Ambition Issue 55 (November/December)

Ambition

we create trusted connections with communities across Northern Ireland.

Time For Action

Ahead of the October deadline for restoration of the Executive, NI Chamber’s Vice President Cathal Geoghegan and I released a joint statement outlining why this is a pivotal moment for the Northern Ireland economy.

Despite very significant pressures, our most recent Quarterly Economic Survey shows that most businesses are trading well, or at least reasonably. But the alarm bells are ringing; one in five businesses told us that they are just covering costs, while three in five saw some slowdown in demand during the last quarter.

The evidence shows that we are on a downward trend, which means that this should be a time for action; to build confidence, protect jobs and encourage investment.

While a functioning Executive will not solve all the problems, the in-tray of overdue reforms and resultant crises continue to grow and at the time of writing, we’re facing into yet another undetermined period without political decision making, losing more time for decisions about spending and overdue reforms.

It is not just the lost time since the May election that’s the problem. It’s the fact that we had no Executive for three years (201720), followed by two subsequent years of crisis management during the pandemic. We can see clearly the cumulative effect of all of this playing out today in our unreformed health and planning services, and there are many more examples.

At NI Chamber, the energy crisis is front and centre of our members’ concerns. To that end, we have called for the immediate establishment of an Energy Taskforce between policymakers and stakeholders, to understand Northern Ireland’s unique circumstances and secure the best outcomes in tackling the immediate crisis, protecting security of supply and driving the low carbon transition.

On the difficult issue of the Northern Ireland Protocol, we are urging the EU-UK to learn from the mistakes of the past. That requires promptly agreeing on what problems need to be solved and ensuring that the process for reaching solutions is an inclusive one. Principally, one that involves all the relevant stakeholders, including our local political parties and civic and business leaders in a consultative capacity. As is often said, it needs to be done with us, not to us.

We continue to impress upon all our political stakeholders the need to redouble their efforts to reach durable resolutions with the sense of urgency the context demands – on both the Northern Ireland Protocol and functioning devolution.

Gillian McAuley, President, Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Donna Linehan - Client Services Director Jonny Hill - Operations Director

‘We anticipate your business needs today to deliver the right service’

EY Ireland Reports Record Revenues

EY has reported record levels of growth for its business on the island of Ireland, with revenues to the end of June 2022 up 26% to €536 million (up from €425 million in the prior financial year).

EY reported strong performance across all four service lines: Assurance, Consulting, Tax and Law, and Strategy and Transactions in its offices in Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford. Its headcount on the island of Ireland now stands at 4,208, an increase of 23% on FY21.

Muldoon & Company Unveils New O ce Expansion

As Belfast-based accountancy practice Muldoon & Company approaches its 30th anniversary, it has officially opened newly expanded offices in the Queen’s Quarter.

Led by partners Sean Muldoon, Robbie Barr and Raymond Tiffney, the practice has grown to a team of over 40 accounting, tax, audit and advisory professionals.

To accommodate the growth of the business, Muldoon & Company has increased its office space by another 2,500 square feet, adding 20 Mount Charles to its existing offices at number 16 and number 18. The latest expansion has seen the company refurbish its offices and add new features designed to enhance the client and employee experience.

Pinnacle Continues Digital Transformation With New Acquisition

Catalyst Appoints New Head of Community

Catalyst has appointed Niamh Griffin as its head of community, a role with a strategic focus, key to achieving the organisation’s vision in creating opportunity for all from world-class innovation.

Catalyst is an independent, not-forprofit organisation focused on fostering entrepreneurship and innovation and supporting transformative businesses. Prior to joining Catalyst, Niamh spent 20 years in financial services, most recently with Bank of Ireland.

Fibrus Inspires Sta With New Training

A leading mental health charity is rolling out vulnerable adult training to staff at full fibre broadband provider Fibrus. Over 100 Fibrus team members – a third of its workforce – have successfully been trained by Inspire Wellbeing on how to work with vulnerable adults as part of their day-to-day role in customer services.

Pinnacle, a leading business management solutions and technology provider, has acquired Belfast and Warrington-based Flint Studios, a web solutions and digital transformation software business, as part of its ambitious growth strategy.

The acquisition grows the company group headcount to just over 200 specialists and is part of Pinnacle’s drive to become an industry-leading provider of business management software solutions to customers across the UK and Ireland.

James Spencer, Pinnacle MD said, “Our acquisition of Flint Studios means we can now offer customers a full suite of eCommerce, advanced web solutions, and digital marketing capabilities to fulfil their digital transformation journey. Flint Studios’ growing web hosting operation also neatly compliments our own significant hosting and Managed IT Services business.”

AG Employee Wins Top Prize At Innovate UK Awards

A sustainability and quality engineer from specialist building products firm AG has won a top UK award.

Catherine Campbell, who has worked with AG as a knowledge transfer partnership associate graduate for three years and was recently appointed to a full-time role, won the prestigious Future Leader title at the Innovate UK KYT Awards ceremony held in Liverpool. She was one of 20 other finalists across the UK. AG, which has manufacturing locations in Fivemiletown, Dungannon, Toome, Ballygawley and Carryduff, has one of the lowest carbon footprints in the industry and is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its operations to an absolute minimum. Catherine was tasked with helping to drive the firm’s sustainability agenda through the introduction of new processes and innovative products.

Robbie Barr, Raymond Tiffney and Sean Muldoon.

Jeremy Biggerstaff (Flint Studios) and Ken Montgomery (Pinnacle).

Catherine Campbell.

We’re the right people to find the right person for the right job. honeycomb.jobs

BT Opens State-OfThe-Art Cyber Security Operations Centre

Official opening follows £6.3 million contract win

BT has officially opened a brand new state-of-the-art cyber Security Operations Centre (SOC) in its flagship Riverside Tower building in Belfast.

With the scale and complexity of cyber attacks constantly increasing, organisations of all types are looking to ensure they have the right protections in place. The SOC will leverage BT’s global security expertise and leading cyber technologies to defend public and private sector bodies against the latest threats.

The significant investment by BT into the 40-seat centre of excellence follows the award of a £6.3 million contract from the Department of Finance for the provision of a Security Information Event Management (SIEM) and SOC managed services. The SOC will provide 24/7 management 365 days a year for ICT

assets across the Northern Ireland Civil Service.

The new specialist centre, which is the first of its kind in Northern Ireland, is designed to support growth in the company’s UK customer base providing up to the highest levels of security classification. The SOC in Riverside Tower forms part of a wider multi-million pound investment by BT in the building. Currently all 11 floors are undergoing significant refurbishment to create a fantastic futurefit workplace for approximately 1,800 colleagues, with the final floors being completed in early 2023.

Paul Murnaghan, Regional Director for BT’s Enterprise business in Northern Ireland, said: “Each day, millions of people around the world rely on BT’s expertise in cyber security to ensure they can go about their lives and run their businesses safely.

“Our investment in the opening of BT’s

Security Operations Centre in Belfast is significant and we look forward to working with the Northern Ireland Civil Service in this partnership to deliver the most effective cyber support for the public sector here.

“Using a wealth of talent from local cyber experts, the SOC will help to tackle the unprecedented challenges of sophisticated cyber threats. As an increasing number of public services are delivered online, our partnership with central government will help to ensure that the public can trust the services that they access and that the data they provide is secure and protected.”

Paul Duffy, Director of Enterprise Shared Services added: “Protecting the cyber security of government IT and infrastructure is vital. The service provided by BT plays an important role in gathering intelligence on cyber threats and enables the Civil Service to enhance its capacity to help defend and protect our IT systems and essential public services we deliver.”

BT operates an international network of SOCs. They include more than 3,000 cyber security professionals, who use their expertise to watch, learn, predict and respond to the latest cyber threats for a range of both public and private sector clients across the globe.

(L-R) Paul Murnaghan, Regional Director for BT’s Enterprise business in Northern Ireland, Valerie Wilson, Senior Operations Manager at BT and Paul Duffy, Director of NICS Enterprise Shared Services at the official opening of BT’s brand new state-of-the-art cyber Security Operations Centre (SOC) in its flagship Riverside Tower building in Belfast.

info@first-choice-rec.com www.first-choice-rec.com

Columnist

Jane Shaw The Elmfield Institute

Burnout: Prevention and Cure

With the pressures of inflation and economic uncertainty, staff shortages, the fallout from the pandemic, and political uncertainty, it is common at the moment to hear colleagues talking about burnout. But what does it mean to experience burnout? Burnout is defined by the Mayo Clinic as a type of chronic work-related stress, which causes “physical or emotional exhaustion” that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity. It is often characterised by negativity towards work along with feelings of overwhelm and emotional exhaustion.

Moreover, burnout tends to lead to both physical health conditions, such as sleep impairment, reduced immunity leading to more colds and flus, gastrointestinal disorders, muscle tension, high blood pressure and even heart disease, and mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety (Gabriel, Aguinis 2022). If left unattended to, it can cause serious problems for individuals and organisations.

How do you know if you are suffering from burnout? There are a few simple questions you can ask yourself that you should assess over a period of time. Noticing conditions such as poor concentration, lack of engagement with your work, disturbed sleep, increased anxiety, increased irritation at colleagues, perhaps consuming more alcohol or food to destress after work, or noticing problems with your digestion. Because burnout is not in itself a medical condition, it is really about doing some self-reflection and deciding whether you feel you need to make some lifestyle changes.

So, what can be done to combat burnout and prevent it happening in the first place? A host of measures can be employed but it is largely about building our adaptability and resiliency, which of course extends much further into our lives than just the workplace. Building resiliency is growing our bandwidth to be able to deal with difficult situations.

A burnout analogy that I like involves a donkey carrying packs on its back. Donkeys tend to be very good at carrying heavy loads, but if you add too many packs the donkey will collapse. The solution? To take a few loads off the donkey, to allow it to rest, to give it some time to play with its friends, and to eat some nutritious hay. If the donkey has time to rest and recover it will be able to take up its packs again and keep walking. We are not so different. Some good rest, healthy food, exercise, play with our friends and family all feed into building resilience and adaptability.

If we have pushed ourselves too far and are fully burned out then we will need more time to recover. If you are suffering from long-term burnout that has impacted your physical and mental health then you should get professional support. It pays to keep a watchful eye on ourselves so we can take preventative measures before things get to an extreme.

These are some suggestions to help you better manage mild burnout situations:

Is there support around? Either at work or at home? Do you have someone to talk to about feelings of possible burnout? Connecting with others helps to regulate our nervous system, thus reducing anxiety and stress. It is a good place to start.

• Can you speak to your employer or colleagues about your workload? Is it possible to reduce the load? Is it possible to change the timelines for deadlines so you can factor in downtime? Is it possible to manage expectations of those who are demanding completed pieces of work?

Can you factor “me time” into each day? This could be 10 or 20 minutes in the morning and evening for some journalling or a breathing practice. Or it could be taking the dog for a walk.

Can you take an hour before you go to bed with no screens? This will help your nervous system to regulate with resulting improved sleep.

• Make time for exercise. This can be highly intensive, a gentle stroll, or a yoga class. Some movement and time away from your work will help clear your mind.

• Make time for play with friends and family. This could be hiking, biking, going for a meal, watching a football game, whatever it is you enjoy. The key is to have fun, laugh, and connect with others.

Make time for holidays. These can be staycations or exotic travels but the key is to have a good break from your work environment.

The more you can pay attention to what supports your wellbeing, and to factor this into your daily and weekly calendar, the more resilient and adaptable you will become. And I offer, it will also improve your health, happiness, and productivity.

References

Gabriel, K. P, Aguinis, H. (2022) How to prevent and combat employee burnout and create healthier workplaces during crises and beyond. Business Horizons Vol 65

MY AMBITION IS TO...

Ashleigh Averell, Company Owner of I Brand Everything.

Igraduated from Ulster University in 2016 with a degree in Marketing and my career began in house at CocaCola and Adhaus Media. Although I loved marketing, I could not shake the feeling that it was not where I was meant to be and left the industry to create IBrand in 2016 at the age of 22.

I have been brought up with a family sign making business, Catchy Signs, and after much persuasion, my dad agreed to let me use part of his workshop bench to print t-shirts. I always loved the operational side of my dad’s business and watching this made me have a passion for production too. As the sales began to come in, my dad became my mentor as I developed the business on my own. The conditions of his agreements were that I had to financially back everything in the business myself and pay rent!

Fast forward to now, we operate under a 2,500sq. ft workshop, with further offices and stockrooms. I am a lover of machinery and technology as we currently have embroidery machines, a laser engraver and a UV printer just to name a few. In 2021, we worked with Pinnacle Growth Group to gain investment for our new ecommerce website. We have also been working with Invest NI as part of its Supply Chain Resilience and Development programme for over a year. The focus has been on improving our supply chain processes, both building resilience to the many challenges within the current global supply chain, and providing real cost saving benefits. This assistance has been instrumental in developing a more robust business model for us to prepare for growth in the coming years.

We have also begun the amalgamation of the family signage business to provide our customers with a full branded package. Although my true love is manufacturing, my marketing background is invaluable as I have been able to assist companies to get creative. I am a solution-based thinker which allows me to understand the pain

points of our customers, from budget issues to meeting tight deadlines.

To date, we have worked with global players such as Johnson Controls, Google and Allen & Overy, as well as local household name brands such as Glens of Antrim Distillery, Boojum and Power NI on creating custom merchandise for teams and events. Throughout COVID, we found our customers had issues with the distribution and storage of merchandise. We quickly expanded our offering to respond to this showing how the manufacturing industry can pivot with industry demands.

At the moment, our focus is on corporate gifting for the festive period as we developed a unique selection of gifts to make sure your staff feel valued with high quality merchandise that is both functional and fun. Over the past six years, I have met so many characters in the industry, and I very firmly believe that people do business with people, so I always ensure to give high levels of customer service and enthusiasm, from one unit to thousands of units.

From 2021, we have expanded our range of sustainable and eco-friendly products in response to our international clients’ requirements to meet Net-Zero ambitions. I have found that in the past six months Northern Ireland has really switched on

to sustainability, and we are proud to be able to meet these needs with our creative solutions.

My ambition for ibrand is to continue to develop our manufacturing capacity to meet the changing needs of our customers. Things have evolved so much in my few years in business. The pandemic instrumentally changed how corporates operate and so much of our business is focused on staff well-being and engagement which is still an emerging culture shift. Our business used to be more about what you wear to work and now it is more about how you feel at work.

Outside of the business, I am also a mother to my young son Patrick and got married last year to my lovely husband Michael. This has taught me more about a work/life balance, and it has also taught me about the barriers for women and their career due to the cost of childcare. In 2022, I was delighted to be a finalist for FSB’s ‘Young Entrepreneur of the Year’ and I have been concentrating on my personal self-development as I am currently on Mairead Mackle’s MBE Evolve Programme to improve my skills as a leader. I hope that my journey as a young mother and young businesswoman is something that inspires others to follow their gut into a dream career.

Columnist

Peter Russell Managing Director Ireland of Telefónica Tech UK&I

Insights From a Commonwealth Cyclist on Wellbeing

We had the pleasure of welcoming a Commonwealth Games cyclist to our offices recently as part of Telefonica Tech UK&I’s Wellbeing Week.

Matthew Teggart who finished fourth in the Commonwealth Games Road Race in August was one of three speakers at the event for our team, alongside fellow Banbridge Cycling Club member Mal McGreevey and Action Mental Health’s Jonny Smyth.

The Wellbeing Week is part of our commitment to being a healthy place to work and also included a Men’s Health Webinar organised by The Blue Ribbon Foundation, an Eat Well, Live Well session with healthy meals being provided to team members, and a webinar about menopause linked to Telefónica Tech recently signing up to The Menopause Pledge. There was also a coffee morning in aid of Action Mental Health, a debt management webinar with the StepChange Charity, virtual mindfulness sessions, and a Mourne mountain guided hike to finish off the week.

The backdrop is that in early 2022, we commenced a three-year programme called Healthy Place to Work, which is a global standard for healthy workplaces. This significant investment by the company is ultimately intended to ensure better organisational performance through improved workplace health. Our Wellbeing Week was part of that commitment and we brought together a whole range of activities during the week to showcase to team members the support that is available to them and

to help really embed healthy practices within the company.

The event with Banbridge Cycling Club and Action Mental Health brought together two of our big partnerships, both of which are focused on health and wellbeing. We are jersey sponsors of BCC’s race team and Action Mental Health is our chosen charity.

It is my firm belief that organisations have a huge responsibility to promote healthy practices in the best interest of employees and the organisation. It is something that has perhaps come to even more prominence due to the pandemic, but it is something that is here to stay and must be built upon.

The message from all of our speakers at the event was that managing both your physical and mental wellbeing is critical and key to being successful in sport, in business and in other areas. Mal McGreevey of Banbridge Cycling Club gave his own experience of how cycling helped him manage stress and improve his overall wellbeing. Matthew Teggart talked about how he manages his wellbeing whilst being a competitive athlete. Action Mental Health’s Jonny Smyth highlighted the five ways to wellbeing:

• Connect - Spend time developing and nurturing relationships with friends, family, neighbours and colleagues.

• Be active - Try to find an activity that you enjoy, and that keeps you active, such as walking, swimming, cycling or playing football.

• Keep learning - Learning new skills can

boost confidence and give you a sense of achievement.

Give - Helping others, saying thank you, or giving someone a smile can help to improve your self-esteem and improve your emotional health.

• Take notice - Being more aware of the present moment, the world around you and your own feelings and thoughts, can help you to positively change how you’re feeling about life.

Our view at Telefonica Tech UK&I is that you can’t be a healthy employee in an unhealthy organisation, and you can’t be a healthy organisation with unhealthy employees. A healthy organisation with healthy employees is therefore the sweet spot for sustainable high performance and something that we aspire to achieve.

Telefónica Tech: Telefónica Tech is the leading company in digital transformation. The company offers a wide range of services and integrated technological solutions in Cyber Security, Cloud, IoT, Big Data and Blockchain. With our worldwide presence and strategic hubs in Spain, Brazil, the UK, Germany, USA and Hispam, our capabilities reach more than 5.5 million B2B customers in 175 countries every day. We unlock the power of integrated technology for all businesses, bringing together a unique combination of the best people, with the best tech and the best platforms, supported by a dynamic partner ecosystem. We do this in a simplified manner, to facilitate and accelerate tech adoption and make a real difference every day, to every business.

Columnist

Ryan Cornett Investment Director, Investec Wealth & Investment

Aiming To Protect Against Inflation

With inflation almost hitting double digits, Ryan Cornett look at what that means for your cash savings.

Inflation in the UK has been above 9% since April 2022 – levels not seen since the early 1980s. We’ve all noticed the direct impact that’s had on our household budgets, but the impact on savings (while not as immediately evident) can be far more harmful in the long term.

Inflation dramatically reduces spending power over time

We all know that inflation reduces the amount of goods and services we can buy with a given amount of money. Still, many don’t realise just how detrimental inflation can be over periods of many years. To put it in perspective, in the US, goods and services costing one dollar in the year 1975 would cost around five dollars today.

What is the impact of 9% inflation on your savings?

A hypothetical example recently published in mainstream media stated that with a 9% headline rate of inflation, £1,000,000 would be worth:

• £910,000 in one year

• £500,000 in eight years

With a 50% loss of spending power in just eight years, it is perhaps little wonder that economist Milton Friedman famously stated “inflation is taxation without legislation”. However, it is important to note that it is unlikely that inflation will be at 9% for a period of eight years.

How can you protect your wealth from this constant erosion?

First, it’s crucial to acknowledge the cost that comes with keeping cash. While

it’s important to keep an emergency ‘rainy day’ fund tucked away in cash, it’s equally important to limit it to what is truly necessary. An excess of cash on the sidelines won’t provide any additional short-term security, but it will ensure that the effects of inflation are much more harmful.

It is important to remember that the value of investments and any income from them is not guaranteed and may go down as well as up. Therefore provided that it fits in with the investor’s overall risk appetite and is in keeping with their individual investment objectives, it may be useful to consider making additional contributions to their investment portfolio in an attempt to preserve the real value of their capital.

Three reasons for holding excess cash

1. transactional (near-term spending needs)

2. precautionary (low-risk tolerance)

3. speculative (trying to ‘time the market’)

When is the right time to start investing?

Those with large amounts of cash in savings accounts might well ask themselves whether now is really a good time to invest it, with many markets experiencing strong volatility amid geopolitical and interest rate/inflation uncertainties.

As the old saying goes: “It’s not about timing the market, but about time in the market.”

The market moves in cycles. Over the long run, investors will undoubtedly experience both good times and tough times. However, investing in a balanced

portfolio, by definition, aims to protect you against these fluctuations and maintain the real value of your assets over the long term.

Long-term investors tend to see the strongest returns. It is important to remember that investors often miss a great part of the market’s longer-term rise while they wait for lower price levels. Research shows that this ‘timing’ approach rarely pays off.

Many studies have shown that missing out on just a handful of the market’s strongest days can have a seriously detrimental effect on an investor’s longterm returns.

One such example, looking at data going back to 1930, found that if an investor sat out the S&P 500’s 10 best days per decade, total returns would be significantly lower than the return for investors who had remained invested and waited it out.

Final thoughts to discuss with your wealth manager

This article does not intend to suggest that all excess cash should be invested immediately, however.

The key takeaway is that there is an implicit cost to keeping funds on the sidelines. Investors should have a deliberate strategy to put their excess cash to work that is in keeping with their overall investment strategy and individual risk tolerance.

This thought process is an important part of an overall wealth planning strategy to preserve and grow wealth over time. It is a conversation that we at Investec have with our clients regularly, so if you would like to discuss any aspect of the topics covered above, please do reach out.

Columnist

Kate Marshall Coach Speaker, Author, Facilitator

Putting our Big Boy (or Girl) Pants On!

With the level of uncertainty in the current unstable economic climate, the only thing we know about the immediate future is that we (and most economists) don’t know how this will play out. However, history shows us that in times like these, creativity peaks, new businesses are hatched, and great leaders and businesses rise to the top.

We cannot let the uncertainty of global economies dampen our ambition. I was fortunate to host a business retreat last month for one of the business groups I chair. Sixteen leaders taking time away from their businesses to reflect on their priorities and to refocus. At these retreats we always go deep. I like to move out of the comfort zone, to really challenge our perceptions and thinking, to expand our view of what is possible. Our speaker for one of the sessions this year was Atte Miettinen. Atte is a businessman and adventurer based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). In 2012 he completed a project of many years to climb the highest mountains of every continent, known as the Seven Summits, and became the first person from his native Finland to complete the Seven Summits, joining just 100 people globally that have achieved the same in history.

Atte is also an accomplished businessman. He’s spent more than 20 years building disruptive technology and telecoms start-ups into industryrecognised category leaders. Currently, Atte serves as the President and Group CEO of Limitless Mobile, which he has transformed from a traditional retailfocused Mobile Network Operator (MNO) into a disruptive wholesale MNO serving enterprise customers both nationwide in the US as well as internationally.

Atte has tested his limits both in business and adventure and refined what aiming high and achieving peak performance requires in both environments. In his session, we were taken on a journey to climb Mount Everest, with the journey used to highlight parallels between the challenges faced and needing to be addressed in business, and in high altitude mountaineering.

Atte’s story was fascinating, inspiring and just plain bonkers in places! We asked him why – why would you risk your life to complete this project? His answer? “I wanted to find out what was possible for me, I was curious to see how far I could go, to see how far my ambition would take me.”

He is a disrupter. He gave us so many analogies between climbing Everest and building a successful business. Here are my takeaways if we are to reach the summit of our “Everests”.

• You must have courage to aim high. We limit our ambition by acting at times from an unconscious fear Reaching the top requires true commitment, humility, ambition and confidence – none of us are confident all the time but build confidence by reflecting on your past success and lean into that.

• Your ambition drives your target setting – “if you think you can or think you can’t – either way you are right” –Henry Ford.

• You must do the right preparation, create the right strategy, make the right decisions to get you ready to climb or build.

• Your mindset makes the difference. Preparation is not just the tangible processes and tactics, it’s mental preparation that will get us through. The tougher the target the harder

you must work – “effort needs to match ambition”. Tough targets require hard work, sacrifices and sometimes tough choices.

• Tough targets need support and help from others, you can’t do it alone. Pursuing the top requires a team, both in work and at home.

• Right timing is critical to success. Be alert to the circumstances – in his case there was a small window to reach the summit – success doesn’t always come because you are ready, you have to be ready, in the right place and at the right time

• To get to the top there is no room for egos or selfishness. That’s when it can all go horribly wrong. Arrogance is dangerous on a mountain and dangerous in business.

• It’s not just about you… when you are aiming high, building or sustaining a business, it’s hard for your family. Be aware of the impact on them and make time to communicate and be present, not just being in the room.

• We need balance – we need good habits to reduce stress, improve sleep, build resilience.

• A tired mind is worse than a tired body. We are unlikely to make catastrophic decisions when our body is tired, but we are likely to do exactly that when our mind is tired.

• Don’t ask why – ask why not!? Be curious constantly.

• You are capable of more than you think. So think big!

I left that retreat inspired to raise my ambition, to have greater courage and to put my “big girl pants” on. I know my success won’t be defined wholly by circumstances, but it will be affected by my ambition, my hard work and my determination and courage to think big!

NI Chamber Joins Call for Industry to Help 100,000 Young People Develop Work Skills

After two years of disruption Young Enterprise is planning a full return to the classroom with the business community aiming to engage 100,000 young people.

Business leaders from NI Chamber, the Institute of Directors, CBI, Women in Business, Social Enterprise NI, and Enterprise Northern Ireland have joined forces with the charity to call on companies across Northern Ireland to support young people in developing employability skills for work.

Chief Executive of Young Enterprise, Carol Fitzsimons MBE explains:

“Over the last two years we have developed innovative online learning solutions, but we have been restricted in getting business volunteers into the classroom.

“This generation has had its education disrupted, particularly in terms of skills

development, and we are hearing from employers that many young people have anxieties about entering the workforce as a result.

“We need business supporters and volunteers to help us address this emerging issue by bringing the reality of the skills needed for work in the modern economy into the classroom.

“We know the experience of hearing directly from people in the world of work is highly valued, so we’re excited to welcome business volunteers back as part of our programmes. Our aim is to engage with 100,000 young people this year, and that is only possible with support from the business community.”

The charity is echoing the Department for the Economy’s 10X skills strategy and skills barometer in emphasising the need for the entrepreneurial skills, such as innovation and creative thinking.

Representatives from business organisations have come together to support the call for businesses to get back into school in the new term.

Christopher Morrow, Head of Communications and Engagement at Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry concluded:

“Businesses in all sectors have an important contribution to make in preparing the next generation of the workforce for the jobs of the future and supporting the work of Young Enterprise is a very rewarding and effective way for firms to make an impact.

“Developing entrepreneurial and business skills early is really important. In Northern Ireland, there is a particular need to promote STEM skills among school-age children, which will encourage them to consider future study and careers in these high-growth areas.”

Lorraine Acheson, Gordon Milligan, Christopher Morrow, Carol Fitzsimons, Colin Jess, Jenny Moore and Michael McQuillan with pupils from St Joseph’s Primary School, Carryduff, Down High School, Downpatrick, Bangor Integrated Primary School and Laurelhill Community College, Lisburn.

Building World Class Teams

Ambition talks to SUKI Tea’s Annie Irwin and Chris Martin from Danske Bank about the company’s experience of becoming more sustainable and why an increasing number of businesses are now striving to do the right thing when it comes to people, place and planet, even if it doesn’t have an immediate impact on their bottom line.

Every company in every sector of the economy can now expect questions from customers, regulators or suppliers

about their track record on sustainability, environmental standards and the steps they are taking to reduce their carbon footprint.

While this is a major challenge for many, sustainability has been part of the DNA of some businesses from day one. Belfastbased specialist loose leaf tea blender and supplier SUKI Tea Makers is one such business that falls into that category.

Since Annie Irwin and Oscar Woolley started their artisan business at a stall at St George’s Market in 2005, almost the

first thing they would tell customers was that their tea was ethically sourced – with a clear sourcing policy to choose Fairtrade, organic or Rainforest Alliance certified teas to hold themselves to the high standards of independent certification bodies.

This, says Annie, was a reaction to widespread reports about the poor treatment of workers in many tea growing regions around the world. It didn’t make sense to them to create a brand whose point of difference was quality if that came at the cost of the wellbeing of the people

Oscar Woolley (SUKI Tea); Julie Skelly (Danske Bank); Chris Martin (Danske Bank); Annie Irwin (SUKI Tea) and Graham Duff (Danske Bank).

and Danske Bank FEATURE

who got that product to them. Instead, they found that where companies cared about their people and the planet, they usually cared a great deal about the plant too.

But while SUKI started as it meant to go on, the company realised over time that it was primarily looking at one aspect of sustainability when every area of the business demanded attention.

“Over the years we realised that sourcing was only one part of the business. Yes, we could stand over the

quality of the tea and what’s happening on the ground, but there was so much more as a business we could be doing,” she explains.

“For many years it was just the tea we focused on. We weren’t looking at our paper printing or our electricity usage or the bubble wrap we used to protect the tea pots. We needed to look further and I’m happy to say that we’re doing that now.”

The business has signed up to Business in the Community’s Climate Action

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Pledge and with a rebrand in 2019 took the opportunity to go plastic free in its packaging. It also began to look at plastic management throughout the business as well as the messages it was giving out to consumers – for example not wasting water by overfilling the kettle. It removed 2.7 tonnes of plastic packaging from the business in year one.

“We want to be the best that we can be as a business and we never settle for less,” says Annie. “But that means I want everything to have happened yesterday. I want my net zero carbon strategy understood by the whole team, throughout our supply chain and our customer base. But we’re a small team with limited resources so it felt like we were just chipping away at it. I want to do more so when I heard about the Climate Action Programme I was keen to get on to it.”

Danske Bank partnered with Business in the Community to create the Climate Action Programme, which provides carbon literacy training, helps businesses understand their carbon footprint, guides them towards devising a climate strategy and ultimately results in them making commitments to reduce their scope 1 and 2 emissions (direct emissions from owned assets and indirect greenhouse gas emissions associated with the purchase of electricity or heating) by either 30% or 50% by 2030. It also offers advice on actions on reducing scope 3 emissions from supply chain activities they don’t own or control.

Danske Bank co-created the programme because an increasing number of customers in a diverse range of sectors were asking them questions about reducing their climate impacts, but didn’t really know where to begin.

Danske Bank’s head of Sustainability Chris Martin acknowledges that describing the way companies approach sustainability as “a journey” might sound “a little bit X-Factor”. But he believes it is the most apt definition, because every business which has embarked on the Climate Action Programme needs to take stock, make realistic plans and take time to put them into action before getting where they want to go.

“It definitely takes time,” he says. “Companies like SUKI and leaders like Annie are really to be commended for wanting to do as much as they can as quickly as they can. But for many of the businesses who undertake the training, it’s not possible to change everything overnight. It’s a process made up of numerous steps – a journey.

SUKI Tea is a fantastic example of a company that is already invested in this type

of journey but is using the Climate Action Programme to accelerate or catalyse their ambition.”

Julie Skelly, head of Belfast Business Centre at Danske Bank, says the bank is committed to helping demystify sustainability for its customers to help them know where to start.

“Green issues are firmly on the agenda in Northern Ireland and companies want to take action, but we’ve found that whether they are a large corporate, an SME or a small business, they often need guidance on best practice or signposting to organisations who can help,” says Julie.

“That’s why we have put 100 of our own relationship managers and business advisors through carbon literacy training – so they are equipped to have informed and knowledgeable conversations with

customers that help them make progress on their own transition to operating in a more sustainable manner,” she adds.

“Local businesses will increasingly be challenged about their approach to climate change by their customers, suppliers and also by their own employees. But addressing climate change isn’t a one and done approach, it takes time, thought, effort and commitment. Danske Bank will make that journey with our customers.”

Chris Martin agrees that committing to a sustainability strategy isn’t always straightforward, particularly when a business is faced with other external challenges but believes there are long-term rewards for those who take action.

“It’s about striking a balance and having the boldness to make decisions that really shape the business and align with its purpose and values. Customers are increasingly focused on the view of what they are buying into, what they are aligning themselves to by buying a product and whether that business aligns with their own purpose,” he explains.

“If you look at Patagonia, which made headlines recently, that’s a company that has been absolutely true to its values and purpose and hasn’t compromised. There is a complexity to this and it does require resilience – that’s where the programme supports business owners and helps them focus on the big things that make a difference.”

SUKI’s own journey hasn’t been simple, for example when trying to get away from using the traditional material used in loose leaf pyramid bags, which contain small amounts of microplastics.

“When plastic-free pyramids for loose leaf tea in came on the market, it was uncomfortable for us because we wanted to use them, but we had an organic product. The material the pyramids were made of was compostable and biodegradable, but it was from a GM source. So we held off moving to the biodegradable material until it was confirmed it could be sourced from nonGM sources,” says Annie.

“Consumers want quality, great taste and value for money, but they also want to buy from ethical firms and to understand the provenance of their goods. The decisions we’ve made are more about our ethos as a business and where we want to be. If you were just an accountant you might be saying, don’t do that. But SUKI is our baby. You don’t feed your baby microplastics. You nurture it with the only the best.”

While she acknowledges the current turbulence in the economy, the SUKI Tea Makers owner believes businesses can’t

afford to put sustainability initiatives on hold.

“Businesses need to take a balanced approach to it but I don’t think we can sit still for too long. The climate crisis is here, it is happening, so you would be damaging your company if you put the brakes on progress you’re making on environmental impact. There is a bigger picture,” she says.

“The success of companies like Patagonia shows that consistency is rewarded. It’s important to get the message out there consistently. That’s how you influence those around you, be it the tea industry or the food service industry or our supply chain or the consumer.”

SUKI took part in the Climate Action programme between March and May this year, and the company’s co-founder says it has helped move its strategy in the right direction as it plans for a move to a new state-of-the-art factory that will bring its team together under one roof.

“We feel a lot more confident and equipped to benchmark our own Scope 3 emissions after the programme,” notes Annie.

“The programme has got great team engagement and given us the impetus to reach out to Invest NI and Queen’s University to get more support with the next steps, which will hopefully be producing a net zero carbon strategy next year.”

“If you look at Patagonia, which made headlines recently, that’s a company that has been absolutely true to its values and purpose and hasn’t compromised. There is a complexity to this and it does require resilience – that’s where the programme supports business owners and helps them focus on the big things that make a difference.”

Columnist

Jonie Graham Senior Consultant, BRC Partnership Ltd.

The Breakfast of Champions and the Leader’s Intent

Ken Blanchard, author, speaker and executive coach, is often quoted saying that “Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” Blanchard actually attributes the quote to Rick Tate, one of his consulting partners. Tate often referenced feedback in connection to individuals in jobs that included feedback as an intrinsic part of their role. Sales professionals provided a rich example. A salesperson knows how well they are doing almost in real time. Of course the monthly figures provide clear feedback on the consistency of their success or failure, but Tate also draws our attention to the dynamic nature of the “yes” or “no” response of the salesperson’s potential customer. The engagement, or lack of, from the customer provides a feedback dynamic for the sales professional that is ongoing and instantaneous.

It may be the resilience of the salesperson that enables them to thrive in that sort of environment. If Blanchard and Tate are correct and feedback is in fact the first thing that champions look for when they start their day, then all of us that aspire to thrive in our respective roles should pay attention to the benefits that feedback brings.

A helpful definition is that “feedback is any message that provides information to aid in the achieving of desired goals”. It follows therefore that no matter who we are, or where we are, we are operating in a feedback-rich environment. We just need to know where to look for it. A well struck ball

from the foot of a professional footballer may not behave as desired due to pitch undulation, strong winds or the speed and fitness of an opponent. Our would-be goal scorer may not need the manager and coach to inform from the sideline that this is the case. The feedback is plain for all to see. A writer taking their time to produce an article for publication may not be conscious of the pressure faced by the editor in order to achieve the deadlines of the publisher. They may need gentle reminders, followup calls and eventually an ultimatum.

In all of our examples, feedback enables and aids skill acquisition and enhancement and improves future performance.

Too often many team members only receive feedback that is punitive. The intent may be to “fix” the individual or the performance gap. However, that can only happen when the feedback offered is about the individual’s wellbeing and the enabling of their success.

Good feedback not only enables the individual to improve by working to their strengths and on their weakness, it also serves as a mechanism that can regulate quality and consistency for the team or organisation. Feedback helps to establish norms of expectation, commitment and productivity. Without feedback, how can the individual improve?

We are often told that feedback should be given in the form of a sandwich that, let’s face it, none of us wants to take a bite of. You know the one I mean. I’m not sure that is the most

effective way to give feedback. The key that opens the door to successful feedback is intent. When our intent is pure, when we have the best interests of the individual at heart, then we are in a position to give clear and concise feedback that is both easy both to understand and to apply. Good feedback is like a mirror, it lets the individual see for themselves where the blemishes are. So let those who would lead offer feedback in much the same way as a mirror would.

Motivate - use feedback to encourage, inspire and envision all that is achievable.

Inform - give the information that is needed for improvement and encouragement.

Reflect - allow time for what you are saying to increase awareness in the individual.

Reinforce - mention all the good that you see, reward positive actions.

Offer Guidance - signpost a mentor, a book or possible training experiences.

Review - don’t just leave it, follow up at a future time.

Sensitive - be mindful of self-esteem and the need to save face.

When feedback becomes part of our culture, then all that are part of the organisation will seek it out. It will become the norm, it will be what is expected. When that is the case we will be well on our way to becoming an organisation of leaders and champions, and that can be no bad thing. Especially if they have had their breakfast.

Talk or action?

Stairway to Seven

Dougie Grant, Managing Director EMEA of Nihon Cyber Defence

My seven steps for business success

Dougie Grant is the managing director of Nihon Cyber Defence (NCD), a locally based but global cyber security company. Dougie leads the European team providing cyber security services, including preparing organisations for, and responding to, the increasingly inevitable cyber-attacks. Dougie spent over 30 years in the public sector as a senior law enforcement officer and government official, working nationally and also internationally with Europol and Interpol, and latterly in the prestigious National Cyber Security Centre, where he was responsible for managing and leading the coordinated response to the most significant and impactful cyber-attacks and threats nationally and globally.

1. NEVER STOP LEARNING

The world never stays still and the technological leaps year on year are amazing, but we have to take time to learn, understand and accept the changing world. Continuous learning in all fields is so important, it’s crucial to set time aside and focus on our development if we are to continue to succeed and learning not only improves our ability but it builds our confidence and even improves our mental health.

2. PEOPLE ARE YOUR MOST IMPORTANT ASSET

It’s an old adage but still so relevant. If we don’t encourage and support our people, then our people can’t support our aspirations and drive. We grow together and the team is really the fundamental success of any business so take time, support and invest in your people. Look after yourself and look after your staff. You need both to succeed.

3. TECHNOLOGY IS NOT (THE SOLUTION TO) EVERYTHING

New solutions and platforms will solve all our problems. If only that were true, and we could believe the hype. I have lost count of systems and devices that have come and gone, and few remain relevant for long. We have to know why we want technology, and it will never replace a human, it only makes their life easier… sometimes!

4.

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

Have you ever attended a meeting, a presentation or event and been talked down to or been lost in a technical overload of space travel complexity?

It happens to me frequently but if we want to succeed, we need to understand who we are talking to and know how to communicate effectively with them. If we get that right, then natural relationships are formed, and success will flow.

5. NETWORKS ARE IMPORTANT

You’ll be glad to hear I don’t mean IT networks but our professional networks. I think this is a mark of someone’s success in being able to reach out to friends, colleagues and associates to ask for advice, help or assistance. This is especially evident in the IT world, and I’m continually struck by the unwavering help and support that our networks provide each other.

6. SIZE DOESN’T MATTER

Building a company is a challenge and it’s easy to be intimidated by the big players and multinationals. Don’t be. What I have learned is that the bespoke and personal service beats the multinational generic and impersonal service hands down. The expertise that micro and small enterprises deliver is unique and it’s the custom service that customers want. Have belief in your abilities and business will succeed.

7. DO THE RIGHT THING

This is particularly relevant to our ethics and morals, and I’ve spent decades helping and supporting people and organisations. There’s no better feeling than delivering someone out of a crisis and I promise you will get the just rewards directly or indirectly. If it feels the right thing to do… then do it.

NI Chamber Chief’s UPDATE

McGregor, Chief Executive, NI Chamber

Welcome New Members

On behalf of the Board and Executive team, I want to

throughout this year.

Your membership enables us to create opportunities for NI businesses and drive the growth and prosperity of our economy. It has also allowed us to develop a wide portfolio of services designed to help businesses grow. All of these services, existing and new, form the basis of our new strategic plan for 2022-2025, which we were delighted to launch in September.

As part of this strategic review, we commissioned independent customer research and I am pleased to say that the feedback was extremely positive. It highlighted that members value the fact that we are Northern Ireland wide and have businesses of all sizes and sectors involved. We are proud that you value the influence that we have and trust us to present a balanced and researched view in our wider engagement.

In terms of developments, members expressed a desire for more targeted communications and a stronger lobbying voice. As NI Chamber adopts a more data-driven approach, both of these areas have been developed, including through a new website and email system and the creation of a new Public Affairs department.

Based on this feedback we are now refocusing priority areas including connecting our members to network, share and learn from each other, as well as supporting their local and global growth. We’re committed to providing a strong voice for the business community, promoting Northern Ireland internationally and to making the region a great place to do business.

In support of all these objectives, the team has been as busy as ever in recent weeks, with some really exciting things in the pipeline before the end of the year. Some particular highlights have included our Festival of Business, which saw over 800 people gather in St George’s Market. This was closely followed by our annual Meet the Buyer, which facilitated almost 400 new business meetings in a single morning.

In recent weeks, we’ve also celebrated the achievements of our NI Chamber Award winners, who went on to represent us at the UK-wide British Chamber Awards. I am delighted to say that out of eight categories, NI Chamber had two national winners. Huge congratulations to Viberoptix, winner of the Rapid Riser category and TODD Architects, who won the Workforce Developer award.

On 24 November we are set to host one of the highlights of the business calendar year – our Annual President’s Banquet in ICC Belfast. It is going to be a truly spectacular evening in the company of colleagues and friends in business. Best-selling author and TV presenter Richard Osman will headline the entertainment line-up, as together we celebrate Northern Ireland’s biggest and best ideas; whose they were, what they achieved and why they are so important. We’re looking forward to enjoying the evening with many of you.

* To become a member of NI Chamber join online at www.northernirelandchamber.com or phone the membership team on 028 9024 4113

Ann

take this opportunity to thank all of our members and partners for supporting NI Chamber’s work

NI Chamber Launches New Public A airs Forum

Chamber members to get a business-focused synopsis which helps them to understand the direct implications of the political landscape for their own organisations.

Announcing the new series, Ann McGregor, Chief Executive, NI Chamber said:

“The public affairs landscape is becoming increasingly complex, which has significant implications for businesses. Understanding precisely what’s happening at local and international level is really important for firms of all sizes and recently, we’ve experienced a big increase in demand for our services in this area. That’s reflective of the impact of soaring cost pressures, inflation, interest rate rises, labour and supply chain issues. In that context and in the continuing absence of a local Executive, this new series is set to be really important over the coming months.”

NI Chamber has launched a new Public Affairs forum, designed to help member businesses stay abreast of what political developments at local, national and international level mean for businesses in Northern Ireland.

Delivered in partnership with Phoenix Natural Gas, the first event took place in September, when the guest speaker was former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Julian Smith CBE MP.

Facilitated by NI Chamber’s Head of Public Affairs Stuart Anderson, the series provides an exclusive opportunity for NI

Michael McKinstry, Chief Executive, Phoenix Natural Gas added: “The decarbonisation of our economy is of central importance to us at Phoenix, and the successful delivery of this ambition, like many key future economic growth opportunities, is dependent on successful collaboration across the political and business spheres.

“That’s why we are pleased to be a partner to the NI Chamber in the provision of this new Public Affairs Forum and we look forward to seeing the constructive outcomes from the engagement it facilitates between the business community and political policy and decision makers.”

International Champions to Support Global Business Growth

NI Chamber and its International Champions Queen’s University and Eversheds Sutherland have launched a series of events and initiatives designed to help local companies grow their international footprint over the next 12 months.

Tanya Anderson, Head of Business Support and International at NI Chamber explains:

“The support of our International Champions enables NI Chamber to provide technical expertise, training and advice specific to the needs of companies in Northern Ireland. That is critical as we work to help local firms grow globally. Recently, we’ve been delighted to welcome Eversheds Sutherland as a new International Champion. As a leading law firm, they’ll bring a wealth of expertise to our international offering, which will benefit members enormously. Together with Queen’s University and our own team of in-house experts, it makes for a really worthwhile partnership.”

Alan Connell, Managing Partner, Eversheds Sutherland, said:

“Eversheds Sutherland is delighted to become the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce’s International Champion. As the largest and most established international law firm on the island of Ireland, our clients and partners based in Northern Ireland benefit from the wider global offering and local expertise of Eversheds Sutherland.

“Providing quality, innovation and consistency in service delivery around the globe from over 70 offices in more than 30 countries, Eversheds Sutherland combines local legal knowledge with global reach. Our team of locally based lawyers in Northern Ireland understand the challenges and complexities which internationally focused clients face in terms of people, regulation, standards, data, and more. Whether it’s an employment, litigation, financial services, tax or property issue, Eversheds Sutherland is ready to support and advise businesses and organisations to ensure success.

“We are looking forward to working directly with the Chamber’s members over the next 12 months through the International Champions series and to help more Northern Irish businesses trade seamlessly and successfully across the world.”

Alistair Stewart, Head of Public Engagement at Queen’s University Belfast added:

“Queen’s has been a proud patron and International Champion for many years and I am delighted that we will continue to strengthen our longstanding relationship with the Chamber and its members in 2022/2023.

“Fostering international partnerships and creating a diverse and inclusive campus are core to our mission as a local and global university. We currently have more than 120 global partnerships and we are forging further alliances with leading institutions in the USA, the Middle East and Asia, particularly in China, and India.

“We look forward to drawing on our local knowledge, national expertise and global presence to help local businesses at whatever stage of the journey they are at and wherever they are located.”

Lynsey Foster (NI Chamber), Joanne Mallon (Queen’s University), Alan Connell (Eversheds Ireland), Alistair Stewart (Queen’s University) and Tanya Anderson (NI Chamber).

Gillian McAuley (President, NI Chamber), Julian Smith MP, Michael McKinstry (Phoenix Natural Gas) and Stuart Anderson (NI Chamber).

Eakin and Balcas are New NI Chamber Patrons

Eakin Healthcare Group and Balcas are the latest organisations to join NI Chamber’s list of Patrons. As Patrons, they are part of a select group of leading businesses who lend their support to the development of the region’s economy and business community.

Welcoming them, Ann McGregor, Chief Executive NI Chamber said:

“Eakin Healthcare Group and Balcas are two fantastically innovative companies. They have both been valued members for some time and we are delighted that they have decided to strengthen the relationship further by becoming our newest Patrons, as part of what we hope will be mutually beneficial partnerships.”

Co Down-based medical device manufacturer Eakin Healthcare Group makes devices for ostomy, wound, respiratory and surgical needs, which are exported to more than 50 countries internationally. It also operates from sites and subsidiaries in the UK, the Netherlands, France and Japan.

Speaking about the new partnership, Jeremy Eakin, CEO of Eakin Healthcare Group added:

“As a successful, export-focused manufacturer our vision and goals at Eakin Healthcare align closely with those of NI Chamber. We are ambitious to grow and want to play our part in creating an environment where businesses can thrive, reach their full potential and learn from each other. NI Chamber is the ideal partner to help achieve this.”

Headquartered near Enniskillen in County Fermanagh, Balcas is a large manufacturer of timber products and a generator of renewable electricity. It is the largest manufacturer of renewable wood pellet fuel for heat in the UK and Ireland and 100% of its raw materials come from the sustainably managed forests of Ireland and Scotland.

Commenting, Brian Murphy, CEO, Balcas said:

“Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry provides

invaluable support through information, and through contact with policy makers and other businesses. We are honoured to join the Patrons of NI Chamber and to be one of its members.”

Eakin Healthcare Group and Balcas join a list of NI Chamber Patrons which also includes Agnew Leasing; Caterpillar; Danske Bank; Encirc; fonaCAB; Investec; Moy Park; Pinsent Masons; Power NI; PwC; Queen’s University; Randox; Ulster Bank; Ulster Carpets and Ulster University.

Ann McGregor, Chief Executive, NI Chamber and Jeremy Eakin, CEO, Eakin Healthcare Group.

Ann McGregor (Chief Executive, NI Chamber), Brian Murphy (Chief Executive, Balcas) and Gillian McAuley (President, NI Chamber).

NI Chamber Hosts Annual Golf Day

NI Chamber hosted its popular annual Golf Day in Malone Golf Club on 9 September. The event, which was sponsored by Doherty Pension and Investment Consultancy, saw more than 100 businesspeople enjoy an afternoon of competition and networking. On the day, the Golf Challenge Trophy was awarded to Paul Mc Burney from ABL Group for the best individual score. The first-placed four ball was the team from Beyond HR. In second place was TLT NI, while Foods Connected came in third.

Let’s do Business at Meet the Buyer

1. Phil Murray (Business Support Manager at NI Chamber), Niall Devlin (Head of Business Banking NI at Bank of Ireland) and Tanya Anderson (Head of International and Business Support at NI Chamber).

Natalie Laverty (Sales and Marketing Manager at JMD Training) and Dara Martin (Sales and Marketing Executive at JMD Training).

Grieve and Gareth Irvine (Procurement Officers at NIE Networks).

Michael Walls (Associate Director as RSK Ireland Ltd) and Mark Anderson (Operations and Customs Manager at Westmond Logistics).

Jana Burns (Business Manager at Bank of Ireland), Gareth Wilson (Business Banking Manager at Bank of Ireland) and Colin Crangle (Partner and Business Engagement Manager at Bank of Ireland).

Carey and Gerard Fegan (Queen’s University Belfast) attended the event.

McKibbin (Buyer at Coca-Cola HBC) met with potential suppliers on the day.

Festival of Business

1. Pictured are Ann McGregor (Chief Executive at NI Chamber), Councillor Gareth Spratt (Belfast City Council), Gillian McAuley (President at NI Chamber), Vincent Harrison (Managing Director at Dublin Airport), Fiona Simpson (Head of Commercial NI at Amazon Web Services) and Colin Hughes (Chief Executive at Four Star Pizza). 2. Headline sponsor, Dublin Airport’s Managing Director, Vincent Harrison addressed delegates.

Attendees enjoyed entertainment from Belfast Mela. 4. Colin Hughes, Chief Executive at Four Star Pizza, shared his key takeaways on business growth and change. 5. Gerard Whelan, Founder of Jordan Wolf Associates, provided attendees with practical, relevant insights into achieving consistently strong sales performance. 6. Fiona Simpson, Head of Commercial NI at Amazon Web Services (AWS), discussed AWS’s world-leading focus on business transformation through innovation.

Further Education Colleges exhibited at the Festival of Business.

Representatives from Breedon attended as exhibitors.

Beyond HR exhibited at the event.

Outsource Solutions exhibited at the Festival of Business.

Comedian Shane Todd performed on the Main Stage.

People 1st was among other exhibitors.

Pictured are Jodie Cooper (Interior Designer at Whitespace Design Consultancy) and Fiona Murray (Director at Whitespace Design Consultancy).

Belfast City Council exhibited on the day.

RenewableNI was one of over 100 exhibitors at the Festival of Business.

Over 100 exhibitors and 800 delegates attended the event at St George’s Market.

Delegates made new connections in the dedicated networking zone.

Chamber Award Winners Celebrate

Eight companies from across Northern Ireland were winners at the 2022 NI Chamber Business Awards.

The Chamber Business Awards highlight the role of local companies in delivering growth and prosperity. They recognise and reward Northern Ireland’s leading exporters, green business initiatives, highgrowth companies and entrepreneurs, as well as firms which prioritise community engagement, diversity, inclusion and workforce development.

This year’s category winners and highly commended entrants were presented with their awards by Chief Executive Ann

McGregor at a celebratory breakfast in Hilton Belfast. They were Encirc (The Problem Solver); Galgorm Collection (The Equality Trailblazer); Alchemy (The Game Changer); Almac Group (The Global Player); Shoosmiths (The Planet Saver); Viberoptix (The Rapid Riser); TODD Architects (The Workforce Developer) and Henderson Retail (The Community Champion). They each went on to represent Northern Ireland at the UK-wide British Chamber Awards.

Other highly commended entrants were A&L Goodbody, Atlas World, BLK BOX, Encirc, MJM Marine, Musgrave NI and Shredbank.

Congratulating them, Ann McGregor said:

“Each year, the Chamber Awards present a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the fantastic work being done by member companies in all sectors right across Northern Ireland. As usual, our judges were extremely impressed by the calibre of entries, which is reflective of the quality of Northern Ireland’s products and people.

“On behalf of the Board and Executive team I would like to offer all of our winning member businesses my sincere congratulations and hope that you will be rightly proud of the accolade.” 04

1. John Harkin, Alchemy and Ann McGregor, NI Chamber.

2. Aisling Byrne and Greg Martin, A&L Goodbody with Ann McGregor, NI Chamber.

3. Dr. Frances Weldon and Koelle Boyce, Almac with Ann McGregor, NI Chamber.

4. Ian Campbell and Graeme White, Atlas World with Ann McGregor, NI Chamber.

5. Ann McGregor, NI Chamber with Conor Walker and Dewi Russell, BLK BOX.

6. Laura Millar and Catherine McKernan, Galgorm with Ann McGregor, NI Chamber.

7. Gregory Cochrane and John Fox, Henderson Retail with Ann McGregor, NI Chamber. 8. Winners and Highly Commended companies at the 2022 NI Chamber Awards. 9. Ann McGregor, NI Chamber and Conleth McConville, MJM.

10. Ann McGregor, NI Chamber and Beatrice Atcheson, Musgrave NI.

11. Hannah Moore and Emily Bain, Shredbank with Ann McGregor, NI Chamber.

Ann McGregor, NI Chamber with Paul Crowe and Orla Kee, TODD Architects.

Sean og Brennan and Naomhan McCrory, Viberoptix with Ann McGregor, NI Chamber.

Kingsbridge Healthcare Group Announces Opening of New Outpatients Centre

Kingsbridge Healthcare Group has announced the opening of the new ‘Liz Dallas Outpatients Centre’ at Kingsbridge Private Hospital North West in Ballykelly, 16 months after having acquired it.

Named after the longest serving employee in the original hospital, this latest development is part of an overall £6 million investment in the hospital’s facilities which has also created an additional 80 jobs in the area.

Anthony McKenna, general manager at Kingsbridge Private Hospital North West, explained what clinical and support services will be delivered within this latest addition to the hospital.

“When we first took over the hospital in Ballykelly we announced our commitment to not only build on current services offered but to deliver a wide range of specialisms that will enhance the choices available to everyone in the north west region and across the island.

“With this significant investment, patients will now benefit from eight medical consultation rooms and a nurse treatment room on the ground floor, a newly installed laundry service which will be used across the whole hospital group, and on the first floor, we have created additional office space for our expanding administration support teams.”

Mark Regan, chief executive of Kingsbridge Healthcare Group, outlined the benefits of the investment across the whole hospital.

“The new outpatients centre will be underpinned with a comprehensive refurbishment programme, which has already commenced for the wider hospital and will result in a complete remodelling

of all ward bedrooms and consultation rooms in the main hospital along with the provision of additional paediatric services for the Group.

“To complement these services, we have installed a multi-million pound MRI scanner, the only private scanning facility of its kind in Northern Ireland which can scan patients while under anaesthetic. This is of particular use for young children or patients with disabilities who are unable to stay completely still for the scans which can last between 15 and 60 minutes. The scanner will also be of interest to those patients who are anxious or experience claustrophobia given its faster scan times, its extra wide tunnel and a 70% reduction in noise. The scanner will offer the latest in high quality imaging and diagnostics as well as providing a better experience for patients and faster turnaround times for our clinicians,” said Mark.

At the new Outpatients Centre Mark welcomed Mrs Liz Dallas, who was previously the matron and hospital director at NWIH, to unveil a plaque in her honour and officially open the ‘Liz Dallas Outpatients Centre’.

“Liz was so well respected and highly regarded when she worked at the hospital here for nearly three decades, so it was very fitting to call the new outpatients centre after her. The staff and management were delighted to welcome Liz back and give her a VIP tour of the new amenities.”

Facilities at Kingsbridge Private Hospital North West include 38 overnight beds, eight day case beds, an endoscopic suite, three theatres – two of which are laminar flow –with a state-of-the-art recovery unit. The hospital also has emergency bloods on site and 90 car parking spaces.

Kingsbridge CEO Addresses CEO Series

Mark Regan, CEO of the Kingsbridge Healthcare Group was the guest speaker at NI Chamber’s most recent CEO series, delivered in partnership with KPMG. The round-table breakfast discussion was an opportunity for leaders at the helm of some of Northern Ireland’s most successful businesses to learn about the Group’s strategy, recent acquisition and investment plans. Chaired by Chief Executive Ann McGregor and hosted by

John Poole and Ashleen Feeney KPMG, the invitation-only event was held in KPMG’s Belfast office.

1. John Poole (KPMG), Mark Regan (Kingsbridge Healthcare Group) and Ann McGregor (NI Chamber).

Mark Regan CEO, Kingsbridge Healthcare Group.

Round-table discussion at the KPMG CEO series.

Cathal Geoghegan (Henderson Foodservice) and John Poole (KPMG).

Networking at KPMG CEO Series.

Ashleen Feeney (KPMG) and Mark Regan (Kingsbridge Healthcare Group)

Calls for Action as Economic Survey Shows Clear Slowdown in Demand

• More businesses were trading positively than negatively in Q3 22

• 28% of firms were trading well, although this is down significantly since the start of the year (39% Q1 22)

• 3 in 5 businesses experienced a slowdown in demand in Q3 22

• Confidence around profitability has dropped significantly

• 77% of firms expect to raise prices in the next 3 months

• 1 in 4 NI businesses saw energy costs rise by 50% or more over the last quarter

Stuart Anderson (NI Chamber), Brian Murphy (BDO NI) and Maureen O’Reilly (Economist).

NI Chamber has called for the establishment of an Energy Taskforce and the restoration of a functioning Executive following the publication of economic survey results which indicate that the region’s weakening economy is facing significant headwinds.

Escalating costs and indications of a slowdown in demand are impacting Northern Ireland’s economic performance, according to the findings of the latest Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) report for Q3 22, published by NI Chamber and business advisers BDO.

While most businesses were trading well (28%) or at least reasonably (45%) in Q3, there was a significant drop in the share of businesses trading well in Q3 22, down from 39% in Q1 22 to 28% in Q3 22. The share of businesses just covering costs rose to 20% (12% Q1 22). 5% of businesses were really struggling in Q3 22.

Three in five (61%) members saw some slowdown in demand during the last quarter, up from 55% in Q2 22. 34% saw no change in the demand for their products/services.

Commenting on the survey findings, Ann McGregor, Chief Executive NI Chamber said:

“While Q3 2022 QES findings show a majority of businesses are trading well or at least reasonably, the weakening of key indicators suggests cause for concern around Northern Ireland’s economic performance, driven in large part by escalating costs and signs of a slowdown in demand.

“In this challenging context the need for the restoration of an Executive is clear. While a functioning Executive will not solve the cost of doing business crisis, the in-tray of overdue reforms and resultant crises continue to grow.

“It is our firm belief that with political will, a range of devolved policy levers could be used to help ease pressures on our businesses; from unlocking green growth through planning reform, to investing in people through health transformation, up-skilling the workforce and tackling the cost of childcare. Today’s survey findings are proof that the business case is now too compelling to tolerate further delay.

“For as long as we remain without an Executive, an Energy Taskforce should be established immediately between policymakers and relevant stakeholders to address Northern Ireland’s unique circumstances and secure the best outcomes in tackling the energy crisis, protecting security of supply and driving the low carbon transition.”

“On Brexit, it is encouraging to see more firms getting to grips with the new trading arrangements, but we still lack the certainty and simplicity needed on the Northern Ireland Protocol to build confidence and drive investment. For some time we have been advocating

for a solution that protects both the consumer’s access to the GB market and the producer’s dual market access. That will require more ambition and compromise from both the EU and the UK, but both sides have a responsibility to deliver it with urgency.”

THE BDO PERSPECTIVE

Brian Murphy, Managing Partner, BDO NI

With the recent turmoil in the markets compounded by the unyielding cost of living and cost of business increases, you could be forgiven for thinking that the economy was in free-fall, with local businesses slipping over the edge.

However, it’s impressive that despite the challenges in the marketplace, this quarter’s results show most businesses are trading either reasonably, or even well. In addition, recruitment activity is still at a high level.

Furthermore, the feedback that 47% of respondents expected their turnover to grow over the coming year was heartening, set against 28% who felt their businesses would contract over this period. Added to this, firms are reporting more increased sales than decreased; however, this is set against a weaker domestic backdrop.

Although the data was recorded before the impact of the mini budget, it shows a hard-earned momentum that has built up within local businesses. It’s encouraging that with everything that is going on, businesses have continued to stay the course.

The results we announce today clearly show an economy and a market that are in flux. But despite this flux, we have not yet been plunged into a potential recession and with careful intervention, there may still be time to avert this.

Some of the results are concerning, with inflationary pressures, weakening of order books, a worsening cashflow position and labour availability all contributing to the challenges that businesses are facing in the weeks and months ahead.

We understand and appreciate that many are concerned about cash flow and profitability, given that so many firms (77%) are being hit with increased costs in labour, utility, fuel and raw materials for manufacturers, all at the same time. It will be important to see what impact the UK Government’s energy price cap and recently announced support measures will have, as they were introduced after this survey took place. Over the last quarter, 25% of firms locally have reported that their energy costs have risen by 50% or more. That the Government has announced its intervention measures is to be welcomed by all, however, we now need to see how the detail translates into practice.

Manufacturers in NI appear more concerned about potential hikes in interest rates than those in the rest of the UK (42% vs 32% respectively). However, when looking at comparisons with GB, it is encouraging to note that the investment intentions of NI’s services sector remain positive and above the UK average. A large part of these investment intentions will focus on job creation. While recruitment intentions remain high, with 71% openly seeking additional staff over the coming period, the age-old problem that has been an issue from before Covid continues to dominate, with 87% reporting difficulties in finding the right candidates. This has been a long-running issue and one that needs intervention from the NI Executive, the Department for the Economy and the education sector to make strategic and targeted interventions to ensure that we have the right candidates for the right jobs. It’s counterproductive securing inward investment and calling on firms to grow their workforces when the people aren’t there to fill these roles.

The economy is persevering and has continued to avoid a free-fall. Going forward, we all need time to assess the full impact of the Government’s support measures and the practical help this will bring, which will hopefully be evident in the next quarter. Above all, it is critical that inflationary pressures are addressed and we avoid a protracted and potentially harmful period of rising costs.

Quarterly Economic Survey

Q3 2022

General Business Performance

•Domestic and export order books have weakened in Q3 22

•77% of members are expecting to raise prices in the next 3 months to deal with rising costs

•A perfect storm of cost pressures facing business including rising utility and fuel costs, raw material costs and wages are putting pressure on prices

•Confidence around profitability has dropped significantly, down to ‘financial crash’ levels

•61% are operating below capacity

•Recruitment activity is strong. 71% are trying to recruit, which is up on recent quarters (64% Q2 22).

•78% are facing rising labour costs compared to 38% at the start of 2022

Sector Performance

•Concerns mount for NI’s manufacturing sector as trade performance weakens and firms face huge cost challenges

•Aspects of the service sector’s performance remain positive but order books are weaker and profitability is a serious concern

Brexit Watch

In the last year, significantly more businesses have adapted to the new trading arrangements post EU exit (56%), although around 1 in 6 are still finding them challenging

50% of members believe EU Exit has incurred additional costs on the business

Trade & Demand

28%20% 3 in 5

businesses are trading well in Q3 22, down from 39% in Q1

The share of businesses just covering costs has risen to 20% this quarter (12% Q1 22)

3 in 5 (61%) members have seen a slowdown in demand this quarter, up on Q2 22 (55%)

Wage Costs

45%

The share of employers offering pay rises over 5% has doubled in the last year to 45%

Energy Costs

1 in 4

1 in 4 businesses have seen energy costs rise by 50% or more over the last quarter

184 members responded to Quarterly Economic Survey for Q3 2022. Together they account for over 33,000 employees in Northern Ireland.

Note: The ‘balance’ refers to the difference between the % of firms reporting an increase in a key indicator minus the % reporting a decrease.

NI Chamber Events Gallery

1. Alan Bridle (UK Economist at Bank of Ireland) addresses attendees at a Business Breakfast event for those working in finance.

2. Members of NI Chamber’s Infrastructure sub-committee met with Chris Skidmore MP, as part of his review of net zero.

3. Nigel Walsh (Director of Commercial & Corporate Banking at Ulster Bank for Northern Ireland) addresses attendees at the Driving Digital with Ulster Bank event.

4. Stuart Sproule (Director at Cleaver Fulton Rankin) provided Legal Workshop attendees with practical advice surrounding cost control considerations in relation to commercial contracts, employment law and contractual disputes.

5. Catherine Crilly (Business Support Manager at NI Chamber), Gary Pollock (Head of Client Services at Platform Media), Conor McGivern (Business Manager at Danske Bank) and Clare Walsh (Managing Director at Kukoon Rugs) at a Grow with Danske Bank event in September.

6. In September, NI Chamber and BT hosted an In Camera event with Permanent Secretaries. Pictured are Neil Gibson (Department of Finance), Gillian McAuley (President at NI Chamber), Jayne Brady (Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service), Paul Murnaghan (Regional Director for BT Enterprise in NI), Katrina Godfrey (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs), Peter May (Department of Health), Ann McGregor (Chief Executive at NI Chamber) and Mike Brennan, (Department for the Economy).

7. At the latest Regional Networking event in October, attendees had the opportunity to make new connections, meet like-minded business people, grow their sales pipeline and create new business opportunities.

DELIVERING ON IMPROVEMENT

Linen Quarter BID, one of eight business improvement districts across Northern Ireland, provides enhanced management for a 25-hectare district south of Belfast City Hall. It was formed in February 2018 and will be launching a new five-year business plan in December 2022. Ahead of the launch we take the opportunity to catch up with LQ BID Managing Director Chris McCracken.

Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) are a recent innovation for Northern Ireland. Can you tell us a bit more about them?

Yes, of course. A BID represents a defined district where organisations collectively invest in projects, services and events that will benefit the area. BIDs are notfor-profit companies, governed by statute, and can only be formed following a successful vote amongst eligible organisations. Over the last two decades 330 BIDs have been democratically elected in towns and cities across the UK and Ireland - a visible demonstration of their effectiveness.

Linen Quarter BID itself has been operating since 2018. What are the key benefits you have delivered?

LQ BID invested £2.8m to pioneer 30 projects across four different themes. We are working towards a safer, cleaner district with enhanced policing, additional CCTV, and a dedicated clean team. To promote the area, we have introduced district branding, bespoke events, and Street Ambassadors, and co-fund restaurant week and the city centre gift card.

As part of our public realm theme, we delivered a £500,000 programme in just two years. This included three parklets, planting, lighting, street art, and a 43m outdoor hospitality space at Brunswick Street. Finally, we have a growing focus on sustainability, organising the RE[act] Festival and helping local organisations sign up for green energy, sustainable waste management, employers cycling accreditation, and climate awareness training.

You are going to ballot for a second five-year mandate in January 2023. If you are elected what are your priorities for term two?

Our first priority is to extend our services to neglected areas of Belfast, especially southern Great Victoria Street and Dublin Rd. There has been widespread media concern about the state of these streets, and we aim to work alongside the City Council to invest a six-figure sum on refreshing the public realm.

Our second priority is to almost double our project delivery, investing £3.7m in more than 50 projects over the next five years. New innovations include air quality monitoring, the creation of a vibrant district fund, and a tourism project to better tell the stories of the area.

Our third priority is to further deepen the joint working relationship we enjoy with statutory partners. This is particularly important over the next five years, which could potentially see the roll out of £350m of public projects within the Quarter, including the Transport Hub, North-South Glider, Gasworks Bridge, cycling infrastructure, Streets Ahead V, and the Bolder Vision for Belfast. These are all projects that LQ BID can positively influence and help integrate into the district.

How can organisations find out more?

Linen Quarter BID are launching our new five-year business plan at James Street in early December. If you would like to attend, or if you just want to find out more about BIDs in general, then please e-mail me: chris@linenquarter.org

Rest Insured

Shauna Graham joined insurance broker ABL Group as managing director after its parent company acquired Willis Towers Watson in Northern Ireland. Here she discusses being part of that bigger picture and why a trusted insurance broker is vital in business today.

Shauna Graham.

Few periods in history are as illustrious economically as the past three years.

Covid-19, Brexit, a smattering of environmental events and more have made the insurance sector, in particular, more complex for the buyer.

Insurance policies and their more stringent Ts and Cs have become a more complicated undertaking for both seller and buyer. It makes a broker like ABL Group, a professional risk advisor, all the more essential.

“The insurance market is cyclical,” ABL’s Managing Director, Shauna, begins. “We go through periods of soft and hard markets and this hard market has been felt as far back as 18 months before Covid-19. The pandemic just exacerbated what was already there.”

Shauna has over 20 years of experience in the insurance sector. She’s seen the industry’s cyclical behaviour in action recalling the last hard market post-9/11. “Overnight things changed in the insurance market. There were issues

getting 100% capacity. Some markets folded. I was fortunate to gain that experience early in my career though there are many in the industry now who are experiencing it for the first time.

“It can sometimes be a challenge persuading insurers to underwrite a risk so it’s essential we have a deep understanding of clients’ risks and how they manage them so we can present it in the best possible light. We are fortunate in ABL to have a risk management team who can assist with this.

“The cycle this time round has been longer and I have been asked if the market is beginning to soften. I would say in some sectors we are seeing rates beginning to stabilise but it is not uniform and often still risk specific.”

She says another challenge is rising building costs and the impact that is having on the adequacy of building reinstatement values.  Her advice is that all businesses with building cover should be checking their insurance values are correct in order to avoid potential issues

around under-insurance in the event of a claim.

“Right now, more than ever it is hugely important to have an experienced insurance advisor who understands your sector, the nuances of that sector and implications for the structure of insurance programmes. At ABL we take pride in supporting Northern Irish clients from many sectors we have expertise in, which includes construction, manufacturing, food and drink, transportation and the public sector.

“In a hard market, premiums go up and cover reduces. Claims become more difficult. We have an in-house claims advocate team that makes sure our clients are supported and represented when they need it the most, when they have suffered a loss.”

ABL Group formerly had the brawn of Global Risk Partners (GRP) – its parent company and the second largest independent intermediary in the UK, handling almost £1bn premiums. But today that brawn has increased tenfold as GRP was bought over by Florida-based Brown & Brown Insurance, the sixth largest insurance broking firm globally.

Being part of the international market, but with little change to its current setup here, offers clients more value and access to wider markets. Shauna says ABL in Northern Ireland remains autonomous, which is the company’s real USP.

Last year was an eventful one for the company locally; it not only acquired Willis Towers Waston’s NI business, but its move into a new home at City Quays in Belfast saw it officially become the largest commercial brokerage and risk advisory business in Northern Ireland.

Included within the 130 staff spread over its Northern Ireland sites in Belfast, Armagh and Coleraine is the team the business welcomed on board after the acquisition of Willis Towers Watson.

Shauna was deputy head of that team and has since been promoted to managing director of ABL.

She says insurance was never a career she had considered during her politics and history degree at Queen’s University.

“It’s a career that you find most people fall into but it’s a hugely rewarding and interesting one because it’s a great mix of relationship and technology-based work.  You get to establish great relationships with different businesses and advise them on solutions for appropriate risk transfer.”

Her current post sees her bring together the WTW team with the broader group, grow and expand its reach and nurture her team while attracting new talent onboard.

The company has recently welcomed a cohort of 10 individuals onto its ‘new starter’ programme, which is part of the latter drive.

Among that group are school leavers and graduates who will undertake a six-month entry-level programme that will cover the basics of insurance. After completion, they move into the ABL Academy.

“That’s something unique,” Shauna continues. “That is our in-house academy which supports teammates through the Chartered Insurance Institute qualifications with a dedicated tutor and we fully support everybody to go through that.”

Looking ahead, even against the dramatic backdrop of that hard market, growth is still on the agenda for ABL Group.

“Acquisitions have definitely been a trend the last number of years in Northern Ireland and nationally. Brown and Brown is similar to GRP in that it is very acquisitive so we’re really looking forward to the impact it will have.

“Here, we will be investing in people. That will continue to be the focus. We want to help our people be the best they can be. We are very fortunate with the team we have and we will continue to build on that,” Shauna says.

“Overnight things changed in the insurance market. There were issues getting 100% capacity. Some markets folded. I was fortunate to gain that experience early in my career though there are many in the industry now who are experiencing it for the first time.”

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Prevention Is Better Than Cure

Randox Laboratories has been on an expansion drive into the preventative health arena with its EveryBusiness packages elevating workforce productivity and morale. Emma Deighan talks to Chloe Duffy, Clinical Operation Manager.

According to the Department of Health, diagnostic wait lists on the NHS here, as of June 2022, sat at 166,410.

That is an increase of 6.5% from the previous quarter and 14.5% higher than the same quarter in 2021.

The latter figures reference diagnostic waiting lists alone and not inpatient or outpatient waiting times, nor do they include cancer-related waiting times.

They’re stark figures and reinforce the importance of detecting and managing symptoms of any illness or condition as early as possible.

In line with challenges faced by the ever-stretched National Health Service, Antrim-based Randox Laboratories has been growing its preventative health clinics to appeal to private and corporate

customers who want to avoid waiting times and take control of their health.

And in the past year, Randox has grown its testing clinics from four to 18 with more growth in the pipeline.

These clinics can be found around the UK, with four in Northern Ireland; Belfast’s Lisburn Road, Holywood Co Down, Crumlin and Foyle.

“With so much to enjoy in life, protecting your future health is crucial. But keeping track of your health isn’t always easy to do — even at the best of times,” says Chloe.

“Faced with time pressures across our work and social lives, it can become all too easy to let our health slide. As the UK’s largest healthcare diagnostics company, Randox Health has the solution to this problem.

“Via its network of clinics across the UK, it offers the most personalised, preventative health programme in the world,” she adds.

Randox Health proteomic and genomic testing provides clients with real-time insights into their current health and future health risks. “Unique access to unrivalled health data via Randox Health empowers clients to make simple dietary and lifestyle changes to prevent future illness,” Chloe continues.

Amongst the Randox offerings are the Everyman and Everywoman packages alongside the more comprehensive Signature package.

The Everyman and Everywoman packages combine two full-body health checks per year with diagnostic testing and clinical consultation to give clients the best service possible.

Harnessing Randox Health’s patented technology, the Signature package uses more than 350 data points (including from blood and urine samples) to map patients’ potential risks with regard to thousands of conditions. These include gut and bowel health, tumour markers, and dozens of potentially inherited conditions

“These tests can pick up on markers for type two pre-diabetes, thyroid conditions, vitamin deficiencies, anaemia and much more. They’re comprehensive which allows patients to take control of their health and make informed decisions that help them live a longer, healthier life.

“With our tests, you get to see the blood work results personalised to you. In a standard GP test, that is something you don’t have access to so it gives you an incentive, something to work on,” says Chloe.

“Our Corporate programmes are tailored to work with companies, employers and employees, to benefit all. For any company, the inclusion of a diagnostic health programme enables proactive consideration of the impact of a good health review, and if required, lifestyle changes that will benefit both employees and employer. A healthy workforce will likely be a more productive workforce and a happier workforce,” she adds.

Randox says investing in employee well-being can reduce costs and boost productivity by 25%.

It quotes further research from Population Health Management which shows that having an unhealthy diet increased the risk of lost productivity by 66%.

It added: “Investing in the health and wellbeing of employees provides additional benefit to workers and increases morale. A survey that was done by Workforce Management Magazine, showed that 77% of employees found health and wellness programs to positively impact the culture at work. Additionally, healthy living programs as part of corporate culture are often done in a collective group, which promotes encouragement and team support.”

Among Randox’s corporate client base are Concentrix, Danske Bank and the Northern Ireland football team.

The feedback is extremely positive, Chloe says, adding that health tests can be done at one of Randox’s clinics.

“Maximising this preventative approach is at the heart of Randox Health’s corporate mission, which seeks to harness the power of testing and data to shift healthcare away from sickness management and towards a more powerful, proactive approach. Randox Health wants to give patients the tools and knowledge they need to take control of their own health. This means helping them identify risk factors as soon as possible and then taking science-based steps to improve their long-term health.

“With so much to enjoy in life, protecting your future health is crucial. But keeping track of your health isn’t always easy to do — even at the best of times.”

Social Value Makes Good Business Sense

High-ranking products and services are no longer enough to attract big tenders, talent and in many cases, secure customers. Your societal impact is just as important. CEO of NOW Group, Maeve Monaghan, discusses how her social enterprise can help ramp up your social value.

Over the past two decades, and a bit, it has been successfully supporting people with disabilities into training programmes and jobs with a future while boosting the social value of many businesses in the process.

Among its services are training opportunities across a spectrum of sectors for disabled people, a catering business, cafes and more recently a pottery retail enterprise.

“When I started in the NOW Group our focus was on providing training opportunities for participants but we now think bigger and have ambitious plans to support 600 participants into paid jobs in three years and we are well on track to deliver that target,” Maeve says.

“We’ll engage them in a range of programmes that integrate into the workforce and jobs for the future.”

She says what was formerly a goodwill gesture from firms at the beginning of its life has evolved into a partnership approach to linking businesses with NOW

Group’s service and giving them access to a new pool of talent in demand today more than ever.

“Businesses need people and we work with a group of people who have not been valued for what they can bring to businesses. Recent low levels of unemployment mask the fact that NI has the highest levels of economic inactivity in the UK, and disabled people make up nearly 50% of that figure. We have been supporting disabled people to get skilled and get ready for work. We see ourselves as a broker who supports those with disabilities to get into work and supports employers, who perhaps don’t feel confident interacting with disabled people, to recruit them.”

Throughout its history, the NOW Group has helped people secure roles in scuba diving, healthcare, cyber security, hospitality and manufacturing. Its industry academies act as a feeder into a range of sectors including catering, hospitality, retail, digital and manufacturing.

“We are not talking to businesses about charitable donations, though they are needed now more than ever for lots of charities. We’re a hybrid, a social enterprise and charity in one,” Maeve continues.

“We are now asking businesses how we can partner with them to deliver social value, and the more money that comes in through those partnerships and supply chain collaborations, the more we can drive our mission.”

Among her business clients are Galgorm Collection, Hendersons Group, Woodvale Construction, Deloitte and M&S who have developed social value partnerships with NOW Group to open up supply chain opportunities and create job pipelines.

For those who are only beginning their social impact journey, NOW Group’s JAM (Just a Minute) initiative is a simple way to begin. It works particularly well for consumer-facing businesses.

There are some 150,000 JAM Card holders across the UK, Ireland and wider afield, Maeve says, explaining: “The JAM Card raises awareness and it’s a perfect tool for businesses who want to embed inclusion and diversity in their workforce.”

Signing up for the scheme allows you to become ‘JAM Card friendly’. You will also

Belfast-based NOW Group is celebrating its 21st anniversary this year.

“When I started in the NOW Group our focus was on providing training opportunities for participants but we now think bigger and have ambitious plans to support 600 participants into paid jobs in three years and we are well on track to deliver that target.”

receive a training package, available as an online training course or face-to-face workshop, which allows organisations to equip their staff to provide excellent customer service to JAM Card© holders.

Being a disabled-friendly business also allows companies to tap into a lucrative demographic and according to The Purple Pound – a think tank that promotes the economic contribution of those living with disabilities – three in four disabled people and their families have walked away from a UK business, citing poor accessibility and/ or poor customer service.

It also said the spending power of this demographic sits at £249bn per year “yet very few businesses have direct strategies to tap into this consumer market”.

“Unless it’s directly affecting you, it’s not in your sphere,” Maeve says.

Another way of increasing societal value in the workplace is by integrating it into your supply chain. Loaf Catering, a NOW Group business, delivers fresh food to companies as well as catering for special events and parties. Something as simple as swapping your catering supplier can pay dividends for your business.

The organisation also runs two city centre cafes; The Bobbin Cafe in Belfast City Hall and Loaf Cafe Bakery on Grosvenor Road while a pottery and pizzeria in Crawfordsburn and a cafe at the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh also help to boost its profits.

The pottery service, ideal for corporate

gifting, is another easy way for businesses to boost their societal impact via NOW Group which can measure and record your social impact when using its services, providing you with the documentation needed for tenders or other processes that demand you illustrate your business’ social impact.

NOW Group’s growth over the past 20 years has exceeded Maeve’s expectations, she says, but it is far from limited as to where it goes next.

A sign of that ambition is the organisation’s expansion into the South, with a new cafe in Kilmainham in Dublin where it will have access to tourists visiting the neighbouring Kilmainham Gaol and the Irish Museum of Modern Art.

“There’s an interesting piece around that cafe, we’re supporting people coming out of the social justice system who find it doubly difficult to get employment. It’s the first of its kind we’ve done,” says Maeve.

Concluding, she adds: “Local businesses are already doing amazing things in their own organisations but now is the time to expand that conversation. NOW Group is keen to speak to businesses who want to grow their social value and together we can deliver real change. I believe we are all part of a social economy and focusing on delivering social value just makes good business sense. When done right, social value collaborations mean your staff are happier, your customers value it and it makes you a more attractive company in bids and tenders. The real question is why haven’t we all done it sooner?”

The Farm of the Future

ABP Food Group employs 3,000 people across Ireland, with over 11,000 staff across Europe.

It plays an integral role in the agribusiness across the continent in terms of supply chain processes; from slaughter to processing and packing.

Achieving net zero in the agri sector is an arduous task. It requires action across the entire food chain, from farm to fork.

It is estimated that agriculture contributes around 37% of the total greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted in Ireland alone meaning players like ABP will be crucial in reducing that figure.

In 2019, the company announced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets validated by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi).

This alignment is ABP’s commitment to a sustainability strategy that is part of the bigger global climate change goals set out in the 2015 Paris Agreement.

The new targets include GHG emissions across ABP’s business operations (scope 1 and 2 emissions) and its supply chain (scope 3 emissions).

The company has committed to reducing its scope 1 and 3 emissions by 27% by 2030. It is also committed to leading a reduction of 17% in scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions coming from the supply chain by 2030.

“There are really important targets,” John Durkan says. “We are early enablers in this area and we’ve done a lot of work.”

The company has been conducting industry-leading research with leading universities and research institutions to look at ways of helping beef farmers to reduce their environmental impact.

In a multi-year study carried out at its two Demonstration Farms in Shropshire

and in Ireland the company used a datadriven approach to improve the genetics available to the beef herd, so that beef animals optimise their feed conversion ratio (grow faster) and are ready for slaughter at a younger age, “thereby significantly reducing their emissions footprint”.

Over 4,000 animals have been involved in that study so far, which is supported and verified by independent experts and research institutions.

John explains: “In the first phase of the study, the aim was to establish and validate the potential of genetic improvement through selective breeding, using a data-driven approach that leads to the siring of beef animals that, put simply, are more efficient at converting feed to protein, reaching their target weight at an earlier age.

“The study has demonstrated that with this data-driven breeding approach a methane emission reduction of up to 40% is achievable and this could have significant positive benefits across UK beef production.

“The research has also shown that animals within this same lower age bracket can further a drop in methane emissions by up to 10%, while farmers can improve returns of up to £100 per head, showing economic and environmental sustainability can travel hand in hand. And, the unique pasture-based system promotes best-in-class animal welfare, soil health, grass types and grazing systems and general biodiversity.”

John says the second phase of this research will take a “whole farm approach” with the help of independent experts and Harper Adams University and CAFRE. He says in order to achieve ABP’s targets “it is important to articulate the need for change”.

“We’re at an early stage but there are huge innovation developments and we’re seeing it already. It’s going to take time to effect change and the entire supply chain needs to be involved.”

He adds that in house, ABP is using the ‘Doing More with Less’ resource efficiency programme, which reduces its water usage and also decarbonises its scope 1 and 2 emissions.

“ABP is 100% green electricity since 2018 which is a significant step forward, and it has introduced many initiatives in house to further decarbonise heat on our site,” he says.

“These include heat recovery from the refrigeration system, reducing the need for heat demand, process improvement and measuring and monitoring.”

Steam and hot water production from non-fossil fuel bases will be challenging but one that ABP has embarked upon at its Ellesmere site where it invested more than £30m for a carbon-neutral site.

John says: “The biggest change will have to arise on the farm and over the past eight years, ABP has demonstrated that initiatives on the farm significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the animal.    “Genetics plays an important role in the reduction. ABP has also demonstrated that soil structure and health are paramount in the generation of a nutritious multi-species grass sward for animals. Feed conversion improvements and the use of clover also make a significant difference.”

But a change in the farming industry to reduce emissions “is about a collective approach,” he asserts, and the responsibility doesn’t just fall on one part of the supply chain, but all of it.

The farming sector has a task on its journey to net zero CO2 emissions, but John Durkan, Environmental and Sustainability Manager at one of Europe’s biggest food processors ABP Food Group, says huge steps are being made.

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BelfastEnergising

SONI is the electricity transmission system operator for Northern Ireland. This means that SONI plans the future of the electricity grid and operates it every minute of every day. A key part of this is interconnecting to neighbouring grids and running the wholesale electricity market. SONI makes sure that everyone has power when they need it, at the most economic price possible. The transmission grid brings power safely from generators and sends it to the NIE Networks distribution network, which supplies electricity to every home, farm, community and business in Northern Ireland. This requires expertise and close monitoring on an ongoing basis. But we also take a long-term strategic view of what is required for the region.

We recently launched our ‘Energising Belfast’ project at an event hosted by the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry at Allstate’s offices in Belfast City centre. The £39.5million ‘Energising Belfast’ project has already had the SONI pre-construction elements approved for funding by the Utility Regulator. This will modernise parts of the transmission grid in Greater Belfast to prepare it for the future of electric vehicles and home heating using electricity. The project will also play a key role in increasing the security of electricity supply for Belfast. The project will deliver a new high-capacity underground cable through Belfast City Centre, as well as a new transformer at Castlereagh Main

substation, increasing the reliability of the electricity system in Greater Belfast. Other additional improvements, such as building new substations at or next to existing sites in the city, are also being explored.

This project is significant in its potential to enable the economy in Belfast and wider Northern Ireland to grow with cleaner electricity and help to deliver the Northern Ireland Energy Strategy and the 10X Economic Strategy.

This will help in providing opportunity to deliver affordable clean electricity and to promote Northern Ireland as an attractive location for renewables investment. Our energy revolution will be based on Northern Ireland’s innovation, engineering and IT expertise. Projects such as Energising Belfast allow our skills to flourish, build markets where we export those skills and innovations to the world and help enable a step change in the capacity in our electricity network.

A thriving city centre is vital to the prosperity of Belfast City and the region. This project will prepare the transmission

system, ensuring Belfast is equipped to avail of the economic growth opportunities as Northern Ireland transitions to net zero. While there is currently no finalised route selected for all parts of the project, it will include a new high-capacity underground electricity cable, which will help to underpin future investment, as it strengthens security and consistency of supply for businesses. The project will also enable older sections of the transmission line to be replaced, paving the way for the future removal of some pylons in Greater Belfast.

NIE Networks develop, construct and maintain the transmission and distribution network in Northern Ireland. While SONI will lead on the functional design and consenting of the project, NIE Networks will be responsible for the technical design, construction and delivery of this new high-capacity transmission network across the city. Assuming SONI obtains all the necessary consents within the planned timeframe, it is anticipated that construction will begin in 2024. However, the first phases of this project will entail enabling works at existing substations before the city centre works commence. The project is estimated to last for three to four years.

Prior to submitting a planning application, SONI will consult extensively with landowners, local businesses and the public. The first round of our public engagement events is taking place in October.

This major project is just one of the initiatives we are undertaking which will contribute to our stated objective of delivering 80% of our electricity form renewables, as required in the Climate Change Act. Shaping Our Electricity Future is an allisland roadmap which sets out our plans on how we are going to achieve our renewable ambition by 2030.

The grid will need huge change through to 2030. The longerterm outlook for Northern Ireland’s electricity generation is positive, the electricity system operator for Northern Ireland (SONI) is forecasting a surplus of generation from 2026 until 2031. However, SONI’s forecast set out in the Generation Capacity Statement (GCS) shows that while there will be a largely stable demand for electricity over the coming years, there will be challenges over the next four years (2022-25), particularly during winter periods.

The analysis is contained in the All Island Generation Capacity Statement 2022-31 (GCS), which examines the likely balance between electricity demand and supply. It also predicts a surplus of electricity supply out to 2030.

Northern Ireland is well positioned to lead the way on renewables due to its natural resources and our expertise in technology and engineering. Stormont’s recent Climate Change Act set a target of 80% electricity generation from renewables by 2030. This requirement will help to drive Northern Ireland’s ambitious decarbonisation of power. We are going through a decade of transition and SONI is committed to playing its part in this crucial work.

To meet the targets SONI estimates that Northern Ireland will need to approximately double the amount of installed renewable energy sources compared to what was available in 2020. This will replace some of the electricity generated through traditional methods (like coal and gas) and will serve some of the increased demand for electricity. This power will have to be generated, connected to the grid and delivered throughout Northern Ireland. The transition to clean electricity will be challenging but will help deliver investment and jobs. It will also make the island of Ireland more energy independent and will significantly reduce air pollution caused by electricity generation from fossil fuels.

Taking the High Road

NI’s

Construction giant GRAHAM, whose 300-vehicle fleet is managed by Agnew Leasing has begun the process of integrating EVs into its fleet in a move that is set to be emulated by the rest of the corporate world in the coming years.  It is a decision that will serve GRAHAM well in terms of supporting its sustainability goals, reducing costs and offering its employees more economical travel solutions.

“More and more larger businesses are looking at either integrating or entirely changing their fleets over to EVs and we are advising them on the cost structure and practicality,” says Agnew’s Head of Business Development, David McEwen.

“Most businesses are seeking to increase that sustainability element of their business and we are able to advise them on that by measuring the true costs of transferring to EVs.”

He says the company uses a marketleading fleet analysis software suite from Deloitte. This software enables Agnew Leasing to build bespoke solutions taking account of both the specific requirements of the company and its drivers, whatever the situation.

The software also facilitates the ability to utilise a financial model known as Whole Life Cost (WLC) – a term given to the overall cost for your fleet vehicles over the term of leasing or ownership. Meaning critical factors such as tax relief, Class 1 NIC, fuel reimbursement and benefit in kind are fully accounted for.

“The benefit of tax reduction to drivers choosing an EV is obvious with potentially significant monthly cost reductions, particularly for higher rate taxpayers,” says David.

He adds the key to making that fleet transition easier is to see beyond the headline monthly lease rental rates and, instead, focus on those WLCs for fleet cost savings.

“Previously many companies used either the purchase price or monthly rental cost as the central criteria when acquiring vehicles. However, when considering the other costs of running a fleet such as tax relief, servicing, maintenance, fuel spend, etc., the monthly costs may not fully reflect the true costs over the lifetime of the vehicle.”

And this is the kind of information Agnew Leasing can divulge for any make or model currently available.

There are three main types of electric vehicles in the market. They are classed by the extent that electricity is used as the energy source: BEVs, or battery electric vehicles, PHEVs or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, and HEVs, or hybrid electric vehicles. All three vehicle types are available at Agnew Leasing.

David continues: “Sustainability reporting for businesses is already a critical factor for most businesses and integrating EVs into your fleet can significantly enhance your sustainability efforts.”

The number of available electrical

vehicles has been increasing significantly in recent years across all car manufacturers. UK law will ban the sale of new full diesel and petrol vehicles in 2030 and onwards – a deadline that is undoubtedly further fast-tracking the improvement and availability of electric vehicles.

Typically, most electrical vehicles now have a range of 180–350 miles “and that average has increased and will continue to as time goes on,” David advises.

“This means that for many businesses and drivers previous range anxiety concerns have been reduced or removed.”

He says: “There may well be some drivers whose requirements mean EVs are precluded; however, we will still be able to recommend what improvements you can make and how they will impact your fleet, depending on your activity and driving trends.

“We’re finding, in some cases, new working patterns since Covid-19 have had an impact on reduced mileage and in some respects, make the adoption of electric vehicles easier.

“The big point here is helping businesses and staff members fully understand the benefit of switching to electric vehicles. We see this as more of an evolution over time rather than a revolution.

“If a company is introducing BEVs into their car selection policy it is important that employees are part of that journey and they’re fully informed. Most drivers will quickly understand the benefit in terms of tax savings and we can also provide FAQ documents or even demo days working closely with the HR team in the business.”

One employer that has been early to adopt the integration of BEVs is GRAHAM.

Jonathan Hall, Director at GRAHAM, said: “At GRAHAM we have always maintained a keen focus on costs and Agnew Leasing has continued to assist

David McEwen, Head of Business Development at Agnew Leasing, talks to Ambition about how the Whole Life Costs of integrating electric vehicles into traditional diesel and petrol fleets far outweigh any reason for hesitancy and one of

biggest employers is a testament to this.

Lianne Taylor, Head of Environment at GRAHAM and David McEwen Head of Business Development at Agnew Leasing.

us with the process since becoming our chosen fleet management company.

“They have introduced us to the principle of properly calculated whole life costs which have in turn allowed us to have a consistent approach to our vehicle procurement. It also facilitated the integration of electric vehicles into our fleet which is a key element in our overall group sustainability agenda.”

In addition, Lianne Taylor, Head of Environment at GRAHAM, said: “As a leading contractor, at GRAHAM we are fully cognisant of the climate crisis and our obligation to act. We are prioritising the elimination of fossil fuel use across our business and earlier this year adopted an ultra-low emission policy for our company cars. Consequently, only fully electric or plug-in hybrid models are available to eligible GRAHAM employees across all company car band categories. The new car policy, which has been well received by colleagues, is positively reducing the carbon associated with our staff travel and marks another milestone on our journey towards achieving net zero (scope 1&2) by 2030.”

Asked if charging infrastructure is a concern for the promotion of converting fleets for other businesses, David says steps are being taken using both public and private spending to ramp up the network. He is hopeful.

“Clearly this is a justified area of concern and most will agree that our charging network isn’t where it needs to be but we are expecting inward investment in the infrastructure to lead to significant improvements over the next two to three years.

“In the meantime, home charging will continue to form an essential element in any BEV fleet solution and is a relatively easy fix. The typical cost of that would be

around £700–£900, which drivers would recoup in benefit in kind savings in a matter of months.”

An EV Taskforce set up last year by the Department for Infrastructure is addressing the charging deficit here. And it has begun to show signs of motion.

The aim of the Taskforce is to work with the Department for Infrastructure’s Transport Working Group to develop an EV Infrastructure Action Plan to help deliver a fit-for-purpose, modern EV charging network.

A number of local companies are also planning significant investments in the charging network where we could see at least 1,500 new public electric vehicle charging points across Northern Ireland. At least 350 locations are expected to be live by the end of 2024, inducing six ultra-rapid

charging hub sites with 20-minute charge times.

Elsewhere, major forecourt retailers are ensuring their outlets are fully equipped to cater to the steady move to EVs. Maxol, for example, will launch three new local forecourts of the future within the next two years, it has said. Among those are sites on Crumlin Road, Derry and Downpatrick with another four to five locations earmarked.

“Our customers are happy that they’ve made the move,” David continues. “It’s clearly an ongoing process and our role is to help you and your staff understand the true costs and benefits.”

For more information on how Agnew Leasing can help your business please contact David on 02890386600 or email david.mcewen@agnews.co.uk.

“The benefits in tax reduction to drivers choosing an EV is obvious with potentially significant monthly cost reductions, particularly for higher rate taxpayers.”

L-R – Tony McKee Fleet Manager, Gareth Long Quantity Surveyor and Lianne Taylor Head of Environment.

DIGGING DEEP FOR CHARITY

By Terry Robb, Head of Personal Banking, Ulster Bank

During the month of October, Ulster Bank colleagues came together to raise money for our charity partner, Macmillan Cancer Services.

The now annual charity campaign known as ‘One Week in October’ raised over £40,000 for Macmillan and encouraged our teams across the bank to learn more about the great work of this charitable organisation.

To get to this total, our colleagues pulled out all of the stops. We had a great spread of events taking place right across Northern Ireland, from charity football matches to litter picks, conventional fundraising activities such as raffles and bake sales to more quirky ideas including a silent rave.

Not only did each event help to add much needed funds to the total amount raised, it also enabled our colleagues to form closer links and really focus on how we work together as a team for a greater good.

What made the initiative so successful was how committed the team at Macmillan were in supporting our efforts. Staff members volunteered at some of our events, and they took the time to educate and update our bank community about the work that they do in almost every community across Northern Ireland.

Few of our colleagues’ lives have been untouched by cancer so there was a genuine desire across the board to get behind the campaign and really dig deep to make a difference. Of course, times are tough for everyone at the minute so to have raised over £40,000 is a triumph. On behalf of the organisation, can I pass on my sincere thanks to those who supported or volunteered at One Week in October. Your contribution was hugely valued, and we are extremely grateful for each and every donation.

The whole campaign reminded me of the importance of meaningful partnership and as a responsible organisation, committed to bettering our local communities, it is exactly the kind of initiative we want to become more involved with and continue to support. Our purpose as a bank is to champion potential so that communities, businesses, and individuals may thrive. It is important that we recognise the input charitable organisations, such as Macmillan, bring to our local communities and do what we can to protect and enhance the services they offer.

There can be a temptation for businesses to take a ‘tick box’ approach to CSR activity but we have seen firsthand how putting time

and effort into growing these partnerships can deliver rewards for everyone involved. Because of One Week in October, Ulster Bank colleagues got to see and learn more about a leading charity, had a go at organising and attending events, and perhaps most importantly, had the opportunity to get to know team members better and form stronger links as a team.

It was an enormous privilege to hand over the funds raised to Macmillan. I know this will go towards a number of worthy projects and ensure that their great work can continue for families and individuals who need it most.

Fitness For Work Medicals

Using a team of highly experienced doctors, nurses and technicians, our SEQOHS Accredited services include:

• Pre-employment Screenings and Medicals

• Sickness Absence Medicals

• Safety Critical Medicals

• Health Surveillance (Noise, Vibration, Respiratory and Skin)

• DSE, Food Handler and Night Worker Screenings

• Health Screening & Health Promotion Services (Stress, Blood Pressure, Diabetes and Cholesterol checks)

• Workplace Visits and Risk Assessments

Service Delivery:

Columnist

Mukesh Sharma, MBE, DL

The National Lottery Heritage Fund

We Need to Connect With Our Past to Build a Better Future

For five years, Mukesh Sharma has been involved in grant giving at The National Lottery Heritage Fund and is now a UK Trustee and Chair of the Northern Ireland Committee. He has seen first-hand the positive impact money raised by players of The National Lottery has made on the UK’s and specifically Northern Ireland’s heritage with 80% of funding decisions made locally under his stewardship.

At The National Lottery Heritage Fund we don’t define heritage – we let those applying for our support do that based on what is important to them. From Northern Ireland’s rich industrial past to its beautiful historic buildings, outstanding natural landscapes and habitats and unique social history, our support is protecting what is loved while transforming people’s lives. Whether it’s multi-million pound funding such as £4.95million for the restoration and reimagining of Hillsborough Castle and Gardens or smaller awards such as the £14,140 we distributed to Mid and East Antrim’s dementia-friendly tourism pilot we are helping protect and preserve our heritage in a way which reaches far beyond the projects themselves. Our investment in heritage, skills, training and nature also has positive effects on wellbeing and volunteering; forging relationships to work for the greater good of an area and importantly, building resilience in heritage organisations.

All for a Good Cause

Since 1994, The National Lottery Heritage Fund has invested £252million across Northern Ireland in over 1,500

heritage projects and counting. More recently, the Heritage Fund has been distributing funds on behalf of the Department for Communities to address the impacts of Covid-19 on organisations and individuals working in the heritage sector. This has created 27 new heritage posts. To mark the centenary of Northern Ireland in a thoughtful and inclusive way the Heritage Fund supported 39 projects through the Northern Ireland Office’s Shared History Fund.

A better place to live, work and visit

On a local level, heritage projects can boost the economy and contribute to the area being a better place to live, work and visit. Over the next year we will celebrate the completion of significant heritage projects across Northern Ireland; projects that are bringing new jobs to the area, upskilling the next generation with heritage skills whilst repurposing and reinvigorating at-risk historic buildings for the benefit of the local community and economy. In Bangor, Open House Festival completed the first community asset transfer of a heritage building and received close to £1million lottery funding to transform the original bank and former courthouse into a cultural and arts venue bringing life to the newly named city’s seafront.

Thanks to a £5million award, Belfast City Council is restoring and expanding East Belfast’s historic Templemore Baths. The building’s original features are being preserved, a heritage interpretative centre created, and the extended footprint of the building will be home to modern leisure and spa facilities. A collaborative project between South West College and Fermanagh and

Omagh District Council that received £2.3million is restoring the Enniskillen Workhouse Entrance Block, delivering accredited heritage skills training to over 100 local craftspeople and creating 12 apprenticeships. Opening next year, the ground floor incorporates an exhibition and reminiscence space capturing the stories and memories of the workhouse. Upstairs is a state-of-the-art hub for business innovation and enterprise managed by the college.

Heritage can be a catalyst for regeneration

What’s crucial is that the projects we support involve more people in heritage and there is absolutely a place for businesses in heritage projects. Over the years, we’ve invested in the regeneration of the Bishopsgate Hotel in Derry/ Londonderry. We have transformed the drawing offices into today’s Titanic Hotel, Belfast – both bringing visitors into historic spaces, creating employment and a sense of place while also boosting tourism. Our £23.8million commitment to 31 Townscape Heritage Initiatives in places such as Armagh, Portaferry and Lisburn has developed public and private partnerships and investment that breathes new life into the towns’ conservation areas, regenerating buildings into places where businesses can grow and acting as a catalyst for wider regeneration.

Grants from The National Lottery Heritage Fund start from £3,000 with full information available at www.heritagefund.org.uk/funding For advice on an idea for a heritage project in Northern Ireland contact northernireland@heritagefund.org.uk

Preparing for the NI Business Rates Revaluation 2023

Your business rates are being reassessed as part of the Business Rates Revaluation 2023 for all commercial property in Northern Ireland and you could be paying more than you should. Property experts Mark Elliott and Andrew Coggins, both CBRE NI Senior Directors, explain why financial directors should be aware of possible savings ahead of 1 April.

When is the Business Rates Revaluation 2023 and how will it affect corporate rates bills?

Andrew: “This year was always going to be challenging for the commercial property sector but, with recent political and economic developments, it has proved to be tougher than anticipated. It is therefore more important than ever for businesses to examine whether they can mitigate any costs or even make savings.

Land and Property Services (LPS) is in the process of carrying out its valuations and these new rates will come into effect on 1 April, 2023.

For some sectors, this will mean an increase, for others a decrease, while, for many, rates may remain the same. At the moment, many businesses simply accept new rates without realising they may be inaccurate. Remember: every business has a right to appeal its rates.”

How do I know if my rates are correct?

Mark: “In short, you don’t - without further investigation. The forthcoming revaluation is based on property values as of 1st October 2021, which was a very unstable time for the Northern Ireland property market. Subsequently, there is a greater chance that valuations could be incorrect, and it is therefore prudent for rate payers to ensure their valuations - which are used to calculate the rates payable - are accurate. The CBRE NI Business Rates team is ideally placed to provide advice on whether valuations should be appealed.”

Which sectors are likely to be the winners and losers in the forthcoming revaluation?

Mark: “Business rates are likely to be highly scrutinised in the context of the current market conditions impacting all businesses, and it is therefore unlikely that any business will see themselves as “winners” no matter the outcome of their new valuations. We do, however, anticipate that the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors will see reductions in their valuations, reflecting the difficult trading conditions primarily as a result of the Covid pandemic. The industrial and prime office sectors have fared more favourably in recent years, and therefore increases may been seen here. This is a broad analysis, with many contributing factors to be considered in each individual case, which again highlights the importance of ensuring your valuation is correct, and whether an appeal should be submitted.”

When should rate appeals be submitted?

Mark: “If it transpires that you are unhappy with your valuation when the list is published in April 2023, there’s an

opportunity to submit an appeal at that time. We always recommend that you have your valuation checked before you submit an application, however, as there is the potential for the valuation to increase if LPS believes it to be incorrect.”

Do I have time to check if my current rates are correct for the past rates period?

Mark: “Yes. The rates you are paying now cover a three-year period from 1 April, 2020, until 31 March, 2023. You still have time to check if these rates are correct and, if they are not, you could be entitled to a backdated payment. It is worth having someone at CBRE review your rates and evaluate if there is a potential saving.”

How costly is it for a business to have its rates reviewed and appealed by CBRE?

Mark: “Our fee is based on a percentage of what you have saved from your appeal. This ensures that we only recommend submitting an appeal where we believe there is a case for a reduction in the valuation.”

Andrew: “Businesses who have substantial commercial holdings will have hundreds of thousands of pounds to pay in rates annually. Those rates should be checked because savings could be considerable and far outweigh costs associated with the appeal process.”

Are there any other ways to save on rates?

Mark: “Now is the time for every business to assess their costs and outgoings. There are many business rates relief schemes, including small business rates relief, industrial relief, and vacant relief. At CBRE NI we can provide you with a detailed assessment of your valuation and recommend if you qualify for any of the rate relief schemes currently in place.”

For an initial consultation on the 2023 Revaluation contact CBRE NI. Mark Elliott, Senior Director (t) +44 (0) 78 8158 6555 (e) mark.elliott@cbreni.com

Andrew Coggins.

Mark Elliott.

Go Further Grow Stronger

Understandably, ‘big business’ often grabs the headlines given the impact major companies have on employment, the region’s economic performance and our international reputation.

But with 99.9% of Northern Ireland’s 124,000 private sector businesses classified as micro, small or mediumsized, SMEs are equally deserving of the spotlight. SMEs employ 77% of the NI workforce and their growth and success have the potential to have a major transformative effect on our economy.

Encouragingly, over 11,000 (1 in 11) businesses in Northern Ireland are currently exporting their products and services to some 62 countries globally. There are some fantastic exemplars of truly ambitious, external growth-focused businesses that merit celebration and recognition as they inspire all SMEs to ‘Go Further and Grow Stronger’.

Invest Northern Ireland wants to help more SMEs unlock the potential of external markets, opening up markets and customer opportunities way beyond NI’s population of 1.9 million people.

Anne Beggs, Invest Northern Ireland’s director of Trade and Investment believes that local SMEs can definitely Go Further and Grow Stronger, saying, “The numbers show the real potential there is for more of our SMEs to build on their domestic successes and begin selling into external markets. We live in a global society; the tastes and preferences of local consumers are often reflective of those worldwide, and Northern Ireland already has a strong

reputation for world-class products and services. Therefore, it makes sense that the products and services which are commercially successful here could and should be sold outside Northern Ireland.”

Anne continues: “Confidence and knowing where to go for help and advice are key. I know that selling beyond the local marketplace may seem daunting for businesses that have only traded domestically up to now. Some may say it’s literally venturing into unknown territory, but in our experience, an incremental, step-by-step approach can build confidence, secure new sales and provide a launchpad for more ambitious market exploration.”

Securing sales outside our domestic market is one of the key drivers of business growth so Invest NI always recommends that micro and SMEs look to neighbouring markets when beginning to think about their growth plans.

Anne’s advice to businesses is to follow a tried and tested model, she says: “We have markets here on our doorstep in Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland that offer great potential and minimal risks for those looking to dip their toes into selling externally and broaden their horizons beyond NI. In fact, over 15,000 local businesses currently sell products and services into Great Britain and over 11,000 trade in the Republic of Ireland.”

Both of these markets are within easy reach – there are no additional administrative requirements or regulatory checks selling goods to either of these markets, yet they present the opportunity

to sell products and services to an additional 70 million people. The Irish market also provides a natural first base for those ultimately seeking to expand into other EU markets.

Invest NI is keen to help businesses break into these markets and the first stage in this process is to grow the ambition of our SMEs, which is being driven by a high-profile advertising campaign called Go Further Grow Stronger. When talking about this promotional campaign Anne says, “We considered all the factors which influence our external sales performance and decided to focus our efforts on creating awareness of the benefits of selling outside Northern Ireland and the opportunities which exist on our doorstep – and our Go Further Grow Stronger campaign grew from there.”

“Through our advertising, we are planting the seed with businesses about selling to Great Britain or the Republic of Ireland; our ads feature imagery of Dublin, Cork, Glasgow, London and Cardiff, all very viable sales locations for Northern Ireland businesses.”

The advertising encourages businesses to complete our Export Health Check which will assess their export readiness. This check has only eight questions, takes about 10 minutes to complete and results in a tailored guide with practical tips and templates for selling outside Northern Ireland. Any business which completes the health check can avail of a one-to-one consultation session with an export expert from our trade advisory team which will help them explore their exporting potential further and consider their next steps.”

If your business is considering selling outside Northern Ireland, visit Investni. com/export or if you would like to speak to a trade advisor please contact us or alternatively call our Business Support Team on 0800 181 4422.

CARSON MCDOWELL’S

FEROCIOUS PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENTAL TEAM RECOGNISED AS THE BEST IN NORTHERN IRELAND

energy law, also continues to be recognised as a “leading individual” and has maintained his position in The Legal 500 “Hall of Fame” for his continued excellence as an elite planning and environmental lawyer. In addition, his team members, Grant McBurney, Partner, who acts for clients such as Belfast International Airport and Belfast Harbour Commissioners, was recognised as a ‘Next Generation Partner’ and Sarah Dunlop, Senior Associate as a Rising Star.

The Legal 500 directory is an independent series widely regarded as the world’s most extensive legal referral guide. Published annually, the rankings are based on the independent opinions of clients and in-depth research carried out by an experienced team of editors.

Carson McDowell’s Planning & Environmental team has maintained its position as the top law firm in Northern Ireland for planning and environmental law in the legal profession’s industry guideThe Legal 500.

The team, founded over 26 years ago and led by Partner Gary McGhee, is the only Northern Ireland Planning and Environmental legal team to receive the prestigious ‘Tier 1’ ranking in this practice area for the fourth consecutive year.

Gary McGhee, one of the few solicitors in Northern Ireland to specialise exclusively in the areas of planning, environmental, and

Clients, who were contacted by The Legal 500, said, “Carson McDowell is a ferocious planning team. They have incredibly experienced and talented lawyers on their team which is not matched by any other team in NI.”. And, “Gary McGhee continues to be the best planning Partner in NI. You will find that whenever a complex high profile planning or environmental case is in the High Court Carson McDowell will be representing at least one of the parties and that is due to the practice Gary has created.”

Commenting on the teams continued strong performance, Gary McGhee, Head of the Planning and Environmental team, said, “I am delighted that Carson McDowell continues to be recognised as the best law firm in Northern Ireland for Planning and

Environmental law in The Legal 500 guide. It is a huge privilege and a great testimony to the hard work of the entire team to be recognised by both the Legal 500 and our clients in this way”.

The Legal 500 rankings for 2023 also demonstrated the excellence and expertise of the firm’s entire team of legal professionals. As well as the excellent results achieved by the Planning and Environmental team, Carson McDowell achieved ‘Tier 1’ rankings in 11 practice areas, continuing to outrank all other Northern Irish law firms. Furthermore, 28 of the firm’s lawyers have been recognised personally, including, 11 recognised as ‘Leading Individuals’, and notably, 8 lawyers honoured for their continued excellence as leading elite lawyers on a global basis in The Legal 500 Hall of Fame.

Neasa Quigley, Senior Partner at Carson McDowell, added: “At Carson McDowell, we have always been 100% focused on delivering for our clients across multiple sectors and service lines. The Legal 500 results evidence this and I am very proud of the contribution that our people continue to make to our clients and their businesses.”

“I would particularly like to extend our thanks to our clients who continue to support Carson McDowell’s position as the highest-ranked Northern Irish law firm in The Legal 500 directory. I know our clients value the expertise our teams provide and the 2023 rankings and quotes from our clients is reflective of this feedback”.

To find out more about Carson McDowell’s leading team, please visit www.carson-mcdowell.com or contact Gary McGhee, Partner, at gary.mcghee@carson-mcdowell.com

Gary McGhee, Partner.

Remembering a Lifetime of Service

For Ulster Carpets, news of the death of Queen Elizabeth II resonated strongly.

This year the Portadown-based company had the privilege of being awarded a Royal Warrant by Her Majesty the Queen – one of only three companies in Northern Ireland to hold the honour.

Ulster Carpets also manufactured a specially commissioned rug as part of the Northern Ireland’s Office’s Platinum Jubilee design competition.

Nick Coburn CBE, Group Managing Director of Ulster Carpets, said:

“We were saddened to learn of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Her devotion to duty and commitment to the nation remain an inspiration.

“This year we were proud to have been granted a Royal Warrant by Her Majesty the Queen. This achievement was the result of several years of dedicated work by our staff and it further underpins the huge success and progression of Ulster Carpets.

“We also had the honour of manufacturing a specially commissioned rug on behalf of the children of Northern Ireland to mark the momentous milestone of Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee. It was a privilege to have been asked by the Northern Ireland Office to be part of this competition.”

Ulster Carpets can also trace a link between its founder, George Walter Wilson, and the Queen.

In 1949 Mr Wilson had the privilege

of escorting the then Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh around an exhibition at the King’s Hall in Belfast that was organised by the Ulster Industries Development Association.

Edward Wilson, former Group Chairman at Ulster Carpets, recalled his father’s memories of the visit:

“Despite all the pressures of work at the time, my father evidently enjoyed this experience. He found the young Princess rather shy and quiet but the Duke of Edinburgh, as one would expect of a young naval officer, provided some of the

much needed humour and light relief for which he later became well known.”

Looking ahead, Ulster Carpets would welcome a return visit by King Charles II. In 2016, the company welcomed the then Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall to its Portadown headquarters.

“That was a momentous day for Ulster Carpets and we would be delighted to welcome King Charles and Camilla, the Queen Consort, back to Portadown in the future,” said Nick Coburn.

www.ulstercarpets.com

George Walter Wilson, founder of Ulster Carpets (far left), escorts the then Princess Elizabeth around an exhibition at the King’s Hall in Belfast in 1949.

Nick Coburn, Group Managing Director, and Joyce McIvor, Contract Sales Director for UK and Ireland, mark the news that Ulster Carpets has been granted a Royal Warrant by Her Majesty The Queen.

The then Princess Elizabeth is escorted around an exhibition at the King’s Hall, Belfast by George Walter Wilson, founder of Ulster Carpets.

Nick Coburn, Group Managing Director, Ulster Carpets (left) and Robert Grant, Senior Executive Carpet Manufacturing, Ulster Carpets, guide the then Duchess of Cornwall and the then Prince of Wales around their manufacturing facilities during a visit in 2016.

LEADING THE TRANSFORMATION IN TRANSPORT

By Chris Conway, Translink Group Chief Executive.

The need for change is clear – taken together, all forms of transport accounted for 27% of the UK’s total emissions in 2019. In Northern Ireland, transport represents over 20% of all emissions and over 35% of all energy used.

Emissions from transport are actually on the increase here due to the increases in car usage, despite technological advances and a shift towards Zero Emission vehicles. Recent research indicates that while overall emissions in Northern Ireland have decreased by 18% since 1990, transport-based emissions have increased by 22% in the same period, which should be a cause for concern for all.

We all must take responsibility for a modal shift away from the private car to sustainable transport, at least for some of our journeys. A greater focus on bus and rail travel, coupled with investment in active travel, will reduce emissions and deliver improvements in air quality, public health, economic, rural and urban development, social cohesion and safer communities for all.

Translink’s recently published ‘Better. Connected’ strategy outlines our plans to make public transport your first choice for travel, today for tomorrow and to do that, we want to lead the transformation of transport in Northern Ireland.

Translink is making strong progress in this already – we have concrete plans to halve our emissions by 2030, by which year we will also have delivered a fully Net Zero bus fleet in Belfast; move our entire bus and rail network to Zero Emission technologies by 2040; and achieve Climate Positive status by 2050.

We operate over 12,000 bus and rail services on a daily basis, and the ongoing shift to Zero Emission technologies will be revolutionary. We are on course to make history in Derry~Londonderry with the introduction of a fully Net Zero urban bus fleet during 2023, and we’re currently taking delivery of 100 locallybuilt Zero Emission double deck buses, both battery electric and hydrogen, for use on the Belfast Metro network.

The shift to Net Zero also impacts on the NI Railways network – we have now introduced

all 21 of our new intermediate train carriages, allowing us to convert seven of the existing fleet of Class 4000 trains into six-car walkthrough sets. Working with a range of stakeholders, we are progressing work towards the electrification of the railway line, the procurement of bi-modal train sets, development and enhancement of the flagship Enterprise service and its frequency and are participating fully in the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, which we expect to report in the coming months. We will also continue to deliver enhancements to our railway network to improve frequency, reliability and efficiency, as well as across our wide estate of buildings, stations, halts, shelters and Park and Ride facilities.

Ultimately, Connecting Communities is Translink’s main purpose, and it is important that the shift to Zero Emission technology is accompanied by investment in our facilities and infrastructure in order to make public transport even more attractive, and this includes active travel options. We will continue to work with key stakeholders, including DfI, local Councils, the Public Health Agency and Sustrans, to improve the integration of public transport and active travel.

Work on the NI Executive flagship Belfast Grand Central Station project is continuing at pace, and is on course to be fully complete in 2025, providing greatly enhanced bus and rail capacity across Northern Ireland. We will

also deliver Weavers Cross, a transport-led regeneration project and key driver of economic growth, in the longer term. On our bus network, we will work with DfI and Councils to extend bus priority lanes in urban centres and on main approaches, as well as work to deliver the planned Glider phase 2, which is intended to connect north and south Belfast via the city centre and complement the highly successful east-west and Titanic Quarter Glider link.

The challenge ahead is a significant one, but Translink is fully prepared for it – public transport, and an associated modal shift, is vital to addressing Climate Change and the future success of society in Northern Ireland. Our ‘Better. Connected’ strategy sets out an ambitious roadmap for the years ahead and, with a clear focus on climate action and air quality, sustainability is placed at the heart of Translink’s decision making.

Public transport brings people and communities together, creating opportunities and choices, which will be vital to the social, economic and environmental success of Northern Ireland.

Find out more at www.translink.co.uk

Cleaver Fulton Rankin Corporatestrengthens & Commercial team

Cleaver Fulton Rankin, a leading commercial law firm in Northern Ireland, has welcomed key appointments to its Corporate & Commercial team, paving the way for ambitious growth plans.

The firm’s Corporate & Commercial offering has been strengthened by the most recent appointment of Director Stuart Sproule. Stuart joins the firm following his previous role as an inhouse legal counsel for Danske Bank, adding a depth of expertise and experience. Stuart’s main areas of expertise include mergers and acquisitions, finance and banking, and commercial contracts. Dual-qualified, Stuart has worked in leading commercial firms in both London and Belfast.

Paul McBride, Director and Head of Corporate & Commercial, joined Cleaver Fulton Rankin in January 2022. Paul heads a busy practice, advising on leading corporate and commercial transactions in Northern Ireland. With over 25 years’ experience, Paul specialises in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, management buy-outs, private equity, venture capital investments and project finance. In addition, he has significant industry sector expertise in energy and renewables, manufacturing and technology. Paul’s wealth of experience across all areas of corporate & commercial law and his reputation in the market continue to enhance the development of the team and services.

The team includes talent at various levels, with Jonathan Braden, James Greene and Brittany Lyn providing expert support and adding to the calibre of the team’s corporate offering. The strategic growth of Cleaver Fulton Rankin’s Corporate & Commercial team has enhanced the team’s depth of experience, as it continues to deliver exceptional support and high quality advice to its clients.

Paul McBride, Head of Corporate & Commercial, comments: “The development and expansion of our Corporate & Commercial team has been an exciting chapter. We are delighted to welcome our most recent appointment, Director Stuart Sproule, who has already added a wealth of expertise and experience across a variety of sectors. We are now in a position of strength, bringing in fresh talent and a new depth of expertise to develop our corporate offering.”

“The team consists of support at a variety of levels, enhancing our services, supporting clients in their commercial instructions and key transactions, and delivering on efficiency and innovation. We look forward to the future growth of our corporate offering, with a focus on providing expert and high quality advice to our clients.”

To find out more about our Corporate & Commercial team, please visit our website at www.cleaverfultonrankin.co.uk.

(L-R) James Greene, Brittany Lyn, Stuart Sproule, Paul McBride and Jonathan Braden.

Meet Stuart Sproule, Director in the Corporate & Commercial team

Having recently joined the Corporate & Commercial team at Cleaver Fulton Rankin, we take a look at some key facts about Stuart, including his career move, why humour makes a difference, and the importance of a work/life balance.

Why did you choose a career in law?

When I was younger, I thought lawyers had all the answers and that is what put a career in law on my radar. As I got older, other aspects of being a lawyer (and specifically a corporate lawyer) really appealed to me, such as problem solving, team work and the feeling that you have made a difference to a client’s business. Being a trusted advisor for clients is some thing I take immense pride in and I’m lucky to be able to say I enjoy what I do.

What attracted you to your position as a director in the Corporate & Commercial team at Cleaver Fulton Rankin?

A new challenge presented itself, which would allow me to develop my corporate & commercial expertise in a leading com mercial law firm in Belfast. The devel opment of the Corporate & Commercial team provided an exciting prospect to help shape the growth and development of the team’s services. In addition, the appointment of Paul McBride at the be ginning of 2022 provided an opportunity to work with a Corporate & Commercial expert with a depth of experience.

What are the challenges facing your sector and the economy in general?

It is no secret that these are incredibly challenging, turbulent times. The many

phrases that have become commonplace in the media – rising costs of living, infla tion, crippling energy costs, strikes – are impacting the world of commerce in par ticular. There has been a notable lack of confidence in the financial markets which has led in some cases to a reduced willing ness to move forward with deals, acquisi tions and investment in business. Compa nies that may have had major strategic objectives are now focusing on facing the challenges ahead. The continued evolution of businesses is key to driving the Northern Irish economy. Growth means more profits, employment, innovation, investment and exports. Although it might be tricky in the short term, businesses will need to be strategic and even creative to find new opportunities.

What has been your biggest lesson in your career so far?

I learned early in life not to take myself

too seriously. I have been able to develop strong working relationships with clients and contacts by taking the time to under stand their needs, and through bringing a personable and positive approach. I have always made sure that both my personal and professional relationships are infused with humour.

How do you achieve a work/life

balance?

Like many people, the pandemic was a big factor in learning how to evaluate my need for balance. I learnt how to put boundaries in place, and have continued to apply these learnings as hybrid working has resumed. For me, this means main taining full focus and giving my all during working hours, but I do aim to leave the laptop bag at the door when I return home and focus on family activities and downtime.

Columnist

Looking to the Future for Your Business

Economic uncertainty can force a business to prepare for a future that it might not have envisaged. Whether this planning lays the groundwork for its future development, the ultimate sale or exit of your business, or earlier than expected succession implementation, it ensures that you have choices when you need them. As the old saying goes, inaction breeds doubt and fear.

An important role of business advisors is to help their clients consider options available to them and evaluate which course of action will yield the best results.

Much in the same way as the Covid-19 pandemic forced organisations to re-think the way they did business in order to survive and, in many cases, ultimately thrive, the current economic uncertainties are forcing businesses into a similar ‘re-think’ process.

The recent ‘mini budget’ announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer did offer some level of certainty and support to local businesses, particularly in the form of the energy cap and reversal of the

increase in corporation tax. However, the subsequent and swift reversal of a key decision to cut the highest income tax rate coupled with the wide-ranging criticism around the cuts still in play, have led local businesses to question whether they should expect further changes in the coming months, adding a further sense of uncertainty.

With over 30 years’ experience in NI, five partners and over 150 staff, BDO NI specialises in supporting businesses of all sizes and across a range of sectors in their pursuit to grow, develop and navigate challenges and opportunities.

Brian Murphy, BDO NI managing partner, believes that future-proofing your business through gaining knowledge and expertise is invaluable for the long-term strategic planning of any business. Brian specialises in BDO’s corporate advisory business, with value creation and improving business performance at the heart of his role.

“With increasing costs across the board, businesses are looking at where they can become more efficient in their operations. Maximising talent within an organisation, streamlining work processes and leveraging the use of technology can all help a business to sustain operations during challenging times and continue to be an attractive proposition for possible future investment or sale opportunities.”

“One thing we have consistently found, particularly during the challenging period of the last couple of years, is that businesses continue to evolve and adapt to their situation. Gaining a wider insight into opportunities open to you allows clients to make fully informed decisions on the future of their company and their employees.”

Family-owned businesses currently employ over 52,000 people locally, and are a vital part of the NI economy. For many smaller family-owned businesses the burden of tax compliance can weigh heavy, and many are at risk of losing out on eligible allowances and deductions due to this time-intensive and, for many, confusing process.

Tax Partner Maybeth Shaw specialises in providing tax consultancy advice with a key focus on advising family businesses.

“Regulatory reporting requirements for businesses are increasingly complex at a time when having an efficient tax strategy is non-negotiable. Structuring your business in a flexible way allows you to adapt to the changing environment seamlessly, particularly when it comes to new digital tax technologies.

Our expertise in the family-owned business sector means that we can help our clients to prioritise what is important to them, whilst ensuring that they are not missing out on key opportunities that will enable them to sustain and grow.

If recent years have taught us anything, it is that life is uncertain and that we must be prepared for anything.

Brian Murphy, Michael Jennings, and Maybeth Shaw

BDO Northern Ireland

Qualification for capital taxes reliefs such as Business Relief from inheritance tax and Business Asset Disposal Relief from capital gains tax will also ensure you maintain tax efficiency, particularly if a sale or succession planning is your next step.”

Michael Jennings, advisory partner within the Corporate Finance, Business Restructuring and Forensics Department, works across a range of industries, undertaking M&A work and financial due diligence alongside supporting business rescues and formal business recovery and insolvency procedures.

“For most businesses, a key challenge has been maintaining cash flow and healthy working capital. From optimising your R&D tax claims and capital allowances to improving financial controls and reporting, there are lots of things you can do to improve the financial health of your business. Reviewing alternative funding options from

loans and grants to private equity will all play a part in putting your company on a more stable financial footing.”

It will be important for clients to demonstrate to potential funders/lenders that they are a good prospect to work with. Showing they are committed to diversifying, streamlining where needed and displaying good financial practices are all ways to gain this confidence.

Michael adds: “Embarking on this process while continuing to manage the business on a day-to-day basis can be extremely demanding and this is where the expertise of colleagues at BDO NI can support businesses through managing required negotiations or arranging finance for a deal.”

Aside from making your business sustainable and attractive for future

investment or sale opportunities, there are wider restructuring options that can be considered with a view to adding to your business offering. These come in many forms, including a formal restructure or merger and acquisitions with the aim of consolidating businesses to maximise potential.

Regardless of prevailing market conditions, it is important to continue to run your business as you normally would, investing, recruiting and adapting where you need to. Having a watchful eye on the wider landscape alongside the evolution of your business structure will ensure you are best positioned to react to any given situation.

As professional advisors it’s BDO’s job to make its clients’ lives easier through innovative, effective, and sustained delivery.

SUPPORTING NORTHERN IRELAND BUSINESSES WITH INNOVATIVE WORKING CAPITAL SOLUTIONS

Liz McKee has headed up the Commercial Finance team for Bank of Ireland UK since July 2021, having held a number of management positions within the business for more than 20 years.

Now, just over a year into her new leadership role, Liz shares some reflections, insights, and thoughts.

“Bank of Ireland Commercial Finance is a leading working capital provider to growing businesses in Northern Ireland, from small businesses to large corporates and across a wide range of business sectors. Our market leading Invoice Finance, Stock Funding and Supplier Payment products and platforms are continually evolving, based on customer feedback.

In the same way as the pandemic created both thriving and struggling sectors, the continued growth or recovery of all sectors requires tailored and personal customer solutions. Our range of funding solutions is diverse, providing facilities based on a business’ outstanding credit sales, funding for high stockholding businesses and supplier payment facilities. This range gives us the tools to address our customers’ working capital needs in a bespoke manner. We believe that proactively identifying

businesses’ changing needs and being very responsive in discussing and addressing these is critical. The range of working capital solutions we offer has never been more important, or in demand, than in these current times of high inflation, with rising energy and raw material costs and significant challenges to supply chains and the levels of stockholding required by businesses to withstand this turbulence.”

“While more and more businesses like the convenience of our online technology for their day-to-day transactions, we’re proud of our ability to combine technology with our local team based in Belfast, who work in partnership with businesses and stay central to their continued success. It’s a privilege for us to help support and develop the financial wellbeing of businesses across Northern Ireland and beyond.”

“Our ambition is to be part of the best business bank in Northern Ireland. We are at the heart of our local communities, helping our customers to thrive by providing innovative and effective working capital solutions that help local businesses to grow. Enabling our customers to be the best they can be and hearing them say ‘we could not have done it without Commercial Finance’ is the biggest reward for us.”

In her personal life Liz is married with two grown-up children. From Belfast originally, Liz has lived mostly in North Down. Having moved house and taken on her new role in the past 12 months, Liz is looking forward to spending a bit more time enjoying her love of genealogy, reading and running.

For further information or to engage directly with one of our Commercial Finance team, please feel free to contact Liz at liz. mckee@boi.com or visit www. bankofirelanduk.com/business/ business-team/.

as possible. Business insurance protects you from an array of risks which your broker will help you assess as well as any additional elements of cover you may need, so you have a tailored package that safeguards you against a wide range of risks to your business.

The brokers at AbbeyAutoline work with some of the largest insurance companies across the UK and Europe and are constantly working hard to negotiate the best possible prices and cover for business clients.

At AbbeyAutoline their team of dedicated experts are ready to help. To find out how they can assist your business visit: www.abbeyautoline.co.uk or call 08000 66 55 44.

Unlike price comparison sites, AbbeyAutoline has a dedicated team of expert brokers to guide you through the insurance process and can help tailor your insurance policies to meet the exacting demands of your business. Making sure that your business has the correct cover arranged at the right level could be a lifeline in these challenging times.

The financial pay out and access to expert advice will ensure that you are able to fully recover from any incident that may occur, so you can get back up and running as quickly

Things are Heating Up (Sustainably) at The Rabbit Hotel

Branded the sassy little sister of the Galgorm Resort & Spa, Templepatrick’s chic boutique hotel is setting the standard for sustainability and energy savings in hospitality with the installation of Intelligent Heating Controls by Heatboss and help from Power NI, part of Energia Group.

Following its acquisition by the Galgorm Collection in 2018, the newly named Rabbit Hotel underwent major renovations to become a stylish 33-bedroom boutique hotel with outdoor spa, bar and restaurant and wedding event space. As part of the renovation process, the Galgorm Collection was keen to include sustainable practices to reduce its energy usage.

Offering heat usage savings of up to 30% on average, the Intelligent Heating Control System provided by Heatboss was part-funded by the NISEP (Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme) grant, available to apply for through Power NI, Northern Ireland’s leading energy provider.

The installation of this intelligent heating system provides The Rabbit with ability to heat each individual room as and when needed, not only reducing energy consumption and wastage but giving guests the comfort to adjust the room to their desired temperature, offering a win-win for sustainability and overall experience.

Discussing the partnership between Heatboss, The Rabbit and Power NI, the Managing Director and Co-founder of Heatboss, Janette O’Hagan, said “The Power NI team is professional and passionate about sustainability and provides a shining example to our public sector of the kind of help that our SMEs are in urgent and great need of and I hope that the team there will continue to support our clients for years to come.”

Heatboss had previously worked with the Galgorm Group on its new build and renovated cottages projects at Galgorm Resort & Spa in 2019, and the Rabbit was keen to implement the same ease of control and efficiency with its heating.

The Galgorm Collection has been on a sustainability journey for quite some time, having previously availed of the NISEP grant to install Intelligent Heating Systems in some of its other sites.

General Manager of The Rabbit, Lysney Gordon, said, “thanks to the help

from Power NI during the application process for the NISEP grant, we’ve been able to make significant investments in Intelligent Heating Systems. Not only does this provide energy savings and benefit sustainable practices, but actually offers a more comfortable stay for our guests too!”

Power NI has helped to facilitate the NISEP grants for several years, and the energy supplier is proud to support businesses in the migration towards more sustainable energy practices.

Janine O’Donnell, Energy Services Programme Manager at Power NI, said: “Sustainability is a hot topic at the moment and for good reason, we need to

work hard to reduce our carbon emissions to net zero by 2050. We’re proud to see and facilitate the investments that are being made across Northern Ireland making energy efficient practices not only accessible, but sensible for businesses. Funding through the NISEP grant presents an opportunity to invest in technologies that are financially viable, especially for smaller businesses.”

The NISEP scheme allows up to 20% funding towards the installation of energy saving technologies such as LED lighting, Variable Speed Drives and Intelligent Heating Controls. For more information visit www.powerni.co.uk/businessgrants.

Pictured (L-R) are Lynsey Gordon, General Manager of The Rabbit Hotel and Shannon Hegarty, Power NI Marketing Executive, marking the successful installation of Intelligent Heating Systems in the hotel supported by NISEP grant funding.

Divorce And Family Law Specialists

McIlvenny Law is a family law firm operating across Northern Ireland. It was founded by leading divorce and family lawyer Peter McIlvenny and specialises in all areas of family law including divorce and separation, financial settlements, children and cohabitation. Contact

TO

BUSINESS

Close Brothers is a

a FTSE250 company and listed

the

They provide lending to a range of companies, with a core purpose of helping the people and businesses of Ireland and Britain thrive over the long term. Each of their diverse, specialist businesses have a deep knowledge of the industry sectors and asset classes they serve, so they can understand the challenges and opportunities that their customers and clients face. They support the unique needs of their customers and clients to ensure that they thrive, rather than simply survive, whatever the market conditions. www.closecommercialfinance.ie

leading modern merchant bank, recognised as

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NEWAPPOINTMENTS

IN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY

ELIZABETH ADAIR

Commercial Manager Ireland at Moy Park

KAREN SULLIVAN

Business Development Officer at the Millennium Forum

PATRICK O’HANLON

Director in the Commercial Real Estate department at Cleaver Fulton Rankin

PAUL PRENTER

Director, Corporate Finance Advisory at Grant Thornton

STEPHEN HUGHES

Business Manager at Donnelly Group Jaguar Land Rover

STUART SPROULE

Director in the Corporate & Commercial department at Cleaver Fulton Rankin

CHLOE GILL

Brand Marketing Manager at Moy Park

SASHA MCKNIGHT

Board of Directors at ASG & Partners

Deloitte Welcomes Over 90 New Graduates and BrightStart Apprentices in Belfast

Deloitte announced that it will be welcoming 93 new hires to its graduate scheme and BrightStart higher apprenticeship programme in Belfast this year.

56 new graduates will start their careers on the Deloitte graduate scheme in Northern Ireland, as well as 37 new BrightStart apprentices – the highest

number of new apprentices at Deloitte outside of London.

Co-created by Ulster University Business School and Deloitte, the BrightStart programme is an earn-while-you-learn apprenticeship, with the chance to gain professional and degree-level qualifications. The programme was recently ranked in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list.

The graduate programme offers a permanent job with a competitive salary, benefits and endless opportunities for learning, development and progression. Graduates get to innovate and collaborate with some of the most talented people in their fields and make an impact every day on the projects they want to work on.

40 New Jobs at Outsource Group

Outsource Group, the Antrimheadquartered IT services business with five offices across the UK and Ireland, is actively recruiting for another 40 new roles that will primarily be based in Northern Ireland.

The company, which acquired ANSEC IA, the leading IT security consultancy in NI, earlier this year, has experienced ongoing stellar demand for its products and services from across all of

its markets this year securing high-profile customers locally and abroad.

The new roles are primarily sales and technical positions, including technical support engineers, project engineers, sales support executives and account managers. Recruitment for the positions is already underway, and once filled, they will take the company’s headcount to over 100 people, with additional growth plans thereafter.

Johnny Hanna, Partner in Charge of KPMG in Northern Ireland; Sara Hamill, Partner – Tax; Phillip Marshall, Partner – Audit.

KPMG Appoints Two New Northern Ireland Partners

KPMG has appointed two new partners at its Belfast office. Sara Hamill has been named as a partner in the firm’s Northern Ireland tax practice while Phillip Marshall has been named a partner in audit. Johnny Hanna, partner in charge of KPMG in Northern Ireland, said: “We’re proud to introduce KPMG in Northern Ireland’s new partners – each one a leader committed to helping our clients achieve more as we continue growing our business and expanding our service offering to the Northern Ireland market.”

A group of the 2022 BrightStart apprentices pictured at The Ewart, Bedford Square, Belfast.

Terry Moore, CEO of Outsource Group, announces the new jobs with team members Orla McDonald, left, sales support, and Gena Notman, right, IT support engineer.

IS YOUR OFFICE READY?

With the rising cost of living, more employees are predicted to return to the office to help manage their expenses. If you’re a business owner, now is the time to start preparing your office for their return. By making changes in your office furniture, decorations, lighting, and dedicated areas, you can help employees feel comfortable about working in the office again. At Alpha, they are committed to helping businesses prepare for this shift in working trends. Keep reading to learn how you can make these changes in your office.

Your employees will be spending most of their day in the office, so it’s important to choose office furniture that is comfortable and allows for a collaborative workspace. This could mean opting for tables instead of desks and choosing chairs that promote movement and flexibility. A few important things to consider when choosing office furniture are ergonomics, aesthetics, and safety. Ergonomic furniture will help reduce strain on your employees’ bodies while they’re working. Aesthetically pleasing furniture will create a pleasant environment that your employees will want to work in. And finally, safe furniture will prevent injuries in the workplace.

In addition to choosing the right furniture, you should also incorporate decorative elements that boost morale. Consider adding plants or wall art that reflect your company values. You could also add motivational quotes throughout the office. These small changes can make a big difference in your employees’ attitudes towards coming into the office.

Another way to prepare your office for employees’ return is by improving the lighting. Research shows that poor lighting can cause headaches, eyestrain, and fatigue. To avoid these problems, try to get as much natural light into the office as possible. If you can’t get natural light, then make sure the artificial lighting is bright enough and doesn’t cause glare on computer screens.

Perhaps most importantly, your layout should promote collaboration and productivity. The creation of dedicated areas for different kinds of work is a great way to do this. For example, you could set up a quiet area for employees who need to focus on their work and a breakout

area with couches and bean bag chairs for when employees need to take a break or have informal meetings. By creating these dedicated areas, you can help your employees be more productive and feel more comfortable in the office.

As a business owner, it’s important to consider such changes in your office before employees return. By choosing ergonomic furniture, making morale-boosting décor, improving lighting, and creating dedicated areas for different kinds of work, you can help your employees feel comfortable about coming back to the office. A well-designed office can also help to save money in the long run. By incorporating energy-efficient features into your design, you can reduce your company’s energy costs.

So, if you’re looking for ways to improve your workplace, be sure to consider the importance of a well-designed office with innovative furniture. It may just be what your business needs to thrive in today’s economy.

For more information visit www.alphayourspace.com

Office fit-out experts, Alpha, are helping businesses prepare as a surge of workers are predicted to head back to the office this winter in a bid to keep energy costs down at home.

It’s a rare and pleasant thing these days to find a new car that lives up to the hype. But this new MG4 EV is at least as good as the manufacturer pitch, which promises a “winning combination of innovation, practicality, value and fun”.

The five-door hatchback is built on an entirely new platform that will spawn many more all-electric MGs in the years to come. Initially, there are just two versions to choose from – Standard and Long Range –with a simple two trim line-up – SE and Trophy, with the latter only available in Long Range spec.

The Standard Range version, with a 51kWh battery, has a 218 mile WLTP measured range while the Long Range version, with a larger 64kWh battery, takes this out to 270 or 281 miles (depending on the spec), which is on a par with rivals like the VW ID.3 and Cupra Born. Both versions also allow for rapid charging from a public charging station, going from 10-80% in less than 40 minutes. Home charging through a 7kWh wallbox takes eight or 10 hours, depending on the battery.

Performance is pretty swift too. The Standard Range version will do 0-62mph in 7.7 seconds, while the more powerful Long Range version is marginally slower, at 7.9 seconds, because it has to carry a bigger and heavier battery pack.

It’s a pretty car, with a svelte nose and plenty of angled edges while the interior is minimalist and faintly futuristic. Most of the controls are handled through a 10.25-inch touchscreen in the centre of the dash, which is easy to use and can be paired to your smartphone through Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. This includes different drive modes,

MG’s Game Changing

eco sport etc, and settings to vary the strength of regenerative braking.

Seats are comfortable and well positioned while the speedo and other driving info is carried on a clear 7-inch digital screen, positioned behind the steering wheel. The rear is fairly spacious while the whole cabin feels quiet and sturdy.

The steering is quick and nicely weighted while the car rides well over Northern Ireland’s bumpy B roads, mixing good driving dynamics with comfort, which isn’t something heavy electric cars always do well.

All MGs come stacked with lots of standard equipment and the MG4 is no different. The SE comes with the MG Pilot advanced driver assistance system, automatic LED headlights and rear lights, rear parking sensors, 17-inch alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control, automatic climate control and MG iSmart app connectivity.

Trophy models come with extra driver aids including Lane Change Assist and Blind Spot Detection.

Additionally, a striking two-tone roof, rear privacy glass, twin aero rear spoiler, leather interior with electric driver’s seat, heated front seats and steering wheel, Bluetooth key, satellite navigation, 360 camera, wireless phone charging and an upgraded MG iSmart system compatible with live services are all standard.

The real nub of the MG4’s appeal is the pricing though. The Standard Range SE starts at just £25,995, with the Long Range SE costing £28,495 and the range-topping Long Range Trophy version coming in at £31,495. Compare that with the Renault Zoe, Corsa-e and Peugeot e-208, which all start around £30,000.

And the MG4 looks even better value compared to the likes of the Cupra Born and VW’s ID.3, which start at £34,660 and £35,500 respectively. With a £4,000 deposit, you could be driving one for just £270 a month. At those prices, the MG4 is a massive game changer for the brand and the market.

New MG4 is the best value electric car around, writes James Stinson.

Citroen’s Urban Travel Revolution

All-electric Citroen Ami now UK’s cheapest car, writes James Stinson.

The tiny all-electric Ami falls somewhere between a scooter and a small car with prices starting at £8,095 and monthly finance deals available from just £19.99 a month.

It has a 5.5kWh battery which can be fully charged in three hours. The battery powers a 6kW electric motor, allowing for a modest top speed of 28mph and a range of up to 46 miles. Because the battery is so small, it can be completely recharged from a three-pin socket in around three hours. The two-seater Ami is a mere 2.41 metres long. It also has a London taxi-like 7.2-metre turning circle, meaning it should be a doddle to park. More than 50% of its upper body is glazed, too, which makes for good all-round visibility.

Citroen says the Ami was designed as a safer urban transport solution than a scooter or a bicycle, and that it was priced to compete with public transport. To hit that low pricepoint, Citroen made the car as symmetrical

as possible to save money on making lots of moulds. So, the production car’s driver and passenger doors are identical – the driver’s one is hinged on the rear edge, while the passenger’s one is hinged at the front – which means Citroen only had to design and manufacture one panel. The left and right-side windows, front and rear bumpers and front and rear underbody panels are all symmetrical for the same reason.

The lead-in Ami trim offers the most affordable point of entry to the Ami 100% electric line-up, priced at only £8,095. Standard specification includes a digital speedometer, LED front and rear lights, a panoramic glass sunroof and a USB charging port. Customers can enhance their Ami by adding one of three Colour Packs: Orange, Blue or Grey.

These are priced at £400 and are specifically designed to be fitted at home. Adding a splash of colour to the Ami’s quirky styling, each pack comes with colour-coded wheel

VW Keeps The Cabrio Spirit Alive

Curiously, people in the UK buy more cabriolets than any other country in Europe. And when I asked a car company executive about this some years ago, he explained by saying that while our weather isn’t great… when it’s good we like to enjoy it to the full.

But our love affair with drop-top motoring could be on the wane, according to sales figures. In 2017, there were nearly 50k cabriolets sold in the UK but last year that number had fallen to fewer than 21k. Some commentators claim it’s because British summers are now too hot – and by that they must mean the south of England…. The cost-of-living squeeze could be another factor, with cabriolets still seen as something of a luxury purchase.

Just as importantly perhaps is that manufacturers just don’t seem to be making the effort they once did in this segment. The global semi-conductor shortage has seen manufacturers target

trims, colour-coded rear pillar decals, three colour-coded dashboard storage boxes, a colour-coded dashboard bag hook, exterior door capsules, two door storage nets with a colour-coded horizontal band and two black floor mats with colour-coded trim.

In addition, all Colour Packs add a separation net between the driver and passenger footwells, a smartphone cradle for the dashboard and the DAT@AMI connection box that allows customers to consult their Ami’s charge status, and more, from the MyCitroën mobile app.

Ami customers can also choose from two higher trim levels offering even greater levels of customisation: 'Ami Pop' and 'Ami Tonic'. Ami vehicles are sold exclusively online, with customers placing their orders through a dedicated Citroen Ami digital platform.

resources to the most in-demand models, which means big-selling SUVs and electric vehicles.

So, it’s refreshing to see that VW, a carmaker with unrivalled drop-top pedigree, is keeping the cabriolet version of its SUV-like T-Roc front and centre of the range. Indeed, the updated T-Roc Cabriolet now benefits from many of the enhancements applied to its five-door, hard-top sibling.

These include a refreshed design, additional interior luxury, the availability of IQ.Light LED Matrix headlights and new paint colours, as well as a new ‘Style’ trim to replace the previous Design specification. Two petrol engine options continue for the T-Roc Cabriolet: a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder unit producing 110 PS, and a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder engine with 150 PS.

The T-Roc Cabriolet range starts at £30,530 for the Style trim, equipped with the 1.0-litre engine with manual gearbox, and from £34,170 for the T-Roc Cabriolet R-Line, which is available exclusively with the 1.5-litre 150 PS TSI engine.

James

NEW ROUTES SWELL DUBLIN AIRPORT PASSENGER NUMBERS

The thirst for overseas travel has returned with considerable gusto in 2022. Through the first nine months of the year, more than 21 million passengers passed through the departure and arrival gates of Dublin Airport, flying off to and arriving from the ever-growing list of destinations that the airport serves.

Following two years of COVID lockdowns and strict travel restrictions, demand remains extremely high in Northern Ireland for overseas trips. This surging demand has presented a significant challenge for both airports and the aviation industry generally, with passenger numbers at Dublin Airport now back at more than 90% of pre-pandemic levels.

The team at Dublin Airport has worked tirelessly this summer to respond to this challenge. While the response of other airports around Europe and the UK to the sharp rebound in passenger numbers has been to cut the number of flights and limit passenger capacity, Dublin Airport’s approach has been different as it has worked to ensure that the hundreds of thousands of families were able to get away on their much-anticipated holidays and breaks away this summer, while at the same time facilitating the many tens of thousands of business trips that occur each week.

All signs point to a busy autumn and winter ahead, before an expected further recovery in passenger numbers in 2023, fuelled by an everexpanding selection of destinations. This year, Dublin Airport is serving more than 180 destinations worldwide through a total of 43 airline partners.

Recent months have seen a string of new destinations being added at Dublin Airport, including EgyptAir’s new year-round service to Cairo, and PLAY’s four-times-per-week route to Reykjavik. Access to the Middle East continues to grow also, with Emirates recently re-instating its second daily flight to Dubai, which had been paused during the pandemic, while Aer Lingus has announced the revival of its daily transatlantic service from Dublin Airport to Hartford, Connecticut and a new route to Cleveland, Ohio as part of its summer 2023 schedule.

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Columnist

Aoife McDowell Sync NI

Innovation and Opportunities

Artemis Technologies has unveiled the world’s most advanced 100% electric foiling fast ferry that will target the global highspeed passenger ferry market.

The green maritime leader has revealed the design of the new vessel, which will first be operated by Condor Ferries in a Belfast to Bangor pilot scheme, carrying up to 150 passengers along Belfast Lough in just 25 minutes.

Developed by the Artemis Technologies-led Belfast Maritime Consortium, the launch of the 24-metre vessel to the global ferry market signals the latest stage in the £60 million programme to decarbonise maritime.

Building on the launch of the company’s 100% electric foiling workboat earlier this year, the ferry will be powered by the patented Artemis eFoiler® electric propulsion system enabling it to fly above the water, reducing fuel costs by up to 85% compared with conventional high-speed diesel ferries.

By foiling over the waves at up to 38 knots, the ferry will produce minimal wake, allowing it to operate at high speed close to shore or within busy waterways, significantly reducing journey time on traditionally speed-restricted routes and minimising disruption to shorelines.

The foiling ferry will be incredibly spacious and fully accessible

with a range of facilities on board including bike racks, cabin bag and overhead storage, baby changing facilities and charging points, offering a pathway to greener maritime transport systems around the world.

Speaking about the ferry, Artemis Technologies CEO, double Olympic gold medallist Dr Iain Percy OBE, said: “The zeroemission ferry that will be seen departing Belfast in 2024, aptly named ‘Zero’, will be the first we build at our manufacturing hub in the city, but it is only the start. This ferry will not only be the cheapest, but also the fastest and least disruptive way to decarbonise transport networks in water-based cities.”

Sensata’s New £16.5m Technology Centre Gets Thumbs Up

Global industrial technology company Sensata Technologies is set to create a £16.5m state-of-the-art facility in Newtownabbey further bolstering the borough’s position as a stronghold for advanced manufacturing.

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council has approved

the application for the 61,500 sq. ft development at Global Point Business Park, which is expected to create around 150 jobs during the construction phase.

The facility at Global Point will act as a regional hub within Europe and will accommodate up to 550 employees.

This new technology centre represents the latest in a portfolio of advanced manufacturing projects being lined up for Global Point, positioning it as an increasingly desirable location for global companies to set up shop in Northern Ireland.

Commenting on the centre, Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Alderman Stephen Ross, said: “Sensata’s decision to locate its new regional hub at Global Point represents the confidence investors have in the borough. These strategic investments will act as an economic stimulus, attracting other companies to the area and cementing Global Point as a centre of advanced manufacturing excellence.”

The spotlight continues to shine brightly on Northern Ireland’s technology sector.

Artemis Technologies Unveils 100% Electric Passenger Ferry

INGREDIENTS

For the Panna Cotta

• 800ml double cream

• 500ml full fat milk

• 200g caster sugar

• 2 drops vanilla extract

• 7 leaves gold gelatine

For the Passion Fruit Jelly

• 4 ripe passion fruits

• 4 tablespoons of water

• 2 leaves of gold gelatine

For the Ginger Cake

• 75g plain flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1/3 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 1g cinnamon

• 1g ground nutmeg

• 5g ground ginger

• 15g ground almonds

• 80g full fat milk

• 1/3 beaten egg

• 40g melted butter

• 40g dark brown sugar

• 40g treacle

• 40g golden syrup

Dine & Wine

For the Shortbread

• 200g plain flour

• 150g caster sugar

• 100g butter

• Pinch of salt

• 100ml melted dark chocolate

METHOD

For the Ginger Cake

• Combine all dry ingredients

• Warm the treacle, butter, sugar and syrup

• Whisk in egg and milk

• Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients

• Grease a medium-sized loaf tin and pour mixture into tin

• Cook at 177 degrees for approximately 15 minutes

• Leave to cool, remove from tin and slice

For the Shortbread

• Mix flour, sugar and salt together

• Knead in butter to form dough

• Roll out to ¼ cm thickness

• Cut out circles with 4cm scone cutter

• Place on floured tray and bake at 177 degrees for 7 minutes

• Remove from tray, leave to cool and half dip in dark chocolate

• Leave to cool

For the Passion Fruit Jelly

• Soak gelatine in a little cold water to soften

• Cut passion fruits in half and deseed into small bowl

• Heat the water, add the gelatine and dissolve

• Add water and gelatine to fruit

• Divide between 4 dariole moulds

• Put in fridge to set

For the Panna Cotta

• Soak gelatine in a little cold water

• Heat the cream, milk, sugar and vanilla

• Add soaked gelatine to cream mixture, leave to cool a little

• When cool, pour into dariole moulds and refrigerate until set

TO ASSEMBLE

• Place one slice of ginger cake on four plates

• To de-mould the panna cotta place into a little hot water for 3 seconds and de-mould onto ginger cake, then serve with chocolate shortbread on top

Gavin Murphy, Head Chef at The Old Inn

Passion Fruit Panna Cotta, Ginger Cake and Chocolate Shortbread – 4 portions

Columnist

Mark Owens Managing Director (NI) at Civica

Why Public Services Should Look to Modernise Rather Than Scrap Ageing Applications

Our public services are increasingly faced with the challenge of what to do with ageing or outdated technologies.

Civica’s Mark Owens looks at the benefits of modernising rather than replacing older software applications.

Given the lightning pace of technological advancement, vanguard software applications can very quickly become vintage tech. This is a particular challenge for vital public services across Northern Ireland like hospitals, schools and local councils, which are increasingly reliant on data-driven technologies to deliver services which meet both the needs and changing expectations of citizens.

Ageing apps throw up all kinds of practical issues, from limited functionality to poor integration with other systems, resulting in ineffective sharing of data across our public services. A lack of data sharing in turn prevents officials – be they civil servants or hospital staff – from making the best, most informed decisions to support those most in need.

Don’t replace it, renovate it

The obvious solution, one might imagine, is to simply scrap old tech and procure newer solutions which obviate all of the above-mentioned problems. By taking this approach, however, public bodies

run the risk of ending up in exactly the same place a few years down the line, with more outdated tech delivering little value. There is, however, a smarter, simpler and more cost-effective approach to tackling ageing software applications – modernise them. managing director (NI) at Civica Our public services are facing mounting pressures, fuelled by post-pandemic backlogs, a burgeoning cost of living crisis and an unpredictable global situation. In this climate, it makes sense, wherever possible, to renovate and repurpose existing apps, rather than going down the costly and timeconsuming route of procuring new solutions. Modernising and enhancing your existing suite of software applications can be a far more costeffective and efficient option for public bodies, a majority of whom depend increasingly on those apps to deliver a whole range of services. This has become even more prevalent in the postpandemic world, with a growing public appetite for more digital services across every age category.

Modernise and get the most out of your tech

App modernisation allows public bodies to get more out of their existing technologies without incurring unnecessary spend and losing valuable hours to the procurement and on-

boarding of new solutions. A prime example is Cloud migration. Many public organisations still use software applications which rely on on-premises infrastructure, which can be costly in terms of maintenance and the niche skills required. Modernising your existing suite of apps and moving them to the Cloud offers improved reliability and resilience, as well as security and performance. The latter point is increasingly important, with the recent Digital, Data and Technology Playbook warning that obsolete software is particularly vulnerable to ever more elaborate forms of cyber-crime.

Another crucial advantage of the Cloud is that it allows public bodies to exploit the opportunities offered by modern technologies, including AI and automation, to extend application functionality. Better, smarter, more connected software applications will ensure our public services deliver better outcomes for citizens and communities.

About Civica

Civica is the UK’s largest software company focused on the public sector. With over 30 years of proven expertise, we hold an undisputed leadership position in our markets around the world: www.civica.com.

Lovely Layers

Neutral

Copper

Joanne

Tina Knitted Dress in Brown,£75 and Sussex Jacket in Brown, £89, FatFace.

Ulster Tatler Woman Editor, Joanne

Harkness, looks at layering up for autumn/winter.

Peyton Waistcoat, £129, Emma Lou edit @ Never Fully Dressed.

Camel Monogram Jacquard scarf, £22, Accessorize.

Pella boot in dark brown leather, £150, Dune London.

Axis fleece, £119, Weir Quilt coat, £169, Barbour.

and black suede jacket, £199, FatFace.

wavy stripe tank top, £49.50, Oliver Bonas.

Columnist

John Campbell BBC NI’s Economic & Business Editor

How Can A Government Make An Economy Grow?

This is the key question for the new Prime Minister and Chancellor, having set themselves the target of boosting the UK’s long-run rate of growth to 2.5% a year. That compares to average annual growth of less than 1% in the period since the financial crisis in 2008. Unfortunately for them there is no simple, failsafe answer to this question.

The Chancellor’s first stab at it in his mini-budget was to reduce personal taxation and reverse a planned increase in corporation tax; have another go at creating special economic zones and promise planning reforms in England.

The personal taxation move stumbled at the first political hurdle while the evidence on corporation tax is decidedly mixed. The rate of corporation tax in the UK fell sharply from 28% in 2010 to 19% by 2017 without appearing to do very much to help overall growth.

Special economic zones drift in and out of fashion: in the 1980s the UK created enterprise zones, including zones in Belfast and Derry. These mostly saw activity shifting from one part of a city to another. Enterprise zones were back again in 2011, under Chancellor George Osborne. This time Northern Ireland got one in Coleraine. It has not been a conspicuous success.

Freeports were the big idea of the last Chancellor, while this Chancellor will have his Investment Zones. Planning reform should help with delivering investment but the political appetite among Conservative MPs is uncertain. A previous reform plan under Boris Johnson went nowhere.

So, if these policies are unlikely to move the dial very much then what will? Fundamentally what this government

(and all others) are aiming for is a cocktail of policies that will deliver an increase in productivity: policies which will increase the output per worker or output per job across the economy.

When the government is talking about boosting growth it is really talking about boosting productivity. For the past couple of years the Manchesterbased Productivity Institute has done useful, detailed work aimed at producing evidence on what works.

Queen’s University academics David Jordan and John Turner are part of that research network and last year published a review of the existing evidence for Northern Ireland. Remember that Northern Ireland is consistently one of the least productive regions of the UK and also compares badly to the Republic of Ireland.

The structure of the local economy, a poor investment performance and geographical peripherality have all been suggested as important factors.

The review says there is no single explanation but that “the evidence presented for the role of human capital in Northern Ireland’s productivity problem is strong”. In other words, education and skills. The review adds that: “NI’s workforce appears weak in both basic skills and its share of higher skills.

“That management also lags behind best practice may exacerbate the deficiencies of the workforce.” The latter point may say something about the structure of our economy: in smaller family-owned firms people can become managers almost by accident and there isn’t the systemised management training that can be found in larger businesses.

Another factor which bears on productivity is business investment.

Relatively low investment has been a long-standing problem in the UK.

A recent paper for the Institute for Government by former government advisor Giles Wilkes also attempts to figure out what is likely to improve performance. He cautions against “lavish, tax-focused” measures, instead urging the government to look at broader business conditions, such as skills and infrastructure. He says policy makers need good insight into why particular investments do not proceed, and the reason might sometimes lie in one of the other essential ‘factors of production’ such as labour force or infrastructure.

If the skilled workforce is not available or energy costs make a manufacturing plant unviable a tax incentive is not going to fix it. He also thinks it’s important in some cases to align a high-level policy goal and a type of investment.

Examples are the Office for Low Emission Vehicles which aligns net zero with automotive R&D or the Aerospace Technology Institute as a source of funding certainty for technologies that are necessarily very long term in cost and impact. But perhaps his key message is that failure by government to stick to a clear direction and fulfil policy promises is very damaging to businesses whose plans are dependent on government actions.

His example is how industrial strategy has been taken up and dropped twice in the past 15 years in what he describes as “a terrible level of volatility when many companies plan investments that endure for decades”.

You might also think about our own “terrible level of volatility”. How does stop-start government impact investment in Northern Ireland?

I’ll have a blue christmas without you...

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