURT. HURT is a voluntary organisation working for the community. They support individuals and their families in all stages of recovery from alcohol and other drug problems with a confidential and non judgemental approach.

Welcome to new member McColgan’s Quality Foods. What began as a tea shop in the heart of Strabane, County Tyrone, the McColgan family has been dedicated to innovation to create a superior product for their customers to enjoy. Today, McColgan’s is the largest independent producer of savoury pastry on the island of Ireland making sausage rolls, pasties, jambons, and quiche from scratch. These are sold in large quantity to the UK mainland, ROI, and continental Europe.

Established in October 2018 as a part-time tour guiding business, the role became a full-time one from the beginning of June 2022. I’m an accountant by profession but an historian by passion, and I encourage visitors to “linger longer in Londonderry and enjoy a dander around Derry”. I offer a range of premium and popular walking tours which can be customised and a range of flexible audio tours.

NEW MEMBERS

Welcome to new member Monroe Facilities Ltd - a professional facilities management company specialising in cleaning services. Offering highly specialist and routine cleaning services that are delivered to a very high standard, they are fully committed to pursuing the best industry practices and have health and safety, quality and environmental aspects at the core of our ethos. They are Safe Contractor approved, ISO 9001 (Quality) accredited and 14001 (Environmental) accredited organisation with highly skilled and trained staff. Works include: Industrial Cleaning, Carpet Cleaning, High Level Cleaning, Deep Cleaning, Window Cleaning, Specialist Cleaning, Power washing, Kitchen Cleaning, Graffiti Removal, Domestic and Commercial Cleaning to name a few. Monroe Facilities Ltd is committed to developing working relationships that support our customers core business function and are there when we are needed.

Welcome to new member Kingsbridge Private Hospital. Gain rapid access to surgeries and treatment at Kingsbridge Private Hospital North West, part of Kingsbridge Healthcare Group – Northern Ireland’s largest private healthcare provider.

AGL Chartered Accountants are Small Business Experts, working with businesses across the North West. Our aim is to work closely with clients in order to improve their business, help them earn more profits, and reduce taxes where possible.

Institute Football Club is a semiprofessional association football club playing in the NIFL Championship. The club, founded in 1905, currently play our home matches at the Brandywell while we look to return to a new stadium in the Waterside. We have an Academy for players aged 15+ to progress to the first team in order to ensure a club made up of predominantly local players and therefore one that fully represents our community. Our five year strategic plan is integral to the growth of the club by focusing on 1. Our home & identity, 2. Our football, 3. Our youth, 4. Our sustainability and 5. Our people, community, and relationships.

Welcome to new member Aeroblue. Aeroblue focus on delivering for their customers. They have experience in multiple industry sectors creating software solutions to improve production, sales, order fulfilment, and distribution, with a focus on helping customers reduce costs and optimising their operations. Having secured major customers delivering thousands of products per day, Aeroblue are continually working to improve their systems. They specialise in solutions for food business, from ecommerce, to production right through to delivery. Our systems save our clients time on business processes that would normally take hours or days when done manually, improving their operations so they can focus on what they do best.

Welcome to new member ASM Magherafelt. ASM Magherfelt is one of the leading Chartered Accountancy and Business Advisory practices in Ireland offering a variety of services to clients across the province such as Audit & Accounting, Corporate Finance, Tax, Restructuring, and Insolvency Services. ASM have an outstanding reputation as providers of commercial business advice to managed businesses and professional practices alike.

Established in 1985, Foyle Hospice has provided specialist palliative care and support for more than 20,000 patients and their families. Referrals are received for patients with either a terminal or life-limiting diagnosis such as Cancer, Motor Neurone Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Foyle Hospice offers a wide range of care and support services through their In-Patient Unit, Day Hospice, and Integrative Care Clinic. Patients and their families can also receive specialist support in their own homes through the Community Palliative Care Team. Bereavement support is available for adults and children between the ages of 4 and 16 with counsellors and bereavement facilitators. All services are free of charge. With approximately 35% of their total running costs provided through the Health and Social Care Board the remaining 65% of the annual costs is as a result of the very kind and generous support of sponsors and donors across the community.

NEW MEMBERS

The Playhouse is one of the most vibrant and loved arts centres in Northern Ireland. Established in 1992 we are here to create community, celebrate diversity, and empower people through the arts. We are a global leader in using the arts to build peace, an award winning producing theatre - pioneering and showcasing new work across both real and virtual worlds - and use the arts and education to address deep rooted social issues and promote personal development and well-being. We matter to our locality, to the global communities we connect with, and the many diverse groups and individuals we engage with. We work as a community, for the community, employing our creativity and imaginations to continually innovate and give our best in order to offer a space to make meaning and a space that’s here for good.

Welcome to new member FMB Property Management Ltd. They offer domestic and commercial lettings in L’Derry and Donegal, along with holiday accommodation on the North Coast.

Welcome to new member Terex GB. Terex GB operates within the Terex Materials Processing (MP) segment of Terex Corporation, an American-owned, NYSE-listed global manufacturer of lifting and material processing products.

ChallengeCurve is a specialist software Quality Assurance and Testing consultancy based in London, now operating in Derry. We work with Start-Ups and Corporates to help ensure their mobile apps and other business critical applications meet customer needs and are fast, performant, robust, resilient, and scalable. We opened our Derry operations earlier this year with our Quality Assurance and Testing Centre of Excellence, based in the AMP Building, Ebrington Square. We look forward to meeting and working with other members of the Chamber.

Founded in 2006, LoughTec secure, manage, and connect I.T. infrastructure for businesses and organisations throughout the UK, ROI, and beyond. Their mission is simple: build trust through their people and by delivering an excellent service that exceeds expectations on time and within budget. Services offered: • Managed & outsourced IT support • Protection and security against IT threats • Working from home and remote working software solutions. Following sustained year on year growth, LoughTec has expanded its portfolio and offering into the cybersecurity sector, helping clients in defence, security, government, and banking stay secure and protected against the growing threat of cybercrime.

If you have been in an accident, JMK Solicitors can help you! We are Northern Ireland’s largest personal injury and road traffic law firm. We focus solely on assisting clients right across Northern Ireland in recovering compensation following an accident. Since we were established in 2003, we have successfully helped many thousands of people recover compensation. This experience means we understand the stress, upset, and inconvenience an accident can cause. Our team has vast experience of all the processes which must be navigated to make sure you get the best possible result. We pride ourselves on our friendly and helpful approach, so from your initial contact, we strive to fully explain how we can help you and we will let you know how best to proceed with your claim. We will explain anything you don’t understand and will let you know what you are entitled to claim for. To find out more, call 028 9032 0222 or visit www.jmksolicitors.com.

Welcome to new member Healthtek Ltd. Healthtek Ltd provide a range of services and trainings across the mental health, communication, business, management, performance, and service sectors using NLP, CBT, Counselling, Hypnotherapy which includes dealing with staff work stress, absenteeism, recruiting staff profiling, and court reporting.

NEW MEMBERS

LISA HUTTON PROPERTY Anita Delivery was established in 2020, just four weeks before the Covid 19 pandemic. Anita Delivery provides an invaluable service to those who purchase items from local shops and need the items delivered. Need something from the shop? Get it delivered directly to your door with Anita Delivery! With the app you can: • Search through 1000s of products available to order from your local shops and businesses • Track your delivery in real-time from the store to your doorstep • Browse through your order history Download FREE on Apple Store and Google Play for express deliveries from your favourite local businesses and shops.

A multifaceted background of 16 years’ experience in banking, financial markets, legal, compliance, and accounting has enabled me to build a solid property portfolio which is the foundation for limitless growth. I have experience in buying, selling, and renovating property since 2007 and have formed an aspiring Property Investment Company called Lisa Hutton Property Ltd. I live by the motto “where there’s a will there’s a way”. Hard work pays off and life’s possibilities are endless. Although it’s good to be optimistic it’s also important to be realistic. Experience in banking and accounting, especially the financial crisis and the regulatory storm that came thereafter, has shown that it’s important for a business to have sufficient buffers to weather any financial turbulence and to cashflow-forecast in significant detail. This is very relevant and applicable to a property portfolio. If you are interested in collaboration on a project or to invest in the company for fixed returns, please don’t hesitate to contact me. The next opportunity is just around the corner.

Welcome to new member Men’s Action Network. MAN offers free advice, counselling, crisis intervention, and support in a range of issues such as Men’s Health Education, Health Promotion, and Wellbeing.

Welcome to new member Quay 8. Quay 8 in Shipquay Street opened in September 2021 following major refurbishment. Facilities include 14 guest bedrooms each with own kitchenette . A perfect central location to explore the city. Find out more visit www.quay8accommodation.com

Foyle Search and Rescue is a registered, voluntary based charity, operating in Derry/Londonderry in Northern Ireland, but cover search and rescue operations UK and Ireland wide when required. The charity’s sole aim is the preservation of life in and around the River Foyle. Foyle Search and Rescue was set up by local people in 1993 in response to the alarmingly high number of drownings in the river and has adopted the role of preventing suicide and supporting families in the City. Our volunteers are from the local community and selflessly give up hours of their personal time every week to help those in need. We patrol the river on Thursday, Friday & Saturday nights, identified peak times of need, from 9.30pm to 3.00am, engaging with people in distress, maintaining lifebelts, and saving lives. We have an Emergency Response Pager Team, made up of our dedicated volunteers who are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for incidents and emergencies outside of patrol times. This team are paged by the PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) to respond to potential suicide attempts and incidents in and around the river. This team also acts as a body recovery team who search for any person missing in the river and recover the body with the greatest dignity. Alongside our aim ‘the Preservation of Life in and around The River Foyle’ we also provide safety cover at various events throughout the year e.g. Foyle Maritime Festival, Halloween, and various music events. Along with providing talks or visits to our base to various schools, community groups, and businesses, and we are also involved in education on water safety and suicide awareness within our local community. We facilitate the North West Bereaved by Suicide Support Group for families and friends who have lost a loved one to suicide. Foyle Search and Rescue is an extremely well thought of organisation throughout our City and further afield. Our organisation is a prime example of how a local group of volunteers can come up with an idea to improve their community and turn it into a fullyfledged Charity.

CHAMBER MEMBER STORY

How does your membership benefit you? with FinTrU Executive Director, Greg McCann

It is safe to say that 2022 has, to date, brought many exceptional challenges for all of us. From the war in Ukraine, to skyrocketing inflation, business confidence has been rocked by crisis upon crisis home and abroad. And while the pandemic appears to have hopefully subsided, our regional economy is still playing catch-up after three years of closures, disruption, and hardship. Despite these challenges, FinTrU’s North-West offices have continued to grow our company’s global reach. In March, for the second year running, we were named by The Financial Times as one of Europe’s fastest growing companies. In April, we were thrilled to be awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in recognition of our ‘Outstanding Continuous Growth’ in overseas sales over the last six years. These awards are further recognition of the world-leading entrepreneurial acumen that defines the North West business community. The strength, vision, and camaraderie of businesses here is exactly why I was thrilled to join the Chamber’s board of directors earlier this year. The Chamber has been at the forefront of promoting the North West as a place to invest and do business for many years. Playing an active role in the Chamber’s regional engagement and advocacy work is something that I am very passionate about; and I have ‘the sleeves rolled up’, ready to bring more jobs, economic development, and prosperity to the North West. FinTrU set up base in the city in 2018 and with currently over 300 employees we have not looked back. Our region is rapidly gaining a reputation for industries like tech, fintech, and regtech, and there is a growing talent base in these sectors.

Through the likes of our Summer Financial Services Academy, we continue to employ, develop, and promote the graduate base in our region, harnessing their talent and abilities to meet the needs of this expanding sector. Being a Chamber member means being an integral part of the business community. Earlier this year we had the President’s Lunch, a fantastic celebration of what has been achieved over a challenging trading period. The North West Business Awards were a fitting recognition of local business success, and FinTrU were honoured to win North West Large Business of the Year Award. In-person or virtual, big, or small, each chamber event, webinar, or networking session offers real benefits for local employers. A key priority for Chamber is seeing the region’s infrastructure grow to meet business demands. To build a strong, prosperous North West economy, investment in our road, rail, and air network, and our education sector is crucial. The world of work has changed, and our region is proving to

be a leading destination for remote and hybrid practices. The Chamber is seeking to capitalise on this, and, through its engagement with Stormont, Westminster, and Leinster House Ministers, has been proactively seeking new economic opportunities for our city and the North West region. FinTrU are proud to be an active Chamber member.

PRESIDENT’S ANNUAL LUNCH 2022

President’s Annual Lunch 2022 The first major event in the Chamber calendar of 2022, the President’s Annual Lunch was held in the City Hotel Derry on 3 March. Speaking at the event to over 200 local business leaders from across the North West and beyond, Chamber President Aidan O’Kane said the return of the Executive after May’s Assembly Elections was crucial for investment and stability. Due to speak in-person in Derry, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney TD delivered a video message to attendees after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Fine Gael’s Northern Ireland Spokesperson, Senator Emer Currie, addressed attendees instead which included over 200 business leaders, politicians, and invited guests from across the North West. Sponsored by Alchemy Technology Services, the event was hosted by broadcaster Claire McCollum and was led by the theme “Sharing Success in the North West”, a celebration of the strong links the city region has across the UK and Ireland. President Aidan O’Kane said that an absent Executive will deliver

John Harkin, Alchemy Technology Services

nothing for the North West, leading to the loss of outstanding commitments like the expansion of Magee to 10,000 students. The Chamber President called on Stormont parties to work together to rebuild our economy postCovid and help businesses thrive, not just survive. “Today’s Lunch has taken place at a very significant time for the North West”, said Aidan. “After two tumultuous years, traders here are finally putting the pandemic behind them, now focusing not on surviving, but thriving and playing their part in the growth of our regional economy.

John Harkin, Alchemy Technology Services; Senator Emer Currie; Chamber President Aidan O’Kane; and Claire McCollum, host

“It was excellent to hear from Minister Coveney and Senator Currie, who both have shown strong commitment to the stability of political institutions here. Now, with another political crisis upon us, the collaborative spirit which guided the New Decade, New Approach Agreement Guests at the President’s Annual Lunch are needed more than ever. Outstanding May, Aidan reiterated the importance of strong commitments like the and stable government for businesses in the expansion of Magee to 10,000 North West. “The Assembly election is just weeks students, increased and away, and an immediate and swift Assembly improved rail provision, and the return must be the only priority of parties here. full roll-out of City Deal projects With Covid-19 restrictions now in the rear-view simply cannot be lost due to an mirror, it is crucial that recovery and rebuild of our empty Stormont.” economy and hard-hit businesses becomes the focus of the incoming Executive and Assembly. Speaking as parties prepared The next mandate and new Programme for for the Assembly Elections in

PRESIDENT’S ANNUAL LUNCH 2022

Richard Moore, Children in Crossfire, the President’s Chosen Charity for 2022

Steve Frazer, City of Derry Airport, and former Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Ald Graham Warke

Claire McCollum, host of the President’s Annual Lunch

Government must turbo-charge our economy and help businesses reach and exceed their pre-pandemic growth.” Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney TD, praised local businesses in Derry and beyond, and stressed the Senator Emer Currie, keynote speaker importance of Stormont in delivering for the economy. “The North West is a unique cross-border city region, unlocking the potential of the all-island transformed from conflict to peace, economy is a key benefit”, Minister to growing prosperity”, he said in a Coveney continued. “Increased pre-recorded video message. “The economic growth on this island creativity, resilience, and hard work of benefits us all, threatens nobody, the business leaders of the North West and is a dividend from the peace has played an integral part in that process we should all share. Therefore, change. The Derry Chamber plays a protecting and growing the all-island key role, including through the strong economy is a major priority for our relationship with the Letterkenny government and we will continue Chamber, and the North West to support the development of the operates to a significant degree as a North West City Region as an integral single cross-border economy.” component of this.” “North-South cooperation is a key part of the Good Friday Agreement and

The lunch was sponsored by Alchemy Technology Services and also featured

a brief address from Richard Moore of Children in Crossfire, the President’s chosen charity for 2022. “Each year the President’s Lunch offers our business community the chance to come together and celebrate the hard work and entrepreneurship that drives the local economy”, said John Harkin, founder and CEO of Alchemy Technology Services. “I was delighted to speak at today’s event, and I look forward to further collaboration with the Chamber in aid of its mission statement to help businesses succeed in a successful North West.”

THE FINAL WORD

The Final Word Seamus Nealis, Craft Training

Coming out the other side of the pandemic, there is a general recognition of the need for a better skilled workforce. Whether that’s cyber and computer skills, emotional intelligence and leadership, or embedding enhanced collaboration and resilience in our workforce, the pandemic has shone a light on deficiencies within the labour force and our own teams. There is now a real opportunity to reskill and upskill to create better, more productive, and more inclusive organisations.

area. Over the years this has expanded and evolved from delivering solely furniture qualifications, with a limited geographical remit, to training across Northern Ireland as Craft Training.

Being the owner and CEO of a private training company has been a great privilege and has allowed me to meet and work with some incredible learners, employers, and companies throughout Northern Ireland.

I have been working in training and education for almost 30 years and I’m proud to be able to deliver training opportunities and upskill members of the community and local businesses regardless of creed, denomination, age, or gender. We are a family run organisation delivering qualifications and training throughout Northern Ireland and are one of the biggest providers to date. It is our mission to deliver quality knowledge and skills today to empower the learners for tomorrow.

I left school at 16 with no formal academic qualifications but at no time did I see this as something which could hinder my goals which were very simple - to be successful in everything that I do. After undertaking an apprenticeship in furniture restoration, I worked as a tutor, however I was made redundant. I used this opportunity with my wife to create a training company to work with local employers and young people in our

We have adapted to the new employment landscape and hold province wide contracts to deliver skills training and the apprenticeship programme in areas such as food and hospitality, construction, ICT, health and social care, childcare, retail, and animal care to name a few. With quality at the fore, the body of over 45 staff work collaboratively to improve standards in the teaching and learning space and offer a

tailored and individual delivery package for each learner who comes through our doors. Currently we have seven premises located in Belfast, Cookstown, Omagh, Derry/Londonderry, Sion Mills, and two locations in Strabane, and have recently expanded with the purchase of a Strabane town centre premises. Another exciting new addition is our recent creation of a business centre in Sion Mills through which we are committed to embedding business development practices further within the community. This venture will offer space for local fledgling businesses, provide rental work hubs, and promote collaboration in a technology enhanced environment. Being part of the Chambers of Commerce in Strabane, Derry, and Omagh has enabled us to anchor our role within the employment sphere and enhance the employability of young people, forge links with employers, and work together to overcome employment challenges whilst building a community responsive to the changing needs of society. As we exit the pandemic, it’s incumbent on all of us to ensure our teams are constantly evolving, improving, and upskilling for the benefit of our whole organisations.

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CONNECTED Issue 16

Articles inside

Welcome to the Chamber

The Final Word

Chamber Life

North West Business Awards

Cover Story

president’s message