CONNECTED Issue 17

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

Message from the CEO

Welcome to the 17th edition of CONNECTED, the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce magazine.

It is great to be back once again with another edition, my first since my appointment as the Chamber’s permanent Chief Executive. I would like to thank everyone for the kind messages I have received, and I look forward to continuing to work with our members, partners, colleagues, board and council to showcase the best of our brilliant business community here in the North West.

As I sit down to write this message, I am acutely aware of the many challenges facing our members and the wider business community as a whole. Each day, businesses are continuing to struggle against the rising cost of energy, fuel, and materials, as well as reduced demand as the cost of living grips households across the region. And while this has been in no way straightforward, since taking post it’s been remarkable to see the unparalleled levels of resilience, leadership, and camaraderie that exist throughout our business community.

At this time, I want to make clear that the Chamber is doing everything it can to highlight the pressures experienced by our members and impress the need for policy solutions upon key decision-makers. We continue to be forthright in our calls for targeted, local action which takes into account the unique needs of North West business. In step with our members, we’re ensuring that calls for rates relief, targeted energy supports, and a VAT reduction are being heard at all political levels.

We’re also clear that to get the support for business that is urgently needed, we need to have our local political institutions up and running. The fact is that each day of the political impasse damages our local traders, our punchy start-ups, our family-run businesses, and emerging industries. A recent survey of our members showed that 75% of traders feel it’s extremely important to have the Executive and Assembly return at this time to provide assistance. We’re committed to getting the region the investment it deserves and hope that our political leaders will listen to our members and work with us.

It’s worth highlighting that faced with the ongoing impasse at Stormont, the Chamber is pursuing alternative avenues to get our members heard. Since the last edition, for example, we have met with party leaders, the Head of the Civil Service NI, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, and local MLAs to ensure that regional priorities do not slip down the agenda and that unlocking the economic potential of the region remains central.

We are hugely excited for the return of our annual North West Energy Conference and Exhibition, as we take a look at the future of energy and what it means for our region. I look forward to hearing the ideas of our members and business leaders to harness the potential for green growth and sustainability.

I hope you enjoy this edition of CONNECTED and enjoy hearing about the highlights from our local business community.

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 respon sibility of the advertiser/promoting party and Londonderry Chamber of Commerce does not accept any responsibility for any representations made within them.

Anna Doherty CEO

A Giant win for Derry hotel as it takes Tourism NI Best Hotel title

Bishop’s Gate Hotel, positioned within the historic city walls of DerryLondonderry, has won Northern Ireland’s ‘Best Hotel’ category at the inaugural Giant Spirit Awards hosted by Tourism NI.

The shortlist, chosen by industry experts represented the best in class in the tourism industry and included properties such as the world class Killeavy Castle Estate.

Loved for its personal service and stunning Edwardian interior, as well as its delectable restaurant offering, the

hotel was one of 13 winners on the night of the event, which was previously named the Northern Ireland Tourism Awards.

Ciaran O’Neill, Managing Director of Bishop’s Gate said, “It’s an honour for us to win this title as it represents and rewards excellence, best practice and innovation and that’s what we strive to offer at Bishop’s Gate.

“It is particularly poignant that the award comes as Tourism NI overhauls its regular awards event to embrace

its ‘Giant Spirit’ theme, after which the ceremony is named.

“Bishop’s Gate, like all hotels here, has had many challenges over the past two years, but we are committed to excellence and strive to succeed in spite of that. We always want to exceed our customers’ expectations and this award shows that we are doing so.”

For more information visit www.bishopsgatehotelderry.com

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

removal of Covid restrictions at the beginning of this year. We’ve welcomed visitors from around the world back to our region with events like our local Féile, the Foyle Cup, the Clipper Race, and the Foyle Maritime Festival. And with our recent Halloween celebrations, we’ve shown once again why we’re the best place in the world to celebrate the holiday.

Throughout 2022, we’ve engaged with Taoiseachs, MLAs, MPs, Ministers, Councillors, Mayors, TDs, and Secretaries of State from across these islands. We have worked hard to give North West businesses a voice and we have worked constructively with elected representatives from all parties to find solutions and secure support for our businesses. Despite the inertia at Stormont and the upheaval at Westminster, the Chamber and our colleagues across the business community have delivered workable solutions to ease the pressure on businesses and households all year.

The Chamber will continue to fight for our members and their concerns. We will continue to press for action which will improve our region and bolster its reputation as a leading location to live, work and do business. This includes expanding our local university and finally realising its full potential of 10,000 students, the full and speedy roll-out of our City Deal, and continuing to make the case for the North West’s investment potential to companies from around the world.

Welcome to all our members and thank you to everyone who has contributed to this edition of CONNECTED.

As I write this message, the UK is about to welcome former Chancellor Rishi Sunak as its third Prime Minister of the year. 2022 has been a year of unprecedented political upheaval, punctuated by mass resignations, the shortest serving Prime Minister in British history, four Chancellors in as many months, and yet another absent Executive up at Stormont. Certainty and stability have been in short supply this past year, with the war in Ukraine also driving a cost-of-living and cost-of-doing-business crisis which is affecting us all.

Despite the challenges of the past twelve months however, I have been consistently and repeatedly impressed by the quality and talent within our local business community. Being Chamber President has been the privilege of a lifetime, both professionally and personally. I’ve seen the very best of the North West during my year as President, whether that’s through our local businesses, our world-class schools and educational institutions, our superb pubs, hotels and restaurants, or our sporting heroes who have proudly represented us all year.

We’ve put the pandemic firmly in our rear-view mirror and we were all collectively delighted to see the

City and regional partners are pulling together like never before, with a clear vision which we are determined to reach – making Derry and the North West one of the leading locations on the island of Ireland to invest and set up a business. I am proud to have played my role in helping to further realise this ambition this year and I want to thank you all for your support, encouragement, and advice along the way.

I want to wish my successor in this crucial role all the very best for 2023. I also hope you enjoy reading this issue of CONNECTED.

Aidan O’Kane Outgoing President, Londonderry Chamber of Commerce

Northern Ireland’s leading motor accident management company kick off second year of sponsorship at Derry City F.C.

CRASH Services, who have a Derry~Londonderry office located on the Culmore Road, have renewed their support to Derry City Football Club, with a pitch side advertisement at the club’s home in The Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium.

The professional club, which was founded in 1928, play in the League of Ireland Premier Division, the top tier of league football in the Republic of Ireland, and are the League of Ireland‘s only participant from Northern Ireland.

Robert Martin, Board Member at Derry City F.C., said “We are extremely grateful to CRASH Services for their continued support and sponsorship of our club. We rely on the generosity of local companies in our community to ensure our ongoing growth and success.”

In the last 25 years, CRASH Services have helped over 100,000 NI motorists after an accident, taking away the

hassle, and helping to get them back on the road. A 2020 independent audit described the company as ‘best in class’ noting that they ensure damaged cars are repaired and returned 43% faster than similar businesses.

Sean McLaughlin, from CRASH Services, said the company was only too happy to support the local community since opening its Culmore Road location in the city three years ago.

LoughTec wins place on public sector framework

Crown Commercial Service (CCS) has awarded a place on its new G-Cloud 13 framework to LoughTec. CCS is the largest public sector procurement organisation in the UK.

This announcement continues the company’s recent success with G-Cloud, having been awarded a place on two previous versions of the framework, G-Cloud 12 and G-Cloud 11.

Under the new framework agreement, LoughTec will continue to provide cloud-based anti-virus and multiscanning technology to the public sector via Lot 2, Cloud Software (SaaS). Public sector organisations utilising this technology will be protected from content and devicebased cyber security threats.

Seán McDermott, CEO of LoughTec, said, “This announcement is the culmination of a lot of hard work by the LoughTec team. We are delighted to have been awarded a place on G-Cloud 13 and to continue our successful track record in delivery across this framework. We look forward to further strengthening our relationships with CCS and with the many organisations across the public sector in protecting their critical infrastructure.”

LoughTec’s cloud-based solution will provide public sector organisations with increased malware detection rates, reduced time to detection, and will help protect from zero-day attacks. Features also include having the ability to protect sensitive files from leaving a network, protecting files uploaded through web portals, reducing email threats, and protecting web traffic and downloads from the internet.

“Derry City F.C. have been an important part of sporting life in the city for many years”, he said. “We are delighted to support the Candystripes and are looking forward to a successful season ahead.”

Find out more about Derry City F.C. and their upcoming fixtures here: https://www.derrycityfc.net/

More than £4bn has already been spent via the G-Cloud frameworks since their introduction, making this framework an extremely attractive procurement vehicle for central government and public sector organisations.

CCS plays an important role in helping the UK public sector save money when buying common goods and services. It uses its commercial expertise to help buyers in central government and across the wider public sector to save time and reduce the cost of procurement.

LoughTec has an extensive track record in assisting customers with their IT infrastructure and cyber security across several sectors, including pharmaceutical, education, health, agri-food, and security.

Aircoach secures deal to acquire North West transport company Airporter

Aircoach, Ireland’s leading private bus and coach operator, has acquired the well-known North West based passenger transport company, Airporter. The deal will see Aircoach expand its commercial operation and increase its daily routes to seven with the new all-island route connecting the North West to Belfast International Airport, Dublin Airport and Dublin City Centre.

The acquisition includes the Airporter base at the Springtown Industrial Estate in the city, and the transfer across of all Airporter drivers and operational staff to Aircoach to service the new timetable and route.

The new service, which launches in the coming weeks, brings a range of new benefits for customers including routes running seven days a week beginning at 01:15am daily; stops at Foyleside Coach Park, Drumahoe Park and Ride, Belfast International Airport, Belfast City Centre, Dublin Airport and O’Connell Street; and reduced fares between Derry/Londonderry and Belfast International Airport by up to £13 based on a return fare.

The new service also means that travellers from the North West will now be able to arrive at Dublin Airport for early morning flights to the likes of key European destinations and major US cities.

Dervla McKay, Managing Director of Aircoach, said “Today’s announcement marks a significant milestone for Aircoach with the creation of an all-island service for the first time. This has been made possible with the acquisition of Airporter,

a company which has served customers so well for over 25 years to and from the North West. The deal marks a great step forward for Aircoach and we look forward to launching the new route in due course.

“We’re privileged to be Ireland’s leading transport operator, bringing people to work, students to university, reuniting families, and bringing new visitors to our cities from all around the world. This new route is a major addition for those in the North West as it will enhance connectivity for thousands more tourists and visitors throughout the year.

“The new service will further transform airport connectivity for those in the region, reducing fares for passengers and enabling them to avail of early morning flights at the two main airports on the island of Ireland.

“The progress on the completion of the A6 is improving travel time and increasing the viability of this route like never before. Aircoach is fully committed to ensuring that the North West is connected to major travel and economic hubs to improve the attractiveness of the region as a place in which to invest.”

The award-winning company, Aircoach is a subsidiary of First Group plc which is one of the UK and Ireland’s largest transport companies.

Dalradian reduces carbon footprint by 67%

Dalradian, the West Tyrone-based mine exploration and development company, has reduced its total carbon footprint by 67% from its 2019 baseline. This achievement and other proactive measures have helped the company secure Carbon Neutral Plus status for the third year running in 2021.

Between 2020 and 2021, the company reduced its carbon output by 17% due to its carbon management plan. Above and beyond that, further reductions were achieved by switching to renewable electricity. Dalradian also offsets its emissions by supporting an internationally certified project and secured ‘Plus’ status by planting trees in Northern Ireland.

Dalradian’s offsetting project in 2021 transformed a wastewater treatment facility in Bulgaria, reducing methane emissions, fossil fuel use, and the amount of sludge produced at the plant.

The company’s status was accredited by Carbon Footprint Ltd, a leading sustainability and climate change solutions provider. Dr. Wendy Buckley from Carbon Footprint said “It’s great to see Dalradian’s progress over the three years we have worked with them. Every year they strive to find new ways to reduce carbon emissions across all scopes of activity, something which gets more challenging after the initial, easier reductions are made.

“Combined with their support for the scheme in Bulgaria, which is an internationally certified Gold Standard offset project, and local tree-planting, Dalradian has been recognised as a Carbon Neutral Plus organisation.”

Oonagh McKenna, Dalradian’s Sustainability & Community Relations Officer, added “Congratulations are due to everyone at Dalradian for their work on this project. Each year, we bring together people from across the company, working together to identify areas for improvement. The driving force behind the substantial decrease in carbon since 2019 has been the constant effort to increase energy efficiency across all operations. We’ve upgraded lighting, started the process of replacing our diesel-fueled vehicles with electric, and switched to 100% renewable electricity across all our offices.”

Dalradian has also begun a native tree nursery project as part of its long-term plans for offsetting and progressive restoration at the proposed mine site. Seeds from a variety of local native tree species have been collected and sown in seed beds, in preparation for planting as saplings.

White Horse Hotel celebrates 30 years in business

The White Horse Hotel is celebrating its 30th anniversary under the Horshi family ownership in 2022. Throughout this time, the White Horse has been dedicated to providing phenomenal guest experiences to business and leisure tourists, as well as to the local market.

Under the Horshi family, the White Horse has developed from a 44 bedroom 3 star inn, to a 58 bedroom 4 star hotel with three suites, pool, sauna, steam room, spa, and two ballrooms.

Having been a significant and growing employer over the last three decades, the hotel is delighted that three of the team have been with them throughout that 30 year period – Susan Doherty (Head Housekeeper), Lenny Gordon (Bar Manager), and Ramona Wylie (Financial Director).

Chairman Issam Horshi served as President of the Northern Ireland

Hotel Federation and was awarded an MBE in recognition of his service to tourism in 2016 – a testament to the work he has done in helping transform Derry~Londonderry into the tourist destination that it is today. His passion for the city region and the people of the North West is legendary.

Selina Horshi took up the post of Managing Director in 2018 and has overseen the addition of outdoor hot tubs and a beer garden, a restaurant and bar transformation, and the refurbishment of bedrooms. This work has reestablished the White Horse Hotel as a destination of unintimidating luxury where the Wild Atlantic Way meets the Causeway Coast.

Local men’s charity director recognised

Michael Lynch, Service Director of the charity Men’s Action Network, has been awarded ‘Charity Person of the Year 2022’ for Derry City and Strabane Council area, an award which highlights the positive impact the organisation has within the community.

MAN is a charity that exists to help men identify their inner strength and resilience and, with dedicated support, encourage them to overcome anything that’s restricting them moving forward in their lives.

The charity does this by offering counselling sessions and other services like helping victims of domestic abuse and coercive control from their base within the Old City Factory, Patrick Street, Derry.

On average, men die nearly six years younger than women and are less likely than women to attend their GP on a regular basis, according to

statistics. Younger men are also more likely to indulge in risky behaviour leading to accidents and are at a greater risk of death by suicide.

In a bid to address these issues, Men’s Action Network work with a wide range of referral agencies and aim to address the issues that exist in our society. They receive referrals from all local agencies, so if you are speaking with a GP or other agency, ask about their services, or contact the charity directly for further information or to sign up to one of their programmes. They also offer an immediate crisis intervention service that changes and saves lives locally.

One of the main recommendations from numerous studies of men is that there needs to be a greater look at all initiatives directed at improving men’s health collectively. Men should be encouraged to take greater responsibility for their own health which, in turn, allows them to feel more connected to their family and

The Horshi family is delighted to be celebrating this landmark anniversary with the hotel winning Best Hotel at the North West Business Awards 2022 and being shortlisted for Best Hotel in the Tourism Northern Ireland Giant Spirit Awards 2022 and looks forward to another 30 years of successful trading.

community. Pressures can lessen as men feel the contentment that stems from improved mental and physical wellbeing.

Men’s Action Network aims to help protect and change lives by connecting with those who engage with their services, which have grown since their establishment in the city 28 years ago.

The charity has changed and saved lives across the city and district over the past three decades. If you have a friend, partner, or loved one who could avail of their services, please get in touch at 02871 377777 or Admin@man-ni.org

JANUARY FEBRUARY

a day in the life

Name Patricia Page Age

organisation North West Pest Control Ltd job title Owner/Technician

Describe what your job involves

We provide integrated pest management solutions to facilities management companies, property management companies, and housing associations throughout Northern Ireland. We also provide these services to the hospitality, educational, commercial, and domestic sectors.

Describe in detail a day in your work

As the cliché goes, there are no two days the same in this job. I would usually start my day with a team meeting, check schedules, and allocate jobs. The team would then head out and perform routine inspections to various businesses who we provide servicing contracts for. I would usually cover any of the domestic jobs that have come in via housing associations. In terms of facility or property management clients, these could range from dealing with a mouse infestation at one house, maybe rats at another, or indeed fleas or bedbugs somewhere else. I love the variety in this job. Unfortunately, though, at the moment, I’m unable to do any field work due to ongoing health issues but I’m hopeful I’ll be back crawling round attics in no time.

What has been your most memorable day at work? It’s difficult to narrow down my most memorable day as there have been so many. I suppose recently, the most memorable days were when I had a television crew follow my team and I around various jobs culminating in a documentary for the BBC True North Series called ‘The Ratwoman’ which aired in September 2022.

What is your greatest achievement?

Personally, my greatest achievement was getting my RSPH Level 3 Award in Integrated Pest Management. It’s known as the ‘Gold Standard’ certification in Pest Control and very few people have it. I’m very proud to say that I was the first Female Technician within the UK and Ireland to have achieved it! I also became a Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health which is

testament to my longevity and academic success in my chosen field.

What is the best advice you have ever been given in work?

The best advice I was ever given was from my dad, Charlie Page, known as the “Ratman”, and that was to always give 100% to any job I go to.

What are the most satisfying aspects of your job?

The most satisfying aspect of this job is solving the customer’s pest issue knowing that you’ve made a positive impact. A great example of this was a job we undertook about ten years ago.

A family had an ongoing rat issue spanning 20 years. They were continually putting poison down, but the rats kept coming back. They then contacted us, and we carried out an inspection of the external drains and located a fault that was allowing rats to surface and access this particular house via the cavity. After a

riddance programme was carried out, we were able to repair the fault and to this day there hasn’t been a reoccurrence.

Equally, the smaller tasks are also satisfying, like successfully removing a wasp nest. I have been approached while dining out, much to the amusement of my wife, by customers that I maybe did a job for several years prior saying that they haven’t had any mice/rats since. It’s all good craic!

What qualities/skills are most important for your role?

The qualities that are most important to this job are to have a good listening ear and empathy with the customer. Keep in mind that whatever the pest issue is that it has been very distressing for them. We may have dealt with the problem at hand on countless occasions but it’s a first for them. I have always said that this job is 70% counselling and 30% pest control. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. My job is literally the best job in the world!

Foyleside ready for the festive season

Christmas is now fast approaching and, as the North West’s premier shopping destination, Foyleside Shopping Centre is gearing up for another busy festive period with thousands of people expected to flock to the centre over the coming weeks.

With over 50 stores stocked with Christmas essentials and the latest gift ideas, the choice has never been better for those early present buyers or lastminute shoppers.

Fergal Rafferty, Centre Manager, said, “Knowing that many households will be exchanging Christmas gifts purchased within Foyleside fills us with immense pride. Our role as a family-friendly

shopping centre is to ensure that every visitor has a positive experience, which is why we love to interact with our customers whenever we can.”

One of the ways Foyleside does this is through themed events. The centre stages a variety of such events throughout the year to tie in with an array of occasions and seasons – but Christmas is the biggest of the lot.

“Substantial work goes into putting on these events and they don’t come any bigger than Christmas,” said Mr Rafferty.

“As the centre transforms into a winter wonderland right in the heart of Derry,

there will be a packed schedule on offer with plenty of festive-themed activities for the whole family to enjoy. The arrival of Santa Claus himself is always a particular highlight and this year will be no different! Keep an eye on our website and social media channels as we’ll be announcing all the details very soon.”

He added, “It’s a great way of bringing people together, whether they live locally or have travelled from further afield. Christmas at Foyleside not only creates a wonderful bustling atmosphere, but it also provides some welcome footfall for our retailers and the wider city, making Derry one of the top tourism destinations this winter.”

FOYLESIDE GIFT CARD

Air Cool Engineering keeps ‘the heart of the home’ warm

As we get older, our ability to control and regulate our body temperature reduces. Coupled with mobility issues and medical needs, it can be difficult for many pensioners to maintain the right temperature in their homes, especially in the colder seasons. Thankfully, air cool engineering NI is on-hand to provide solutions.

One of our clients, an elderly but independent pensioner, liked to sit in her large farmhouse kitchen, but heating ‘the heart of the home’ was becoming more difficult and expensive over the years. Although our client had oil-fired central heating throughout her property, a single radiator could simply

not achieve comfortable temperatures in her kitchen. Each week our client was spending over £50 on coal and gas just to heat the one room. On a daily basis, the gas Superser heater provided heat in the mornings and, at lunchtime, her family would set and light the multi-fuel stove for their mother.

Outlining the issue at-hand, our client’s daughter said, “With reduced mobility and having to use a walking aid, our mother was physically struggling to keep the fire going throughout the day and evening. While we were conscious of rising energy costs, more importantly, we were concerned about the health and safety risks associated with burning gas and coal for up to twelve hours per day.”

air cool engineering NI was able to advise the family that their mother would benefit by switching to a low carbon air conditioning system, and the Mitsubishi Electric M Series was the perfect solution. Highly responsive, the M Series achieves desired indoor temperatures within minutes and, with its thermostatic sensors, stabilises comfort levels throughout the day too.

Martin Mullan, Managing Director for air cool engineering NI added, “Our elderly client needed a stand-alone, clean and safe heating solution for her large farmhouse kitchen. The Mitsubishi Electric M Series is ideal for small to medium sized spaces and, using advanced heat pump technology, delivers efficient heating in winter and cooling in summer.

Martin continued, “Thermostatic sensors and timers ensure the room temperature is balanced throughout the day. If needed, our client can easily adjust the temperature from the comfort of her chair using the handheld remote control. Alternatively, her family can use the MELCloud App to virtually control the heating function for their mother.”

Our client can easily adjust the heating from the comfort of her chair

Our client’s family added, “Over the last couple of years we could see that our mother was really struggling to keep the large room warm. Constantly feeding the stove with coal and logs became physically difficult for her. She needed a heating system which was easy to control, safe to use and could efficiently keep the kitchen cosy throughout the day. The air conditioning system has made life so much more comfortable for mum. It’s definitely one less worry for the family knowing she’s safe and warm at home.”

As air cool engineering NI proudly holds Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Quality Partner status, all our clients, whether commercial or domestic, can avail of the ten-year warranty on the Mitsubishi Electric equipment installed in their property.

Based in the Limavady, air cool engineering NI is an established and reputable heating, ventilation and air conditioning contractor operating across the island of Ireland. As specialists in the design of energy efficient small and large scale building mechanical services, the team combines experience and specialist knowledge to provide bespoke heating, cooling, and ventilation solutions to meet indoor climate-controlled requirements.

If you’re interested in making the switch to all-electric, efficient heating and cooling get in touch with The Cool Team on +44 (0)28 777 67114 or email sales@ni.aircool.co.uk. www.aircoolengineering.co.uk

Out with the old

In with the new. The new Mitsubishi Electric M Series delivers efficient heating to the farmhouse kitchen

A half century of local success for Find Insurance

CONNECTED recently sat down with Colin Mullan and Karen McQuillan from Find Insurance to discuss the local company’s fiftieth anniversary in business, serving the local community in the North West for half a century, and what the future holds for the business.

If you flick through old copies of CONNECTED, the magazine’s everpopular ‘Down Memory Lane’ feature gathers the thoughts and reminiscences of some of the North West’s longest serving and best-known business leaders. A common thread connecting them all is the assertion that Derry has changed remarkably for the better over the past number of decades.

Few businesses in the city know this better than Find Insurance, the familyowned, locally based independent insurance broker. The company is celebrating its fiftieth birthday in 2022, having been established back in 1972. It’s also been in the Mullan family since 1977 with Seamus and Elizabeth Mullan acquiring the company five years after its foundation. Since the early seventies, the business has flourished into one of Northern Ireland’s leading and largest independent insurance brokers, serving over 8000 commercial and personal policy holders across the country.

“The city and the North West more generally are totally unrecognisable from when the business was founded back in 1972”, explains Colin Mullan, Managing Director at Find Insurance. “Thankfully, Derry has blossomed over the past fifty years, and we are proud to have been on this journey over the past half century.

“As an organisation, Find Insurance is fiercely proud to be Derry based. Our city is one of the most vibrant, welcoming, and talented places across our island and further afield. It’s always been incredibly important, going back to the days when my parents ran the business, that Find Insurance remained committed to Derry and the North West, and I think we’ve proven that over the past fifty years.”

Find Insurance has grown from fairly humble beginnings in the early seventies to a local success story with a turnover of over £17m in the last financial year. Fittingly, in this milestone year for the business, Find Insurance has also been recognised for its excellence on numerous occasions.

“We were absolutely delighted to be crowned Small Business of the Year at the North West Business Awards during the summer”, says Karen McQuillan, Finance Director at Find Insurance. “While awards aren’t the be all and end all in your professional life, it’s always nice to be recognised for your hard work and I was especially proud for our colleagues who work incredibly hard to deliver for our customers.

“And because we are so committed to the North West and Derry, it meant that little bit more being awarded by our peers and colleagues in the region.” Find Insurance is also an active member of the Chamber, having been the organisation’s official corporate insurance partner for the past four years.

“We were also really pleased to support the President’s Annual Dinner in 2021, the first major

Chamber event post-pandemic”, says Colin. “Especially after all the upheaval and stress on businesses for the previous 18 months or so, it was brilliant to be involved in a night where people and friends could meet again and let their hair down.

“The theme of the evening as well really resonated with us – ‘think local, back local, support local’. We pride ourselves on being able to compete with multinational brokers who are much larger than us and the reason we’re able to do this is through sticking to the ethos of being large enough to do the job but small enough to care about the quality service we provide our customers. This comes back to our commitment to our city and our region.”

The Derry-based brokers were also recently named in Insurance Age’s Top 100 UK Independent Insurance Brokers, one of Northern Ireland’s only brokers named in the list and an achievement which lists the business alongside peers from across the rest of the UK with turnovers of up to £750m.

“Being named in the Top 100 Independent Insurance Brokers across the whole of the UK really meant a lot to everyone at the company and demonstrates just how far we’ve come over the past number of years in particular”, says Karen. “Since 2015 alone, we’ve more than doubled our turnover and we’re on course to keep growing and building sustainably, even with all the challenges in the economy at the moment.”

What advice do the advisors have for businesses who are trying their best to navigate these challenges? “It’s always really important to keep an open and regular dialogue with your broker. The economic and fiscal environment is likely to remain fairly volatile in the short-to-medium term and well into 2023 at least. Working closely with your broker means you can spot potential headaches as early as possible and gives you

the space and time to deal with them head on”, explains Karen.

And as for the next fifty years, Colin is optimistic about Find Insurance’s prospects. “We’re confident about the future. We’ve worked exceptionally hard to carve out our status as one of Northern Ireland’s leading independent insurance brokers. But, at our core, we remain a Derry business, one which works closely and collaboratively with businesses across our region, for the good of our region.

“Our success has been built on the foundations laid by my parents back in the seventies and we’re proud to be continuing that legacy today. We’re excited about another fifty years in the North West, serving our customers and helping businesses grow sustainably and securely for the good of our local economy.”

CavanaghKelly bolsters its partner team with two promotions

Local accountancy and business advisory practice CavanaghKelly has welcomed two new partners to its team.

CavanaghKelly is one of Northern Ireland’s leading accountancy and advisory practices, formed in 2003 when Sean Cavanagh and Des Kelly merged their individual businesses. The practice has now grown to a team of over 100 across its offices, which includes Dungannon, Omagh, Enniskillen, and Belfast.

Anita Doris and Steven Lindsay have recently been promoted within the company, bolstering the firm’s leadership team and adding expertise and value for CavanaghKelly’s many clients. Anita Doris joined the team in 2017 and has made a significant impact growing the practice’s advisory department and service offering. A qualified actuary, Anita has extensive experience supporting

clients in advising on transactions and development of strategic and business plans for both private sector and public sector organisations.

Steven Lindsay joined CavanaghKelly in July 2018, and leads the practice’s Governance, Risk and Consulting team providing services to clients in the public, community and voluntary, and private sectors. Prior to joining the practice, Steven was a Managing Partner of a medium-sized accountancy practice and worked at Chief Executive level in Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland. Steven is also currently a member of the board of the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce.

Speaking on the promotions, CavanaghKelly Managing Partner Des Kelly said “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Anita and Steven to the partner team. As a practice, we have continued to invest in our people to ensure we can provide all our clients with the best advice when they need it.

Anita and Steven bring new energy to drive our strategy forward, alongside a wealth of experience, that will not only support our clients, but also develop our next group of leaders. These partner appointments allow us to further develop our specialist offering to clients across the private, public, and charitable and not-for-profit sectors, and really demonstrate where we see growth as a practice over the coming years.

“The commitment and enthusiasm Anita and Steven have demonstrated to the practice, our people, and our clients over the years is a testament to them”, Des continued. “The knowledge and expertise that they bring to our partner team is unrivalled and further solidifies our full service offering for our clients. I look forward to working with them in their new roles, bringing our growth strategy to fruition.”

For more information, visit cavanaghkelly.com

NWRC – Unlocking the potential of today’s workforce

Business Skills Manager Sinead Hawkins explains NWRC’s drive to provide opportunities for upskilling and job creation in the North West.

North West Regional College’s Business Support Centre is ready. Ready to support businesses, employees, and innovators, while working towards delivering responsive and flexible employment and skills strategies that support job creation, local economic development, and labour market inclusion.

Covid-19, Brexit, and the recent costof-living crisis have brought challenges to both businesses and individuals. We are passionate about providing opportunities for upskilling and job creation in the North West and our success speaks for itself.

In the last year, the Business Support team across all our campuses reskilled and retrained over 1480 individuals across all skill programmes, particularly in areas identified for economic recovery. Annually, we support over 300 local businesses with training, upskilling, and innovation, helping businesses to upskill their staff and develop new products.

We continue to deliver Assured Skills Academies programmes for FinTrU, Alchemy Technologies, and numerous engineering businesses such as Flemings via the welding academy. Through these academies, we have upskilled over 120 people in the last year into employment again creating employment for the North West. We upskill people of all ages, allowing them to take advantage of the significant employment opportunities available within the above companies.

And we continue to invest in and grow our existing innovation footprint. The Foodovation Centre, Product Design Centre, and DIAL Centre provide stateof-the-art facilities with experienced

teams in place to support businesses with innovation and skills to meet business needs. The NWRC is also looking at emerging sectors such as augmented and virtual reality and industry 4.0 automation with investments being made to expand in these areas.

The Northern Ireland College of the Future report argues that colleges are the vehicles to regionally balance the economy, support businesses to adapt to a green and digital economy, and provide better skills opportunities for those out of work.

We are a major partner in the City Deal through the LMP (Labour Market Partnerships) Skills Academies with local councils providing skills academies and upskilling programmes, meeting the needs of local people and employers.

The team at the Business Support Centre (BSC) are committed to supporting the growth of skills in priority sectors that include IT/digital, Advanced Manufacturing, Health and Life Sciences, Green Technologies, and Leadership and Management. We offer support to industry through bespoke training and upskilling specific to your business needs.

Our expert team also assist businesses to source funding to undertake applied innovation, research and development, and then foster this innovation by delivering tailored solutions in areas of new products, processes, or services to support businesses to be more innovative and competitive.

As an example of our impact earlier this year, NWRC collaborated with locally -based software company Foods Connected providing the company an accredited Microsoft Azure software training course with funding from the Department for the Economy funded Skills Focus programme.

Business Skills Manager Sinead Hawkins

This collaboration with NWRC helped the company’s developers accelerate the advancement of their products using Azure. NWRC also supported the company through training courses in leadership and management and personnel development.

Andrew Nicell, HR Manager at Foods Connected, said “One of the key values of Foods Connected is investment in our team. We know that by investing in our team and in the development of their skills this will help us to nurture and retain a strong and innovative workforce. Our ongoing collaboration with NWRC BSC has helped us to identify ways in which we can continue to improve the team, their skills, their career and essentially their lives.”

NWRC has a strong track record of collaborating with local business to deliver real benefits leveraging DfE-funded programmes such as Assured Skills and Skill Up, to deliver high-quality industry-relevant training to ensure employers have the pipeline of talent that they need to keep growing.

In July this year, 19 of the participants on the VIII Alchemy Technologies DfEfunded Assured Skills Academy received an offer of employment after completing their 5 weeks pre-employment training. Alchemy Technology Services CEO and Founder John Harkin said “Our Academies have been very successful and we have seen our people thrive in their roles. The team has cemented Alchemy’s place as a key player in the insurance software industry.”

Recently, the college worked with the Western Trust to provide fully funded accredited courses through Skill Up, the Flexible Skills programme. Delivered remotely, the courses offered to the Western Trust allowed their staff to retrain and reskill in Level 3 and Level 5 courses in Leadership and Management. Feedback from participants on the courses has been very positive and we are delighted that our skills teams has been able to utilise DfE funding to provide these courses to such

organisations. We hope to develop this partnership and hope to offer this training to more cohorts in the future.

The BSC has a dedicated team of staff with specialist knowledge and skills in the technical areas of food development, creative and digital media, virtual and augmented reality, CAD and product development, ICT and software development, and electronic engineering, and are complemented by the NWRC’s highly experienced academic team.

Our door is always open to meet with businesses, from fledgling entrepreneurs and micro companies to long-standing indigenous and multi-national businesses. We will tailor solutions to meet your needs.

You can get in touch at businesssupportcentre@ nwrc.ac.uk

Business Skills Manager Sinead Hawkins with Andrew Nicell, HR Manager at Foods Connected

chamber life

The second half of 2022 has been a real whirlwind at the Chamber with events, dinners, political engagement, roundtables, webinars, and everything else in between!

Since our last issue, we’ve seen three Prime Ministers, four Chancellors, two local Secretaries of State, two Conservative Party leadership contests, as well as the threat of a new Assembly election closer to home! Away from all the political upheaval at Stormont and Westminster, however, it’s been a very busy few months for the Chamber and the North West business community.

We kicked off this busy period back in July when we met with An Taoiseach Micheál Martin in County Donegal alongside our colleagues in the Letterkenny Chamber. Members from the two Chambers, who signed a comprehensive memorandum of understanding in 2020 to jointly lobby and campaign on issues relating to the North West, received updates from the Taoiseach on issues as varied as the NI Protocol, the cost-of-living crisis, cross border worker taxation, tourism, infrastructure and connectivity, and his department’s Shared Island Initiative.

Speaking after the meeting, Londonderry Chamber President Aidan O’Kane said, “We welcomed the opportunity to engage with An Taoiseach Micheál Martin. This was a constructive meeting and an opportunity to raise long-standing demands in both Derry and Donegal for greater rail, road, and air connectivity with the rest of the island and other key economic markets, the Irish Government’s commitments to the expansion of Magee, and taxation of cross border workers.

“The cost-of-living and cost-of-doingbusiness crisis are also common challenges for businesses on both sides of the border, and today’s engagement was a timely opportunity to highlight these

pressures to the Taoiseach and urge his Government to do all that they can to help facilitate the return of the Executive.”

We continued our programme of political engagement in August as we

welcomed the Head of the NI Civil Service, Jayne Brady, to the North West to meet with local businesses and our colleagues in the Institute of Directors.

As the chief policy advisor to the Executive, members

Chamber President Aidan O’Kane and Letterkenny Chamber President Kristine Reynolds with An Taoiseach Micheál Martin

Chamber President Aidan O’Kane speaking at the 2022 President’s Annual Dinner

welcomed the opportunity to speak to the Head of the Civil Service about the central priorities for business including the cost-of-living, key regional opportunities like infrastructure and the City Deal, and the return of a functioning Executive.

Into September and we resumed our busy schedule of events after the summer. First up on 8 September we held a brilliant Making Tax Digital workshop with the whizzes from Toast Accountants. Michael and Steven from Toast took attendees through what MTD means in practice for businesses, some of the MTD-approved software available, the timeline for MTD, what opportunities it presents for businesses and their processes, and how you can make your business ready for the changes.

On 20 September, we received an NI economic update from Ulster Bank’s Chief Economist Richard

Ramsey. Members were taken on a deep dive of the state of the local economy, the impact that global shocks like the war in Ukraine and a slowdown in China were having closer to home, and the future outlook in the short and medium term. Ulster Bank’s Regional Ecosystems Manager John Ferris also took businesses through how to best make use of the extensive ecosystem and support network across the North West.

We held another of our very successful Meet the Chamber events on 22 September at the Hidden City Café. Kindly

sponsored by City of Derry Airport, this was an informal and laid-back opportunity to do a bit of networking and to familarise yourself with fellow Chamber members. Always a popular event, this was brilliantly attended and our kind sponsors even raffled off two return Loganair flights to Edinburgh or Glasgow!

The next day we hosted a Café Conversation between former Chamber President Gavin Killeen and Dr Susan Whoriskey. Dr Whoriskey is a US-based research scientist and pioneering biotechnology entrepreneur with strong Donegal and North West roots. One of the first Entrepreneurs in Residence at the prestigious MIT, Dr Whoriskey has helped build some of the most successful biotechnology companies from the ground up as a member of the Founding Executive Teams of Vera Therapeutics, Moderna, Momenta Pharmaceuticals, and Cubist Pharmaceuticals. She spoke to attendees about her experiences in business and academia, a fascinating and captivating morning!

Into October and we continued our series of political engagement with former NI Economy Minister Gordon Lyons MLA. Minister Lyons visited the North West as part of a wider series of engagements and visited the Chamber. As well as discussing regional priorities like the expansion of our local university, infrastructural

Londonderry and Letterkenny Chamber delegations met with An Taoiseach Micheál Martin in July

Chamber President Aidan O’Kane and Chamber Vice President Selina Horshi with Children in Crossfire Founder Richard Moore

(L-R) Letterkenny Chamber CEO Toni Forrester; Chamber President Aidan O’Kane; Letterkenny Chamber President Kristine Reynolds; and Chamber CEO Anna Doherty

improvements, and attracting global investment to the North West, we also impressed on the minister the fundamental importance of having a fully functioning Executive in place to deliver for businesses and households during the cost-of-living crisis.

On 7 October, we hosted our flagship event of the year, our 64th President’s Annual Dinner. Sponsored by Allstate NI and taking place at the White Horse Hotel, the evening was a fantastic celebration of our local business community and the work of our President for 2022, Aidan O’Kane. For full coverage of the evening, check out pages 26 and 27.

On 20 October, we held a very informative cyber security session with the experts at LoughTec at the Playhouse. Bringing together business leaders, industry experts, and SMEs that have embraced technological change, this event explored how businesses can mitigate against the growing cyber threat and how to apply these principles to your own business. Attendees were even treated to a free cyber security network audit after the

event, giving them a detailed report of their cyber defences and how to improve these to minimise threats and dangers to your operations.

Next up on 25 October we held our free CBPES cross border employer incentives business briefing at the

Millennium Forum. This event was held to encourage SMEs in the North West city region to interact and benefit from the free CBPES recruitment service, which helps employers and workers navigate cross-border working arrangements.

(L-R) Chamber President Aidan O’Kane; Seagate’s Damien Gallagher; Head of the NI Civil Service Jayne Brady; IoD Chair Gordon Milligan; and Chamber CEO Anna Doherty

(L-R) DUP MLA Gary Middleton; Chamber CEO Anna Doherty; former Economy Minister Gordon Lyons MLA; Chamber President Aidan O’Kane; Chamber Vice President Selina Horshi; and FinTrU’s Greg McCann

The following day we began the first of a two-day series on how to maximise your impact on Instagram and TikTok. Led by Digi Media Management founder Hayley Quinnell, businesses learned how to make the very most of digital transformation and learn about social media’s most effective business uses, best practices for implementing and devising a strong and effective social media marketing strategy, and how to create captivating and engaging content for both platforms. An absolute necessity for small businesses these days, attendees found these sessions extremely useful in translating social media strategy into a tangible return on investment.

As we reached the end of October, we were also delighted to announce the appointment of Anna Doherty as the Chamber’s permanent CEO. Anna had been in the position in an interim capacity for six months, excelling in the role and working hard to deliver for members.

Speaking on her appointment, Anna said, “I’m extremely proud to have been

appointed Chief Executive of the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce. It’s an honour to represent some of Northern Ireland’s most creative and hardworking companies, and I am thankful to have been entrusted to continue with this role. Having served as interim CEO for the past six months, I am fully aware of the stresses on businesses currently.”

Chamber members at the LoughTec cybersecurity workshop at the Playhouse Speakers at the CBPES Cross Border Employer Incentives Business Briefing at the Millennium Forum

New Chamber CEO Anna Doherty

President’s Annual dinner

Back in October, we held our flagship President’s Annual Dinner at the White Horse Hotel, Derry, bringing together over 350 business leaders, politicians, dignitaries, and civic leaders to celebrate the brightest and best of local North West business. Delivering his address to attendees, President Aidan O’Kane reflected on the strength, leadership and enterprising spirit continually shown by the local business community and issued a direct call for an end to political stalemate to ensure that businesses are supported at this time of great economic uncertainty.

Aidan O’Kane said anything less than a functioning Executive, political leadership and direct assistance to business at this time must be considered as nothing but a disappointment. Amidst unprecedent economic turmoil, the business community and the region as a whole is being neglected each day the political impasse continues. Aidan reiterated the Chamber’s calls for targeted, concerted policy solutions to the cost-of-living crisis.

“It should not be left up to local

business leaders across this country to provide leadership in the absence of a functioning Executive. Government intervention and support is needed now for our businesses and every day without it means another small or independent business going to the wall”, said Aidan.

Aidan issued a call to action to our political leaders, “Work collaboratively, overcome challenges or issues with a sense and spirit of collegiality, and get back to delivering for the people of the North West and Northern Ireland. Our members are overwhelmingly in favour of a return to stable and functioning political conditions as soon as possible, and they are clear that an absent Executive is actively hurting trading conditions and investor confidence.”

Reflecting on his year as President, Aidan re-stated the Chamber’s commitment to members as well as providing the local business community with the strongest possible voice in the form of constructive engagement with politicians of all levels, colleagues at the Letterkenny Chamber, and the business leaders who play their part in making the region what

it is – the best place to live, work, invest and do business.

“We’ve welcomed new members from across the North West and the rest of the country, large and small, and across every economic sector. Our members are the lifeblood of the Chamber and everything we do is guided by them, for

Anna Doherty, Chamber CEO; Aidan O’Kane, Chamber President; Hannah Shields, Guest Speaker; and Mark Simpson, host

Guest Speaker, Hannah Shields and host, Mark Simpson in fireside chat

Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Councillor Sandra Duffy and Chamber President, Aidan O’Kane

their benefit, and for the benefit of the wider economy.”

Looking to the future, Aidan remarked that the time is now for delivery on key projects to unlock the North West’s untapped economic growth, including the A5, expansion of Magee, and investment in our emerging industries. “Ahead of the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement next year, now is the time to reclaim the spirit of

hope and of potential, and to deliver for Northern Ireland once more. Peace has been delivered – prosperity must now follow”, concluded Aidan.

Sponsored by Allstate NI, the President’s Annual Dinner was hosted by BBC Broadcaster Mark Simpson and featured a ‘fireside chat’ with extreme adventurer, Hannah Shields, originally from Kilrea, who was the first Irishwoman to summit Mount Everest.

Anna Doherty, Chamber CEO; Aidan O’Kane, Chamber President; and Head of the Civil Service NI, Jayne Brady

Aidan O’Kane, Chamber President

Toni Forrester, Letterkenny Chamber CEO; Aidan O’Kane, Chamber President; Kristine Reynolds, Letterkenny Chamber President; and Anna Doherty, Chamber CEO

Richard Moore, Children In Crossfire; Aidan O’Kane, Chamber President; and Selina Horshi, Chamber Vice-President

The Londonderry Chamber team – Anna Doherty; Carolann Doherty; Elisha Kealey; and Wendy McDermott

John Healy, Managing Director at Allstate NI, main sponsors of the dinner

City of Derry Airport natural choice for business and leisure travel

In a post-pandemic world where hybrid working has become the norm, we have seen an increasing demand for passengers wanting to fly from their local airport. City of Derry Airport, thanks to our growing network and convenience, is perfect for commuters relocating to the North West region. So, when travelling for work becomes a necessity, why not make it as convenient as possible?

City of Derry Airport ensures that your time is spent wisely by avoiding those long security queues and utilising any time spared by catching up on emails or simply enjoying a relaxing coffee before jetting off to busy meetings.

City of Derry Airport has a range of routes with our airline partners, Loganair and Ryanair, to help you get to where you need to go with regular routes to London, Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Glasgow.

Need a break? We have you covered with that also. City of Derry Airport,

in collaboration with Travel Solutions, have some incredible city break offers available this autumn and winter. As well as amazing London theatre breaks available with tickets to all kinds of shows, there are also breaks to enjoy some festive activities with Christmas markets in Edinburgh and Liverpool. Or even take in the magic at the Harry Potter Studios in London. With such an array of activities, you will definitely find the perfect city break from City of Derry Airport this season.

Before jetting off for business or leisure, why not take off in style with our Amelia Earhart Lounge? The lounge is a quiet space for you to relax before tackling that big business meeting or to enjoy a few glasses of bubbly before enjoying a well-deserved weekend away. It is a space for you to sit back and take in views of the island’s beautiful countryside whilst doing some plane spotting. From only £15 per person, the Amelia Earhart Lounge offers two alcoholic drinks plus snacks with our incredible staff always on hand to assist and ensure your journey has the best start.

At City of Derry Airport, there is also abundant parking to ensure you always get the best parking rates. All parking is within a two-minute walk to the entrance of the airport and all at incredibly reasonable prices - the cheapest car parking on the island of Ireland!

And did we forget to mention that City of Derry Airport was voted No.1 Airport in Northern Ireland! So why not make the most of your local airport and enjoy a more relaxed travel experience.

For more information visit www.cityofderryairport.com or contact info@cityofderryairport.com

JMK Solicitors expand into North West with opening of Derry~Londonderry office

JMK Solicitors, Northern Ireland’s number one personal injury claims specialists, have opened the doors of their new office in Derry~Londonderry as part of their expansion plans across the province. The firm’s new office is located on the Culmore Road, a prime location close to the city centre.

Established in 2003, and with offices also located in Belfast and Newry, the team has successfully helped tens of thousands of people recover compensation after an accident or injury. Since 2015, JMK Solicitors have been the number one personal injury solicitors practice in Northern Ireland, successfully assisting more injured people than any other solicitor firm.

Maurece Hutchinson, Managing Director of JMK Solicitors commented, “We are

delighted to announce our expansion to the North West with the opening of our Derry~Londonderry office. We are very proud to invest in the city, with our new office initially creating three new jobs.

“As a specialist law firm operating solely in personal injury claims and road traffic accidents, we pride ourselves in putting our clients first and we strive to do our absolute best for each client, which is reflected by the fact that 99% of our clients would recommend us. Our team understand the stress, upset, and inconvenience an accident can cause, and work tirelessly to ensure our clients achieve the best possible outcome.

“We have recently been awarded the Lexcel Quality Mark for the fifth year in a row which is a reassurance for our North West clients that they are dealing

with a reputable firm that works above the recognised standards of excellence in legal practice and client care. We are looking forward to providing a personal service to our clients in the North West.”

Aidan O’Kane, President of the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce commented, “On behalf of the Londonderry Chamber, I extend a warm Derry welcome to JMK Solicitors as they open their new location on the Culmore Road. We are delighted to see their investment in the city and wish them many successful years of business.”

For more information about JMK Solicitors please visit www.jmksolicitors.com or call the Derry~Londonderry branch on 028 7122 1016

Dupont and FAST Technologies create next generation robot

A collaboration between two Derry~Londonderry companies, DuPont and FAST Technologies, has resulted in the creation of a new, next generation robot with advanced vision and software technology. The new autonomous mobile robot (AMR) will enable DuPont to take great strides to work safer and faster in the production of Kevlar®.

Paul Kirkpatrick, DuPont Maydown, said, “Following two years of intense research and collaborative innovation with FAST Technologies, it is extremely gratifying to see the new AMR up and running and doing exactly what we hoped it would.

“The AMR is used in the production of Kevlar® and allows the safe unloading of finished bobbins, the emptying of tubes automatically, and the movement of bobbins to defined locations. The AMR will be operating in an extremely challenging work environment alongside operating personnel, so it has a complex communication structure that will keep it running at capacity and safely.”

FAST Technologies is an advanced manufacturing company, specialising in

automation, robotics and software solutions for companies globally.

Colin Spence, Director at FAST Technologies, said, “The system we have developed in collaboration with DuPont is unlike any robot available to industrial manufacturers today. More than just an AMR this is automated and intelligent, fully mobile with no need for tracks, and an onboard collaborative robot arm that can manipulate up to 16kg loads.

“It has an integrated efficient vision system that offers depth perception for varying heights or stacked objects to account for dynamic working environments. The partnership with DuPont has brought together years of combined skills and knowledge to develop an advanced manufacturing solution that enables safer, more productive, and efficient workspaces.”

Paul concluded,

We have further developmental work to conduct with our local partners and Ulster University in order to deliver even more automated solutions and continue to keep personnel safe.”

In 1957, DuPont UK Ltd announced plans to build a neoprene plant on a former naval airfield at Maydown, seven miles from Derry~Londonderry, Northern Ireland. Construction started that same year. Since it began operations, in addition to neoprene, Maydown manufactured Orlon® (from 1968) Lycra® (from 1969) and Hypalon®. These products have subsequently ceased production or, in the case of Lycra®, transferred ownership. DuPont now produces Kevlar®.

Architects, engineers, and builders incorporate cables of Kevlar® into light suspension bridges because Kevlar® is stronger and lighter than steel on an equal-weight basis and does not corrode. Cables made of Kevlar® help enable elevators to use smaller pulleys than they would have to use for steel cables, and subsequently require less energy and space to operate.

In seawater, ropes with Kevlar® are up to 95% lighter than steel ropes of comparable strength. Salvage ropes, ice safety barriers, towed and stationary arrays, umbilical hoses, fibre optic cables, escape chutes, orbital straps, and tow ropes have incorporated Kevlar® to help increase strength and reduce weight.

Lightweight rope constructions based on Kevlar® fibre help enable rescue services to handle and deploy equipment far more easily — often saving valuable seconds.

Kevlar® fibre has proven that it is strong enough to survive the extreme forces and temperature fluctuations of space travel. When the Mars Pathfinder landed on the surface of Mars, ropes made of Kevlar® helped secure the inflated landing cushions (which were themselves reinforced with Kevlar® fibre) that allowed it to complete its 40-million-mile journey fully intact and ready to explore the planet. Kevlar® is also used in the space shuttle to help protect against impacts from orbital debris.

Factory Automation & Systems Technologies (FAST) are headquartered in Northern Ireland with more than 25 years’ experience in industrial automation. FAST provides ‘best-inclass’ advanced manufacturing and automation solutions, with a proven track record in the application of automation across all sectors and industries. The company develops bespoke technical solutions for a global client base, focusing on state-of-the-art automation technologies that are developed and can be deployed into manufacturing factories with immediate effect.

FAST and their industrial partners boast a comprehensive automation portfolio comprising of individual robots and robotic cells for automated production steps, all the way to large-scale customized systems.

As a driver of innovation in the automation industry, FAST supplies the key technologies and solutions for “Industry 4.0” and the factory of the future from turnkey automated production lines to industrial robots, sensitive robots for human-robot collaboration, and mobile platforms with autonomous navigation. “We help our customers automate, so they can focus on their core business”, Colin concludes.

North West financial planners set for growth

Benchmark, part of the Schroders group, has invested in the North West with the purchase of local Chartered Financial Planning firm, Waterhouse Financial Planning

The Waterhouse team will remain at the firm, providing continuity for clients, and to support continued significant growth opportunities among their professional connections and client families with all aspects of financial planning.

Whilst most larger advice firms in Northern Ireland are based in Belfast, Waterhouse, established in 2010, have ambitions to be the leading Chartered Financial Planners in the North West region and have already moved into expanded premises in Bishop Street to accommodate their growing business.

Former Managing Directors, Tom Leonard, will focus on further acquisitions and develop the business across the North West and all of Northern Ireland, while Sinead Meenan, now Wealth Planning Director, will lead the financial planning practice.

Speaking after the purchase, Tom said “We’ve worked with Benchmark since 2018, they’ve supported us with technology, compliance services, and also helped us move to our new offices so this is a natural evolution of our partnership.

“Benchmark and Schroders have a reputation for quality and long-term relationships. We believe that they are unrivalled in their approach, and their vision and values align very closely with ours and this allows us to continue to deliver great client outcomes without compromise.”

Sinead added “It’s exciting to move our business forward with Benchmark. We’re delighted to see the commitment to Derry and are looking forward to further developing in the region and more widely across Northern Ireland.”

As part of the deal, Waterhouse will change its company name to Benchmark Financial Planning during November, but otherwise there will be no changes for clients in how their plans are managed.

Sinead continued “Stability, security, and long-term client outcomes are very important to us. Partnering with a firm like Benchmark, with secure parentage, enables us to continue to deliver this” “Being part of a bigger group also brings the same advantages to our staff. Benchmark have a market-leading Academy for developing the next

Sinead Meenan

Tom Leonard

generation of financial planners, so with their support we’ll be able to train and grow our own team to work with our expanding client base, and also create employment opportunities locally.”

Tom believes that there are significant opportunities to develop the business in Derry, the North West, and throughout Northern Ireland by bringing other planners with existing businesses into the firm to take advantage of the digital and inperson advice services that Benchmark offer.

“Whilst we find that for most of our mature High-NetWorth clients and business owners prefer an in-person approach, for younger clients, a technology-enabled advice process is an alternative solution”, said Tom. “We service all clients with access to their own personal Wealth Platform which provides a consolidated view of their wealth and gives instant access to their information, securely, at any time, on any device. As a Chartered Financial Planning practice, we meet the highest level of

professional standards that go beyond just technical competence to ensure that clients and their goals are at the centre of everything we do.”

adviser or firm who displays eminence in the field, and who maintains excellence in qualifications, ethics, business practices, and professional development”, added Sinead.

My role going forward will be to expand our footprint locally and to develop the wider North West region looking for other businesses that share these same values”, continued Tom.

with an

“We are all really excited about the future for Benchmark Financial Planning in Derry, the North West, and wider Northern Ireland to deliver financial planning for all clients and the business community.

“As a company we offer a range of services to both corporate and private clients. This covers, investment, tax and pension planning, protecting income, assets and their businesses. This is combined with succession and estate planning for higher net worth individuals.”

For more information, visit benchmarkfp.com or get in touch at 02871878770

Front Row – Lisa Rutherford, Nadine Arthur, Sinead Meenan, Deirdre Moore Back Row – Catherine Wilson, Tom Leonard, Peter O’Sullivan, Conor McCrory, Kevin McCallion and Hannah Doherty.

Allstate NI welcome their Executive Vice President to Derry

Allstate Northern Ireland were delighted to welcome their Executive Vice President, Suren Gupta, to their Catalyst offices in Derry~Londonderry in July. This is the first time Suren had been able to travel to Northern Ireland since 2019 due to the pandemic. During his time in the North West offices, Suren had the chance to engage with the local senior leadership team to discuss future plans and developments.

During his visit, Suren hosted a townhall for all employees alongside John Healy. This allowed employees to hear about the future of Allstate, the importance of Allstate NI, and for them to ask questions. The visit was a fantastic chance for employees to showcase the strategic work that they deliver from the North West, and the impact it has on the day-to-day running of the Allstate business.

The company celebrated 20 years of business in the North West last year; beginning operations with just 20 staff, 12 of which are still employed by the company today. The company now boasts over 2300 employees in total, with over 900 of them based in

the North West area. John Healy, Managing Director for Allstate NI, commented on the anniversary, “Our initial setup in Derry was about accessing the deep talent pool in the region. What we have managed to achieve in the past 20 years is a testament to the resilience, ingenuity, and innovation of our community in the North West.”

Now, the team has a footprint in cutting edge skills including Machine Learning, Cyber Security, Software Engineering, AI, and Data Science.

One of the company’s most recent accolades was picking up the coveted Digital DNA Workplace of the Year award in May this year. The company faced stiff competition from other tech giants such as PwC and Rapid7. The Workplace of the Year award recognises a company that has instilled an excellent workplace culture, where employees are at the core of everything they do. Allstate NI were also the recipients of the award back in 2020 for all the support

they provided to employees throughout the pandemic, and receiving this award again is testament to their continued commitment to employee wellbeing into 2022 and beyond.

The company recently announced their hybrid working policy for all employees and made flexible hours available to everyone, allowing staff to work remotely or in the office at any time to find a balance that suits their work and personal life.

With 95% of staff voicing a desire for more flexibility, most have opted not to take on a set schedule, instead working with their line manager to find a pattern that suits their lifestyle and the needs of the business.

To suit the needs of people who enjoy coming into the office, the company have also been working alongside Assistance Dogs NI, to bring therapy dogs into their offices on a regular basis to help relax employee’s anxiety and improve socialising in the offices at a time where employees may feel nervous about returning to a shared working space.

Suren Gupta, Allstate Executive Vice President, and John Healy, Allstate NI Vice President and Managing Director

Lexi the Therapy Dog visited the Allstate offices during the summer

McCay Solicitors: The North West’s Commercial Law Firm

complete, Building 104 is full to capacity, while the guys at The Amp have created a perfect environment for start-ups.

Now approaching their 8th year in business, McCay Solicitors has grown from a niche employment law practice to become the North West’s leading commercial law firm. The firm has an impressive portfolio of clients right across the region which they service from their offices in the city’s own Ebrington Square, and from sub-offices in Strabane and Omagh.

The firm recently advised O’Neills Sports on their new store in Omagh and have just completed a £2.8m loan on behalf of an alternative lender in the agri sector. This highlights the adaptability of the firm and underscores their reputation as big enough to deliver but small enough to care. The services offered by the Commercial Team at McCay Solicitors include:

• Shareholder Agreements

• Share Purchase/Business Purchase Agreements

• Service Agreements & Commercial Contracts.

• Employment Law.

• Commercial Leases and Sale/ Acquisitions.

• Commercial Disputes.

Next year will see McCay embark on their first Graduate Recruitment Scheme aimed at securing the very best legal talent in the North West.

The firm’s Managing Director, Gareth McCay commented, “The North West is slowly beginning to realise its potential and a real confidence in the skills and enterprise that we have here is beginning to develop. This is very evident in Ebrington where Building 1 is almost

THE NORTH WEST’S COMMERCIAL LAW FIRM

“We still export some of our brightest talents which is why many businesses like us are putting together graduate schemes to keep these people here or bring them back to the North West to train and develop. This can only benefit the region as a whole. We have come out of the pandemic on a much stronger footing than we went in and we have exciting plans over the next three years to grow our team, enhance our offering, and add new locations”, concluded Gareth.

Further information on the specialist areas covered by McCay Solicitors can be found on their website www.mccaysolicitors.co.uk or to get in touch with a member of the team, call 02871371705

LoughTec’s top tips to keep safe from online hackers and cybercriminals

In the wake of Apple’s recent announcement regarding a security flaw in its software, LoughTec Chief Executive Seán McDermott gives us his top tips on keeping safe from online hackers and cybercriminals.

As a business owner, you should be aware of the dangers of cyberattacks. These attacks can come from anywhere in the world and have devastating consequences. Ten years ago, any IT Manager had 45 days to apply software patches, these are fixes for vulnerabilities the threat actors find in software daily.

Today it is more like a 2-3 hour window to apply the fixes. Threat actors use those vulnerabilities to get access to your network. They can then spend considerable time carrying out reconnaissance on your network, until they figure out how they can hurt you most.

That hurt could be in the form of encrypting your data and demanding a ransom, or a Business Email Compromise (BEC) attack where they convince someone in your accounts department to send a payment to a new bank account. The challenge we all face is that these guys work around the clock – 90% of the attacks we see happen after 5.00 pm when all our guards are down.

My advice is you should not take the attitude that it won’t be you. The reality is it’s a matter of time before you are hacked or ransomed and once it happens, it can and will happen again.

The threat of cybercrime is out there. There is nothing you can do about the danger, but you can reduce the risk.

You can take steps to reduce the risk and decrease the attack surface for the offenders. It’s a bit like putting an alarm and CCTV system into your home. It won’t stop a burglar, but the CCTV and alarm make you a much less attractive prospect to cybercriminals.

Here are some simple tips to help protect your business from cyber threats:

• Keep your software up to date. Patches released by companies like Apple build defences against newfound weaknesses and backdoors in their software.

• Use strong passwords and don’t reuse them. Combine a few random words, replace a few letters with a number, use characters like the ‘@’ sign and an occasional capital letter.

• Be careful what you click on and ask yourself, why am I clicking on this link?

• Don’t open attachments from people you don’t know. Ask yourself why this email with an attachment or a strange URL arrived in your mailbox.

• Use a secure remote access solution for work.

• Install security software. Anything that is free is virtually useless.

• Back up your data regularly and keep it in a secure off-site location.

• Be aware of social engineering attacks.

• Think before you post online. Don’t give the fraudsters the information they need to convince you that they are real.

• Protect your mobile devices. Apply updates and patches as they become available.

LoughTec Chief Executive Seán McDermott

Store & Go offering bespoke storage solutions

Store & Go is a state-of-the-art selfstorage facility located in Springtown Industrial Estate, Derry offering smart, secure and cost-effective self-storage solutions.

With over 300 units ranging in size from 10-200sqft across two floors, the facility accommodates for all needs, whether business or personal.

Store & Go offers a one of a kind, forward thinking Smart Entry system allowing customers to access their unit securely and direct from their smart phone. Smart Entry allows for access to belongings 24-hours a day, 7 days a week. And, you can store with Store & Go at any stage of your development journey, whether moving house, renovating, downsizing, extending or business development for start-ups.

If you are curious and want to quickly find out more about Store & Go’s storage units, you can use their interactive 3D viewing option via their website. From this, you can understand and visualise size and depth of units online or call down to the Store & Go facility for a tour of the premises, with no obligation to commit.

Store & Go also provide temperature controlled, carpeted units to ensure perfect conditions for belongings with a triple alarm system and CCTV throughout to guarantee security and provide you with peace of mind.

Store & Go has storage solutions tailored to all needs and items. Whether

it’s housing associations, trades people, musicians, professionals in need of secure document storage, homeowners, landlords, local sports clubs, charities, estate agents and entrepreneurs as a hub for business.

For a free tour of the Store & Go facilities call in or phone 028 7127 8900. To view our storage options and to get a quote visit www.storeandgo.net

Foyle Hospice: Compassion and care is at the heart of our Christmas

Christmas is a time for coming together with family and friends, celebrating life, and remembering our loved ones.

The idea of spending Christmas in a hospice or facing treatment for a life-limiting condition is difficult and daunting for many patients and their families. However, those who have spent time at Foyle Hospice over Christmas will tell you that there is a lot to celebrate.

One of the first things many people say when they come to Foyle Hospice is, “I never imagined it would be as nice as this.” The atmosphere at Foyle Hospice is relaxed and tranquil and it is easy to see, once you’ve walked through the grounds and looked out

over the beautifully landscaped gardens, why you would feel so at ease here. It is warm and welcoming, enabling patients and their families to feel at home here, especially at Christmas time. From the moment someone wakes up in Foyle Hospice on Christmas morning, we aim to make it feel like a home from home. The patient’s room is given a yuletide makeover, as is the rest of the building and grounds. We want to ensure that families can come along to spend a very special Christmas with their loved ones.

Of course, no Christmas would be complete without a traditional Christmas dinner with all of the trimmings. Families can enjoy

Getting festive at the Hospice

Message of love being placed on the Christmas tree

their Christmas Day dinner together as our Head Chef, Bill Duncan, makes sure everyone is catered for with a menu full of festive favourites.

Bill said, “On Christmas Day, we offer the patients staying with us a full Christmas morning breakfast and print a special menu for patients to choose their Christmas dinner. We have turkey, ham, and roast beef with all the trimmings, a full four course meal, and we would encourage families to come in and have their Christmas dinner with their loved ones. We set a table up in each of their rooms and make it a special day for the whole family.

“Then, in the evening time, we fill cake stands with sweet treats and sandwiches and families can come and enjoy that too. We make it homely, that’s what Christmas is about for us.”

Another part of what makes Christmas special for most of us is the lead-up to the big day and it is no different here at Foyle Hospice. Annmarie Casey, Nurse Manager at the Day Hospice, said that she is looking forward to this year with renewed hope following a difficult few Christmases through the pandemic. “This year we hope to have patients and staff celebrate like we have every other year pre-Covid, while still remaining vigilant and safe,” she said.

“Our dedicated volunteers and staff will put up the decorations, play Christmas music, and get in the festive mood. We want to make the most of the special

occasions so patients and staff can create memorable moments.”

Christmas is a time of remembrance at Foyle Hospice so, every year, our Lights of Love appeal dedicates lights on the Foyle Hospice Christmas tree to our loved ones. A few weeks before Christmas, special tags are sent out to the public so that those who wish to make a donation can do so in honour or memory of their loved ones. Once you have written a personal message and the name of the person or people you are dedicating it to, the tag is placed on the beautiful Christmas tree here at Foyle Hospice.

A moving ceremony is held before Christmas and, each year, a local family share their story about how Foyle Hospice helped them through the diagnosis, illness, and death of their loved one. The family then turns on the Christmas tree lights, surrounded by others remembering special people in their lives who have died.

This year, Anthony Fitzgerald, whose wife Helena died last September, will be switching on the Christmas lights with their boys, Milo, 9, and Rogan, 6. Helena, 44, was cared for at home by the Specialist Palliative Care Team and Milo and Rogan had help from our Healing Hearts Children’s and Young Persons bereavement service. Anthony said that he was extremely grateful for the help Foyle Hospice gave his family at the most difficult time of their lives. “The specialised knowledge and

support we were given as a family are a credit to the Hospice,” he said.

“As Helena’s health deteriorated, it was our wish that she remain at home. With excellent medical support, thankfully, this was possible. With a care programme in place, we were able to remain together and enjoy quality time as a family throughout her illness.

“A lot of people, when they think about hospice, think about people going in there to die, that’s the first thing that springs to people’s minds, but there’s so much more to Foyle Hospice.

Even though Helena didn’t stay at the Hospice, she received specialist care at home, and I really couldn’t speak highly enough about it.”

At Foyle Hospice, we understand that Christmas can be a very difficult and challenging time for patients and their families, so we will do everything we can to help them make precious memories they will treasure always.

Did you know?

• Foyle Hospice costs almost £3.5million per year to run and we rely heavily on the generosity of local people with around 65% of our funding coming from donations. Our services are all provided free of charge.

• Foyle Hospice provides a counselling service to both children and adults. The services are open to the wider public, not just patients of Foyle Hospice and their families, irrespective of the cause of the person’s death. Referrals can be made in a number of ways including through your GP or through other health and social care professionals.

• 60% of our patients in the Foyle Hospice Inpatient Unit receive care and symptom management support which results in them returning home feeling better mentally and physically.

• Foyle Hospice provides specialist palliative care and support to patients who choose to stay at home. This service is the only one in Northern Ireland that is provided seven days a week including bank holidays.

• A Day Hospice and Integrative Care Clinic also operate at Foyle Hospice. Patients can receive treatment as outpatients and meet with others going through similar experiences.

Translink on the road to a better ‘CONNECTED’ North West

Translink is fully committed to the city of Derry~Londonderry and the broader North West region, ensuring a better connected future for everyone.

Building upon previous significant investment to deliver effective, sustainable transport solutions, Translink are driving a modal shift in transport habits to benefit everyone, delivering a Net Zero future and addressing regional imbalance.

Translink is a part of Derry~Londonderry, and bus and rail travel will form a central part of the city’s economic, social, and environmental future, acting as a gateway to and from the North West. This focus accords fully with Translink’s vision to be the first choice for travel, today and tomorrow.

With fares frozen since April 2019, Translink is prioritising better value public transport during what is a challenging financial period for many, helping to combat high fuel and energy costs and effect a modal shift in transport habits.

Climate Action

From a climate action perspective, Translink aims to reduce emissions by 50% before 2030 and operate a wholly Net Zero network by 2040, which will develop further to achieve Climate Positive status by 2050.

Harmful air pollution is now commonly recognised as the top environmental risk to human health, with the potential to cost the NHS in Northern Ireland up to £190m by 2035.

Enhancing transport options in Derry~Londonderry forms a major component of Translink’s plans to attract more people onto public transport. Their

central action in the region will include a £30m+ investment to deliver a 100% battery-electric bus fleet for Foyle Metro, as well as significant associated charging infrastructure for the Pennyburn depot.

The new fleet of 38 locally built vehicles is expected to enter service during 2023, making Derry~Londonderry the first city in the UK and Ireland to operate a wholly Zero Emission urban bus fleet. This will be a key milestone in Translink’s journey to Net Zero and will help the company consolidate its status as operator of one of the largest Zero Emission bus fleets in these islands. Over the coming years, Zero Emission technologies will also be rolled out to the Goldliner fleet, benefitting the services which form a vital part of the city’s connections to Belfast and beyond.

Rail Infrastructure Investment

In the broader context of rail, Translink recognises the importance and value of railway connections to the community in Derry~Londonderry and the wider region.

To that end, they have invested nearly £74m on significant upgrades to the rail network and associated infrastructure to the North West in

recent years, and are committed to maintaining and developing connections to and from the city. This commitment is substantially evidenced by the multi awardwinning North-West Transport Hub, the region’s main transport gateway. The project, advanced in partnership with the European Union’s INTERREG VA Programme and central, regional, and local

Translink Group Chief Executive, Chris Conway

government, was completed during 2020 and has restored the 19th Century, Grade B-listed Waterside Train Station.

The project has won numerous awards, including ‘Best Overall Entry’ in the National Rail Heritage Awards and has also been recognised by the Royal Society of Ulster Architects.

As part of an ongoing commitment to delivering sustainable travel, Translink has collaborated with Sustrans to provide an Active Travel Centre within the North West Transport Hub, which will promote active and sustainable travel capacity, notably cycling and walking options. The facility is also connected with the greenway network, linking with the city centre via the nearby Peace Bridge and other paths in the locality.

There will be a need to deliver the proposed major signalling and track renewal project known as Phase 3 to sufficiently upgrade the North West rail corridor and deliver faster, safer and more frequent journeys. This will

deliver the potential to introduce a half-hourly frequency between Derry~Londonderry and Belfast. The project will also include examination of the feasibility of providing additional halts in the greater Derry~Londonderry area.

Customer Focus

Translink have also recently undertaken a major programme of refurbishment at Foyle Street Bus Centre, which has enhanced safety and brought surface improvements, helping to improve the customer experience at this major bus hub.

A forthcoming major development will see the roll-out of the Translink Future Ticketing System (TFTS), which will facilitate contactless, account-based ticketing solutions while retaining the use of traditional cash fares for those who need them. It is expected that this roll-out will be completed during 2023.

Conclusions

The effectiveness of public transport in bringing people and communities together, creating opportunities to grow and develop urban centres and connect communities to education, employment, retail, social and leisure opportunities, offers options and possibilities that are vital to the success of the city and the wider North West region.

Translink will continue to invest in new technologies and in people, work to improve facilities, and keep growing passenger numbers. The company will continue to deliver enhancements and investments for our bus and rail network in Derry~Londonderry and beyond, improving service frequency and developing a connected and sustainable public transport network in the North West for future generations.

For more information, visit: www.translink.co.uk.

The North West Transport Hub

RiverRidge Leading the Charge for a De-carbonised Waste Sector

In its recently published Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Strategy, entitled ‘Rethinking our Future’, waste management company, RiverRidge, set itself a bold objective to reduce its CO2 emissions by 50% by the end of the decade and ultimately de-carbonise its operations.

With transport by far the largest carbon contributor in the waste sector, it was an obvious place to target. To demonstrate its commitment in this area, RiverRidge recently took delivery of its first bio-gas vehicle which runs entirely on fuel derived from food waste. In time, the company will produce all of its own biofuel for its fleet of vehicles from a new anaerobic digestion facility, which is planned as part of its overall innovative waste operations.

It is just one of the many steps that the company is taking on its ESG journey and, according to CEO Brett Ross, it demonstrates the passion for innovation and commitment to sustainability that sets RiverRidge apart from other waste management providers.

RiverRidge’s ESG Strategy – the first of its kind for a waste management company in Northern Ireland – builds on the company’s vision to treat waste as a valuable resource to ensure a positive outcome for our planet. It has three core principles and a number of ambitions, namely;

• Leading the way as a responsible and sustainable business, which includes an ambition to improve the supply chain and approach to diversity and inclusion

• Looking after people, customers and communities, which includes an ambition to become an employer of choice and to

double charitable giving as well as creating a new environmental trust; and

• Protecting the environment and driving the circular economy through innovation, which includes an ambition to reduce

carbon emissions by 50% and the transition of 75% of the fleet to renewable power by 2030.

The formalisation of its ESG strategy ‘Rethinking our Future’ will see the company publicly report annually on its performance

RiverRidge CEO, Brett Ross

against these core principles and hold itself fully accountable for delivery –not just to its board and shareholders – but to all its stakeholders, including customers, employees and communities.

Brett Ross, continued, In a short period of time, we have seen so much change in the places where we work and live. That pace of change has been fast and is being driven to a large extent by the younger generation, who are challenging the status quo and demanding positive changes throughout our society that will shape all our futures.”

He continued, “We not only want to recognise this change but embrace it. As a result, we have published ‘Rethinking Our Future’, a dynamic and evolving ESG strategy, which sees RiverRidge taking a long-term view of our business, our place within the community and the planet, as well as looking after our people.”

RiverRidge is already Northern Ireland’s leading waste management company, operating some of the most sophisticated facilities in the UK across five sites and employing almost 300 people from the local community. As a company, it has always focused on innovation to transform the approach to waste from one of disposal to recycling to ensure Northern Ireland achieves its carbon targets. The ESG strategy undertaken and embraced by

RiverRidge takes this leadership position to a new level and ensures that the company is progressing towards a fully sustainable future.

Brett Ross concluded, “As the leading company in our sector in Northern Ireland, we want to show leadership in all forms of sustainability. We want to be more accountable and have embedded sustainable work practices. This is not an unusual place for RiverRidge to be – we are innovators, adaptors and disruptors, the emergence of ESG is no different.

With our ‘Rethinking our Future’ strategy, we are building today what our stakeholders will demand tomorrow.”

RiverRidge Group Transport Manager, Stephen Thompson (left) with David Hyde, Sales Manager at Macpac Refuse Bodies

When John Cassidy established JKC in 1972, starting out on the Castlerock Road, he did not quite imagine what JKC would become. Now, employing 85 staff members and with four premises in Coleraine, JKC has become locally known and globally renowned in the BMW network.

For John Cassidy and his team at JKC, customer service has been key to unlocking the success of JKC. This is exemplified by the continued support of their customers over many years and multiple BMW UK Retailer of the Year award wins for customer service. A passion for delivering the highest level of customer service, whilst getting to know each and every customer is at the heart of everything JKC stands for. JKC’s loyalty is not only to their customers, but also with staff; some of whom have been with John since the beginning. This loyalty, the continued support of JKC customers and the super team have enabled JKC to celebrate 50 years in business.

JKC Celebrates 50 Years

JKC’s new car sales began in their showroom located on the Castlerock Road, Coleraine. BMW Model expansion and the release of the 3 series in 1975 meant there was a need for a larger premises. John then relocated to a bigger showroom with a standalone complex on the Milburn Road, Coleraine in 1978. The move proved so successful that it remains JKC’s main showroom to this day.

JKC’s car sales team are highly trained and often referred to as ‘BMW Geniuses’. The sales team have an in-depth knowledge of model ranges and specifications and can easily assist and advise customers. This is just one of the reasons JKC is renowned for its incredible customer service and experience.

The launch of the MINI in 2001 marked a key milestone for the company. At first, MINI was just an individual model displayed in the BMW showroom. But, as time moved on and models changed, MINI’s own

showroom was opened on the Ballycastle Road in 2009.

JKC offers a wide range of Aftersales Services, which are performed by BMW/MINI trained technicians who work exclusively on BMW and MINIs. Adding to this, JKC have a new state of the art 14-bay workshop and dedicated team of Service Advisors to keep you updated on the status of your vehicle, ensuring an unparalleled aftersales experience. During your ownership journey, JKC

has intimate knowledge of your vehicle and what it takes to maintain it. From servicing to Genuine BMW/MINI parts and tyres, JKC is a one stop shop for all your BMW and MINI needs.

I have been here for 29 years, but it hasn’t felt like that at all, I can honestly say that I’ve enjoyed every minute. The car buying process has changed so much and so has JKC.”

He continued, “The success of this business has been built around Jack’s

belief that the customer is number one and this has been instilled since we opened back in 1972. It’s only recently that the motor industry realised this – but Jack knew it from the beginning. And, undoubtably, this approach has led to a lot of referred business. The staff and the management at JKC are utterly fantastic as well.”

Head of Business Niall MacFlynn said,

business advice

basis, ahead of careers (22%), health (18%), and relationships (14%).

The pandemic and other events since March 2020 have exacerbated those financial stresses, with 37% of working people reporting that their household’s level of disposable income had decreased since 2020.

employees would be happier at work if their financial wellbeing were better, many firms remain uncertain as to how best to support employees in this. Just half of the businesses surveyed said they would be able to provide information to staff on debt issues and 38% admitted that they didn’t fully understand the level of financial information they could offer employees.

Jonathan McCombe Managing Director, KMC Wealth Management

MONEY AND MENTAL HEALTH

Financial wellbeing is about feeling secure, confident, and empowered, according to the Money and Pensions Service. It’s about being in control of your finances. An absence of this can have serious and lasting implications for individuals, households, employers, and society.

Finances are the biggest single source of concern for most people, with 26% of us worried about money on an ongoing

But financial worries can affect those with any level of income. Research has shown that a third of C-suite executives and three in ten managers have poor financial wellbeing, while employees that earn over £90,000 a year have nearly the same level of financial worries (24%) as those earning between £10,000 and £30,000 a year.

Financial stress naturally has an adverse impact on an individual’s mental health and therefore on their ability to do their job and perform well.

Wellbeing goals

When it comes to looking for support with their financial wellbeing, employers are often the first port of call. However, a report by Aegon found that while 71% of employers believe that their

Conall Dunne

Founder, Easy Customs

BREXIT AND CUSTOMS – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

As we approach the second anniversary of Brexit coming into effect, we thought we would share some of the common questions that come before our desk each week.

1 - Why do we need customs and what is its role?

Customs is meant to protect our health by controlling the entry of illegal or counterfeit products into a market. It also is designed to protect a market from unfair competition.

2 – Must I use a customs agent? No, it is possible to do customs yourself. However, many organisations lack the scale, resources, or expertise in-house.

3 - Who is responsible for a customs declaration?

The responsibility will depend on the “incoterms” of the goods. Examples of common incoterms are EXW, DDP, FCA, or DAP. An understanding of these is key to understanding your responsibilities.

4 - What is an EORI number and how do I get it?

Economic Operators’ Registration and Identification Number. All importers and exporters must have an EORI number. These can be easily obtained from your tax authority (HMRC or Irish Revenue). An EU EORI is valid throughout the EU. A Northern Ireland XI EORI is valid within the UK and EU.

5 - What is postponed VAT? Postponed VAT is a mechanism to delay the payment of import VAT. Essentially, import VAT is paid at the time of doing your VAT return, so you reclaim the import VAT at the same time as paying it.

6 - How do I decide the correct commodity code?

The commodity code is a sequence of numbers made up of six, eight or ten digits. The commodity code used for a product is determined by the products make up and its use. If unsure always consult.

7 - What is a SAD document?

The Single Administrative Document, also known as Form C88 in the UK, is the main customs form used in international trade to or from the European Union Customs Union. It is processed electronically.

8 - How do I pay by customs duty? You will pay your duty through the processing of your import declaration online. Your customs agent will normally arrange this.

9 - What are the penalties of not doing customs correctly?

Penalties are charged depending on the offence and can go as far as doubling the duties and taxes evaded.

Penalties are charged in the event of the following violations:

• False declarations of type of good or origin resulting in a reduction in duties and taxes;

• Failure to meet safety or consumer standards;

• Failure to produce documents.

To date authorities have adopted a light touch approach but customs audits will become common place in the coming year.

Our customs audit team is available to prepare your team for customs audit or to do a customs health check for your business.

10 – Is there any good news?

The Northern Ireland Protocol has some significant advantages for businesses with a base in Northern Ireland. It has the potential to turn Northern Ireland into the Singapore of Europe with access to both the UK and EU markets. We have dealt with several customers who are saving duties of over £100K per annum by utilising the Protocol to their advantage. If you are paying substantial duties each year you should speak to us urgently.

which people face. Our aim is to assist the free movement of labour in this border region.

The Cross Border Partnership Ireland – Northern Ireland is a consortium of representatives from the government departments, namely the Department of Social Protection (Ireland), Department for Communities (NI), trade unions from both sides of the border including Belfast Unemployed Resource Centre and the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU); Chambers of Commerce through Londonderry Chamber of Commerce and Dundalk Chamber, as well as employer bodies in the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and Irish Business and Employers’ Confederation (IBEC).

The Partnership provides pathways to the information required by people moving across the border, for example, jobseekers that need information on employment opportunities on both sides of the border, on taxation, and the social security systems.

The Partnership also aims to assist and support employers by providing them with access to a larger pool of labour i.e. jobseekers living on both sides of the border. Advice is available to employers on a range of cross-border recruitment issues. There is a reciprocal agreement in place between the employment services in both jurisdictions when placing job adverts on www.jobapplyni. com and www.jobsireland.ie . These two platforms are free resources available to employers, from both public employment services, to assist employers promote their job vacancies.

Lorraine O’Malley

Coordinator, Cross Border Partnership for Employment Services

THE NEWLY REBRANDED CROSS BORDER PARTNERSHIP FOR EMPLOYMENT SERVICES

The Cross Border Partnership for Employment Services was established to help make things easier for those who wish to commute across the border in order to work. It does this by attempting to overcome some of the obstacles

The Cross Border Partnership for Employment Services hosts cross border job fairs, both on-site and virtually through our dedicated cross border job fair platform www.crossborderjobfair.com, as well as hosting employer incentive and tax briefing seminars. To check out our news, information, and upcoming events, please visit our website www.cbpes.com

The power of possibility and effective leadership

By Helen McDonnell, IndigoLife Coaching

Since the last edition of CONNECTED, we’ve seen a lot of changes to the world around us. Thankfully, Covid-19 appears to be behind us and businesses are by and large back to how they were operating pre-pandemic. However, one thing that has changed are workplace dynamics. The pandemic has ushered in remote working, working from home, and hybrid working options. In step with this, there is a need for leadership and management practices to move with the times and modernise.

More than ever, effective leadership is needed as leaders and managers face up to changing dynamics and different challenges to maximise their business’ productivity. We are fortunate that in this part of the world we have no shortage of established business leaders and rising stars, and I have had the chance to work one-to-one with some seriously impressive figures.

And, while not two companies are the same, there are some core principles which can be applied to any workplace setting, whether you are operating in a factory, office space, retail or hospitality venue, or in one of our emerging tech or science hubs.

I’ve found that one of the biggest barriers to the development of good leaders is making assumptions. Assumptions that you won’t be able to overcome the hurdle; that you might not be up for the job; or that it just won’t work seriously limit the power of possibility. While it is of course important to weighup any given situation and be realistic about your chances of success, it should never preclude you from testing your abilities, challenging yourself, and pushing forward for growth and success.

Of course, changing your mindset takes time. But, there are two magic words which I always encourage my clients to use when making steps towards change: ‘possibly’ and ‘maybe’. When we assume, we close down possibilities and with it, opportunities for development, growth and profitability. By introducing ‘possibly’ and ‘maybe’ into workspace discussions you gradually shift towards a new mindset of possibility.

Delivering my Authentic Leadership through Practical Leadership programme, I have been working with clients to assist them to embrace the power of possibility. In doing this, I work with them to build confidence, take control of emotions, and unlock their full potential. This can only happen by opening up to the world of possibilities and considering the many personal and business benefits that come through authentic leadership.

In the last two years, the world of work has rapidly shifted. There now exists an opportunity for us to re-think how we deliver workplace leadership and adopt an approach which places trust, authenticity, and the world of possibility at its core.

If you’re interested in signing up for the the Authentic Leadership through Practical Mindfulness programme or in finding out what the power of possibility can offer your team, get in touch with me at helen@indigolifecoaching.com or call 07719 302988

Down Memory Lane

Eamon McCay Frylite

converting it into biofuels

What is your title and how long have you been in post?

Managing Director and Founder

Tell me how your Business began I had an idea to supply cooking oils directly to the end user and provide a waste oil collection service.

What was the North West like outside your windows in that era? How has it changed?

In the mid 80s, the North West was challenged by the political situation so doing business wasn’t easy. There was very high unemployment with limited growth. It was really the 90s and 2000s onwards before we saw real growth especially in the food sector, with the opening of more hotels, restaurants, and food to go outlets.

the catering sector into renewable energy.

What’s the best piece of advice you have been given over the years? Thankfully I’ve had loads but my favourite is “don’t take on any new customers if you can’t look after the ones you have.” It worked!

Has the way you do Business in the North West changed much over the years?

Have you any examples of anything that is better now? Yes of course , change has been great. The change in the political landscape has given us all more stability and confidence in doing business here as well as the improved infrastructure and better educational opportunities. We’ve seen more inward investment from overseas companies and a real increase in visitors to the North West has helped also.

What can Businesses learn from the past to build a strong future?

What age are you?

I have just turned 60

Where in the North West are you from?

Sion Mills Co.Tyrone

Explain what your Business does? Provide solutions for the catering industry by supplying fresh vegetable oils and collecting used vegetable oils and

Has the ethos of your Business changed over the years?

I don’t think it has changed but it’s certainly more fine-tuned ! We are more focused on sustainability and the circular economy. We are committed to doing our bit to protect the planet we all live in by reducing our carbon footprint and diverting waste streams from

In the past, I believe we were exporters of our talent, especially our young people. We must continue to invest in and attract more young people, giving them opportunities to stay in the North West and fulfil their potential here. Providing a good work/life balance they wouldn’t receive elsewhere is crucial and we must become welcoming importers of people to our area, either coming here for the first time or relocating.

appointments

alchemy

1. Erin McFeely

Erin is moving from her most recent role as Chief Executive of Developing Healthy Communities to join Alchemy Technology Services as Alliances and Engagement Manager.

Erin has 20 years of experience of working in the community and voluntary sector and has held various leadership and strategic roles at both executive and director level.

Before joining Developing Healthy Communities, Erin worked as Director of Development and Planning in a regional mental health charity in the North of England, designing and implementing new services and partnership. Before that, Erin worked on a number of strategic projects for the third sector, both at local and national level, including in a number of policy, communications and leadership development roles at ACEVO (Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations).

Erin is delighted to be joining the team at Alchemy, at an exciting time of growth for the company.

2. Roisin Clifford

Roisin has recently been appointed as Senior Marketing Executive at Alchemy Technology. Roisin joins the team with a wealth of over 20 years’ marketing experience throughout a range of organisational sectors which includes multinational conglomerates, media, arts and automobile industry. Roisin is a fully qualified Chartered Marketer, lectures professional CIM courses with the NW School of Marketing, and is a postgrad from the Digital Marketing Institute and a graduate of Ulster University. Roisin joins Alchemy Technologies at an exciting time of rapid growth for the company.

Babingtons Solicitors

3.

Maeve Morrison

We are delighted to say that Maeve Morrison has recently joined the partnership at Babingtons Solicitors and is primarily based in our Strabane office at 74 Railway Street.

Maeve joined Babingtons in 2006 upon graduating from the University of Ulster, Magee. In 2015 Maeve completed her legal apprenticeship, winning the Arthur Cox award for first placed student in her year group and represented Northern Ireland in the finals of an International Client Consultation Competition held in Nebraska. She is an affiliate of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) and her practice specialist areas include Residential and Commercial Conveyancing, Administration of Estates, Wills, Enduring Powers of Attorney, Inheritance Tax Planning and Trusts.

belmont strategy

4. Fionnuala O’Connell

Belfast-based communications firm Belmont Strategy has strengthened its PR offering with the appointment of Fionnuala O’Connell to its senior team.

O’Connell joins the consultancy from NI Water, where she was most recently External Communications Manager. As well as extensive experience in infrastructure communications, she previously worked at the Ulster Farmers’ Union and spent almost 15 years in journalism as a broadcast journalist and producer at leading outlets including BBC

As a Senior Communications Consultant, Fionnuala will work closely with Belmont Strategy clients on their project-specific and broader corporate PR requirements. It means the firm, which specialises in the planning, energy and infrastructure sectors, now boasts senior expertise in PR alongside its offerings across public affairs, stakeholder engagement and community consultation.

City of Derry Airport

5. Bethany Atkins

Bethany has recently joined the City of Derry Airport as their Marketing Executive. Bethany comes from a background of hospitality and has just finished her degree in Business and Marketing with Ulster University.

Bethany is passionate about Derry, so looks forward to putting the love of her city and her knowledge from years in hospitality and her education to good use in helping to promote the City of Derry Airport and the entire North West region.

6. Anita Doris

Anita Doris joined CavanaghKelly in 2017 and has been promoted to Partner. Anita is a qualified actuary and has extensive experience supporting clients in advising on transactions and development of strategic and business plans for both private sector and public sector organisations.

7. Catriona McHugh

Catriona McHugh joined CavanaghKelly in July 2022 as a Senior Manager in our Governance Risk and Consulting team. Immediately prior to joining CavanaghKelly Catriona was responsible for delivering Internal Audit services to clients in Local Government and the wider Public Sector. Catriona has also spent a large part of her career working as a consultant overseas on projects to improve public financial management (PFM) for the UK Department of International Development, US Aid, AUS Aid and the European Union at central and local levels of government.

8. Steven Lindsay

Steven Lindsay joined CavanaghKelly in 2018 and has been promoted to Partner. Steven leads the Governance, Risk and Consulting team, providing services to clients in the Public, Community and Voluntary, and Private sectors. Prior to joining our practice, Steven has been Managing Partner of a medium sized accountancy practice and worked at Chief Executive level in Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland.

crash

9. Sebrina McCarron

CRASH Services has appointed Sebrina McCarron as a Trainee Claims Handler. Sebrina assists our claims handlers by liaising with garages, engineers and insurance companies to provide customers with updates on their claim. She enjoys helping clients during what can be a stressful time.

Developing Healthy Communities

10. Edel O’Doherty

Edel O’Doherty is joining Developing Healthy Communities as Chief Executive after an extensive career in the Health and Social Care services. Edel worked as Deputy Chief Officer for the cross border partnership Cooperation and Working Together (CAWT) for the past 17 years. She is a strategic leader having been at the forefront of planning, programme development and delivery of large-scale cross border projects for many years.

Edel is a passionate advocate for supporting Community Development as a mechanism for tackling health inequalities. She has a wide range of professional interests and expertise in areas such as mental health, population health, primary care, and digital health. Prior to joining CAWT, Edel was the Assistant Manager of the Health Improvement Department of the WHSCT.

Edel joins Developing Healthy Communities in the organisation’s 30th year and will build on its long history of working with communities, businesses and statutory agencies to make it easier for people to live healthy lives across Northern Ireland

11. Jake Howie

Jake Howie joins Developing Healthy Communities as Finance and Admin Assistant. Previously he worked in finance and accounts in Glasgow for six years, and has a sales background.

Jake’s hobbies outside of work include football and golf, both of which he plays on a regular

basis. His experience and knowledge will be invaluable as DHC continues to grow and transform to meet current and future health challenges.

12. Paddy Mullan

Paddy Mullan joined Developing Healthy Communities as Digital Marketing Assistant in August.

Paddy will primarily work with the Team Health social enterprise on social media content and email marketing, but he has already stepped up to support the delivery of DHC’s 30th anniversary events. Paddy has previously coordinated events and managed social media for bands as well as his own recording studio. Outside of work Paddy volunteers for Foyle Search and Rescue, and is motivated by being able to help and give support to people both in and out of work.

Easy Customs

13. Catriona Doherty

Catriona has joined Easy Customs as Sales and Marketing Executive. With a background in Digital marketing and training & development.

She is responsible for continuing to grow the Easy Customs brand and developing relationships with key account holders . She will also represent Easy Customs at upcoming events and tradeshows throughout the UK and Ireland.

cavanagh kelly

Solicitors

14. Aoife Hume

Aoife supports our Legal Advisors through carrying out a range of administrative and secretarial tasks. When dealing with clients, Aoife takes a professional, friendly and helpful approach. Aoife obtained a degree in Law with Marketing from Ulster University in 2021.

15.

Millennium Forum

17. Karen Sullivan

After 23 years of working in the mobile phone industry, I have ventured into a new career path and I am delighted to join the team at the Millennium Forum as the new Business Development Officer. My new role focusses on the planning, selling and servicing of sponsorship and advertising for the North West’s leading arts and entertainment venue.

Having worked in B2B sales for over 20 years I have been blessed to form many great relationships with so many businesses in the North West and in the local area. I am looking forward to expanding these relationships and meeting all of our existing sponsors.

Visit Derry

18. Matt Doherty

On June 20, 2022, Matt Doherty joined the Visit Derry team as Business Development Officer, with over 15 years’ experience in the travel and tourism sector growing and developing business within local, national, and international hotel brands.

Colleen Ward

Colleen has over four years’ experience working in personal injury litigation, both as an apprentice and subsequently as a qualified Solicitor, securing compensation for clients involved in road traffic accidents. Having been involved in a road traffic accident as a child, Colleen is empathetic to the feelings and experiences of her clients in these difficult situations.

16. Katrina McLaughlin

Katrina works as a Solicitor as part of the damage only team at JMK Solicitors, acting for clients who have damaged their vehicles as a result of being involved in road traffic accidents. At each stage of the process, Katrina aims to relieve the stress and inconvenience many clients may experience.

The skillset that I have acquired over the years, selling and servicing accounts, will be invaluable in my new position, as selling the benefits of sponsorship and corporate hospitality to local and national organisations will be key to securing the continued success of our programme of events and our award-winning Access Programmes. It has been truly an eye opener to see how much more there is to our wonderful Millennium Forum. I previously thought of the Forum as purely entertainment. Already I have learned there is so much more to the Forum than simply entertainment and so many different outreach and educational programmes running; it’s just great to be a part of it all! Our Dementia Tea Dances, The Energy of Light Disco and our Moves and Melodies programme, to name but a few, are wonderful and reinforce the Forum as being one of the leading theatres in Ireland/UK in terms of its accessibility.

I am looking forward to meeting our current and new sponsors and telling them about the exciting plans we have for the next season and why their support is so vital for the ongoing success of our Access/Outreach programmes, especially for those sections of the community who need them most.

There are so many ways to get involved with the Millennium Forum, and we have packages to suit all budgets, whether it is corporate entertaining, advertising or connecting with some of our worthwhile projects mentioned above. I would be delighted to have a conversation with all businesses who are interested in finding out more.

In his new role with Visit Derry, Matt will be responsible for the development and implementation of Visit Derry’s Business Development activities for the MICE (Meetings, Incentive, Conference, Events) Golf, Screen and Cruise markets. As part of Visit Derry’s overall destination marketing strategy to deliver tourism growth to the city and region, Matt will play a critical role in managing and developing the Ambassador Circle Programme for key Association and Corporate Tourism Businesses in partnership with local organisations and key tourism agencies.

Matt brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in the industry and will be a wonderful addition to the Visit Derry team.

19. Shannen Cooley

On August 15, 2022, Shannen Cooley joined the Visit Derry team as Digital Marketing Officer, with over 3 years’ experience in the Ecommerce sector developing and marketing businesses within the city to local, national and international markets.

In her new role with Visit Derry, Shannen will play a pivotal role within the Brand & Campaigns team in promoting the destination locally, nationally and internationally through the development, implementation and optimisation of innovative digital marketing strategies. As part of Visit Derry’s overall destination marketing strategy to deliver tourism growth to the city and region, Shannen will collaborate with tourism bodies to extend the destination’s customer engagement and reach.

Shannen brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in content creation, marketing copy and customer engagement optimisation, and will be a

How does your membership benefit you?

With Paul Nelis, Director, ChallengeCurve

In June 2021, ChallengeCurve chose Derry and the North West region to be the centre of its new Quality Assurance and Software Testing Centre of Excellence, an area with a youthful, educated, and energetic population.

Building relationships with organisations such as the Chamber, Derry City and Strabane District Council, North West Regional College, and Ulster University has been instrumental in helping us to get established. These relationships have helped us in recruiting and training new staff and growing our operation. The Chamber’s Learning Centre provided our new staff with valuable compliance training that they needed prior to onboarding onto their first customer engagement.

The Chamber is an active and continued source of support for ChallengeCurve, promoting business engagement, collaboration, and providing avenues for learning and development. The Chamber clearly strives to support and enhance the sustainability and prosperity of the local business sector.

We are heavily invested in becoming an active and collaborative member of the city’s vibrant business sector. Since inception, we have had a ‘Derry First’ approach. We focused on engaging the expertise and services of local businesses to support our new operation. We have been blown away by the quality, professionalism, and creative outcomes with each and every partnership we have created.

Our Chamber membership is vital for us to be immersed in the

business community in the North West. We regularly attend the evening member networking events, seminars, webinars, and lunches and dinners hosted by the Chamber. They always provide us great opportunities to meet with our peers and make new connections. Our membership helps us keep our ear to the ground on the matters that affect trading locally, nationally, across the border, and beyond.

As my co-director Chris Bean and I are based in England, we rely on our office manager, Cathy Harron, to attend a lot of the Chamber events in our absence. She represents ChallengeCurve at as many events as possible in order to feed back to us the latest on the local issues affecting business in the area and with updates about investment, infrastructure, and economy. Without the Chamber’s network to tap into, we would not be as up to speed on those local news items, initiatives, and opportunities.

ChallengeCurve, together with all local businesses, have a strong ally in the Chamber. We understand the investment opportunities it seeks to bring to the North West. We appreciate the representation it makes on our behalf to our MLAs, MPs, and TDs in the UK and Ireland. We will continue to value our

membership and the friendships forged as a result.

We at ChallengeCurve are ambitious and determined to keep evolving and growing. We hope to continue to work with the Chamber and contribute back by sharing our own knowledge and skills during Q&A sessions or ‘surgeries’. In any case, you can always expect a ChallengeCurve face to be in the room at any Chamber event. See you there!

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

Alley Kat Design are a web development and design company based locally and specialising in custom website builds and ecommerce sites.

Kal Kler has been operating under the name Alley Kat Design for the last eight years after working for a design company for seven years previously. Given his experience in graphics he expanded into web design and web development and has been very fortunate to come into contact with an array of interesting clients from startups to established businesses. Alley Kat Design takes great pride in the service they provide to their customers all of whom we value greatly.

ARC Fitness transforms lives through sobriety and hope. We are a Derry based, not-for-profit organisation established in 2019 to provide innovative abstinence-based recovery and ongoing professional support for individuals and families overcoming substance use. We aim to reduce harm within our society using a practical, compassionate health focused approach.

Find out more at: www.arcfitness.co.uk

Belfast International Airport is Northern Ireland’s principal airport and the second largest gateway on the island of Ireland, flying you to over 60 domestic and international destinations.

Civic Dollars is a community currency app that was developed after winning Smart City projects in Belfast and Dublin to provide a way to improve public health and wellbeing by incentivising activity.

The app is now launched in the Foyle region so users can earn 1 civic dollar for every 30 minutes they spend in selected parks in the city / region. We use a time-based solution so that we didn’t discriminate against users with health or mobility issues and to reduce health inequalities as users with health or mobility issues can still take part in the project.

The users can then get rewards for themselves or donate their civic dollars to local community groups, who can access separate rewards to get skills and expertise from businesses like legal, marketing or IT support, business consultancy or logo/website design.

The Department for International Trade’s (DIT) Northern Ireland hub is dedicated to supporting Northern Ireland businesses to boost exports, grow internationally, support inward investment and create high value jobs in Northern Ireland.

Our team including Sector Leads in Advanced Manufacturing and Technology, Creative Industries, AgriFood and Drink and Health and Life Sciences, works in close collaboration with local partners to ensure DIT Northern Ireland’s focus and services are aligned with the Department for the Economy’s 10x Innovation Strategy.

We have a detailed and extensive package of support for all Northern Ireland businesses that are looking to export and succeed in a global marketplace, including the UK Export Academy and UK Tradeshow Programme. With a global network in over 100 markets across the globe, businesses of all sizes across Northern Ireland can benefit from DIT’s strongly established connections, sector knowledge and market specialists.

Diversity Mark are the awarding body of the Diversity Mark accreditation. Our mission is to help businesses across the UK and Ireland build more diverse and inclusive workplaces, through accreditation, insights, best practice and peer support. Whether you are new to workplace diversity or already seeing the array of benefits it brings, we will be with you at each and every step, committed to helping your organisation make a positive impact on people’s lives by transforming culture and attitudes for the better.

Founded by Louise Carey and Laurie Schneider Keegan, Embodied Pilates Studio is a boutique Pilates Studio in the heart of the city helping people to find greater comfort and confidence in their movement. At Embodied Pilates Studio we are pleased to offer Pilates instruction to everyone, regardless of your starting point. We have private sessions on the suite of Pilates equipment, as well as matwork, Ballet Barre and Slings classes. Sessions are available both in person and online. Our goal is to help you find joy in your movement.

Pristine Clean NI is a carpet and upholstery cleaning company, providing high quality cleaning for households, holiday parks, and commercial properties.

Eyegloo productions produce TV quality videos and provide marketing services for businesses looking to promote themselves online.

To see some of our work visit eyegloo.co.uk

Hidden City Café believe that we all need to do our bit for the planet and local economy, so ethically source and support as many local, in-season fresh, organic, fairtrade, producers and businesses as possible. All alternative dietary requirements are catered for, promoting an extensive healthy plant-based menu with fish, chicken, gluten free and halal options. Hidden City Café provide a suspended Lunch/ Coffee Scheme supporting charities such as Foyle Food Bank and Foyle Women’s Refuge. As active members of the Conscious Cup Campaign and Legendary Food network, Hidden City Café promote food sustainability and the circular economy.

Ferry Clever has become a household name in Derry due to the connection that the people of the city feel with our products and our unique brand of marketing.

At the heart of our business is humour as we feel it is important to make people laugh during some very difficult times. We try to do so with originality and creativity, mixed in with that famous Derry mindset of seeing the funny side of everything. Be it birthday cards, mugs, t-shirts or bespoke products, the unique way that Derry people see life is represented in memorable and exclusive ways.

Our unique marketing strategies include working with some well-known local celebrities which create plenty of laughs, resulting in each Ferry Clever advertisement becoming highly anticipated by an online audience of 12.3K followers on Instagram and almost 10K followers on Facebook. These videos, which already have over 1 million views, emphasise the relatability of Ferry Clever to the local community as well as raising the profile of the city along the way.

We were also delighted recently to become an official partner with well-known English card manufacturer Moonpig.com. As a result, we are now the only Moonpig supplier in the country, and in just two months, we have sold over 3,000 units with our new partner.

Food Guard is an innovative software platform that modernises traceability and HACCP compliance processes in food manufacturers. With over 30 years’ experience in the food industry and having relevant expertise, you can be assured to receive the highest quality standards when engaging with Food Guard and its professional services, including micro-sampling, full HACCP set-up and food safety training.

Le Foyer des Artistes is an ensemble of musicians from across the world, founded by Derry native, Darren Hargan.

During this exciting restoration period of St Columb’s Hall, international stars, together with a new generation of emerging young singers and instrumental soloists, will visit Derry to perform on the stage of this historic theatre.

Our residency at St Columb’s Hall opens a brand new chapter in the 135 year history of music at this grand theatre, during an exciting period of restoration.

The Woodland Trust is the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity.

We Plant – Creating new woodland is at the heart of what we do. We mobilise communities, landowners, and volunteers to get trees in the ground, and aim to plant a tree for every person in the UK. We Restore – Ancient woods have rich, irreplaceable ecosystems, but they have been damaged by non- native planting and invasive species. We work to restore them to their former glory. We Protect – Standing up for trees and woods across the UK is why we’re here. We campaign to stop the irreversible destruction of ancient woodland and unnecessary loss of trees from our cities. We Care – We look after 50+ woods across Northern Ireland, all just waiting for you to explore. Access to our woods is free of charge and we welcome thousands of visitors each year.

We also believe very strongly in supporting local. We have our products in 20 supermarkets throughout the city, and have hired three members of staff as we continue to grow thanks to the support of the community.

We are also an official partner of the John and Pat Hume Foundation and we run a different charity campaign every month to help raise vital funds for local organisations. Ferry Clever was started in my bedroom less than two years ago, and has grown to an extent that we have opened our first shop in the city centre. This has been an exciting adventure, made possible by the people of Derry, for which we are extremely grateful.

Just last month we were awarded Winners of the ‘North West Retailer of the year 2022’ and winners of ‘Best use of Social Media in the North West 2022’

International stars, together with a new generation of emerging young singers and instrumental soloists will visit Derry to perform on the stage of this historic hall.

Le Foyer des Artistes is also passionate and committed to providing opportunities for professional development and education through local and international collaboration.

Four concerts celebrate key dates connected with St Columba and the patrons of Ireland: 7 December, 4 February, 16 March, 9 June.

Owner of Little Acorns Bookstore, Inishowen-born Jenni Doherty, began as a market stall of 100 books in 2011 (due to a house move) to now boast over 45K new and used books of all genres in 2022, specialising mainly in local literature, Irish history and politics plus children’s books, along with a gift and stationery section.

Jenni’s background includes sales, marketing and editorial with Guildhall Press Publishers, library assistant with Waterside Library, bookseller with Eason & Son and the former Bookworm Bookshop. She is an award-winning published author, and has contributed to and compiled various books and facilitated creative writing workshops.

Having moved shop six times throughout the city of Derry, Little Acorns plans to move one last time before year end, and with a collection of over 120 typewriters, plans to open Ireland’s first Typewriter Museum once relocated. Additional attractions to the bookshop include two reclaimed chairs known as the LegenDerry Writers’ Chair and the Theatre & Media Chair, which boast over 350 signatures from such luminaries as authors to actors, directors to broadcasters, musicians to comedians, illustrators to singers and journalists to politicians.

Little Acorns Bookstore was awarded the Regional Bookshop Winner (for Ulster) in the An Post Bookshop of the Year 2021 (the top five of Ireland), was one of the six finalists (representing Ireland) in the British Book Awards Independent Bookshop of the Year 2022 and was the overall winner of the North West Business Awards Entrepreneur of the Year 2022.

Currently located in 11 Foyle Street, Little Acorns Bookstore is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm. Online service and international book orders available.

For more details, please see: www.littleacornsbookstore.co.uk

What we do

We are a building / landscaping company specialising in residential renovations. We operate in NZ, Australia, the UK and USA

Why we do it

Homeowners typically have a very poor experience when renovating / landscaping their homes. Refresh Renovations is here to change how the world renovates so that homeowners get a result to be proud of with the minimum amount of pain.

How we do it (Design and Build)

By delivering a business model that connects customers to the best people and processes, via a unique technology platform that makes life easier for everyone. Our scale and our relationships give any homeowner access to world-class project management, customer service, attention to detail and workmanship.

MJ Flood is the largest indigenous supplier of Managed Print Services, Digital Technology and Security Systems to the Irish marketplace. Privately owned, the company has successfully reinvented itself down through the years by preempting market change and putting the customer at the center of everything it does.

MJ Flood’s Head Office is located in Dublin’s Baldonnell Business Park, where it occupies its own purpose-built offices, showrooms and warehouse. Eight regional branches in Athlone, Belfast, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Wexford and Waterford underline the company’s strong commitment to the business community by employing local staff with the highest industry accreditations.

We are a family owned pest management business established in 1975 by Charlie Page.

We currently provide reactive and preventive pest management services to FM companies, housing associations, and letting and estate agents.

We provide IPM servicing contracts to sectors including commercial, domestic, educational, housing, and industrial.

Our current owner/director, Patricia Page, recently became a Fellow of the Royal Association of Public Health, which is testament to her longevity and academic success within her chosen field. She is also the first female technician in the UK and Ireland to achieve the RSPH Level 3 Award in Integrated Pest Management.

MJ Flood is the exclusive distributor for Konica Minolta in Ireland. This solid industry partnership recognises the company’s long track record in delivering quality print management solutions and technical expertise to the Irish market. With its solid financial standing, MJ Flood customers can purchase with the confidence and knowledge that their chosen equipment provider will be here to take care of business for many years to come.

Established in 2008, Seating Matters set out to create clinical, therapeutic seating that would cater to the holistic needs of patients - providing comfort, postural support, pressure management and improving quality of life. Seating Matters design and manufacture clinical, therapeutic seating for patients and caregivers, selling our products throughout the UK & Ireland, Canada, Australia and the US. As a company, we are passionate about the continuous improvement of our product, our processes and most importantly our people. Seating Matters is committed to helping millions of lives a year through their products and global partnerships.

Mahlo Lean Renovations Ltd is a Franchisee of Refresh Renovations UK

The Final Word

John Harkin, Alchemy Technology Services

I have spent my entire career working in the professional services arena. I have been lucky enough to have worked across many geographies and industries. I have worked for some of the largest and most well known consulting firms and systems integrators and have observed what they do well and not so well. The most important learning for me during this time is that it is the quality of the people that make the difference in the professional services world, and I dare say this is also true of many other industries.

I spent a significant amount of my career as a ‘fixer’. I was called into situations where large change programmes were failing to deliver. I can’t recall a situation where the root cause of the problem was the technology. In every case, the challenge and opportunity presented was with the people and how they were being led and managed along with their level of training and knowledge for the role they were expected to perform.

It was during one such project in the fintech industry that I identified a gap in the market for world class professional systems integration services in the insurance sector. Insurance companies are facing unprecedented change driven by customer demand and new technology. The existing software is aging and monolithic and is being replaced by modern, agile, cloudbased solutions. What many of these insurers are seeking is equally modern SI partners that have people with the necessary energy, skills, and attitude to assist them on their journey to a modern set of systems and processes and to help their people assimilate the related changes to their working lives.

In 2018, I brought together a senior team of trusted professionals and established Alchemy Technology Services. We looked at different locations across Europe but, after a visit to the North West, our choice was made simple for us. The people that we met during our visit were and are clearly made of ‘the right stuff’. The right attitude and appetite for hard work along with intelligence and humility are rare ingredients to find in people, but we struck gold when we met the people of Derry~Londonderry, the Causeway Coast and Glens, and Donegal. Since then, we have met folks from across the whole island that have shown these same attributes.

With valuable support from Invest NI and the Department for the Economy, along with the universities in the region and the NWRC, we established Alchemy in September 2018 and hired our first cohort of 20 staff through the Assured Skills Academy scheme.

From the offset, we wanted to do things differently and we wanted to be radical so that we could harness the energy of the people that joined us to ensure that they could strive to be the best versions of themselves. At Alchemy, we have no middle management, we use coaching and mentoring, our grades and salaries are open book, we run promotion panels four times a year with no competition. Put simply, if you meet the standard, you make the grade. We put training and development at the forefront of everything we do so that our people have the resources and support they need. We actively promote a culture of

collaboration as we know this is the key to success for us, the clients we serve, and the partner organisations that we work with. In four years, we have grown to a company of over 160. Our strap line of ‘Aspire, Transform, Grow’ lies at the heart of who we are and drives our culture.

Looking to the future, the North West has a strong talent pool that we must work to retain. We must continue to invest in our people and focus on bringing well-paid careers to the city and the broader region. In turn, this helps to stimulate the economy as our people invest locally. We plan to hire an additional 100 people in 2023.

In wanting to play our part in driving the region forward, we partner with local charities such as the Mary Peters Trust as well as local theatres such as The Playhouse and the Millennium Forum who all help young people to go for gold in their chosen fields. We also work with the International Choir Festival and Le Foyer des Artistes to bring world class events to the city. Alchemy will continue to play our part in making a difference in the lives of people in our community from all walks of life and we are fully committed to the North West.

The All New Electric Transit

• Is your business ready to move to zero emission CO2?

• Can you see your business name on the side of an 100% electric vehicle?

• Can you deliver your product or service using an electric van? Well get ready to team up with the all new Ford E Transit