Ulster Business March 2024

6

Contents

06

News

Thelatestnewsandexclusivesfromacross NorthernIrelandandbeyond

16

Coverstory

UlsterBusiness speakstoPwCaboutunlocking NIbusinessgrowthwithmanagedservices

22

InFocus

JohnMulgrewspeakstoCathalGeogheganof HendersonFoodservice

31

Travel&tourism

PavelBarterexploressevenlesser-known tourismwondersofNorthernIreland

41

41

Tax&accounting

Whatdoesa returntoaworkinggovernment meanforbusiness,asksPavelBarter

49

Retail&wholesale

We takealookatthenewcomerstothe marketandhowthesectorisperforming

61

IT&technology

We speaktoBelfastwomanEmerCassidy, TikTok’sheadofEMEA regionalpolicy

74

Architecture

PrimarkBankBuildingsandUlsterUniversity amongthoseshortlistedforarchitectureaward

77

Motoring

PatBurnstakesonasharpnewFocus alongsidethelatestelectricBMW

84

Photocall

Alookatwhat’sbeinghappeningacross NorthernIrelandoverthelastfewweeks

92

Review

JohnMulgrewspentaweekwithBreitling’s latestin-housecalibrechronograph

96 Technology

Cameras,hardwareanddesignmakethe GalaxyS24UltratheultimateAndroidphone

UlsterBusinessisapartoftheIndependentPressStandardsOrganisation(IPSO).Ifyoubelieveyouhavebeenunfairlytreated,youcancontactIPSOinwritingviaitswebsiteforguidanceonwhattodo. Theserviceisfree.IPSOcan thenadviseonwhetherit’slikelyyouhavegroundsforacomplaintandwhattodoaboutit. Thenormalprocedureisforthecomplainanttothencontactthepublication’seditordirectly.Ifnoagreementisreached,thecomplainant cangobacktoIPSOtolookforanadjudication,orforittotakeoverthecomplaint.

Fulldetailsareavailableatwww.ipso.co.uk.Alternatively,emailcomplaints@ipso.co.uk,orinquiries@ipso.co.uk,ortelephone03001232220,ortheout-of-hoursemergencynumber: 07659152656.

Orwriteto:IPSO,c/oHaltonHouse,20-23Holborn,LondonEC1N2JD

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16

22

Let’s getbusiness back onthetable

So,we’re fnallybackinbusiness OntheHill.

Assemblymustnowmeanthatbusiness issuesandconcernsare broughttothefore.

It’s onlytakenustwoyearstogethere,but atleastwe’re onthecorrectpathtogetting somegeneralsocietalstabilitybackandable toworkthroughexceptionallyfullintrays.

Businesshasbeencryingoutforstability Despitewhatsomepoliticianswilltellyou,it doestrulymattertoforeigninvestors.Why wouldyoubotherstickingyourhandin yourpocketandspending a chunkysevenfgure sumon a newoperationhere when there’s nooneathome,politicallyspeaking – nolightsonandnoonetoturn tofor assistanceorleadership.

The return to a fullyworkingdevolved

However, it’s clearfromthelanguage comingfromministersthatcorporation taxisonceagainthe(very)longgrass.Its positionasthe‘silverbullet’toenergise theeconomyandhelpattractleviathansof industrytoourdiminutiveshoreslikeour colleaguessouthofthebordernowseems somewhatfantastical,intheshorttermat least.

It’s nowapproaching a decadeagosince I took a fullyunderstandablescepticaltone whenquizzingthethenSecretaryofState during a presserforthethenunveilingof theUKGovernmentbillwhichwouldhand suchpowersovertoStormont. We needed a functioningExecutiveandstableand

balancedbudgetbefore thatcouldhappen.

Cutto2024andwe’re onlyjustemerging fromanotherpoliticalsleep.Let’s hope a long-term,multi-yearbudgetisnext onthecards.Labour, skillsandchildcare shouldalsobefrmlytothefore,assoon aspossible,forthisExecutive.Thelatteris particularlyimportant – Northern Ireland istheonly regionwhichdoesn’t haveany limitedfreechildcare provision.

I hopeyouenjoythiseditionofthe magazine. We’re currentlyworkingon ourspecialNext200Aprileditionwhich showcasesourtop200SMEs,highlighting someoftheleadingfrmswhichhelpdrive oureconomyforward. ■

JohnMulgrew

Publisher

UlsterBusiness

c/oMediahuisUKLtd

Belfast TelegraphHouse,33ClarendonRoad, ClarendonDock,BelfastBT13BG

Printer

W&GBaird

GreystonePress,CaulsideDrive, AntrimBT412RS

www.wgbaird.com

Editor

JohnMulgrew,j.mulgrew@independentmagazinesni.co.uk

Advertising

JudithMartin,j.martin@mediahuis.co.uk

Graphicdesign

SusanMcClean,MediahuisIrelandDesignStudio

Coverphoto

ElaineHill

A month innumbers

100

Thenumberofnew jobsbeingcreated byEOSITHoldings afterlandingafresh fnancingdeal.

16

Thenumberofnew electric Wrightbus vehiclesordered byStagecoachfor London.

£7m

Thelatestinvestment byAurientLtdin the regenerationof southBelfast’sUpper Crescent.

0.9%

Theaveragefallin housepricesinNI betweenthethird andfourthquarterof 2023.

Henderson Foodservice eyeing Republicand targeting £255m sales

ByJohnMulgrew

ANorthernIrelandfoodservicegiant saysonlinesaleshavetripledinthe lastcoupleofyearsasitaimsto breakthequarterofabillionpoundmark thisyear, UlsterBusiness can reveal.

HendersonFoodservice,whichispartofthe widerHendersonGroup,sawturnoverriseto £225m.That’suparound£80minthespaceof twoyears.

ButmanagingdirectorCathalGeoghegan saysit’snowontargetingsalesof£255mthis year–withits“biggestgrowth”focusedon theRepublicofIrelandmarket.

Hesaysthe“biggestareaofgrowth”isnow frmlyintheRepublic,whileonlinesaleshave tripledfrom12-13%ofturnoverto40-45%, withthattobecomethebulkwithinthenext sixtoeightyears.

MrGeoghegansayswhileHenderson Foodservicehashadtopivotand reduceits relianceonGBmarketswiththe Windsor Framework,it’sexpandedelsewhereand doesn’tseeitasabarriertogrowth.

“Covidhitushard,butwehavebounced back,”hesays.Buthesaidsomeofthedown timeallowedthefrmto“getafterthings”.

Thatincludedanewwebsite.Sinceits

introductionit’smorethantrebleditsbusiness –now representingbetween40-45%ofsales.

Hesayshehopestoseethebulkofits businessmovingtoonlineinthenextsixto eightmonths.

HendersonFoodserviceisnowateamof morethan460–fuelledbybothgrowthand expansionthroughitsacquisitions.

MrGeoghegansaidacquisitionsare somethingwhichfrmly remainonthecards forthefrm,iftherightopportunityarises.

AndtheRepublicisthenextbigmarketfor HendersonFoodservicetoexpediteitsgrowth.

“Ofthe£225minsales,around£50misin thesouth,”Cathalsays.“It’sthebiggestarea ofgrowthgoingforward–wehaveaheavy RepublicofIrelandsalesstrategytopushon withthatbusiness.”

Hesaysthatexpansionwillseethefrm expandfromDublinoutwards,before mushroomingouttoawiderarea.Intermsof opportunities,there’sstillahugechunkofthe pietotryandtakeaheftybiteoutof.

“Wehave1.9%ofmarketshareinDublin, soyoucanseewherethepotentialisthere,” hesays.

Readthefullinterviewonpage22-24

Cathal Geoghegan

Labourand skills shouldbepriority for new Executive

Labourandskillsshortagesshouldbefrontandcentrefor thenewlyformedExecutive,businesschiefshavesaid.

Industry representativessuggestournewly-appointedministers shouldbefreetooperateacrossdepartmentsinordertosolveproblems.

Andamongtheissueswhichneedtackled,theavailabilityoflabour, skillsanda rethinkoverapprenticeshipsshouldbeprioritised.

“Talktoanybusinessinthenorthandtheywilltellyoutheirbiggest problemisavailabilityoflabour,”StephenKelly,chiefexecutiveof ManufacturingNI,said.

“Thereneedstobeaproperplanacrossdepartmentstoensure employershavethepeoplethatthey requireandin returnareproviding betterjobswithacareerprogression.”

JaniceGault,chiefexecutiveofNorthernIrelandHotelsFederation, suggestsa“differentimmigrationpolicy”tousherforeignerswithskill setstoworkhere.

AndAndrew Webb,chiefeconomistofGrantThorntonNorthern Ireland,saidgovernmentshould rethinktheapprenticeshiplevy.

Meanwhile,ourplanningprocessshouldalsobeunderscrutinyin ordertoexpeditedevelopmenthere.

“Thesystemissoanti-developmentandthepaceinwhichitoperates isincrediblyslow,”MrKellysays.

“[That]meanspeoplearesittingwaitingforyearsforplanning decisionstobemade.Costsaremountingandopportunitylost.”

Readthefullarticleonpage41-44

StephenKellyof ManufacturingNI

Councilin talks over future of Mary Peters Track

ByMargaretCanning

BelfastCityCouncilisindiscussions overoutsourcingtherunningof theMaryPeters TracktoGLL,which alreadyrunsthecity’sleisurecentres,it hasbeen revealed.

Theeight-lanetrack,ownedbythecouncil, istheonlyinternationalathleticstrackin NorthernIreland,andhostschampionships aswellasprovidingthebaseforathleticsand runningclubs.

Othersportslikeboxing,cyclingandfootball usethetrack,asdoschoolsanduniversities fromacrossNorthernIreland.

Therearenoplanstoclosethetrack,which isalsousedbymembersofthepublicand motherandbabyclubs.

SDLPcouncillorDónal Lyonssaidusers “wouldbeabsolutelylostwithoutit”.

Itisunderstoodtalkshaveincludeda possiblesaleoftheassettoGLL,theEnglish socialenterprisewhichhasoperatedcouncil leisurecentressince2015.

Theyhavealsoexploredthemorelikely optionofGLLrunningthetrack,openedin 1976topreservethelegacyofgoldmedal OlympianLadyMaryPeters.

ThecouncildeniedasaletoGLLwasunder discussioninternallybutaspokespersonsaid: “Councilisexploringanumberofoptionsto determinehowbesttooptimisethesporting outcomesfromthetrackinfuture.

“Anychangestothecurrentoperating arrangementswouldneedtobeconsidered andagreedbyourelectedmembers.”

Quotes of the month

AspokespersonforGLLalsosaidtherewere noplansforittobuythetrack,sayingthey had“nothingtoadd”whenaskedifitwould takea roleinmanagingitinfuture.

Mr Lyonssaidthetrackwasa“fantastic facility,usedbypeoplefromrightacrossour cityofallagesandbackgrounds”.

“It regularlyhostslocalschools,community groupsandotherorganisationswhowouldbe absolutelylostwithoutit,”headded.

“Keepingthefacilitypublicsector-runhas enabledustoensurethatthelocalcommunity getthemostoutofthetrackandIwould beconcernedaboutthepotentialimpactsof outsourcingthefacilitytoGLL,particularly aroundavailabilityoraccessibility.

“Therehavebeenissueswithservicecuts

“My departmentwillmove atpace to put thisvision into action.Its focuswillbe on delivery.”

EconomyMinisterConor

atotherGLL-runfacilitiesinthecityandthe samethinghappeningattheMaryPeters Track wouldhaveahugeimpactonawiderangeof peopleandgroups.

“Iwouldurgecounciltoconsultfullywith localathleticclubsandotherstakeholderson thisdecision. We mustknowthepotential impactofthismoveandanynegativeeffectsit couldhaveforthosewho relyonthisfacility.”

Thetrackisalsothelocationforthe headquartersofAthleticsNIandtheMary Peters Trust.

Thetrustdidnot respondtoa requestfor comment,whileAthleticsNIsaidithadno comment.

However,itisunderstoodneitherwouldbe affectedbyachangeintheoperatingmodel.

“I thinkit’s justabout recognising the importance of business to people’s livesand partnering with them.”

Andrew

“Food

MichaelBellofNIFDA speakingasitannouncedits annualindustrydinner.

DameMaryPeterspicturedat thetrackin2013followinga £3mrefurbishment

Murphyspeakingabouthis department’snewvision.

Webbspeaking aboutthebusinesspriorities foranewExecutive.

and drink, together with the wider foodsupply chain, plays a crucial rolein the NIeconomy.”

Belfast cocktailbar owner planning majornew extension

ABelfastcitycentre cocktailbarcould begetting a majorextensionamid freshplans.

Margot,ownedbytheCloverGroup,is a

basementbarlocatedjustacrossfromCityHall.

Itsownerisnowplanningontakingon a buildingnextdooranddeveloping a basement andgroundfoorbaraspartof a major

extension,accordingtofreshplanssubmitted.

Thefrmbehindithasappliedforlisted buildingconsenttoturna vacantstoragearea andformerbarbersatbasementlevel,andan offceatgroundfoor, into a bar

Thebuildingis a gradeB1listedGeorgian townhouse,withtheexistingbaralreadybased atnumber18DonegallSquare East.

Designsforthenewbarincludeseveralsmall loungeareas,separatebarsand a function roomatgroundlevel,alongside a roofgarden andfoyerarea.

OwnerCloverGroupoperates a seriesof barsinBelfast,includingPugUglys,White’s Tavern,andHenry’s.Italso recentlybought and revampedtheformerEglantineInnonthe MaloneRoad, renamedasThePostHouse.

Thevenue’s newdesignconcept,developed byO’DonnellO’Neill,wasbasedonthe building’s richhistoryas a VictorianPosthouse andseestheexternalfaçadebeingstripped backwith a newstorefront,brickcladdingand overfowingplantingbeingintroducedatthe groundfoorandfrstfoorterraces.

ScottishMutualhotel project takes majorstep forward

Majorplanstoturntheformer ScottishMutualBuildingin Belfastintoahotelhavetakena freshstepforward.

Anew102-bedroomdevelopmentlooksset tobedevelopedatthecitycentrespot,located onBedfordStreet–onceduetobeaGeorge Best-themedhotel.

DerryfrmMartinPropertyGrouphasnow submittedafullplanningapplication,which willseea102-bedroomhoteldeveloped,with bars, restaurantsandagroundfoorextension.

Thebusinessboughtthepropertyafterthe companywhichformerlyowneditentered administration.

BedfordHotelLimited,thecompanybehind thehotelproposalinthelandmarkScottish MutualBuildinginthecitycentre,wasplaced intoadministrationin2020.

BedfordHotelLimitedwaspartoftheoverall SignatureLivingcollectionofcompanies,which wasrunbyLiverpooldeveloperLawrence Kenwright.

TheMartinPropertyGroupisnow restoring theScottishMutualBuildingintoanew hotel.Atthetimeofitspurchaseitsaidit wouldmakea“signifcantinvestmentinthe restoration,preservationandenhancementof thebuilding’soriginalfeaturesandthecreation ofaworldclasshotel”.

Ithasanexpansiveandimpressiveproperty portfolioacrosstheUKandIrelandandis developingseveralbuildingsinBelfastand inDerry,includingtheRichmondCentre shoppingmall.

MrMartin recentlytoldtheBelfast Telegraph:“BedfordStreetisbeing transformed.Alongwithourplansforthe

ScottishMutualBuilding,itwillfurthercement thismicro-locationasahubforhighquality hotelaccommodationandassuchwillcreate newdemand.”

Speakingasthefrmsubmitteditspreplanningproposalofapplication,PaulMartin oftheMartinPropertyGroup,said:“Plans todeveloptheScottishMutualBuildingare underwayandwe’rekeentogetstarted.

“Wehopetobeinapositiontoprovide furtherupdateslaterintheyearintermsof design,layoutandconcept.”

ThegroupisalsotheownerofRoss’s Court,aformerhomeofArgosinBelfast, MarlboroughHouseon VictoriaStreet,andthe RichmondShoppingCentreinDerry.

It recentlyboughttheDanesfortbuilding inStranmillis,whereitisinvesting£15minits refurbishment.

TheScottishMutual BuildingonBedfordStreet

Entriesopen for Belfast Telegraph Grocer Marketing Awards

Entriesarenowopenforthisyear’sBelfast TelegraphGrocer Marketing Awards2024withtitlesponsorBiopax.

Winnerswillbe recognisedattheGroceryAidGrocers’Ballinthe CullodenHotel&SpaonFriday,May24.

Featuring10categories,theawardswillbejudgedbyUlsterUniversity professorBarryQuinn,RNCommunicationsfounderRikiNeill,FoodNI chiefexecutiveMicheleShirlowMBEandGrainneMoody,InvestNIfood anddrinkmanager.

AwardsandsponsorsincludeBestMarketingCampaign(Biopax), LeaderinMarketing(Hovis),LorraineHall YoungMarketeer(Forest Feast),BestSustainabilityInitiative(PowerNI),BestBrand(Henderson FoodMachinery),BestNewProductLaunch/Relaunch(DerryGroup), BestCSRInitiative/CharityPartnership(HunkyDorys),BestFoodExport Marketing(InvestNI),BestIn-StoreConsumerSalesPromotion(Madri Excepcional)andBestDigitalCampaign(WhiteOats).

LiamO’Connor,salesandmarketingdirector,Biopaxsaid:“Northern Ireland’sfoodanddrinksector,alongwithitssupplychain,standsas aglobalmodel.Ourexceptionalfoodquality,coupledwithinnovative

deliveryandservicemethods,commandsadmiration.

“Moreover,oursectorhasembracedbestpracticesinsustainability, infuencingtheentireprocessforabetterworld.Here,adherence togrowingqualityandsustainabilitystandardsnotonlyprevailsbut surpassesexpectations,establishingbenchmarksforotherstofollow, bothlocallyandindifferentjurisdictions.”

Formoreinformation:karen.mcgarvey@mediahuis.co.uk

Twice the numberofpeopleback Windsor Framework than thoseopposed

Almosttwicethenumberof peopleinNorthernIreland believetheWindsorFramework ishavingapositiveimpacthere comparedtothoseopposed,according toanewsurvey.

Around56%ofpeopleheresaythe arrangementstodealwithNorthernIreland tradepost-Brexitarehavingapositiveimpact here,while29%disagree.

Itcomesasthe reportfromQueen’s UniversityBelfast,conductedbyLucidTalk, saysjustathirdofthepublicbelievethe restoredAssemblywilllastuntiltheendof itscurrentmandate.

Asimilarnumberbelieveitwillnotlast whilearound26%saytheyareunsure,or don’tknow.

Thislatestpoll,usingaweightedsample of1,202 respondentsfromacrossNorthern Ireland,wasconductedonFebruary2-5, shortlyaftertheDUPagreedto returntothe Executivefollowingthepublicationofthe

SafeguardingtheUnion‘deal’withtheUK Government.

Thepollfoundalmostthree-quarters of respondents(73%)agreeingthatthe DUPwasrightto returntoStormont.This includesaclearmajorityofAlliance,SDLP, SinnFéinandUUPsupporters,andalmost

half(47%)ofDUPvoters.

However,only24%of respondents believethatthedealsecuredbytheDUP wasworthdeferringtheestablishmentof theAssembly/Executiveforalmosttwoyears. However75%ofDUPvotersbelievethatit was.

MargaretCanning,businesseditorattheBelfast TelegraphlaunchingtheBelfast TelegraphGrocerMarketing Awards2024alongsideLiamO’Connor,salesand marketingdirectoratBiopax

NorthernIrelandbusiness confdencenow‘at32-monthhigh’

Businessconfdenceherehassurged toa32-monthhighwhilethestart oftheyearalsosawacontinued riseinoutput.

Therewasasmallincreaseinoverallbusiness outputduringJanuary,accordingtothelatest purchasingmanagers’indexfromUlsterBank.

Thatrisewasbuoyedbyrisesin retail, manufacturingandservices.However,there wasasizeablecontractioninNorthernIreland’s constructionsector–posting39.8,where50 meansnochange.

However,exportordershavecontinuedtofall ata“signifcant”rate.

“NorthernIreland’sprivatesectorstarted 2024onastrongerfootingwithmostofthe indicatorsofbusinessconditionsimproving relativetoDecember,”RichardRamsey,chief economistNorthernIreland,UlsterBank,said.

“Outputexpandedforthesecondmonth runningwithmanufacturing,servicesand retailall recordingincreasedlevelsofbusiness activityinJanuary.Construction remainedan outlierwithactivityfallingatasubstantialrate andatitsfastestpacein12months.

“Despiteacontinuedslumpinexportorders, anotablepick-upindomesticdemandledto thefrstriseinnewordersineightmonths. Asurgein retaildemandanda returnto

growthinmanufacturingordersmorethan offsetthecontinueddeclinesinservicesand construction.”

NorthernIrelandsawmodestgrowthin January,behindseveralotherUK regions, includingLondon,whichsawthebiggest surge.

“Somefrmshighlightedthat re-routingof shippingawayfromtheSuezCanalhadcaused longerdeliveryleadtimes,”MrRamseysaid.

“Buttherewasnooverallchangeinsupplier deliverytimesamongstmanufacturersin January.Manufacturershavebeencuttingtheir pricesforthelasteightmonthsand reduced theminJanuaryattheirfastestpacesince February2010.Services,constructionand retail thoughallraisedpricesataquickerpace.

“Staffnglevelscontinuedtorisewith manufacturing(marginally),servicesand constructionfrmsallincreasingtheir reducedtheir staffnglevelsforthefrsttimein16months.

“Thebiggestsurpriseinthelatestsurveywas thesurgeinbusinessconfdence.Localfrms weretheirmostoptimisticaboutfutureoutput levels(in12months’time)sinceMay2021. Thepositivesentimentwasevidentacrossall

newedoptimismwaslinkedtothe launchofnewproductsandhigherorders. Signifcantly,thenotableimprovementinthe storationofStormont. Theimpactonsentimentofthepolitical developmentsshouldbecomeapparentin

Richard Ramsey

Morethan300staffapplyfor BelfastMetredundancyscheme

ByJohnMulgrew

More than300staff haveapplied forvoluntary redundancyat BelfastMetropolitanCollege asitlooksto reduceitsheadcountamid tightenedbudgets,itcanbe revealed.

Howeverthecollegesaysit’s “oversubscribed” forthenumberofpostsaffected.It’s understoodthecollegeisseekingaround 120full-timeequivalent rolesaspartofits redundancyscheme.

Itsays90of312voluntary redundancy applicationsincludestaff whohavealsoasked for redeployment.

“Overall,weare oversubscribedforthenumber ofpostsaffected,” a lettersenttostaff has said.

“Thismeansthatmanyapplicantswillnot receiveanofferofvoluntary redundancy Itis importanttostatethissothatstaff whohave appliedare clearanddonotmakeanypersonal decisionsinanticipationthattheywill receive anofferofvoluntary redundancy.”

Thecollegesaiddecisionmakingon applicationsbeganearlierthismonth,withthe “vastmajority”ofapplicantsbeingadvisedof itsdecisiontowardstheendofFebruary

It’s understoodtheUniversityandCollege Union(UCU) recentlymetwithnewlyappointedEconomyMinisterConorMurphy

Itsaidtradeunionsacrossthefurthereducation sectorsupported a jointopenlettertothe minister, callingforwider redundancyschemes acrossthesectortobeparkedaheadof a sector-wide review

A lettersentbyBelfastMettostaff regarding the redundancyschemesaysfor“applicants in a poolofpostsidentifedasimpactedby

collegechangesyourapplicationwillenterthe decision-makingprocess”.

Itsayswhere there are more applicantsthan poststobemade redundant,thevoluntary redundancy“oversubscriptiondecisioncriteria setoutinpreviouscorrespondencewillbe applied”.

“Thosestaff whoappliedforbothVRand redeploymentwillbeadvisedoftheoutcome oftheirvoluntary redundancyapplicationand oftheir redeploymentoptionsatthesametime sothattheycanmaketheirdecisionwiththe informationtheyneed.”

The redundancyprocesswasfrst revealedby theBelfast TelegraphinNovember

Thelettersenttostaff,fromchiefexecutive Louise Warde Hunter, said:“Iamwritingto confrmthat…BelfastMethascommenced formalconsultationwithtradeunionson a proposedprogrammeof redundancies.

“Thisisthestartof a processwhichwillinclude bothcollectiveconsultationwithour recognised tradeunionsand,induecourse,individual

consultationwiththosestaff affectedbythe proposed redundancies.”

Shesaidthepotentialjoblosses,“although deeply regrettableandnaturallyunsettling”,are “unavoidablegiventhewell-documentedand signifcantfnancialandwiderpressuresfacing furthereducationcollegesandthepublicsector as a whole”.

Meanwhile,BelfastMetropolitanCollegeisalso proposingtocloseoneofitsmaincampuses amidtightenedbudgetsand a deteriorating building.

Ithasundergone a consultationtoproposethe closure ofitsCastlereaghcampusineastBelfast.

Thefurthereducationcollege,whichhas around37,000studentsacrossfveseparate campuses,hadwrittentostaff tooutlinethe proposals.

It’s understoodthelatestproposed redundancies are relatedtowiderbudgetcutsapplyingto furthereducationcollegesandare notdirectly toplanstoclosethecollege’s Castlereagh campus. ■

BelfastMetropolitanCollege’scampusat TitanicQuarter

Work-lifebalancemoreachievable anddesirablethaneverbefore

ByJohnMoore,managingdirector,HaysNI

I’mnotsure anyone I knowhas‘work-lifebalance”’100% cracked.

Ifwe’re honest, I wouldguessthatallofusare guiltyattimesof answeringemailsintheevening,writing reportsorproposalsonthe weekendandtakingcallswhenwe’re supposedtobeonholiday

Sometimes,whateverbusinessyouare in,itsnecessaryforyour professionalandprivatelifetoblur More oftenthannot,however, the tasksmostofusare completingoutsideofournormalworkingdaycould probablywait.

Butsincethespotlightwasshoneonwellbeingandwork-lifebalance intheaftermathoftheCovid-19pandemic,there hasdefnitelybeen a trendamongworkersofallagestoprioritisetheirmentalandphysical healthandtolookforwaystoworksmarter, ratherthanjustworking harder

Hays’annualsalarysurveyfoundthatwork-lifebalanceisnowthesecond mostimportantfactortoprofessionalswhenthey’re considering a new role,aftersalary Amongthealmost15,000professionalsandemployers surveyedacrosstheUK,wefoundthat22%ofpeoplecitedwork-life balanceasthemostimportantfactortothem,aheadofthebenefts packageonoffer(21%)andcareerdevelopmentopportunities(17%).

Thefguresshowinghowpeopleratetheirwork-lifebalanceindicates thatmore peoplethinktheirwork-lifebalanceisgoodorverygood thanwasthecaseatanytimeoverthepast10years,with60%of respondentsupbeatabouttheircircumstances,comparedwith47%in 2014.

Sowhatdoesthatalltimehighlevelofpositiveratingsaboutwork-life balancetellus?Are peoplemanagingtoshapehowtheyworkmore successfully?Ordoesit refectthefactthatemployershaveprioritised fexibilityandwork-lifebalanceto retaintalentin a competitivemarket overthepastthreeorfouryears?Theanswerisprobably a bitofboth.

Hays’ researchfoundthatinordertoimprovetheirwork-lifebalance 43%ofprofessionalswouldideallychangetheirworkinghours(including fexibleworking),whilesomeprofessionalswouldprefertochangetheir commutingtime(17%),theexpectationtoworkoutsidecontracted hours(12%),unpaidovertime(11%)andtheiroffceenvironment(8%).

Accordingtothe research,overhalf(52%)ofprofessionalswould considertailoredfexibleworkingpoliciesasthemostappealingfactor whenconsidering a new role.

Oneinterestingfootnotetothesurveywasthefndingthatmore than a

quarter(29%)ofprofessionalswouldbepreparedtoaccept a lowerpaid jobfor a betterwork-lifebalance.Thislookslike a verysignifcantfgure, exceptthatitissignifcantlylessthanthe56%ofprofessionalswhosaid thesamelastyear – perhaps refectingtheimpactoftherisingcostof livingsincethattime.

Achieving a goodbalancebetweenyourpersonalandprofessionallife is a crucialwaytoimprovewellbeing,anditcertainlyispromisingtosee thatsixoutof10professionalsratetheirwork-lifebalancepositively

Butthere’s undoubtedly roomforimprovementandemployerscando more tosupporttheirstaff,bynotonlyencouragingthisbalancebutby ensuringwellbeingis a priorityareawithintheirorganisation.

Lastyear, inGreatBritain, a pieceoflegislationcalledtheFlexible WorkingBillwasintroduced,whichwasdesignedtogiveworkers therightto requestfexibleworkingfromdayonein a newjob,with employersobligedtoconsiderany requestandprovide a reasonfor refusal.

Before yougetinto a legalsituation , acknowledgingwhatmatters mosttoprofessionals,whetherthat’s fexibleworkingoptionsorclear boundariesbetweenworkandpersonalhours,aswellasimplementing thesemethodswhere possible,isthekeytohelpingstaff achieve a worklifebalance.

Ifemployershave a workforcewhofeelasthoughthey’vestruck a positivebalancebetweentheirpersonalandprofessionallives,thiswill have a powerfulimpactonemployeemoraleandstaff wellbeing,aswell asimprovingproductivityandtalentattractionand retentioninthelong term. ■

Unlocking Northern Irelandbusiness growth with managed services

CaitroinaMcCusker,regionalmarketleaderfor PwCNorthernIreland,and IanMcConnell,PwCUK’s EMSleadandoperatechiefexecutivespeakto Ulster Business aboutwhymoreorganisationsareturningto managedservicestomeettheiroperationalneeds

As organisationsinNorthern Ireland continuetonavigateanevershiftingeconomicandgeopolitical landscape,privateandpublicleaders are seekingnewwaystoadapttheir operationalmodelstofostergrowthand resilience.

A strategyincreasinglybeingadoptedby organisationsispartneringwith a managed servicesprovidertoruncore partsoftheir operationsontheirbehalf,suchasdealing withriskandcompliancechallenges,ESG (environmental,socialandgovernance) reporting requirements,cloudanddata transformation,andtax,legal,fnanceand a rangeofcustomermanagementactivities.

Thisgivesorganisations – ofallsizes –immediateaccesstosought-afterskillsets,new technologyandoperationalexpertisethatcan introduceneweffcienciesintohowtheyrun.It alsogivesthemtheneededcapabilitytodrive positivechangeandtransformationforthe longterm.

Overthelastfewyears,aswellasworking withlocalclients,PwCUK’s Belfastoffcehas become a globalhubforitsgrowingexecution managedServices(EMS)business.

“Today, businessesandorganisationsacrossall sectorsare facinggreateruncertaintiesandrisks thaneverbefore,rangingfromgeopolitical, environmentalandeconomicuncertaintiesto ongoingdigitaldisruption,skillsshortagesand anevolvingworkforce,”IanMcConnellsays.

“As a result,manyare facingthetough reality thattheyneedto reinventthemselvesand transformtheiroperationalmodelsatpace.”

Ianbelievestheneedtotransformisno longer a choicebut a necessityinorderto growandstaycompetitiveand relevantinthe market.“Thechallengeis,we’re fndingthat organisationsneedtherightskills,technology, resourcesorsupportecosystemtoaffectthe change required,whichcan requirea signifcant investmentintimeandmoney Andofcourse the‘businessasusual’activityalsoneedsto continue.Thisiswherea managedservice comesin.”

Theurgencyforbusinessleaderstoadaptis refectedinPwC’s recentCEOSurvey, which highlightedthat21%ofUKchiefexecutives are questioningtheviabilityoftheirbusinesses’ economicviabilitywithin10yearsontheir currentpath.Manyare turningtomanaged servicestoaddressthegapsintheiroperations

andshare thechallengeandriskofdriving real changeandbusinessoutcomes.

Andit’s notjustlargecompaniesand multinationalstakingadvantageofthe offering.“Mostofourmanagedservices clientsare privatelyownedbusinessesorpublic sectororganisations,fromlocalcouncilsto healthtrusts,”Iansays.“Aswellasimproving operationalprocesses,manyofthese organisationsare turningtomanagedservices toaccesstherighttalentattherighttime.”

CatMcCuskersays:“When I speaktolocal businessandpublicsectorleaders,there ishugeappetiteandpassiontogrowand develop,butmanyare strugglingtoaddress skillsgapsandtherateoftechnological change. We’re seeingthisacrossallsectors. Forsomeorganisations,managedservicescan reallyhelpbridgethisgap,contributetotheir future successandevenlaythegroundwork

forwidereconomicsuccessthroughoutthe region.”

Managedservicescanaddressoperational shortfallsfacingorganisationsbytakingonthe runningofcomplicatedorinefficientbusiness functions.SowhyisPwC,traditionallyknown foritsadvisoryservices,playinginthisspace?

“AlthoughmanypeoplewillknowPwCfor ourprofessionalandadvisorywork,managed servicesis a hugeareaofgrowthforusand anareaweare heavilyinvestingin,”Iansays. “Itgivesustheopportunitytoputallofthe expertiseandtechnologyintoactionbytaking ontherunningofbusinessfunctionsforour clients,whichissomethingthey’re increasingly lookingfor We have a culture ofpartnering withourclientsandmanagedservicesallowus tobringthattolife,puttingskininthegame andbeingabletomake a realdifferenceday today.”

Thismightseemlikejustanotherformof businessprocessoutsourcing(BPO),butIanis quicktopointoutthedifferences.

“Similartoworkingwith a BPO,wetakeonthe runningofbusinessfunctionsandprocesses forourclients.Butthat’s where thesimilarities end,”hesays.“We bringthepowerofthe PwC’s functionalskillsandbusinessinsight, combinedwithoperationaldeliverypoweredby leadingedgetechnologyanddatainsights.”

This,saysIan,allowedPwCtoprovide flexibility andthecustomisationneededto respondto today’s rapidlychangingbusinesschallenges, co-creatingsolutionsforclientsthatimpact missioncriticalaspectsoftheirorganisation.

“We evolveand flexourservicesinlinewith ourclients’marketdemandsandstrategic prioritiesandweempowerthemwithchoice, suchasvariablecontractlengths,valueand

outcomebasedcommercialarrangements,for example.

“Finally, whileBPOcansometimesseemlike a quick fix– oftenallyou’re doingispassing onaninefficientprocesstoanotherprovider,” Iansays.“Instead,weinvestinskillsand technologythatwillleavetheprocessesbetter thanwhenwefoundthemandtransformedfor thelongrun,whetherwecontinuetomanage themorhandthembacktotheclient.”

Thisinvestmentinskillsandtechnologyis a key componentofthemanagedservicemodelPwC UKhasestablished.Ithasdevelopedalliances withmanyoftheworld’s bigtech firmsand drawsonthemtopowertheservicesitprovides toclients – givingthemaccesstodigital capabilitiesthatmayotherwisebeoutof reach.

Forexample,lastyearPwC’s partnershipwith Sage,theUK’s largestlistedtechcompany,>

IanMcConnellandCaitroinaMcCusker

COVE R STORY

helpedprovide150managedservicesclients withthefnancialinsightneededtorun theirbusinessesmore effectively, simplify operations,and reducecosts.Meanwhile, forclientsstrugglingwithincreasingESG reportingandcompliance requirements,PwC hasbeendeployingSalesforceNetZero Cloud technology, AIanddata-driveninsightsto underpinits‘netzero reportingas a service’ offering.

BelfastisalsohometosomeofPwC’s global centresofexcellence,includingtheUKfrm’s £40mAdvancedResearchCentre,whichalso involvesUlsterUniversityandQueen’s University Belfast,exploringhowtechnologycanhelp businessesdelivermanyoftheircore business processesmore effectivelyandeffcientlyfor thenextdecadeandbeyond.

Andwhenitcomestoitspeople,PwCis committedtoinvestinganddeveloping

homegrowntalent.ItpartneredwithQueen’s UniversityBelfasttodeliver a HigherLevel ApprenticeshipDegreeProgrammeand supporttheAssuredSkillsAcademy, providing

opportunitiesforindividualstostart a careerin professionalservices,inpartnershipwiththe DepartmentfortheEconomy

“I’vealwaysbeenimpressedbythetalentand ambitionwehaverighthere onourdoorstep,” Catsays.“We’re reallyproudofourpeople. Theyare whatsetsusapartandthatiswhy we’re alwaysinvestingintraining,upskilling anddevelopingourpeople,tomakesure our clientsare gettingaccesstothebesttalent, butalsobecausewe’re alsopassionateabout the rolewecanplayinhelpingtoclosethe skillsgapsinthe region.”

Despitethechallengesbothprivateandpublic sectororganisationshavefacedhere overthe lastfewyears,it’s clearthat,forsome,the combinationoftalentandtechnologywithin PwCmanagedservicescouldwellhelpthem withtransformation.Localorganisations cantapintosomeofthebestsectorand subjectmatterexpertise,alongsideleading operationalskillsandframeworks,powered bycuttingedgetechnology, andPwC’s strong relationshipsthroughoutNorthern Ireland –andtheworld.

“I’minspiredbythepotential I seefor economicgrowthinNorthern Ireland,”Cat says.“Whilemanagedservicesmaynotbethe onlyanswer, itmightjustbethemissingpart ofanorganisation’s transformationstrategy Andbyhelpingbusinessesthroughoutthe regionsetthemselvesupforfuture success, wecanalsobepartofmakingNorthern Irelandthe‘goto’destinationforpeople,skills, growthandinvestment.” ■

CaitroinaMcCusker

IanMcConnell

DanskeBankpostssurging pre-taxproftsof£186m

DanskeBankhasseenitspre-tax proftssurgeto£186mbuoyedby lendinggrowthandUK-widehigher interestrates.

Thebanksaw a stronglendingbookacross bothbusinessandpersonal,suchasmortgages, avoidingsignsofdistressinitsloanbookin 2023.

Itfreedupmore than£13msetasidetodeal withanyloanimpairments,seeingpre-tax proftsrisingby80%from£103.3mto£186m.

Itsdepositshavecontinuedtorise – reaching £10.7bn – whichsawpersonalfguresfall slightlybutbusinessincreasing.

Thebanksaysaround80%ofitsmortgage customersare onfxed-rateproducts,with “manyhavingnotbeenimmediatelyimpacted byrisingcentralbankratesin2023”.

“Iampleasedtoannounce a strongsetof fnancial resultsfor2023,with a proftbefore taxof£186m,” VickyDavies,DanskeBankchief executive,said.

“Astrongfnancialperformancemeanswe

are wellpositionedtocontinuetosupport customers,alongsidebeingabletoinvestinnew productsandservicesthatimprovecustomer experience.

“In responsetoinfationarypressures,theBank ofEnglandraisedinterestratesthroughout 2023,from3.5%atthestartoftheyear, to 5.25%atyear-end.

“Despitetheever-changinginterestrate environment,weprovidedover£550mof mortgagelendingapprovalsin2023inNorthern Ireland.

“Transactionlevelsinthemortgagemarketwere slowinquarteronebut remainedathealthy levelsacrossthe restoftheyear, withnew mortgagelendingapprovalsinthesecondhalf oftheyear25%higherthaninthefrsthalf.

“Whilein2022only27%ofourlocalmortgage customersoptedfor a two-yearfxedmortgage product,in2023this roseto47%,whichwe believewasanindicationthatmore customers were anticipatingratesmaycomedown.”

Shesaidthebanklentsome£575mto businessesduringthecourseoftheyear

Thebankisalsomarking200yearsin business,withtheformerNorthern Bank formedbackin1824.

“Lendingapprovalsforsmallbusinesseswere up23%year-on-year, andsustainablefnance lendingincorporateandbusinessbanking was a notablegrowtharea,withlending approvalsup46%year-on-year

“We remainconsciousofourimportant roleinfnancingthetransitionto a more sustainablefuture anditwillbethrough supportingthesustainabilityapproachofour customersthatwewillmakethegreatest impact.

“In2023weapproved£380minsustainable fnancelendingtobusinessesandpersonal customersacrosstheUK,anditwasalso a yearwhenwe receivedtheNorthern Ireland ‘climateaction’award presentedbyBusiness intheCommunity

“We havealsoseenincreaseddemand fromlocalbusinesscustomerswhowantto takepartin a ClimateActionprogramme thatweco-developedwithBusinessinthe Community.” ■

Vicky Davies

Entriesnowopenfor Business intheCommunity’s2024 ResponsibleBusiness Awards

BusinessesinNorthernIreland cannowentertheannual2024 ResponsibleBusiness Awardsin NorthernIreland.

Theawardsarerunby responsiblebusiness networkBusinessintheCommunity(BITCNI)in partnershipwithkeysponsorHenryBrothers, and rewardand recognisebusinesseslargeand smallandfromeverysectorinNorthernIreland ontheirexceptionalcorporate responsibility action.

Theawardsarefreetoenter,businessescan enterasmanycategoriesastheylike,and winnerswillbeannouncedattheawardsgala eventonSeptember5atICCBelfast.

TheResponsibleBusiness Awardstakeplacein partnershipwithkeysponsorHenryBrothers, eventpartnerJPCorry,andinassociation withUlsterBusiness,U105andLanyon Communications.

The13awardscategoriescoverarangeof themesincludingdiversity,wellbeing,climate, technology,partnerships,andcommunity

impact.Anindividualwillbe recognisedas the2024ResponsibleBusinessAmbassador andatopprizeisawardedtothe2024NI ResponsibleCompanyofthe Year.

Twonewcategorieshavebeenintroduced in2024:theNature&Biodiversity Award fortheorganisationthatbestdemonstrates asignifcantcommitmentandcontribution toimprovingbiodiversityandthenatural environment,andtheSkills&Education Award,fortheorganisationthatbest demonstrateshowitsactionshavehelped inspireandsupportyoungpeople.

VickyDavies,chair,BusinessintheCommunity said:“These Awardsprovideaplatformto showcaseandcelebratethemostinnovative andinspirational responsiblebusinesses.

“Astheonly Awardsdedicatedto responsible businessinNI,thisisauniqueopportunityfor leadersinallareasofcorporate responsibility tobe recognisedand rewardedforgoing beyondprofttobeaforceforgoodforsociety andtheenvironment,anditsservesasaway toinspireotherstofollowsuit.”

Thefulllistofawardsup-for-grabsare:

 NIResponsibleCompanyofthe Year Award sponsoredbyEncirc

 ClimateAction Award sponsoredbyHeronEnergy

 CollaborativeAction Award sponsoredbyArthurCox

 Diversity&Inclusion Award sponsoredbyBelfastHarbour

 EmployerofChoice Award sponsoredbyUlsterUniversity

 ImpactinyourCommunity Award sponsoredbySPARNI

 Nature&Biodiversity Award sponsoredbySONI

 One-To-Watch Award sponsoredbyDanskeBank

 ResponsibleBusinessAmbassador sponsoredbySSEAirtricity

 ResponsibleProduct/Service Award sponsoredby Translink

 Responsible TechnologyInnovation Award sponsoredbyAllstateNI

 Skills&Education Award sponsoredbyAllen&Overy

 Wellbeingat Work Award sponsoredbyLarnePort

IanHenry,CSRdirector,HenryBrothers said:“HenryBrothersisfrmlycommittedto promotingsustainability,notjustwithinour ownorganisationbutthroughoutthewider businesscommunity.

“Withthisinmind,wearepleasedto announcethatHenryBrotherswillbethekey sponsoroftheResponsibleBusiness Awards for2024forthethirdyearrunning.”

■

Visitwww.bitcni.org.uk/awardstoenterandto fndoutmore.Thedeadlineforsubmissionsis 5pmonFriday,April26.

Sponsorsandmediapartnerslaunchthisyear’sResponsibleBusiness Awards

Thecolumnwithan earforexperience...

Howdidyoustartoutinyourbusiness?

IgraduatedfromStirlingUniversityin marketing.Atmyfrstmarketingjobinterview witha recruitmentcompany,theylookedat eachother,laughedandsaidIshouldbein sales.The restishistory.Myfrstjobwasselling computerworkstationsinManchesterbefore movingtoIBM.Icompletedtheirsalesschool andtookmysalesskillsoverseas.I’vebeen helpingcompanieswithinternationalgrowth eversince.

Whathaveyoufoundthemost challengingduringyouryearsofbusiness, sofar?

Probablythebiggestchallengewas establishingEnterpriseIreland’soffceinSao Paulo,Brazil–thefrstemployeeinLatin AmericasupportingIrishcompaniesafter the2009fnancialcrisis.Arrivingwithouta wordofPortugueseIwasawestruckbythis sprawlingmetropolisanditsplagueof motorbikes.Iquicklyquestionedmy decision,butitbecameoneofmy bestexperiences.

Ibuiltsenior relationships helpingIrishcompaniesnavigate thischallengingmarket.Iled acampaignwiththeBrazilian Governmenttoencourage5,000 Brazilianstudentstostudyin Irelandandforawhilehadthe honourofbeingIreland’sde factoBrazilianAmbassador. Embracechallenge–thisis whereyoulearnthemost.

Howwouldyoudescribe yourmanagementstyle?

You’dprobablygetmore interestinganswersfrommy team,butItrytoempower

Name: ColinMcCullagh

Position: Chiefrevenueoffcer,OCOGlobal

anddevelopmyteams,givingthemautonomy. Ilikeenvironmentswhereeveryoneisvalued andcancontribute, regardlessofrankor experience. We’veagreatteaminOCOand Iwantthebestforthemandtheircareers. Hopefully,I’maloyal,supportiveandinspiring manager–aswellasachallengingoneat times.

Whatwouldyouchangeifyoucouldgo backanddoitallagain?

Itendnottothinkthatway.I’mveryhappy withmylife,careerandimpact.IfIdid rewrite

thescript,I’dswaptheearlymorningpreschoolhourshittingballsonthegolfpractice groundatClandeboyetoinvestinginmyshort game–maybethenI’dbeplayinggolffora livinginFlorida.

Haveyoudoneitallonyourown?

Younever reallydoanythingbyyourself.As Arniesays,he’snotaself-mademan. We’re alltheproductofthepeoplearoundus.Iwas luckytohaveadadwhopushedmeto‘use myinitiative’andamumwhohada resilience, strengthandcharacterthatcouldn’thelpbut infuencewhoIam.I’mnowfortunatetohave awifewhobelievesinmemorethanIbelieve inmyselfandadaughter,Ruby,wholightsup everyminuteofeveryday.

I’vehadmanagers,colleaguesandclients who’veguidedme,butit’simportanttodoit yourownwaytoo.SomeadvisedthatIshould haveadifferentpersonainwork.Thankfully,I didn’tagree–whatyouseeiswhatyouget.

Howwouldyoulikeyourbusinesstobe I’mproudtobepartofOCO’sleadership team,aglobalfrmbornandbredin NorthernIreland.First,I’dlikeit rememberedforitscultural DNA.It’sthesameaswhenMark O’Connellfoundeditover20 yearsago–entrepreneurial, fun,ambitious,globaland passionate.Secondly,apioneer ofinnovation,technology andsmartthinking.Finally, anoutstandingsales organisation.Inmynew roleaschief revenue offcer,I’monajourneyto enhancecommercialityand turbochargegrowth.

Whatpieceofadvice wouldyougivetoa 20-year-oldyou?

Fearnothing.Gooutthere andembraceeverything.The world’samagicalplace. ■

‘Ourbiggest growthmarket isthe Republic… we’re

aiming for £255min totalsales’

Henderson Foodservicehasexpandedbyaround £80mintwoyears,nowsaystheRepublicisits biggestmarketforgrowth,hastripleditsonlinesales, pivotedawaytosomedegreefromGBchannelsbut iscontinuingtoeyefurtheracquisitionandgrowth.

JohnMulgrew speakstomanagingdirector Cathal Geoghegan

OneofNorthernIreland’sbiggest foodbusinessesisaimingtocross thequarterofabillionmarkin salesthisyear.

AndtheRepublicisfrmlyinthecrosshairs ofanysizeablefuturegrowthforHenderson Foodservice,whileonlinebusinesshastripled inthespaceofjustacoupleofyears.

CathalGeogheganismanagingdirectorof HendersonFoodservice,abusinesswhichhas seensalessurgingby£80minjustthelasttwo years,somethinghe’skeentoputdowntoa teameffort.

Thefoodwholesalegiant,partoftheoverall HendersonGroup–nowabusinesswith turnoverwellinexcessof£1bn–hasseen salessurgeto£225m,withfurthersimilar growthonthecards,accordingtoCathal.It’s

targeting£255minturnoverthisyear.

Hesaysthe“biggestareaofgrowth”isnow frmlyintheRepublic,whileonlinesaleshave tripledfrom12-13%ofturnoverto40-45%, withthattobecomethebulkwithinthenext sixtoeightyears.

CathalsayswhileHendersonFoodservicehas hadtopivotand reduceits relianceonGB marketswiththe WindsorFramework,it’s expandedelsewhereanddoesn’tseeitasa barriertogrowth.

“AttheendofDecemberournumberswere wellup–£225m,whichisanincreasefrom £188mayearbefore,”hetold UlsterBusiness

“Ayear[before]wewere£145m–wehave grown£80mintwoyears.Itisahugeteam effort,acrosstheboard,fromtheteam.

“Theyearhaspassed…it’sanewyearwith newchallengesandtargets…thetarget budgetis£255mthisyear.”Cathalsaysthat’s “verymuchachievable”.

Covidobviouslyhitabusinesswhichsupplies thefoodservicesectorparticularlysharply.

“Covidhitushard,butwehavebounced back,”Cathalsays.Buthesaidsomeofthe downtimealloweditto“getafterthings”.

Thatincludedanewwebsite.Sinceits introductionit’smorethantrebleditsbusiness –now representingbetween40-45%ofsales.

“Wewanttogrowthatinsixtoeightyearsto getthebulkofbusinessonline,”hesays.

“It’seasierforourclientbase.Theycantap intothewebsite,placeordersandhavea

favouritesbasket(withhistoricalorders).It’s moreuser-friendly.”

HendersonFoodservice,likemanyinlogistics andthefoodsector,hadto“circumvent”and dealwiththechallengesandchangesbrought aboutbyBrexit,theNIProtocoland Windsor Framework.

Thatmeant reducingits relianceongoods fowingfromGBtoNI,andinstead, “enhancing”fowfromtheRepublicandthe restoftheworld.

“That’snottosaythereisn’tafairamount offromtheGBmarketplace,”Cathalsays.

HendersonFoodservice remainsamemberof thewiderCountryRangeGroup,givingthem strongerbuyingpower.

“EverythingwelandfromGBhastocome

through redlane…there’sthepotentialit couldbesoldtocustomersintheRepublic,”he says.“We recognisedthat,andworkaroundit withpracticeandpolicies.

“Businessadaptandareagile,andweareas agileastheycome. We haven’tseenitasa barriertogrowthandwon’t. We continueto pushon.”

Cathal,speakinginhis roleNIChamber chairman,saysdualmarketaccess“hashuge benefts”toNorthernIrelandbusinesses.

“Theyshouldbefocusedonthatandthe opportunitiesitwillbring,”hesays.

HendersonFoodserviceisalsosigningup foranexclusivedealwithtopFrenchchef PierreKoffmann’spotatorange.“Thatwillbe exclusiveontheislandofIreland,”Cathalsays.

Thefrmwilloffciallylaunchthetie-inat theIFEXeventlaterthismonth,withPierre Koffmannhimselfinattendanceandonthe stand.

It’salreadyservingtherangeofpotato productsuptoitscustomerbasebutfollowing theoffcialunveilingwillbe rollingthatout further.

HendersonFoodserviceisnowateamof morethan460–fuelledbybothgrowthand expansionthroughitsacquisitions.

“Wehavegrownthatby61inthelast fnancialyear,”hesays.”“[Weareaimingto do]thesameagain.”There’scurrentlyawider recruitmentprocessunderwaywithspecialised rolesbeingflledtodealwithexpansion.

Andacquisitionsaresomethingwhichfrmly

>

CathalGeoghegan

remainonthecardsforthefrm,iftheright opportunityarises,Cathalsays.

Thecompanysecuredanexclusivesupply dealwithK&GMcAtamneyWholesale Meats.HendersonFoodservicewillbecome theexclusivesupplierofK&GMcAtamney WholesaleMeatsinNorthernIreland.

“Wewillalwayskeepaneyeonthatspace… butithastobe relevant,”hesays.“Ithas tobeproduct relevantor regionally relevant inamuchquickerwayforusto[grow]than organically.

“Beagile,lookatitinthe round…ifit’sright thingforusthengetafterit.”

Asforitsownburgeoningcoffeebrand, BaristaBar–whichislargelybasedacross HendersonGroupbrandssuchasSpar–it’s continuingtogrowandexpandits reach outsideNorthernIreland.

“[Wewillbe]expandingthefootprintof BaristaBaraswell,”Cathalsays.“Inthe lastyearor18monthswe’veexpandedinto England,andhavejustdoneadealwith SparScotland, rollingBaristaBaroutto104 company-owned[stores].

“Welaunchedourapp,whichwasan investmentof£250,000indevelopment.

“Thefrstweekoflaunchwehavemorethan 10,000downloads.”

AndtheRepublicisthenextbigmarketfor HendersonFoodservicetoexpediteitsgrowth.

“Ofthe£225minsales,around£50misin thesouth,”Cathalsays.“It’sthebiggestarea ofgrowthgoingforward–wehaveaheavy RepublicofIrelandsalesstrategytopushon withthatbusiness.”

Hesaysthatexpansionwillseethefrmexpand fromDublinoutwards,beforemushrooming outtoawiderarea.

Intermsofopportunities,there’sstillahuge chunkofthepietotryandtakeaheftybite outof.

“Wehave1.9%ofmarketshareinDublin,so youcanseewherethepotentialisthere,”he says.

AndlookingtowardswhatthenewExecutive shouldturnitsattentiontofrst,especiallyin regardstobusiness,hesaidplanning reform, infrastructure,childcareandtheapprenticeship levymustallbeacrossministerialdesksinthe weeksandmonthstocome.

“There’splentytogetafterthere,”hesays. “[It’sabout]ensuringthatgovernmentandthe

Executiveishereforthelonghaulandhasthe rightfscalframework.”

Lookingatthe retailandwholesalesector here,intermsofthechallenges,Cathalsaysit’s about“approachingthemasandwhenthey come”.

“WehadBrexit,andovercamethattoa degree,thenCovidandthewarinUkraine–[eachhas]adifferentimpacttobusinessand costs,[amid]thecostofliving,”Cathalsays.

“Eachofthesechallengesaredealtwithby ourselvesandothersfrmlyinanappropriate manner.

“Westillarekeyingettingafterwhatweneed todoandtoandgrowtheeconomy.Therewill alwaysbechallenges–thecostoflivingcrisis hasn’tgoneaway.

“Weareseeingmaybeadifferentspend processwithourcustomer’scustomerbase, ratherthangoingoutforatwoorthree course,theymightdooneortwo.

“Thecustomerbaseishavingtothinkabout howtheycan[dealwith]thesame revenue streamasbefore,andhowwecanassistthem. [Hospitality]hasitsownchallengesintermsof backofhouseandtheshortageofskilledstaff, andpeoplecomingintotheindustry.” ■

CathalGeoghegan

ByLiam Tunney

FFourarrestedin £140mfraudprobe involvingformerGeorge BestHoteldevelopers

partoftheinvestigation,whichwasledby HMRC’sSeriousFraudOffice(SFO).

ourpeoplehavebeenarrestedas partofa£140mfraudinvestigation involvingthedeveloperbehinda previousproposaltobuildaGeorgeBestthemedhotelinBelfast.

Liverpool-basedfirmSignatureGrouphad boughtupthreepropertiesinBelfast;the former WarMemorialBuildingon Waring Street,theCrumlinRoadCourthouseandthe ScottishMutualBuildingonDonegallSquare South.TheScottishMutualBuildingisnow ownedbyanewdeveloperandiscurrently beingturnedintoahotel.

Thelatterwastoopenin2018astheGeorge BestHotel,mirroringsomeofthegroup’s projectsinLiverpool,wheretheyopenedthe ShanklyHotelinanodtolegendaryLiverpool FCmanagerBillShankly.

However,companiesownedbythegroup enteredadministrationin2020,owingmillions toinvestors.

PoliceinMerseysideandGreaterManchester havenowarrestedfourpeoplein relationtoa £140mfraudprobeinvolvingthefirm.

Threepropertieswereraidedlastmonthas

Morethan50SFOinvestigators,including digitalinformationspecialists,weresupported bytheNationalCrimeAgency(NCA).

Thefourpeoplearrested,whohavebeen arrestedhavenotbeennamedbytheSFO, wereduetobequestionedlaterbypolice stationsinthenorthwestofEngland,atthe timeofgoingtoprint.

AnSFOspokespersonsaidtheSignature Groupoperatedformorethansevenyears, “buyinguppredominantlyhistoricbuildings withintheUKfor redevelopmentintoluxury hotels, residentialapartmentsandoffice spaces”.

“InvestorsloanedmoneytoSignatureor purchasedahotel room,apartmentoroffice spaceinoneofthegroup’sproperties,with promised returnsontheirinvestmentof between8%and15%,”hesaid.

“Thebusinesscollapsedintoadministration withlossesofupto£140m.”

SFOdirectorNickEphgravesaidthescheme “offeredattractive returnsandusedmuchlovedlocallandmarkstolureinvestors”.

“Wehavepeopleupanddownthecountry leftoutofpocketandbuildingsleftderelict atthecentreofourcities,”hesaid.

“[The]arrestsandsearcheswillhelpus reconstructexactlywhathappened.Thisis nowanactivecriminalinvestigation.”

TheScottishMutualsitehassincebeen boughtoverbyDerry-basedfirmMartin PropertyGroup,whichhassubmitteda planningapplicationfora102-bedroom hotelwithbars, restaurantsandaground floorextension.

MrMartin recentlysaid:“BedfordStreetis beingtransformed.Alongwithourplansfor theScottishMutualBuilding,itwillfurther cementthismicro-locationasahubforhigh qualityhotelaccommodationandassuch willcreatenewdemand.”

Speakingasthefirmsubmitteditspreplanningproposalofapplication,Paul MartinoftheMartinPropertyGroup,said: “PlanstodeveloptheScottishMutual Buildingareunderwayandwe’rekeento getstarted.

“Wehopetobeinapositiontoprovide furtherupdateslaterintheyearintermsof design,layoutandconcept.” ■

ACGrenderofwhattheformer GeorgeBestHotelcouldhave lookedlikeifdeveloped

CitiBelfastannouncesnew siteleadPeterHolden

Punctuatinganexemplary26-year tenurewithCiti,globalheadof enterpriseservicesPeterHoldenhas beennamedasthenewsiteleadforCiti Belfast.

Peterbringsawealthofexperience,leadership andsignifcantlocalknowledgewhichwill continuetobeneftcolleaguesofNorthern Ireland’slargestfnancialservicesemployer.

Peter’sjourneywithCitibeganin1998inhis nativeAustraliaandhehasworkedacross variouspositionsatlocal, regional,andglobal levels,inAustralia,NewZealand,Singapore, andLondonbeforemovingtoBelfastin2007, wherehehasnowlivedandworkedforover 15yearsalongsidehiswife,aNorthernIreland native,andthreeteenagesons.

Inhisfunctional roleatCiti,Peteris responsible forenterpriseserviceswithinthetechnology infrastructuregroup,whichsupportsand securesthetechnologyestatethatpowers Citi’sapplications.Inhisprevious roleashead ofenduserservices,Peter,alongsidehisteam ledthetransitionfortheglobalbanktoa

workfromhomemodelduringthepandemic where,overafour-monthperiod,histeam expanded remoteworkingcapacityforCiti’s globalworkforcetoenableasecure, remote ‘workfromhome’environmentwithminimal disruptiontobothclientsandcolleaguesin over100countriesaroundtheworld.

Peterisalsoachampionofdiversityand inclusionatCiti,withhisallyshipstemming frompersonalexperiencesintheworkplace. AsthebusinesssponsorforCiti’sPride InclusionNetwork,Peterhasadvocatedfor LGBTQ+rightsinternallyandexternallyacross NorthernIreland,holdingastrongbelief thattheentireworkforce–andtheworkit produces–aretrulyenrichedbymeaningful engagementwithCiti’sdiverseteamacross theboard.

“Diversityonalllevelsisanorganisation’s biggeststrength,”hehaspreviouslysaid.

“It’simportantwhenworkingforaglobal companylikeours,thatweareproviding serviceswhich resonateandcaterforadiverse globalpopulation,andtodothis,thework should refectthediversityofitscustomers.”

Hewas recognisedbyLGBTGreatasoneof the Top50ExecutiveAllies,withCitiBelfast beingnamedin2023asa Top100LGBTQ+ inclusiveemployerintheUK,ranking10th outofmorethan250organisationsonthe Stonewall WorkplaceEqualityIndex.

InaninternalcommunicationinearlyFebruary TiinaLee,Citi’sUKCOO,formallyannounced Peter’sappointmentassiteleadwhile expressinggratitudetoLeighMeyer,former siteleadforBelfast,forhisdedicationtoCiti overhis25-yearcareer.Sheassuredthelocal teamsofasmoothtransitionunderPeter’s leadershipandhighlightedherconfdence inPeter’sabilitytoleadthesitetofurther success.

ExpressinghisgratitudetoLeighforhis leadershipandlayingthegroundworkforCiti’s successinBelfast,Petersaid:“Iamdelighted tobeappointedsiteheadforBelfast.Our colleaguesarepassionateaboutwhattheydo, andIamproudtoleadsuchadedicatedgroup ofpeople.Iamconfdentthattogetherwe willcontinuetoaddgreatvaluetothelocal communityandtoCitiglobally.” ■

PeterHolden,CitiBelfastsitehead

Bringingsalesand entrepreneurshiptogether

CaoimhinHeaney andhisbusinessBizvestbringsinvestors, frmsandentrepreneurstogether,andalsoassistsindividuals andbusinesseswithtrainingthroughhisplatformSalesution

CaoimhinHeaneyis a salestrainer andentrepreneurwhoshows littlesignsofslowingdown.

The26-year-oldisworkingacrossbusiness sectorshere,developinghiscompany Bizvest – bringinginvestors,start-upsand entrepreneurstogether – alongsidehissales trainingplatformSalesution.

“Iam a goaldrivenindividual,with a passion forentrepreneurship,investingandsales,” hesays.

Andentrepreneurshipissomethingwhich hasfuelledhisdrivefrom a youngage.

“When I wasyounger I wantedtobe a personaltrainer –I thought,then I could ownmyowngymandthenbuild a brand.”

ThewestBelfastman’s frmaimstopair togetherentrepreneursandbusinesseswith therighttypeofinvestor, andviceversa.

“AtBizvestweare ableto researchthe businessorinvestorandthenhandpickfrom thosewhowouldbe a perfectft,”hesays. “We canthenproduce a recommendation fortheclient.

“Bizvestismuchofmyfocusatthe moment,”hesays.“It’s demandingand what requiresmostofmyattention.

“Thebusinesswasinmyheadforyear beforeI implementedit – waitingforthe perfecttime.

“Itworksforbothinvestorsand entrepreneurs.Theyare gettinghelpwith fundingandinvestorsare gettinghigh qualityinvestmentopportunities.It’s like being a middlemanforbothsides.”

Hesaysthecompanyisworkingwith a host ofdifferentindustries,including‘medtech’ businesses, retailandothersectors.

Caoimhinbeganhiscareerbystartingoutin sales.Andit’s somethinghetooktimetolearn, developinghistrade.

“Today’s generationisanunsellable generation”,hesays.“Peopleare paranoidas towhatpeopleare sellingthem,andthere’s notrustatall.Theycanfndoutsomuch informationwithjusttheclickof a fnger.”

Intermsofselling,Caoimhinsaysit’s about implementingthingshe’s learntalongtheway andhelpingcreateanddevelop a newwayof selling.

“Iwasbeingtaughtby a fewguysinAmerica – it’s lookingatthingslikeadvancedquestions, basedonhumanbehaviour, forexample.

“Now, everythingI’velearntfromthebestsales trainingI’mputtingintomyownsalestraining platform.

“Everyoneistoldit’sa numbersgame, especiallywithcoldcalling.Butyouare just burningthroughleads.It’sa skills-basedgame.

“There are advancedquestionskills – it’s about howyouusetonalityandhowyoucomeacross toyourcustomer, orprospect.”

Caoimhinsaystoavoideverysales personsoundingthesameaseachand everycold-caller“youneedtouse yourtonalityandcreate a two-way conversation”.

“Thecourseisforsales professionalsandentrepreneurs,or peoplewantingtolearn,”hesays.

CaoimhinsaysSalesutionoffersup a portal forclients,with a seriesofdifferentmodules andvideolearning.He’s alsointheprocessof developingface-to-facetrainingwithwould-be clients.

“Itlooksatcontentthroughthequestionsyou needtobeasking,andhowtoaskthem,”he says.

AndlookingaheadCaoimhinhe’dliketo develop a newfoundationtohelpfamilieswith premature babies – somethingwhichhehas personalexperiencewith. ■

Caoimhin Heaney

New visionas Murphy takes the economy reins

Sinn Fein’sConorMurphytakesuphispostasEconomyMinister –thefirsttimeanyoneoutsidetheDUPhasheldtherolein14 years–andhassetoutwhatheseesashiseconomicvision,his focus,andthechallengesahead,writes MargaretCanning

Theworkstartsnowontransforming NorthernIreland’seconomy.

ThenewEconomyMinisterConorMurphy hasdeclared,whiledualmarketaccess–the benefitofNorthernIreland’spost-Brexitstatus thatoncedarednotspeakitsnamewithin departmentalwalls–willnowbeopenly embracedintheDepartmentfortheEconomy (DfE).

DfEisnowledbyanationalistMLAforthefirst timein17years,andthescaleofMrMurphy’s ambitionbecameevidentashesetouthis economicvisionintheAssemblylastmonth.

Whilehesaidmanypolicyleverswere unavailabletoNorthernIrelandasthepowers areheldinLondon,therewasscopeinmaking changestobusinesssupport,skills,innovation policyandemploymentlaw.

Inthoseareas,thevisionbringsbigchanges, includinga renewedfocusforeconomic developmentagencyInvestNItowards supportingNorthernIreland’sownSMEsand start-ups.Securingforeigndirectinvestment (FDI)willceasetobethedefiningfactorof InvestNI’swork.

Manyhadanticipatedthattheappointmentof ex-IDAbossKieranDonoghuetoleadInvest

EconomyMinister ConorMurphy

NIwouldmeantheagencyandMrMurphy workingtogethertoemulateIDA’s successwith attractinginwardinvestmenttotheRepublic.

Butwe’llinsteadlooktoEnterpriseIreland, anotheragencyintheRepublic,forinspiration.

AccordingtoMrMurphy’svision,InvestNIwill provideasimilarservicetoEnterpriseIreland, whichhelpsbusinessesinthesouthwinexport salesinglobalmarkets.

InvestNI’s regionaloffceswillhavetoworkon an“inclusivebasis”withcouncils,thebusiness community,tradeunionsandlocalenterprise agencies.There’snomentionofworkingwith theBelfasthuboftheUK’sDepartmentof International Trade,setuptwoyearsago.It soundslikeDITisinnow,outinthecold.

MrMurphy,theSinnFeinMLAforNewry andArmagh,saidhewouldusethe Windsor Frameworktoitsfulladvantageanddevelop theall-Irelandeconomy,whichhesaidhad “tremendousunrealisedpotential”.

That’sabigbreakwiththeDUPeconomy ministers,whoshiedawayfromovertly promotingthedualmarketaccesswesecured undertheNIProtocol.

Yettheeconomicvisionhasonlythree mentionsof“all-Ireland”andthreefurther mentionsofIreland,soitisnotas‘green’as expected.

Butitcertainlythrowsdownthegauntlet toInvestNI,whichwillhavetoworkhard toinducecompaniestosetuporexpandin

disadvantagedareas.Thevisionsaysfrms in receiptofInvestNIfundingwillgetbetter fnancialincentivesiftheycommittoareasof disadvantage.

It’sallpartoftheminister’spushtocreate amore regionallybalancedeconomywith localisedeconomictargetsandstrategies, basedonlocalstrengthsandpotential.

Yet, retiredcivilservantColinLewis,whowas deputypermanentsecretaryatDfEin2020, sayssub-regionaltargetsonlycreateproblems: “Ifanything,suchtargetswould,inmyview, simplycreateunachievableexpectations, whicharelikelytoheightenantagonisms downstream.However,IwouldloveitifIwere provenwrong.”

Theeconomicvisionpledgestodevelop industries“withastrongsub-regional presencesuchastourism,hospitalityand manufacturing”.Thissoundslikeencouraging industriessuchas recyclingequipment machineryinCo Tyrone,whichisasensible focusonmakinguseofourexistingstrengths.

Theold10Xeconomicstrategydeveloped byDianeDoddsisallbutsweptaway,and inplaceofitsthreepillarsofinnovation, inclusivegrowthandsustainabilitycomefour guidingprinciples:goodjobs, regionalbalance, productivityand reducingcarbonemissions.It soundslikeasimplerandmoredirectapproach than10X.

Thephrase‘goodjobs’harksbacktotheNew Decade,NewApproachagreementof2020,

whichcalledonpublicpolicytopromote goodjobs“whereworkershaveavoicethat providesalevelofautonomy,adecentincome, securityoftenure,satisfyingworkintheright quantitiesanddecentworkingconditions”.

Promotinggoodjobswillinclude“replacing zero-hourcontractswithcontractsthatprovide fexibilityandprotectworkersrights”,apolicy whichcouldbeahindrancetobusinesswhile soundinglikeavotewinner.Italsosaysgood jobswouldbeencouragedby“investingin affordablechildcareandfairpayforchildcare workers”.

To improveproductivity,MrMurphywilluse dualmarketaccesstogrowdomesticexports and“attracthighlyproductiveinvestment”. Fournew‘criticalfriends’havebeenappointed toadviseonthefouraspectsoftheeconomic vision,withDrLisa WilsonfromtheNevin EconomicResearchInstituteadvisingon‘good jobs’,whileDrConorPattersonoftheNewry andMourneCo-operativeandEnterprise Agencygivesguidanceon regionalbalance.

Intheproductivitycorner,Queen’sUniversity Belfast’sDrDavidJordanwillgiveadvice,with ProfessorDavidRooneyfromtheCentrefor SustainableEnergyappointedasnet-zero expert.

Butthefactthattheall-Irelandeconomyisn’t adominantthemesuggestsMrMurphydoes notwanttoantagoniseunionistcolleagues.As SimonHamilton,aformereconomyminister andhowheadofConfuenceConsulting,said inNovember,“otherswithintheExecutivewill bewaryofaneconomyministerinNIseeking tosteertoocloseacoursewiththeRepublic, notleastbecauseweare,often,direct competitorsforinvestment”.

Yetthere’sonefactorinhowtheEconomy Ministerwillhandlethe rolewhichwasn’tatall anticipatedafewmonthsback.

PaulGoslingwroteinNovemberthatMr Murphywouldbeoncoursetohaveaprickly relationshipwithaDUPfnanceminister, asthatpartyhadbeenanticipatedtopick thefnanceportfolio.Instead,however,he’s workingwithhisownpartycolleagueCaoimhe Archibaldinthat role. ■

Bob&Bertsopensnewcafé onroadto100locations

NorthernIrelandcoffeechainBob& BertshasopenedinStrabaneasit announcedlong-termambitionsto growto100sites.

ThePavilionRetailParkstoreisits30thunit, andmarksthefrsttimethebusinesshas openedinanout-of-town retailpark.

Upuntilnow,thebusiness–founded11years agoinPortstewart–hasfocusedontowncentrelocations.

FollowingtheStrabaneopening,whichhas brought25newjobs,itnowhas17storesin NorthernIrelandand13elsewhereintheUK.

Since2017,expansionhasbeendrivenbya £2minvestmentfrominvestorBGF.

Thelateststoreseats110insideand10 outside,andwillbeopensevendaysaweek between8amand9pm.

FounderColinMcCleansaid:“Openingour 30thstoreandourfrstoutoftown retailpark

locationhasbeenahugeachievementforBob &Berts.

“Wehavealwayswantedtomoveintothe outoftown retailparkmarket.Whenthe opportunityaroseinPavilionRetailParkitftted ourprofleandsize requirements,andwe knewtherewasanopportunitytomeetthe needsofthecommunityandprovidea relaxed environmentwithaffordablefoodanddrink.

“Shorttermourgoalistodoubleoverthe nextthreeyearstobecomea70-sitebusiness, withthelonger-termambitiontobea100-site brandacrosstheUK. We continuetolookfor opportunitiesacrossNorthernIreland,butour focusisnowfrmlyinEngland.”

Co-ownerDavidFergusonsaid:“Bob& Bertshaspositioneditselfasaleaderamong independentcoffeechains,constantlyadapting tothemarketandinvestinginnewlocations andstoresacrossGreatBritainandNorthern Ireland.

“Themoveintotheoutoftown retailpark

marketisanewareaforgrowth,notyet tappedintobyBob&Bertsandwelook forwardtoseeingthepotentialofthisnew market.”

Lastyearthecoffeeandfoodchainwon thetopawardattheBritishPrivateEquity& VentureCapitalAssociation(BVCA) Vision 2023awardsinNorthernIreland.

AnnouncedattheMerchantHotelinBelfast, theaward recognisesthemanagement teamofaprivateequitybackedcompany thatexemplifycompetitiveness,growth, innovationandESGcommitmentand progress.

JudgespraisedBob&Bertsas“a real NorthernIrelandsuccessstory”forits impressivegrowthinacrowdedmarket, while remaining“truetothevaluesof supportingcommunity,familyanditsstaff.” Particularattentionwasdrawntothe business’scontinuedexpansionduringthe pandemic,whilstthehospitalityindustrywas facingenormouschallenges. ■

Bob&Bertshasopeneda newstoreinStrabane

TR AV EL & TOUR IS M

Sevenlesserknown wondersof NorthernIreland

NorthernIrelandhasplentyofwellknownattractions–fromthehistorictothemodern–alongwithabuzzing nightlife.Butitisnotallwondersoftheworld(Giant’s Causeway)ormuseumstosunkenships(Titanic Belfast). PavelBarter takesacloserlookatseven destinationsandactivitiesthatareoffthebeatentrack

1

ULSTER AVIATIONSOCIETY MastersoftheAir,thenewmulti-part TVseriesby TomHanksandSteven SpielbergonAppleTV+,provesthat thefascinationforhistoricalaircraft(andthe exploitsofthepilotswhofewthem)stillgets theadrenalinpumping.Whatmanypeoplein NorthernIrelanddon’tknowisthatiswehave avenuethathousesavastarrayofmagnifcent fyingmachines.

TheUlster AviationSociety,locatedwithina hangerdatingfromtheSecond World War

outsideLisburnandbesidetheoldMazeLong Keshprison,hasacollectionofover52aircraft andvehiclesrangingfromWWIIfghters (includinganArgus,Spitfreand Wildcat) throughtofastjets(PhantomFG.1, Tornado GR.4,BuccaneerS.2B,etc.)datingfromthe Cold War. There’sa replicaofaFergusonFlyer 1911–anaircraftoriginallybuiltin1911by HarryFerguson,aninventorfromCoDowncreatedbyenthusiastsatthesociety.

Youcanadmirepropeller-drivenaircraft, helicopters,andcustombuiltbirds.The

sitecontainsanaviationlibraryanddisplay roomscontainingengines,Second World Warmemorabilia,andotherbric-a-brac. Themuseum,a registeredcharity, re-opens onMarch1andvisitsare re-arrangedby appointmentonlyviaemail(“Donotjustarrive up”, readstheirblurb).Membershipofthe Ulster AviationSociety,however,costsonly £26ayearandgrantsyouaccesstothesiteon Saturdaysalongsideamonthlymagazineand volunteeringopportunities.

2

SURFING

ForgetCalifornia:thenortherncoast hassomeofthebestsurfngspots intheworld.Althoughthewater issocoldinMarchonlythebravestwill takeaplunge,thebarrellingwavesmake

CarrickfergusCastle

itworthwhile.PortstewartStrandisone notablelocation.ButthemeccaofNIsurf isfoundinPortrushwheretwoseparate strands,onemoreshelteredthantheother, offerswellsforbeginners,intermediates andexperts. TroggsSurfShop,frequented byseasonedsurfersandIrishchampions, isaone-stopshopfor rentalsinPortrush. WhiterocksBeach,nexttoRoyalPortrush GolfClub,isafamilysurfnghubduring summertime.

BenoneStrandinCoDerryisbettersuited forbeginnerswhilethewavesDownhill,part ofthesamesevenmilestretchofbeach,can bemorechallenging.Experiencedsurferscan catchawaveatWhiteParkBayinCoAntrim, neartheGiant’sCauseway.

3CASTLES

It’sdiffculttoturnacornerin NorthernIrelandwithoutseeinga castle.Dozensofthemarescattered aroundthe region:oneofthemain reasons HBOcommittedtoflmingGameofThrones hereinthelate2000s.Therearetoomany ancientkeepstomentionhere–andsome areinprivatehands–butatourofIreland’s fortressesshouldbeoneveryone’sbucketlist. OnestandoutisAntrimCastleonthebanks oftheSixmilewaterRiver,builtbetween1613 and1662.

Likemanyfortressesinthe regionitwas besiegedanumberoftimes,extended, rebuilt, expanded,andburneddown(in1921).Like manycastlesitpurportstobehauntedbythe

ghostofaservantgirlknownasthe‘White Lady’.ElsewhereinAntrim,Carrickfergus Castleplayedacrucialmilitary roleforalmost amillennium–from1177whenitwasbuilt byJohndeCourcy,upto1928whenitwas handedovertothestate.

In Tyrone,ancientpropertiesincludeCaulfeld CastleinCastlecaulfeldvillage,aruined fortifedhousethatwasburneddowninthe IrishRebellionof1641, rebuiltandoccupied bytheCaulfeldsfromthe1660s.InArmagh, GosfordCastlekeepsthememoryofthe Normansalive–andwasanotherflming locationforGameofThrones.

DownhasGreencastle,whereJohndeCourcy anAnglo-Normanknight(1150–1219),was>

SurferswalkingonWhiterocksbeach

reportedlymarriedandKillyleaghCastle(which deCourcyconstructedin1180).InFermanagh, peekoverthebattlementsofCastleBalfourin LisnaskeaandthebetterpreservedEnniskillen Castle.

4

SEAMUSHEANEYHOMEPLACE

OneofIreland’sgreatestpoetsis celebratedattheplacewherehe beganandendedlife.TheHomeplace isanartsandliterarycentrededicatedto Heaney:situatedbetweenhistwochildhood homesandlocatednexttoStMary’sChurchin Bellaghy,Magherafelt,whereHeaneyisburied. TheHomePlacehousesaninteractiveexhibition acrosstwofoorsfeaturingephemeraabout thepoetand recordingsofhimtalkingabout hiswork.There’sa recreationofhisstudy,flled withartefacts,transcriptsandbooksdonated bytheHeaneyfamily.

TheHomePlaceismorethanjustamuseum andmemorial.It’savibrantartinstitution wherewriters,musicians,artistsandtheatre groupsstageperformancesandworkshops. UpcomingeventsincludeAnEveningwith Irvine Welsh,authorof Trainspottingon12 April,andpunkpoetJohnCooperClarkeon May11.

5

MOURNE PARK

In2021,the Woodland Trustbought 156hectaresofanestateinCounty Downandawildlifehavenwasopened tothepublicforthefrsttimeincenturies. Datingbacktothe1500s,theestateplayed hosttofamousguestsduringitseraofprivate ownership,includingErrolFlynn,TheQueen MotherandPercyFrench(composerofThe MountainsofMourne–wheretheestateis fttinglylocated).DuringtheSecond World War, atank regimentofAmericanGIswasstationed attheestatetopreparefortheNormandy landings. Today,thegatesareopenforthe publictoexplorethreewalkingtrails(Bluebell Walk, WoodlandLoopandWhitewater Trail).

6

HEADHUNTERSBARBERSHOP ANDRAILWAYMUSEUM

Probablytheonlyvenueintheworld tocombinehairdressingandrailway history,theHeadhuntersinEnniskillenisa cocktailyou’reunlikelytoforgetinahurry. Themuseumincludesasmorgasbordof train-relatedtitbits–photographs,timetables, uniforms,tickets,signs–fromGreatNorthern Railway,SligoLeitrimandNorthernCounties RailwayandClogher ValleyRailway.The museumcontainsa reconstructedbooking

offceandavirtualtourofrailwaytravel throughFermanaghanditsbordercounties, from1800sinceptionuntilthelinesclosedin 1957.Barbershopandmuseumalikeareacut abovethe rest.

7

CRUMLINROADGAOL

GostraighttoCrumlinRoadJail,do notpassGo.Belfast’sownAlcatraz datesbackto1846andkeptpeople behindbarsuntil1996whenitclosedfor business.TheprisonnowhasA-listedbuilding statusandtheonlyvisitorsarevoluntary.But itisfascinatingtopeekbehindthebarsofan institutionthatdetainedÉamonde Valera, MartinMcGuinness,MichaelStone,Bobby Sands,andsuffragettesduringthe1910ssuch asDorothyEvansandMadgeMuir.Seventeen menwereexecutedwithinitswalls:from1854 whenasoldierwassnuffedthroughtothe fnalexecutionofRobertMcGladderyona chargeofmurderin1961.

Tourstakeintheexecutionchamberwith survivinggallowswhichwasconstructedin 1901andatunnellinkingthegaoltothe courthouseacrossthe road.Halloweenisa busytimeastheGaolhostshorror-themed eventswithinitsfortifedwalls. ■

CrumlinRoadGaolisbecominganincreasinglypopulartouristattractioninNorthernIreland

Gubbeencheesefritters withhothoney

Is this thebestpub foodinBelfast?

JohnMulgrew paysavisittoBelfast’s TheAmericanBartofndaraftofthecity’s bestpubfoodandwhyit’snowfrmlya jewelinourhospitalitycrown

I’llstartbysayingthatthis reviewis suitablythorough.

WhenPedroDonald reopenedTheAmerican Baralittleoversevenyearsagointhe SailortownareaofBelfast,ittookawhile forthecharmtowashoverthegoodfolkof thecityandbeyond.Heopenedthedoorsof theestablishmentjustweeksafterthisthen businesscorrespondentmovedintohisnew offce,justastone’sthrowaway.

Today,TheAmericanisnowoneofthe jewelsinourhospitalitycrown.Abastionof authenticitywhensomeothersareledsimply bythebuckandzeitgeist,defactotheme pubs,soullessandforgotteninaheartbeat.

TheAmericanisaplacefor respite,conviviality andoneofthebestpintsofGuinnessyou’ll fndanywhere...andatapricewhichwon’t leaveyouinneedofanoverdraftextension,or paydayloan.

I’llstartbysayingthatthereisn’tenoughtruly interestingcasualpubfoodaround.Thereare alotofpubsdoingit–andsomedoingitvery well–butoftenit’seitherthesamefare,it’s notuptopar,orit’softhebistrovarietyand you’relikelytoendupdroppingasmuchcash asyouwouldinthemoreformalconfnesofa restaurant.

WhatTheAmericanBardidacoupleof yearsbackisbringinJustinandElenaofThe GratefulBread.Thefocuswasona rotating arrayofwell-executeddishes,smallplatesand snacks,atapricepointwhichrarelybrokethe twofguremark.

Andmyjourneystartedwiththree,fatlittle Spanish-stylecroquetas,sittingoutsidein theformerbeergardeninthewakeofthe pandemic.

Inside,therearenopotatoesorcheese,but

arichandthickbechamelsaucepeppered withheftychunksofsaltyham.A revelation. Aheftyherbygarlicdipanddeckledexterior completingtheperfectbalanceoffat,umami, crispnessandferyallium.

PuntersunfamiliarwithTheAmericanwill likelytrytoplaceanorderwithbarstaff,while thekitchenitselfactuallysitsontherightat theendofanarrowcorridortowardsthe bathrooms,andadoortowhatwasoncethe pub’ssizeablebeergarden.

Apieoftenfeaturesontheever-changing menu,andthebeefbrisketvarietyembodies thatperfectbalanceofrichbovinewithdense, fakypastryandsuitablesavouriness.

Thechickenparmsandwichisalsoathing ofbeauty.Aheftyshardofcrisp,deckled poultrysandwichedbetweentwobunsand toppedwithaherbytomatosauce,with addedtexturalcontrastandpullthankstothe mozzarellaatop.

Forsomethingsubstantial,whilestill maintainingthatattentiontodetailanddepth offavour,aheftybowlofcrispfriesare toppedwithbalancedandwell-spicedchicken tikka,pepperedwithlittleacidicpickledonions atop.

Seekingasnacktokeephungerpangs atbaywhilesippingapintofsomething

decent,plump,chunkygarlic-ladenprawns atopacoupleofpiecesofcrispandtoasted sourdoughareamorethansuitable accompaniment.

Themenuhassettleddowntoafewclassics overthelastfewweeks.Theever-popularbirria tacos–slow-cookedrichbeefsandwiched alongsidecheeseandaheftybeef-ladedjus–alongsidetheubiquitousgrilledcheese(oneof thefrstitemsonthemenu),patatasbravas, saltcodcroquetas,falafelmezze,calamariand thesublimeBasquecheesecake.

Thatgrilledcheeseoption,bytheway, iswellworthyourtime.Crisp,fattyand deeplysavoury,withafewfriesontheside punctuatedbythesubtleacidityandfreshness ofhomemadepickles.

Currentlymakingthemenu,Gubbeencheese frittersareaperfectlybalanced,crispdelivery systemforIrishdairy–rich,melting,yet retaininga requiredstructure. Yougetthree, butcouldcertainlyconsiderpoppingbackup tothehatchforafewmore.

Thereissomethingofafamilyconnectionwith onehalfofTheGratefulBread.JustinNicholl isadistantcousinand,asa result,afellow Ballymoneyman.

ButIcansafelysay,Ididn’trushintothispiece. I’veworkedmywaythroughtheshiftingmenu

overthelastcoupleofyearsandensured I’vegivenitsuitableampletimetomakethe impressionithasonme.

Thissimpleandcasualapproachtopubfood works,judgingbythethrongswhoturnout tosampletheteam’swaresfromThursdayto Sunday(therehadbeenapop-up‘residency’ onSundaysduringFebruaryfromPhillip McCrilly).

AndwhilePedroDonald’ssubtlemajestyin thehospitalitytradehasnowcometoan end,aftersellingbothTheAmericanBarand Sunfowerpubs,theimpacthe’smadewill liveoninthenewcustodians,thestellarstaff andthepatronswhoensureit remainsoneof thebestplacesinwhichtospendsomedown time.

Thesuccessofbothestablishmentsisevidence thatifyouputpatronagetothefore,throw brandingandconceptsoutthewindow,and focusongrowinganestablishmentnaturally, fromthegroundup,you’llcomeoutontop.

TheAmericanisnowinthesafestewardship of TomasGormanandhasplentymoreyears aheadofitasastalwartwithinNorthern Ireland’shospitalitysector. ■

Porkbelly slider

GarlicprawnsatTheAmerican

BelfastHarboursubmitsplansfor newCityQuays5offcescheme

Plansforthenextmajorphase ofBelfastHarbour’sCityQuays developmenthavetakenastep forward.

Ithasnowsubmittedafullplanning applicationforitsCityQuays5development. It’sanoffce-ledmixed-useschemewhich wouldsitbehindtheharbour’scarpark.

Thefullplanningapplicationincludesthe creationofanoffcebuilding,includingground foor retail,communityandcultural,and restaurantuses.

Thelatestdevelopmentispartoftheoverall £275minvestmentbytheharbour–withCity Quays1to3alreadybuilt.

Thegreenlightwasgivenforthenextphase ofthedevelopment–CityQuays4–which includes256apartmentsacross23-storeys.

“TheproposedCityQuays5development isforamixed-useoffce, retailandamenity development,”theharboursays.

“Theproposalsincludearangeofnewground foor retailspaces,anewbuildingentranceand receptionoppositetheproposedCityQuays GardensandBelfastHarbourCommissioner’s Offce.

“Inaddition,itisproposedtohaveaseparate entranceandgallery/communityspacewhich canbeaccessedfromDonegallQuayalong withadirectlinkwiththemulti-storeycarpark tothe rear.”

Theharboursaystheinvestmentprogramme in“portinfrastructureand realestateprojects isdeliveringBelfastHarbour’svisiontobe aneconomichubforthe region,aworld leading regionalport,upholdingthehighest

environmentalstandardsandadopting innovativesmarttechnologyanddigital infrastructure”.

Anda rooftopbarand restaurantcould beonthewayaspartoftheCityQuays5 development.

“TheproposedCityQuays5building,part oftheCityQuaysmasterplan,willcomprise 160,000sqftofspaceoverninefoorsand willbelocatedonasitedirectlyoppositethe BelfastHarbourOffce,”aspokeswomansaid.

“ThedevelopmentwillincludegradeA offcespace,ground-foorconvenience retail, exhibitionspaceanda rooftophospitality destinationthatwillbeavailabletoboththe publicandoffceusers.”

Shesaidtherewouldalsobeanoutdoor terracewithviewsoverthelandscapedpublic spaceplannedbyBelfastHarbour,CityQuays Gardens.

“Followingthesubmissionofourproposal ofapplicationnoticeearlierthisyear,weare hostingacommunityconsultationtoseek feedbackonourinvestmentplans.”

ShesaidthatCityQuays5wouldbe“designed andbuilttothehighestsustainability credentials”.

Thespokeswomansaiditwastargetingthe highestpossiblelevelofsustainabilityunder thesystemofBREEAMcertifcation–a standardusedinprojectstoevaluatethelikes ofenergyandwateruse,pollutionandthe materialsused.

Kevin Ryan,developmentdirectoratBelfast Harbour,said:“Creatinganiconicwaterfront forthecitywithavibrantinnerharbour continuestobeoneofBelfastHarbour’skey strategicgoalsandwearepleasedtobeina positiontobringforwardCityQuays5asthe nextphaseinthedevelopmentofourwider CityQuaysMasterplanvision.” ■

WhatthenewCityQuays5developmentcouldlooklikewhencompleted

Gettingbacktobusiness

Twoyearsofpolitical deadlockareoveranda newExecutiveisinplace. Butwhatdoesthatmean forbusinessandhowcan itbeneftfromareturn toaworkingdevolved government,asks Pavel Barter

Asthefreshlyformeddevolved governmentgetsupandrunning, everysectorofbusinessinNIis bringingawish-listtoministerialtables.

Somelobbyingissectorspecifc(forexample, hospitalitycallsforsupportinpromotingNI overseas,orfarmershopingministersprioritise concernsaroundBovineTB),buteverybusiness wouldliketoseetheExecutiveoperating, planningbudgetsandprogrammes,in partnershipandco-operationwithbusiness.

Industry representativeswespoketoforthis articlesuggestministersshouldbefreeto operateacrossdepartmentsinordertosolve problems,andtheyshouldnotbeafraidto bringabetterunderstandingoftradinginNIto Westminster,sowemightattainpoliciesthat recogniseNI’sindividualanduniquechallenges.

Onecommonconcernacrossmanybusinesses in2024isaroundskillsandlabour.“Talkto anybusinessinthenorthandtheywilltell youtheirbiggestproblemisavailabilityof labour,”StephenKelly,chiefexecutiveof ManufacturingNI,said.Bringing“economically inactive”peoplethroughtoaproductive levelisexpensive,hesays.Itcostoneofhis members“£50,000overacoupleofyears.So that’snotfeasible.”

MrKellycalledfortheExecutiveto review NI’slabourandskillsenvironment, reducing “competition”betweenschools,colleges, universitiesandemployers.“Thereneeds

tobeaproperplanacrossdepartmentsto ensureemployershavethepeoplethatthey requireandin returnareprovidingbetter jobswithacareerprogression.”JaniceGault, chiefexecutiveofNorthernIrelandHotels Federation,suggestsa“differentimmigration policy”tousherforeignerswithskillsetsto workhere.Andrew Webb,chiefeconomist ofGrantThorntonNorthernIreland,said governmentshould rethinktheapprenticeship levy.

Planningisanotherconcernacrossmost industries.Oneindustry representativetold

usaboutanewfactoryprojectinStrabane where50or60jobshavebeendelayed“for twoyears”duetoplanning roadblocks.“The systemissoanti-developmentandthepacein whichitoperatesisincrediblyslow,”Stephen says,“whichmeanspeoplearesittingwaiting foryearsforplanningdecisionstobemade. Costsaremountingandopportunitylost.”

Farmersknowthefeeling.AccordingtoDavid Brown,presidentoftheUlsterFarmers’Union, “between£60mand£70mayearisinvested intheconstructionoffarms,buildingsand shedsandyardsandotherinfrastructure.Ifyou

can’tprogressandgetplanningpermission forthoseprojects,thenyouarestuck.The DepartmentfortheEconomyhasavested interestinseeingusdowell. We wouldliketo thinkwewillgetmorejoinedupgovernment andjoinedupdecisionsbeingtaken.”

Andrew Webbwriteseconomicstrategiesfor countyandlocalcouncilsandconstantlyhears the refrainthatplanningisnotgoodenough inNI.“There’sageneralacceptancethat planningcanholdthingsback,soweneedto getplanningright.Itdoesn’tmeanafreefor allandyoucandowhateveryouwant,butit

meansyouknowwhattheparametersare–andyouknowyou’llgetadecisionwithina certaintimeframe.”

Thatalsomeanstighteningtowncentre frst retailplanningpolicy,accordingtoGlyn Roberts,RetailNIchiefexecutiveGlynRoberts. “There’stoomuchoutoftown retailbeingput forwardinthesystemwhichwebelieveisat variancetoplanninglaw,”hesays.“Howdo wegetmorespeedy,timeeffectiveplanning decisions? We wanttoseeamoratorium,at leastforfveyears,toallowourtowncentres andourhighstreetsto regenerate.”

Businessesofallshapesandsizeshave beenbeleagueredbythecostsofdoing business:labourcosts,ofcourse,butenergy inparticular.NorthernIrelandhassomeof thehighestenergypricesforbusinessin Europewhileeffcienciesinthemarkethave yettomaterialise,accordingtobusiness representatives.Furthermore,NIsharesa wholesalemarketwiththeRepublicwhere energycompanieshaveproftedenormously. Discountsarisingfromtheseproftswerenot passedtoNIcompanies,StephenKellysays.

“Theproblemforuswasthatbecausewe takethepricefromthewholesalemarket, andbecausewe’renotverticallyintegrated, wedidn’tgetthediscount.Soitmeantthat NorthernIrelandconsumerswereadversely impacted.That’sgoingtotakeaministerfrom NorthernIrelandtohavethesameweightas aministerfromtheSouthanddemandthis marketis reformedinawaythatoperates intheinterestofconsumersandnotjust generators.”

NIHotelsFederationhascalledforaloan orfundingschemethatallowshospitality businessestoexplorealternativeenergy sourcesinthemannerofschemeselsewhere intheUK.Government,believeseconomist Andrew Webb,needstosupportsustainability andclimatepoliciesaroundenergytoagreater degree.“Wetendtoshyawayfromenergy policydiscussionsinthenorthherebecause oftheRHIscandal,butweneedtogetback inthegameofincentivisingbusinessesto transitiontheiractivitiestonetcarbonzero.”

Reducingcarbonmissionsisatthetopof theagendaforfarmersaswell,butUlster Farmers’Unionbelievesthatgovernment needstostartlookinglocalaswellasoffshore. “TheDepartmentforEnvironment’sfocushas beenonoffshoreandbigwindfarms,”says DavidBrown,presidentoftheUlsterFarmers’ Union.“Iffarmersaregiventheabilityto investthenthatmoneywillstaywithinthe localcommunity,withinNorthernIreland,as opposedtowhoeverisbuildinghugewind farmsoffshore.”Thiscomesdownto>

FirstMinisterMichelleO’Neill andDeputyFirstMinister EmmaLittle-Pengellywith membersoftheNorthern IrelandExecutiveatStormont

betterplanning,heinsists,butalsoimproving infrastructureforaccesstotheelectricity network.

Nothingiscertainapartfromdeathandtaxes, BenjaminFranklinoncewrote.AndinNorthern Ireland,thelatterisanotherbugbearfor businessthatmightbecorrectedviaanewly devolvedgovernment.Hospitalitybusinesses arekeenforourNI representativestopetition Westminsterfora reduced VATrateinorder toalignthenorthofIrelandwiththeRepublic. ThedealbetweengovernmentandtheDUP, meanwhile,promisedtoimplementalower corporationtaxrateinordertocompetemore effectivelywiththeRepublic.

EconomistAndrew Webbbelievesa reduced corporationtax“wouldbeasignifcantboost toNorthernIreland’seconomy.It’sthelast truedifferentiatorbetweenusandthesouth. We cansellourselves reallywellonskillsand competitivenessbutwecan’tcompeteon

that.”Forsomeindustries,corporationtaxisa mootpointsincetheyonlyspendthatmoney iftheyareproftable.“What’shappening aroundenergyprices,infation,theavailability oflabour,”saysStephenKelly,Manufacturing NI,“hasabiggerimpactontheperformance oftheeconomythananypotentialcorporation taxalignment.”

GlynRobertsofRetailNIinsteadcallsforrates reliefto“helpstart-up,scaleup,andinvestin greengrowth”.WhileotherpartsoftheUK receiveda75% reductioninsmallbusiness rates,NI retailers remaindisadvantaged,he says.Everybusinesswouldliketosee renewed focusonNI’sbroaderinfrastructure: roads, sewers,energy,andsoforth.

Mostimportantly,theywant recognitionand participation.“Ithinkit’sjustabout recognising theimportanceofbusinesstopeople’slives andpartneringwiththem,”Andrew Webb says.

“Itisn’taboutusandthem.It’snotabout businessversusgovernment;it’sabout businessplusgovernment.It’saboutbeing opentocollaboratingandhearingwhat businessesneed.Themoney’stight.So let’sasbusinessestryandfndthingsthat areinnovativeandnovel.Ifwecanscale thoseupinawaythatmakesanimpacton societyanddoesn’tcostthatmuchmoney, bringthatideatogovernmentandthey’ll beallears.”

Alotofissuesarebeingbroughttothe tablebut–crucially–forthelasttwo yearstherewasnotable.“Nowwehave ministersback,decisionscanbetaken, directioncanbegiven,andwecan hopefullystarttogetoverthemalaise we’vehadforthelastcoupleofyears,”says Stephen.GlynRobertssays:“Absolutely, butithastobeallaboutdelivery.There’sno timeforahoneymoonperiod.Thisallhas tobebasedon results.” ■

StephenKellyofManufacturingNI

Wrightbuslands orderfor16 electricbuses

Ballymenabus-maker Wrightbushas landedanorderfor16ofitszeroemissionelectricvehicles.

BusoperatorStagecoachhasplacedanorder forthebusesforLondon.

Thebatteryelectricdouble-deckerbuseswill be rolledoutacrossthecapitalandsupports Stagecoach’s strategytohave a zero-emission bus fleetacrossallofitsoperationsby2035.

Itcomesonthebackofanordertheoperator placedwiththeNorthern Ireland-based firmlast yearfor48oftheStreetDeckElectrolinerbuses.

Wrightbushasalso recentlysecured a new ordertodeliver87busesforArrivawhichwill beoperatedinLondon.

Allofthebusesare beingmanufacturedat Wrightbus’s headquartersinBallymena.

“We havetheclimateandthetechnologyto drivefundamentalchangeintheenergysector, andpositionourselvesas a world-leaderin

deliveringzero-emissionbuses,”Jean-Marc Gales,chiefexecutiveof Wrightbus,said.

“Thislatestorder representsanother significantstepandweare proudtowork alongsideStagecoachtoachievethesegoals.

“Aswellasbeinggoodfortheenvironment, thesebuseswillalsoensure passengersenjoy cleaner, greenerjourneys.”

SamGreer, chiefoperatingofficerfor Stagecoach,said:“We’re proudtobe workingwith Wrightbusinbringingthis excitingtechnologytothestreetsofLondon, aswetarget a fullyzero-emissionsvehicle fleet.”

Wrightbushasbeenattheforefrontofthe movementtodecarbonisepublictransport acrosstheUKandIrelandwiththeElectroliner alongsideitsworld-firsthydrogendouble deck,theStreetDeckHydroliner

InOctober, italsosecuredanorderfor12 singledeckzero-emissionhydrogenbuses.

The recentorderbytheGerman-basedbus operator West Verkehrwillseethecompany deliver a dozenKiteHydrolinersfollowing a Europe-widetenderprocess.

Thebuseswillbe rolledoutacross Geilenkirchen, a townneartheborderwith Netherlands.

Theorderis a significantoneforthecompany asitcontinuestobreakintotheglobal sustainabletransportmarket.Inthesummer theCoAntrim firmannouncedthatitwas engagedin fivemajorglobaltendersandhad plansfor a newhydrogenhub.

InSeptemberlastyearitwasalso revealedthat the firmhadsigned a dealtoprovideupto150 hydrogenbusesforthesiteoftheSizewell C nuclearpowerstationinSuffolk.

ThiswillbethesecondGermandealforthe company, whichlastyearsigned a dealwith GermanBusoperatorRegionalverkehrKöln GmbH(RVK)tosupplyupto60KiteHydroliner singledeckbuses. ■

Wrightbuschiefexecutive Jean-MarcGales

Public failing to see the appealas Apple’s Vision Proheadsetfops

IsApple’s VisionProalreadyafop? Adrian Weckler takesacloserlook

Multiple reportsfromtheUS suggestbignumbersof shoppers returningtheir$3,500 plussalestaxAppleVRheadsetto retailers.

Even readersofdedicatedpro-Appleoutlets likeAppleInsider.comarelukewarm,witha recentpollthereshowingonly55%confdent they’dkeeptheirs.What’sgoingon?Has Apple releasedararedud?

Thethreemain reasonscitedamong returners seemtobe relatedtoeitherdiscomfort, isolation,alackofcoreworkcompatibility,or abitofallthree.

Thedeviceitself,whichstrapsontoyour head,isheavybecauseitpacksmorepowerful technologyinsidethan,forexample,Meta’s QuestVRheadsets(whicharewaycheaper).

Ithasalso reportedlytriggeredheadachesin someusers,aswellasbringingonmotion sicknessamongthosewhoarehabitually pronetoit.

Itssolitarinessisalsoafactorthatsome struggletocopewith.OtherthanFaceTime calls,therearen’tyetmanythingsyoucan meaningfullydoincompany.Soitisquite differentfromusingalaptoporaphonewhen sittingbesideyourspouse,wherepresenceis acknowledgedandfelt.

To beclear,thesethingsarenotanewthing amongVRheadsetwearers.Butthey’renew toalotofAppleuserstryinga VisionPro,who mayneverhavewornaVRheadsetbefore.

Lastly,whilemostpeoplegettinga VisionPro sayit’sterrifcforwatchingmovies,fewsayit’s abetterexperienceforworkthantheirexisting laptopordesktopworkfow.Thisisimportant, asthe VisionProisactuallydesignedasa properheavyweightcomputerwithvirtual workscreensandafull-onM-serieschipunder thehood.

Asithappens,Appleallowsbuyersto return the VisionProwithin14days,solongasit’s notdamaged.Somaybesomeofthe returns aresimplypeoplewhowantedagoofitfora week.

It’safoolwhobetsagainstApple’snosefor gadgetspeoplewant.Butthere’sa realrisk the VisionPro’smomentumisalreadywaning, monthsbeforeitgetsanIrishandEuropean launch.

Dixonsigningoffondatagig Recently,HelenDixonfnishedhertimeas DataProtectionCommissioner.Afteralmosta decadeatthehelmofIreland’sultra-powerful regulatoryoffce,she’sofftotakeupanew commissioner’sjobatthetelecoms regulator, ComReg.

Didshedoagoodjob?In recentweeks,most independentoracademicprofessionalsI’ve spokentointhefeldthinkshedid,given theconstraintsuponheroffceandother circumstances.

It’sbeenatumultuousera.GDPRsurfaced someprettybig,uncomfortablesocietal questions,suchaswhetherprivacyismore

importantthanoursecurity(or,indata protectionlitigationterms,whetherFacebook shouldbepreventedfromtransferringdata fromtheEUtotheUS).

TheIrishDPCoffce,becauseofthetech multinationalsbasedhere,wasoftencastas aStarChambertocontroleverytwitcheach techgiantmakes.Instead,Dixon’steamhad tobuildcomplexcasesthattookages,withan offcecomplementthatwasoftenoutgunned bytheendlesscoffersandhigh-pricelawyers ofGoogle,MetaanMicrosoft(amongdozens ofothers).

Sothecasestooktime,sometimesyears.That ledtosomescreamsofindignationfromparts ofEuropethatIrelandwasdeliberatelylaying offthetechgiantsaspartofageneral“light touch”approachtothetechindustry,Ireland’s

mostvaluablesourceofinwardinvestment.

LittledidtheyknowDixonhadbeenlooking formoreseniorpeopleforheroffce,butwas turneddownatBudgettime.Shetoldmeas muchinapodcastinterviewIconductedwith heracoupleofweeksago,listingitasoneof the regretsofhertenure.Shealsoobserved thatpoliticalnarrativesaroundtaxationpolicy inIrelandfrequentlysurfacedwithincriticisms heroffcesometimesfaced.

ThisdiscretiononDixon’sbehalfseemedtobe thrownbackinherfacewhentheGovernment announcedachangeintheDPC’ssenior structurefromonetothreecommissioners, apparentlyasasoptosomeEuropean dissatisfactionovertechenforcementhere.

Althoughshehasnever reallysaidso,Dixonis

thoughttohavebeendeeplyambivalentabout thismove,seeingitastokenisticwhenthe real issuewasactuallymorenumerousseniorstaff totackleawidersectionofheroffce’sbrief. Butthat’showsometimeshowthingsturnout inseniorpolicycircles.

Dixonhasadmittedthatshedidentertain “conversations”aboutjobsoutsidetheIrish regulatorybodies–presumablywithprivate industryintereststhatcouldpayheramultiple ofwhatshe’susedtointhecivilservice–but preferredtostayinthenationalfold.

Twoofherthreesuccessorswerenamedlast week.TheyareDesHogan,whohasbeen assistantchiefstatesolicitorintheoffce oftheChiefStateSolicitorsince2015,and DaleSunderland,whohasbeenadeputy commissionerforafewyears,andwhois

aformerheadofcommunicationsatthe DepartmentofJustice.Athirdcommissioner hasn’tyetbeenappointedbecause,apparently, theycouldn’tfndanyonesuitable.The roleis expectedtobeflledlaterthisyear.

Kids’IDplanasteptoofar

Readytouploadyourchild’spassportto TikTok,SnapchatandInstagram?That’sthe ideathatEducationMinisterNormaFoleyis foating,onceagain,amidageneraldiscussion overhowtolimitkids’useofsmartphones.

She’snotalone:CoimisiúnaMeánsaysit’s opento,thoughnotinsistingon,theideaofa child’ssensitivephotoIDbeingusedasaproof ofagetoaccesssocialnetworks.

I’msurenoneofuscanimagineanything goingwrongthere. ■

Belfast TelegraphBusiness AwardswithUlsterBanknowopen

TheBelfast Telegraphhaslaunched the2024Belfast TelegraphBusiness AwardsinpartnershipwithUlster Bank.

Theawardsare nowopenforentriesacross17 categoriesuntiltheclosingdateonApril3.

AnawardsceremonytakesplaceatBelfast’s CrownePlazaHotelonMay2.

MarkCrimmins,headofUlsterBankin Northern Ireland,said:“OnceagainUlster BankisproudtopartnerwiththeBelfast Telegraphtodelivertheseawards,andas welaunchthecallforentries,weare excited aboutshowcasingtheverybestofbusinessin Northern Ireland.

“Manyfrmsandindividualshere continueto fourishandhavedemonstratedenormous capabilitiesinadaptingtonewchallenges, changingworkingenvironments, a fast-paced digitallandscape,andever-evolving regulation. Recognisingthissuccessismore importantthan ever, andwelookforward toanothergreat eventforourlocalbusinesscommunityandto celebratingwiththenextcohortofwinnerson thenight.

“Inadditionto recognisingthegreatworkof businesses, a keythingformeistoengage

withcompaniesabouthowUlsterBankcan besthelpthemmeettheirobjectives.”

EoinBrannigan,editorinchiefoftheBelfast TelegraphandSundayLife,said:“We are delightedtolaunchthe2024Belfast Telegraph Business AwardsinpartnershipwithUlster Bank,themostprestigiousawardsoftheirkind inNorthern Ireland.

“We lookforward tocelebratingthe achievementsoffrmsandbusinesspeopleand wisheveryonegoodluckintheirentries.

“Theawardsceremonyhasgrownintooneof thehighlightsoftheyearforbusiness,andwe lookforward toseeingeveryonethere.”

Nowintheir24thyear, theprestigiousawards attractentriesfromallsectorsandsizes ofcompany, andare judgedbyanexpert, independentpanel.

Clare Guinness,chiefexecutiveofBelfast Chamberandchairofthejudgingpanel, said:“Iamdelightedtobechairingthe Belfast TelegraphBusiness Awardsforthe secondyear Theawardsgiveanopportunity toacknowledgeandcelebrateourbusiness communityacrossnumeroussectors.

There are 17categoriesthisyear, including

CATEGORIES

 BestSmallCompanyofthe Year

Sponsor:DownRoyal

 BestLargeCompanyofthe Year

Sponsor: WilsonNesbitt

 OutstandingCommitmenttoESG

Sponsor: Almac

 RetailSectorBusinessorRetailerof Year

Sponsor: RetailNI

 ExcellenceinMarketing:

Sponsor: S3Creative

 ExcellenceintheDevelopmentof Management&LeadershipNI

Sponsor: ChamberofCommerce&Industry

 ExcellenceinExporting

Sponsor: BelfastHarbour

 Excellencein WorkplaceHealth& Wellbeing

Sponsor: KingsbridgeMembershipClub

 BestMedium-sizedCompanyof Year

Sponsor: UlsterUniversityBusinessSchool

 BestStart-UporEmergingBusiness ofthe Year

Sponsor: venYou

 CorporateCommunityChampion

Sponsor: GeorgeBestBelfastCityAirport

 ExcellenceinInnovation

Sponsor: SmurftKappa

 ExcellenceinManufacturing

Sponsor: InvestNI

 YoungBusinesspersonofthe Year

Sponsor: Queen’sUniversityBelfast

 Tourism & HospitalityCompanyofthe Year

Sponsor: BelfastInternationalAirport

 FamilyBusinessofthe Year

Sponsor: AbbeyAutoline

 Employerofthe Year

Sponsor: Vickerstock

newcategoriesExcellenceinManufacturing andFamilyBusinessofthe Year There are also non-entryawardsforOutstandingBusinessof the YearandLifetimeAchievement,whichare proposedandchosenbythejudges. ■

To entertheBusiness Awardsgotowww belfasttelegraph.co.uk/businessawards/enterand theclosingdateis WednesdayApril 3 atnoon. Forqueries,contactKarenMcGarveyatkaren. mcgarvey@mediahuis.co.uk

MarkCrimmins,regionalmanagingdirectorofUlsterBankandbusinesseditorMargaretCanninglaunchingthe Belfast TelegraphBusiness Awards2024inpartnershipwithUlsterBank

RE TA IL & WHOL ESAL E

Whilethehighstreetstillhasalongwaytogo,retail asawholeisseeinginvestmentincrease,without-oftownwitnessingstrongernumbers,whilenewnames arecontinuingtopopuparoundus. UlsterBusiness takesalookatthewidermarket

Youcanuseaswatheofmetricsto assessthecurrentstateof retail here,oryoucananecdotallytakea ganderwhenyou’rewalkingaroundyour localhighstreetorshoppingcentre.

Whilethelatteroftenpaintsamoreemotional andlessaccuratepicture–shutteredshopsor closingdownsales–thenumbersareoften thewaytogowhentryingtoassessjusthow NorthernIrelandisperforming.

UK-wide,followingafallinDecember, retail salesbouncedbackinJanuary–up3.4%.

“Thethreewinnersweresupermarkets, departmentstores,andnon-foodstores,in ascendingorder,”RichardRamsey,Ulster BankchiefeconomistNorthernIreland,wrote recently.

“Acoupleofraindropstonote,plusatrend. First,values rosefasterthanvolumes,sowe’re spendingmorefor(slightly)less.Second, volumeofsalesdropped0.2%onaquarterly basis,and remainbelowtheirpre-pandemic

peak.Lastly,onlinepurchasesfellto24.8%of totalsales.Itseemsonlinespendislevelling outataroundaquarterofall retailsales.”

Lookingatalocallevel,UlsterBank’sown purchasingmanagers’index(PMI)showed retailsawincreasedlevelsofactivityin January.Itposted53.6where50meansno change.

However, retail–likethemajorityofother sectors–allpostedrisingpricesataquicker paceduringJanuary,accordingtothelatest PMI.

Belfasthasseen newretailerssetup shopandtheloss ofotherbignames

Lookingtowardsgrocery,theindustrywould tellyouthathabitsarechangingamidwhat isanongoingcostoflivingcrisis–peopleare essentiallytryingtomake roughlythesame amountofincomestretchfurtherwhileprices areoftenrising.

Butingeneral,spendingisincreasingatthe tills.

Lookingatthewidergroceryfgures,forthe secondmonthina row, a record-breaking £4.2bnranthroughthetillsintheyearto21 January2024inNorthernIreland.

Saleswereup12.6%–presumablyfuelledin partbywiderrisingprices.

“Theaveragehouseholdspentanall-timehigh of£5,565whichwasup£613year-on-year,” accordingtoKantar.

“Take-homegrocerysalesincreasedas shoppersvisitedstoresmoreoften,averaging eighttripsmorethanlastyear,whilethe numberofpackssoldcontinuedtodecline year-on-yearby1.1%.

“Groceryinfationnowstandsat13.7%for January,markingthefourthconsecutivemonth ofinfationratesfalling,andnowsittingthe levellastseeninMay2023.Thismeansthe averageannualgrocerybillissettoriseby £762from£5,565to£6,327ifconsumers don’tmakechangestotheirshoppinghabits.

“Althoughgroceryinfationlevelsarefalling, theyarestillexceptionallyhighandconsumers inNorthernIrelandcontinuetofacesignifcant pressuresontheirbudgets,makingthe landscapeascompetitiveaseveras retailers lookforwaystoattractshoppersthroughthe door.

“Oneoftheways retailersaredoingthisis throughtheirownlabellinesandadditional

promotions.Over21%ofsalesweremade throughapromotionaloffer,alevelthishigh hasnotbeenseensinceNovember2020.”

Tesco remainsNorthernIreland’slargestgrocer, pullingin34.9%ofthesharehere.Lidlstill seesthelargestgrowth,howeveroverallspend only represents9.1%ofthemarket,while othermultiplessawasizeable14.9%rise,now makingup8.4%ofthespendhere.

Andgrocersarespendingwhenitcomesto infrastructure.Lidl,forexample,iscontinuing toexpanditsstoreportfolio,asareotherssuch asHendersonGroup.

Lidlhasjustsubmittedplanningapplications forthreenewoutletsatBangor,Craigavonand Dungannon.

Theplanningapplicationswillposition newstoresatRushmereShoppingCentre inCraigavonandadjacenttoBloomfeld ShoppingCentreinBangor– replacing longstandingnearbyoutlets.

Ithasalsosubmittedaplanningapplicationfor anewsupermarketandcaféatAnneStreetin Dungannon, replacingitsScotchStreetstore.

Intermsoftacklingrisingprices,Henderson Group,whichcountsSpar,Eurosparand Vivo amongitsbrandedstores,saysit’ssettingaside £8min2024to reducethecostofeveryday goods.

“Wehaveonceagaingrownourvalue promisetoshoppers,committingover£8m todrivingpricesdownthroughouttheyear,” PatrickDoody,salesandmarketingdirectorat HendersonGroup,said.

“Overhalfofthatsumwillbeinvestedinto everydayvaluesuchasfridgefllersandfood cupboardandhouseholdessentialsplus promotionaldealsthroughouttheyear.”>

RE TA IL & WHOL ESAL E

We’vealsoseenafewnewcomerstoour streetsinthelastfewweeksandmonths. ThatincludesbrandssuchasgiftshopMooch, whichhasunveiledtwoBelfaststores–onein thecitycentreandoneinForestsideShopping CentreinsouthBelfast.

Forestsideitselfhasalsobeenattheforein termsof retaildiscussions,withformerKFC tycoonMichaelHerbertbuyingthecentrefor £42m.

Thatwentforaround£5mmorethanthe askingprice.Butkeepinmind,afewyears backForestsideandDerry’sFoylesidewere jointlyvaluedataround£158m,accordingto documentsfledtoCompaniesHouse.

Sincethatwasfrst revealedMrHerberthas beguntoploughcashintoit. Workisalready wellunderwaytobuildanewfoodcourtarea,

whichisexpectedtoincludeawell-known spicychickenbrandamongothers.

Butwe’vealsolostsomenamesalongthe way.TheBodyShopbecamethelatestbig namehighstreetcasualtyhere,afterentering administration,withitsstoreshereatriskof closure.

Meanwhile,alocal retailerandonceagiant here,ChainReactionCycles,announced itwouldshutitsbricksandmortarBelfast store,justthreemonthsaftersomeof thebrand’sparentcompanieswentinto administration.

Intermsofthewider retailcommercial propertymarket,growthduringtheyearwas drivenbya revivalinthe retailsector,which accountedfor£204.4moftotaldealvolume, 60%abovethefve-yearaveragefor retail

andthehighestannualfguresince2017, accordingtoLambertSmithHampton.

Thosestrongnumbersweredrivenbythesale ofseveralprimeshoppingcentres,withfve transactionsaccountingfor£120.7moftotal dealvolume.

Andlookingatdevelopment, retail,whileit lagsbehindtheoffcemarket,isseeingsome 10,000sqftofnewbuildacrossBelfast, accordingtothelatestRegionalCraneSurvey fromDeloitte.

Whilethecitycentresmaystillbefacing toughtimeswithhybrid-workingcertainlynot somethingbeing resignedtothepast,there’s somethingofapick-uphappeninginhigh street retail.However,turningtooutoftown, alongwithinvestment,there’scertainlyactivity inthemarket. ■

TheBodyShoprecently enteredadministration

HendersonGroup: investmentstrategiesfor2024

HendersonWholesalesupplies toover500SPAR,EUROSPAR, ViVO, ViVOXTRAand ViVO EssentialsstoresinNorthernIreland,while HendersonRetailcurrentlyoperates106 SPARandEUROSPARstoreshere.

HendersonGroup recentlyannounceda signifcantinvestmentintotheirpricing strategyforthecomingyear,whichwill see retailersandshoppersalikebeneft fromhundredsmoredealsontheshelves throughoutseasonalcampaigns,alongside everydayfridgefllersandfoodcupboardand householdessentials.

RetailershavealreadybeenrunningtheMega Dealspromotionalcampaignthroughouttheir storeswhichkickedoffatthebeginningofthe year,and representsapricinginvestmentof over£800,000–alongsidea£1mmarketing campaigntodriveawarenessandfootfall.

PaddyDoody,salesandmarketingdirector atHendersonGroupsays“valueisourkey priorityfor2024”.

Refectingonsignifcantmilestonesin2023, MrDoodysaid:“Lastyearwecommitted

£60mtowardscapitalexpendituretoour retail andwholesaleinfrastructureandtechnologies, oursustainabilitystrategiesandtoenhance ourvaluepromise–109 retailprojectswere completedlastyear,andweinvestedover £7.8mtowardsourvaluepromise,afgurethat hasgrownforthisyear.”

Henderson’sindependent retailerscurrently have33projectslinedupforthisyear, includinganewbuildfromtheKnoxfamily, whowereamajor recruitmentforHenderson Grouplastyear.Theybroughtallthreeoftheir NisastoresundertheSPARNIbrand,growing theirsalesandfootfallinthefrstfewmonths.

Speakinglastyear, TrevorKnoxsaid:“Wehave experiencedaboostinsalesinthefrstfew months,whilealso receivingpositivefeedback fromour regularshopperswhoareimpressed withthevalue,choiceandqualityofour offeringandwelookforwardtopushingthat evenfurtherin2024.”

HendersonRetailcurrentlyhas25projectsin thepipelinefor2024,andwillcontinueto enhancethefoodtogoandfreshlocalfood

offeringastheyadapttheirstoresforgrowing consumerdemands.

Sustainabilityisalsoapriorityfor2024,with thegroupsettingitsowntargetsalongside 2040’sgovernmentnetzerotargets.

“Weswitchedon1,494solarpanelsthathave beeninstalledacross75%ofourmost recently builtwarehouseatourMalluskheadquarters, andwehaveplansforphasetwoofthe installationtotakeplacethisyear,”Paddysaid. “Investmentsof£2.5mhavebeenearmarked forsustainableupgradesacrossthebusiness for2024.

“Bytheendof2025,100ofourHenderson RetailsitesacrossNorthernIrelandwillhaveEV chargingavailable,thankstoourpartnership withbppulsewhichwillsee200ultra-fast andrapidpointsavailable.Fortyhavealready beeninstalled,whileforecourtsiteshavealso undergone refurbishmentstobringmorefoodto-gooptionsandseatingforthosewhohave alongerdwelltimeastheychargeup.Itisa holisticapproachthatbringsevenmoretoour communitystores.” ■

Mulgrew’sEUROSPARinCarryduffwasakeyindependentstoreopeningin2023

TheMegaDealspromotionalcampaignhasbeenrunning instoressincethebeginningoftheyear

RE TA IL & WHOL ESAL E

HendersonPrint: aleaderinprinttechnology

HendersonPrint isa professionalprintingfrm supplyingahugevariety ofbusinessesacross NorthernIreland,working withahostofbigname clientsofallshapesand sizesfromrightacrossthe sectors

HendersonPrintis a Northern Irelandcompanyboasting a skilled team,deliveringtopendquality printingatcompetitivepricesformore than30years.

OperatinginMallusk,Newtownabbey, itoffers a completerangeofprintingservicesto a varietyofindustryclients,fromconvenience andforecourt retail,hospitality, travel,design, offceandcorporatesupplies,andbespoke itemsforeventandmediaagencies.

HendersonPrintisattheforefrontofprint technology, investinginmodern printingand cuttingmachinerytoensure maximumimpact andthewidestrangeofsolutions.

Itoffers a competitive,valueformoneyservice forhighqualityproducts,and a fexible approachmeansitcanmeetthetightestof deadlines.

Onebusinessbeneftingfromthevarietyofprint servicesavailableatHendersonPrintisJDHunter andCo,basedinMarkethill,CoArmagh.

ChrisMcClure,store manager, hasbeen partneringwithHendersonPrintforoverfour years,creating a uniqueenvironmentwithinthe shopforallourlocalcustomers.

“HendersonPrintallowustoshowcaseour locallysourcedproductsinthestore withgreat high-enddecorativesignageoutsidethestore,” hesaid.

“Usingourinitialdesignsasinspiration, HendersonPrintalsocreated a bespokesolution ofhangingboardsandinsertsforourbread tables.Byworkingtogether, wewere ableto createsomethingthatistotallyuniquetoour store and a greatwayofshowcasingourlocal products.

“Iamveryhappyto recommendHenderson Printtoother retailerswhoare keento createtheirownuniqueinstore design.It’s a professionaloperationproducingquality

productsontimeeverytimeandwe reallyenjoy workingwitheveryoneintheteam.

“Theynotonlygiveusthetoolstoexpressour ideascreatively, buttheyencourageustowork withthemtoensure theright resulthitsthe shopfoor.”

Aswemoveinto2024,thefrmisexcitedto workwithbusinesseswhomightbelooking toembarkon a newlookinmarketingor advertising.

HendersonPrinthasbuilt a reputationof offering a completeprintpackagefromdesign throughtofnish.

Frommanufacturingmagazines,leafets, instore menus,pointofsalepacks,including overbagsandoutsidebannersforthe road andforecourts,toallinstore signageincluding bunting,hangingsigns,shelfedgelabelling, wobblers,andbusstops,thefrmtakesclients throughtheentire processfromdesignright throughtoprint,productfnishanddelivery ■

Getintouchandfnd out how theteam can help caterforallyour printingneeds Tel:02890337826

Email:print@henderson-group.com

Visit : www.hendersonprint.com

ChrisMcClure,storemanagerofJDHunterandCo, Markethill

Strang ford andTheCuan: a masterclassinhospitality with brilliant foodon

the side

TherecentlyrevampedCuanin Strangfordhitsthehospitalityhighnote, fromthefood,tothecharmandthe accommodation,writes JohnMulgrew

Hospitalityandserviceareoftenas importanttoasuccessfuldining experienceastowhat’splopped downontheplate.

Any roughedgesaresuitably roundedoutin frontofyoureyeswithdeftness,charmand congeniality.

The recently revampedTheCuanin Strangford,however,managestonailthat highestechelonofhospitalitywhileknocking outveryimpressiveplatesofelevatedbistro pubfare.

Strangforditselfoffersacompactselectionof spotstoeatanddrink,mostofthemsituated convenientlyintheSquare.

TheCuanhasbeen recently refurbishedand it’sclearthatalotoftime,considerationand designaesthetichasgoneintothischarming littlehoteljustastone’sthrowfromtheferry.

Itboastsabarand restaurantdownstairs, alongwithaperfectlylitatriumareainwhich breakfastisserved.

Aquicknosyaroundwhilethesmallmanis gettingsettledin,aquickinvestigationintothe adjacentLobsterPotis required.Averyswift pintofGuinnessisalsoonthecards,purelyfor editorialpurposes.

Dinnerthesedaysisaslightlymoreconvoluted affair.Ayearagotheideaofbookinga tablefor5pmwouldn’thavebeeninthe wheelhouse.Now,withasmallmanneeding hisbedtimeatasuitablyearlyhour,it’sbecome thenorm.

Themanhimselfsitspertanduprightinhis highchair–foratimebeforedecidinghe’d ratherhaveadoze–asweperusethemenu.

Thisparticularweekendit’snew,I’m reliably informedbythestaff.

There’saheadymixtureofclassics,peppered withmoreintriguingiterationswhichshows thisisachefandkitchentryingtofexits culinarymuscles.

The‘CrispyKPopChicken’bringsforthwhat areessentiallylittleKorean-style,boneless, poshchickennuggets.Eachmanagestobe moisteventhoughthelittlemorselsareas crispanddiminutiveastheyshouldbe.There’s acleanandzestysaladwithsomesesameand ginger,mayoandalittlebarbecuesauce.

Batteredprawnsarethick,plumpandcrisp, withalovelybalancedcurryketchup,alongside a refreshingcarrotandsesamesalad.It’s refreshingtoseedishesascompleteapackage asthis,withanaccompanimentwhichisn’tjust copiedandpastedfromdishtodish.

Amainofbolognese-basedlasagneisaslight departurefromthetraditional,seemingly forgoinganynoticeablewhitesaucebut includingwhippedmascarpone.

Whilesaiddairyishardtospot,it’snonetheless asuperblyrichtomato-basedraguwith averygenerouslevelofcowwithin.An accompanyingsaladwithshallotsaddsabitof neededacidandtartness.

Fries.Thereareplacesthatdohigh-endbistro fareandsteaksthatstillcan’tmanageit(you knowwhoyouare).Buttheseareperfect. Theyaren’tcookedinbeeforduckfatbutare wellproportioned,crisp,justatouchmaroon aroundtheedgesandsuitablyfuffy.That’sall Iask.

IshouldalsosaytheGuinnessmeetsthe requirements.Thereareotherhotelscharging inexcessof£7forsomethingyou’dbe disappointedgettinginanoff-brandglassat an regionalairport.

AndwhileI refrainfromtryingitduetomy owndietaryconstraints,apieceofcodarrives asaquintessentialiterationofbatteredfsh. It’sasizeablepiece,goldenandencrusted, whichlookslikesomethingfromthechipshop stockimagecataloguewhichinvariablynever normallymanifestsontheplate.It’spristine andI’minformedit’sinherentlymoistand perfect.

Lasagneat TheCuan

Hospitalityismorethanthefoodanddrinkon offer.TheCuanhitsthisnailontheheadmore sothanalmostanyotherspotI’vebeento recently.It’sa realmasterclass.

Whilethelittlefellaisnormallyawellroundedandwell-behavedchap,it’sstillan extraburdenon restaurantsindealingwith amemberofthefamilywhoseageis measuredinmonthsandweeks.But there’snothingbutwarmthand charm.

Forthosestaying,TheCuan comesinatarather reasonable £139foradoubleorfamily room.Andsaid roomsarewell kittedout,stylishandspacious. Breakfastisincludedandoffers upclassicscookedtoorder whichareasequallysatisfyingas dinnerthenightbefore.

Andturningtothestandardof hospitalityandattentiontodetail,from thecheck-inat receptiontothelittlethings alongtheway,itfeelsmorelikesomething you’dfndinamuchhigher-pricedspotinthe US,butwithoutthatfeelingofinsincerityor thatit’sallinsearchforasizeabletip.

Takealamp,forinstance,whichisn’tworking inthe room.Itmeansit’shardtoachievealow leveloflighttokeeptheweemansettledfor bedtime.

Butwithinacoupleofminutes,amemberof staffisupandtryingtosolvetheproblem. Itdoesn’tappeartojustbeabulbchange. HebringsupasmallUSB-chargedledlamp fromthe restaurantdownstairs.It’s aquickandcleversolution,andall iswell.

Ifyouaremakingthetripto Strangford,I’madvisedthe Holeinthe Wallisanother goodspotforanevening. Butwithasmall,sleepyman intow,itwasn’tpossibleon thisoccasion.Butdon’tleave withoutgettingasuitable seafoodfx.

Ahalf-lobsterattheaptly namedLobsterPotwasperfect –moistandtenderwiththe richnessofgarlic-enrichedbutter andsamphirealongsidesome half-decentfries.Awholelobster comesinataslightlyeye-watering 45quid.Butifwe’dfeltfusherorbeen hungrierwe’dhavemadetheleap.

TheGuinnessisalsoadecentdrop,especially forafver. ■

CrispKpopchicken atTheCuan

Halflobsterwithgarlic butterattheLobsterPot

Belfasttechfirm Amply lands£1.4mfunding

ABelfasttech firmhassecuredmore than£1.4minfundingtodevelop newdrugsusingitsAI-driven platform.

AmplyDiscoveryLimited –a Queen’s Universityspin-out – wassetupthreeyears tocommercialiseaninnovativedrugdiscovery platformdevelopedby researchersinthe SchoolofBiologicalScienceatQueen’s.

The firmispoweringthediscoveryofcures forcancer, metabolic,andinfectiousdiseases throughAIandsyntheticbiology, makingthe discoveryofnewdrugsmore predictableand lessexpensive.Itstechnologyplatformhasbeen thesubjectofmore than a decadeof research anddevelopment.

Thecompanyiscurrentlyfocusedontwo flagshipR&Dprogrammeswhichwillprovide technicalvalidationforitsdevelopment platform.

The firstprogramme,focusedonRNAi therapiestotacklehighlygeneticallymediated cancers,hasbeenawarded£835,000by InnovateUKandInnosuissetodevelop a new RNAitherapyforacutemyeloidleukaemia.

Thesecondprogramme,focusedoninhaled antimicrobialtherapiesto fightmulti-drug resistant(MDR)lunginfections,hasbeen awarded£602,000byInnovateUKtodevelop a newnebulisedantimicrobialproductfor MDR-TB.

“ThisnewfundingwillfurtherhelpAmply to realiseitsambitionofdemocratisingthe discoveryofnewtherapeuticsbybuilding a transformative‘drugdiscoverystudio’which leveragestherawpowerofevolutionto unearthnewmedicinesfromnature’s huge untapped reservoir,”DrBenThomas,chief executiveandco-founder, said.

AndDermot Tierney, chiefoperatingofficer andco-foundersaid:“As a drugdiscovery studiowhichdiscoversanddevelopsdenovo first-in-classdrugcandidatesfordownstream out-licensingthisfundingwillsignificantly enhanceourpipelineoflicense-readyassets.”

Amplyis a ‘techbio’company,afirmwhich whichleveragessoftware andtechnologyto solvecomplexbiologicalproblems.

Thecompany’s AIplatformislikeChatGPT formoleculediscovery, withaminoacidsand oligonucleotidesasitsbuildingblocks.Synthetic biologyisusedtosynthesizeandvalidatethese AI-discoveredcandidatesin a real-worldsetting.

MarkBeards,non-executivechairmansaid: “AmplyDiscoveryis a fantasticexampleof anotherqualitylifesciencecompanyemerging fromthebuoyantNorthern Irelandecosystem.”

“Thechallengesofcomplexdiseaseare renderingexistingdiseasetreatments ineffective,andAmplyishelpingtosolve difficultissuesliketheglobalhealththreatof antimicrobial resistance(AMR)bydemocratising drugdiscoverythroughAIandsynthetic biology,”itsays.

“AMRthreatensto renderineffective mankind’s currentportfolioofantibioticsto fightinfectionscausedbybacteria,virusesand fungi.ItsteamisusingAIandmachine-learning techniquestodiscovernewanti-infective products.

“Amplyworkswith a networkofdiseaseand biotechpartnerstohelpadvanceitsprograms, itsMDR-TBprojectis a collaborationwith StGeorge’s UniversityLondonanditsAML projectisbeingrunwith a Swiss-basedbiotech partner.” ■

AmplyDiscoveryco-founders Dermot TierneyandDrBenThomas

Belfastwoman EmerCassidy, TikTok’shead ofEMEAregionalpolicy,speaksto Mary McCarthy aboutlocalslang,timedifferences, canteenfood,andthejoyofagrowingsector

Riskmapping

I’vebeenat TikTokforthreeyearsandI’m headoftheEurope,MiddleEast,andAfrica (EMEA) regionsforpolicy.Ourjobisto keeppeoplesafeonline,inparticularyoung people.

Myteamisfocusedonhowweensuresafety withalocallensandhowtounderstandnew trendswithaspecifcmarketunderstanding–suchasanewtrendinlocalslang.

Oneofthetoughestthingsintrustand safetyistheunknown. We doriskmapping andplanningtoprepareforeventsthatwill

spillintothedigitalspaceandweneedto react quickly.

TikTokhas40,000safetyprofessionalsworking globallyandexpectstospendover$2bnin trustandsafetyeffortsthisyearalone.My teamisasub-team,thenthereisabroader productpolicyteaminEMEAinDublin, London,AmsterdamandBerlin.

TrustandSafetyisrunoutofDublinglobally. Theglobalheadoftrustandsafetyisbased here,asistheheadofproductpolicy.

I’mworkingatthegloballevel–butitwould

beverydiffculttodomyjobfromsomewhere likeFrance,Ineedtobehere.IliveinDublin 8andridemybikeintowork. We havejust movedintolovelynewoffcesontheQuays, andIgothereasmuchaspossible.It’sa really nicespaceandIlovetheopportunitytochat withpeople.

We areableto resolveproblemsquickerifwe canaskacolleague:“Canyouchatfortwo seconds?”.Ispendalotofmydayinmeetings withmyteamtodiscusswhatisgoingon andwhatsupportisneeded. We continually prepareforhighriskevents–wemighthave meetingsforupcomingelections.

Therearemanycross-functionswithdifferent stakeholdersandIwilldiscussprojectsweare workingontosupportpolicyperspectives. WhenIgetinIhaveanhour-longmeeting withSingaporeandthenface-to-facemeetings inDublin.IhavelunchandthenImighthave onlinemeetingswithpeopleinNew York.

Career recalibrating WhatIwouldtellmy21-year-oldselfisto considertakingabitofariskandmoveintoan areathatisgrowing.

OriginallyIwantedtobeabarrister,andwhile thingsdidn’tturnoutthatway,movinginto

trustandsafetyhasbeensofulfllingand rewarding.Sometimesyouhavetotrustthe process.

WhenIleftcollegein2009itwasa recession andachallengingtimetogetajob.I completedmylawstudiesanddidthebar course–butwhenitcametoapplyingfor pupillageIstruggled.Andthat’sthelastpiece thatyouneedtobecomeaqualifedbarrister. Atthattimeitwasdiffcult.Ihadspentall theseyearsstudyingandattheenditseemed mygoalwasnotpossible.

AfriendwasworkingforGoogleinLondon

andshe referredmeforajob.In2011Ididn’t evenknowwhatcareersyoucoulddointech. I’donlygotmyfrstsmartphonethenandat thetimeIjustthoughtGooglewasawebsite.

I remembertalkingtomyparents,asking themwhatIshoulddo.Iappliedandgota jobinGoogle’slegalteamdoingcommercial contracts.Iwasworkingwiththe YouTube policyteamandIthoughtwhattheywere doingintrustandsafetywasinteresting.

Sowhena rolecameupIalreadyhad connectionsandanetworktointerviewforit. ImovedtoDublinwiththemandthenworked forGoogleinSanFrancisco.IwasinGoogle forthreeyearsbeforeImovedintotrustand safetythere,andmylegalbackgroundcamein veryuseful.

Ifyouarealawyeryouareenforcingthelaws –andtokeeponlineplatformssafeyouare alsoenforcinglaws.At TikTokwefollowsafety bydesign–sowheneverwearecreatinga productorafeaturewehavethisasacore value.Forexample,anyoneunder16doesnot haveaccesstodirectmessagingbydesign.

Istartedwith TikTokthreeyearsago.Imoved backtoIrelandbecauseIwashomesick.Iam veryclosetomyfamily—buttherewasan 11-hourplanerideandahugetimedifference betweenus.Ihadgoneforanadventureand I’dhadthat,soIlookedforanewjobtobring mebacktoEurope.

Moderation

We workwithcolleaguesacrosstheworld,in particularSingaporeandCaliforniawherewe havehubs.WhichmeansIhavetotravel.Ilove totravel,thoughitcanbedisruptiveandyou eatlesshealthily.

TherehavebeentimesinmycareerwhereI’ve hadtotravelonceamonthandthatistough. I rememberIsignedupforacookerycoursein TheFumballyinDublin–butIcouldnevergo, whichwasannoying.

I’mnowmorethoughtful,andtravelonly whenitaddsthemostvalue–otherwiseI>

trytodoitonline.Thehardestpartofmy jobisworkingwiththedistressingcontent. We areluckywehavealotofsupportand resourcesifwedoseethat.

Therehavebeenhugeadvancesintech andnowcomputersareverygoodat identifyingharmfulcontent.Thingsstill needtogoforhuman reviewwhenitisnot clear-cutviolations.Buttherehavebeenbig advances.

Therearesomethingsweneedhuman moderationfor,suchas reclaimingaslur term.Acomputercanidentifyaslurterm, butahumancanunderstandthecontext–sohumanmoderation remains reallyuseful.

It’sbeenajourneyforme,learninghowto properlyfnishupforthedayandhandover tomyUScolleagueswhoarecomingonline. Theyoungergenerationaremakingthis

journeymuchfaster.IknowIcanworkmuch fasterifIamloggedoutofworkappswhen I’moffwork.

Foodforthought

Thefoodisgoodat TikTokandit’swonderful tobeabletograblunchwithafriend.The easemakesitmorelikelyyoudothat.It’s nicetobeabletotalk,notjustaboutwork –buttherecanbebenefts,aswecantouch onsomethingwe’reworkingoninamore informalway.

IhavealotofcoffeeandDietCokeeachday. Thefoodatworkisquitehealthy,whichisfor thebest–asI’dwanttoeatchipseverydayif Icould.

Ihavebreakfastathome–nutsandberries–andgetintoworkat9amor9.30am.Myfrst coffeeisathomeandIhaveaterribleguilty pleasureofbuyingoneonthewayintowork.

Itrytofnisharound6pm–butthatdoesnot alwayshappen.Thisweek,forinstance,there weremeetingsinCaliforniaIwantedtojoin, butlikeIsaid,Iambecomingmorethoughtful aboutwhatmeetingsIjoin.

Seeingthepositives

Nooneintrustandsafetyisevergoingtosay wehavegotitsorted–butwearemaking progress.Forexample,whentheDublinriots happened,wemobilisedquicklyandput inplacetheprocesseswehavetoprevent misinformationfromspreading.

Goingthrougheventslikethathelpsus prepareforfuturesimilarevents–we’re constantlylearningandimproving.Ilovethe workIdotodayandI’m reallyinvestedinit.I havegrownwithtrustandsafety–itwasan areajuststartingoutwhenIbeganworkingin it,butnowtherearecollegecoursesyoucan do. ■

Belfast‘canbecomekey hubagainstcybercrime’

NorthernIrelandcould becomeakeyglobalhub inthefghtbackagainst cyber-crimeaccording toexpertsatatech conferenceinBelfast, writes

KurtisReid

Businesseshavebeenwarnedof theneedtohavecyber-security safeguardsduring a major conferencestagedinBelfast.

TheCheckPointCyberSecuritySummit tookplaceat TitanicBelfastwithbosses fromMicrosoftandNI’s GitHubleadingthe conversationonhowtocombathackersand cyberthreats.

Billedas a summitunlikeanyotherinthecybersecurity realm,conveningcyberandbusiness leadersfromacrossthepublicandprivate sectorsinNorthern Ireland,theeventwas aimedatfacilitatingcollaboration.

ItfocusedonhowNorthern Irelandcan“meet thechallengesoftherapidlyevolvingthreat landscapeandtheopportunitiesthat2024 presents.”

Thesummitcameaftertwomajoronline securityincidentsinNorthern Irelandlastyear – thePSNIdatabreach,whichinvolvedhuman errorratherthanhacking,andatRoyalMail.

ThelatterinvolvedRussia-linkedransomware whichforcedthecompanytosuspend internationalpostaldeliveriesandalsoaffected thecompany’s sortingbaseinMallusk.

ThePSNIincidentwascausedby a lack ofsecurityprocessesinplace,with a reportfollowingtheincidentproviding37 recommendationsforimprovinginformation securitywithintheforce.

CheckPoint’s countrymanager, theBelfastborn SeamusMcCorry, saidtheconference tookplacein a bidtospotlightNorthern Ireland as a locationforcybersecuritygrowth.

“CheckPointis a keyplayerrightacrossthe island,andtodaywasaboutbringingtogether a newcommunity,”MrMcCorrysaid.

“Belfastisourkeyhopeforcyber-security acrossNorthern Ireland,andit’s greattohaveit here forthefrsttime.

“Everybusiness,nomatterhowbigorsmall, needstohave a cyber-securitypractice.It’s soimportantanditneedstobefromthe boardroomdown.

“Cyber-securityattackscanbeabsolutely devastating,and I thinkit’s justaboutbestpractice,thelandscapechangessomuchover timeandit’s aboutkeepinguptodatewiththe latestdevelopmentsonnewthreats,andnew technology

“Thingslikecyberhygiene,andhere we’ve talkedaboutpreventionstrategiesinterms ofransomware– ratherthan a detection strategy.”

Mark Weir, CheckPoint’s regionaldirectorfor theUKandIreland,alsopraisedthetalent

ondisplayinNorthern Irelandduringthe conference.

“It’sa greatopportunitytobeinBelfast,it’sa boominghubfortalent – italwayshasbeen, but I thinknowweare really rediscoveringit,” hesaid.

MrMcCorrysaid:“We are fndingwith traditionalindustriessuchascompanieslike Harlandand Wolff,it’s aboutcollaboration. Companiesneedtoworkwithteamsacrossthe globearoundusingdigitaltools.”

“It’s aboutprotectingintellectualpropertyfor thesecompanies,bothinternallyandexternally.”

MrMcCorryalsohighlightedtheneedfor studentswhostudycyber-themeddegrees inNorthern Irelandto remainhere toaidthe industry

“Ithinkifwe’velearntanythingacrossthepast years,itisthatlocationisbothimportantand notimportant,and I hopeeveryoneinNorthern Irelandembracesit.

“It’s greattoseethebreadthofstudentshere interestedinthissector, andit’s goodtoshow themtheopportunitieshere.Myownsonisin Queen’s,and I amkeenforhimtostayhere and grow.” ■

Cyberattacks:preventionis alwaysbetterthanthecure

Cyberattacksaremorethandoublingeachyear,andthatnumberislikelyto furtherrise. Terry Moore,founderof OutsourceGroup,isinvestinginitscyber technologyandputtingcompanysecurityatthetopoftheclientlist

Despitetheexponentialgrowthin theincidenceofcyberattacksevery year, industryexpertsenvisagethis willbeovershadowedintermsofvolume andcomplexity, inthecomingyears,as badactorsincreasinglyutiliseAIand emergingtechnologies, resultinginmany more sophisticatedandaggressivecyber attacks.

TerryMoore,founderofOutsourceGroup, believesthatcyber-securityawareness,planning andinvestmentneedstobeanongoingcritical priorityforbusinesses.Whileencouraging toseeanincreasingnumberofcompanies settingbusiness-as-usualITbudgets,alongside stand-alonesecuritybudgets,hebelievesthis needstobecome a standard businesspractice goingforward ifcompaniesare seriousabout cyber-security

Outsourceis a security-focusedsolutions andservicesgroup,(most recentlyenhanced furtherbytheacquisitionofAnsecIA, a leading ITsecurity-focusedconsultancycompany). Recognisingthatthespeedandquantum ofchangesinITmeansstandingstillor underinvestingisnotanoption,Outsourceis settolaunchitsnewSOC(securityoperations centre)totheIrishmarket,deliveredin partnershipwiththeworld’s leadingcybersecuritycompanyPaloAlto,poweredbyits leadingCortexXSOARplatform.

Terryunderstandsthatsomeoftheexisting legacythird partySOCofferingshavefailedto liveuptocustomerexpectations,sotoensure theOutsourceSOCisbest-in-class,Outsource havemadeaninitialinvestmentofmore than £1mtosourceboth,thebestcyber-security SOCtechnologyavailable,butalsotopartner withtheworld’s leadingcyber-securitypartner ofchoice,PaloAltoNetworks.

TheOutsourceSOCwillutiliseCortexXSOAR, themostcomprehensiveSOARofferinginthe marketandtheindustry’s frstextendedsecurity orchestrationandautomationplatform.XSOAR simplifessecurityoperationsbyunifying automation,threatdetection,prevention, attacksurfacemanagementandsecurity automationcapabilitiesintooneintegrated platform.

TheinvestmentinthepowerofAIandmachine learningbasedsolutionswillpro-activelyseek out,flterandtacklemanyofthethreats a businesswillfaceearlyon,largelywithoutuser intervention,whichinturn freesupexpensive skilledstaff forbusiness-as-usualtasks.Cortex threatdetectionisproventodeliver95%faster responsetimesand a 95% reductioninalerts requiringattention.

With regard tohowmuchtimeandmoney businessesshouldexpendoninternalsecurity measures, Terry’s recommendationsays “whateveryoucando,youshoulddo –whateveryoucanspendyoushouldspend”,

asheisconcernedforbusinessesfacingthe increasednumberandsophisticationoffuture attacks.

Terry, whowas recentlyamongthebigwinners attheBelfast TelegraphIT Awards,takinghome theaward forOutstandingContributiontothe ITSector, alsoconfrmedthecontinuedgrowth oftheOutsourcecloudbusiness,OSGCloud, “whichwasalsoborn fromtheviewthatwe coulddeliver a betterCloudperformance, atmore competitivepricingthanwhatwas availableinthemarket”andisdelightedtosee thecontinuedgrowthbeingdrivenbyexisting user recommendations.

Lookingahead, Terrybelievesthelaunchofthe OutsourceSOCandwiderPaloAlto relationship willfurtherstrengthentheOutsourceGroup’s abilitytohelpcustomersimproveitssecurity posture,todayandtomorrow “We willmake noapologiesforbeingfanaticalaboutsecurity ineverythingwedo”hesays,withitsobjective ofbecomingeveryone’s “securitypartnerof choice”. ■

TerryMoore

Costoflivingandhealthcare waitinglists‘biggest concerns’inNI:survey

Thecostoflivingcrisisand healthcarewaitinglists remain thebiggestprioritiesforpeople inNorthernIreland,accordingtoanew survey.

Morethanfourffthsofpeopleherebelieve thecostoflivingandtheNHSwaitinglistcrisis arethebiggestconcernshere–higherthan theUKaverage.

That’saccordingtothelatestTheStateofthe StatesurveyfromDeloitte.

ThoseinterviewedbyDeloittealsostressedthe needforthenewExecutivetobemorestable and resilientinfuture.

“ThepublicinNIplacedsocialcarethirdon theirlistofprioritieswith49%mentioning it,withaffordablehousingcomingfourth (47%),”itsaid.

“ThepercentageoftheNIpublicwho wanttoseeimprovementsinthecountry’s infrastructurehasrisenfrom28%inthepast yearto36%.”

The researchincludesasurveybyIpsosUKof 5,815UKadultsaged16-75,including420 fromNI,aswellasindepthinterviewswith morethan30leadersfromacrosstheNIpublic sector.

Publicsectorleadersinterviewedforthe report latelastyear–beforethe re-establishmentof devolvedgovernmenthere–saida returning Executivemustprioritiseasmallnumberof costed,deliverabletransformationand reform initiativesiftheywanttoensurethelong-term viabilityofpublicservices–withhealthand socialcare,education,justice,theplanning systemandhousingtopoftheirlists.

MarieDoyle,partneratDeloitteinBelfast,said: “Itisgoodnewsthatdiscussionsareunderway to restoretheNorthernIrelandExecutive. NI’spublicsectorcontinuestograpplewith thecumulativeimpactofsuccessivecrises, reductionsinspendingpower,increasesin demandandlabourchallenges.

“The returnofanExecutivecouldcritically deliveronthebackloggedtransformation agendaaswellasonpolicyanddelivery choices.Thefnancialpositionwillundoubtedly bechallengingbuttheproposedfscalpackage fromUKgovernmentcouldhelptoaddress someofthosechallenges.

“Thisyear’sStateoftheStatesurveyshows thishastakenatollonthepublic’soptimism forthefuture,faithinthegovernmentand evenexpectationsonpublicservices.People areaspessimisticaslastyearandtrustinthe NIgovernmentanditsabilitytodeliver remains

verylow.Itistellingthat,whenitcomesto publicservices,peoples’currentprioritiesare simplytoaccessthemwithina reasonable timeframeandbeabletocomplainwhen thingsgowrong.

“PublicsectorleaderstoldusthatNIneeds astrongandcooperativeExecutivewillingto maketoughdecisions,developandimplement policies,andworkeffectivelytoensurestability and resilience.Manyalsosaidanagreed ProgrammeforGovernmentmustbefocused onasmallnumberofstrategicpriorities.

“It’sclearfromourconversationswiththose leadersthatNIneedsasustainable,multi-year budgetagreedwiththeUKGovernmentto stabiliseandimprovepublicservices,accelerate transformationinkeysectors,andaddress industrialunrest.Howquicklythiscanbe achievedhasimplicationsforeveryonein NorthernIreland.” ■

Healthcarewaitinglistsremaina priorityforpeopleinNorthernIreland

MajorityofNIvoters backrejoiningEU

Almosttwo-thirdsofpeoplein NorthernIrelandwouldvote to rejointheEuropeanUnionif another referendumwereheldtoday, accordingtoapoll.

Itshowsanincreaseonthepro-EUvotesince the2016 referendumontheUK’smembership.

Thefindingsemergedafterasurveyby LucidTalkfor SundayLife andthe Belfast Telegraph

Justover3,200peoplewereaskedfortheir viewon rejoining.

Some62%saidtheywouldvotetogobackin, while35%wouldchosetostayout,with3% unsureorofferingnoopinion.

Inthe2016 referendum,the remainvotein NorthernIrelandwas56%,whileleavewas on44.

Pro-EUfeelingwasmorelikelyamongwomen inthesurvey,with70%sayingtheywould voteto rejoin,comparedto53%ofmen.

Whilethepro-EUpositionwasdominantinall agegroups,itwasmorecommonamong25to 34-year-oldsand35to44-year-olds,with74%

and70%choosingto rejoin respectively.

Thiswasfollowedbythe65-plusagegroup, ofwhich61%wereinfavourof rejoining, with18to24-year-oldsnexton59%,45to 54-year-oldsat56%and55to64-year-olds on50%.

Analysedbypoliticalallegiance,the rejoin optionwasmostpopularamongSDLPvoters, with99%insupport.Thiswasfollowedby SinnFeinon95%andAllianceat92%,with only4%and7%oftheirvoters respectively choosingtostayout.

Allbutoneoftheunionistparties’voters wouldopttostayout,withTUVsupportersthe moststaunchlyanti-EUat85%.Some11% would rejoinand4%wereundecided.

TheywerefollowedbyDUPsupporters,with 81%infavourofstayingout,15%wantingto gobackintotheEUand4%notsure.

Only44%ofUUPvoterssaidtheywouldvote tostayout,with48%sayingtheywouldvote to rejoinand8%notsure.

Thesurveyalsoaskedwhichwayeachperson votedinthe2016 referendum,iftheyvoted atall.

Ofthosewhovotedtoleave,only20%would choseto rejoin,with75%stickingwiththeir originaldecisionand5%undecided.

Remainvotersweretheleastmoveableon theissue,with92%backing rejoining,6% supportingleavingand2%unsure.

Whenitcametonon-votersinthe2016poll, 74%wouldnowoptto rejoin,24%would stayoutand2%wereundecided.

The researchwascarriedoutbetweenFebruary 9and12andthesamplewasweightedto reflectthepopulation.

Thesurveyalsocanvassed reactiontothe DUP’sStormont return,showingSirJeffrey Donaldson’spartyhasbeenhitwithadropin support.

Theso-called‘Donaldsondeal’,whichSir Jeffreysayswillbringaboutchangesinthe post-Brexittradingarrangementsbetween NorthernIrelandandGreatBritain,wasbacked bymorethantwo-thirdsofunionistvoters.

Whenaskedwhotheywouldvoteforfirstin anAssemblyelection,the responsessawDUP supportslidefourpointsto24%,withSinn Feinstillthelargestpartyon31%. ■

Averagerentrising fasterthanincomes inNorthernIreland

TenantsinNorthernIrelandarenowpaying40%more thanin2016asrentalcostsoutpaceinfation,writes FláviaGouveia

Average rentsinNorthernIreland arerisingfasterthanincomesand outpacinginfation,freshdatahas shown.

Accordingtodata,average rentsinNorthern Irelandhaveskyrocketedby40%onaverage since2016.

Thedata,compiledbyPropertyPal.comand itschiefoperatingoffcerJordanBuchanan, showsthat rentalgrowthhasoutpaced headlineinfationby27%overtheperiod analysed,whileincomeshaveonlygrownby around29%.

Climbingpricesmeanthattheaverage monthly rentinNorthernIrelandhasincreased from£570tonearly£800inthelasteight years.

Buttheaveragesalaryhasrisenby29%,going from£24,587to£31,794,soonaverage rentersarespendingaroundathirdoftheir incomeon rent.InBelfast, rentshavegrown bynearly50%duringthatsameperiod,with averagemonthlypaymentsinthecitysoaring from£616toover£900amonth–makingit themostexpensiveplaceto rentinNorthern Ireland.

Butoverthesameperiod,wagesinthecity rosebyonly33%from£24,363to£32,430.

LisburnandCastlereaghcouncilarea rentsare alsogoingup,soaringbynearly38%from £593in2016to£817in2023. Averageannual payhasrisenbyjust18%.

JordanBuchanan,chiefoperatingoffcerat PropertyPal,said:“Rentalmarketpressures remainatelevatedlevels,withoverall rents experiencingstrongratesofgrowthacross thecountryandbyallpropertytypesin recent years.”

Althoughallpropertytypeshaveseen rents goup,average rentsforhouseshaveaslightly biggerjumpoverthelasteightyears.

Average rentsforhouses rosebyaround41% whileaverageapartment rents rosebyaround 39%duringtheperiod.

Four-bedroomhousessawthemostdramatic changeoverthelasteightyears,withsome pricesclimbingbyanaverageof45%.

“Since2016,average rentshaveincreasedby 40%–fasterthanheadlineinfationof27%,” MrBuchanansaid.

“Incontrast,incomeshaveincreasedby29% overthesameperiod,meaningin realterms, rentshaveappreciatedmuchfasterthan householdfnances,leadingtoheightened affordabilitypressures.”

High rentswillbeaddingtofnancialpressure atatimewhenhouseholdsaredealingwitha cost-of-livingcrisisexacerbatedbyrisingfood andenergyinfation.

“Acombinationoffactorshasdriven rents higher,fromincomegrowth,heightened demandlinkedtoeconomicuncertainty,more stringentmortgageconditionsandaffordability

criteria,toughertaxrulesonlandlordsanda generalshortageofhousingsupplyacrossthe entiresystem,”MrBuchanansaid.

“Addressingbarrierstohousingsupplyisone ofthemostpertinentissues.”

Increaseddemandinthe rentalmarkethas beenintensifying recently.Lastsummerthe propertywebsite reportedthatthenumberof enquiriesfor rentalpropertieshad reachedan all-timehigh.

AtthattimePropertyPal reportedthatthe numberofenquiriesper rentalpropertyonits websiteinJulylastyearwasupnearlyfve-fold from2019,withover89enquiries recorded perproperty.

Anddemandhas remainedhighwitheach rentalpropertydrawing70enquiriesduring thelastquarterof2023.

PaulMacFlynn,co-directoroftheNevin EconomicResearchInstitute,saidthatthe fgureswere“veryshocking,butnotvery surprising”.

“We’veknownforsometime,anecdotally, thatprivate rentalhousingcostshavebeen acceleratingatasignifcantpace.Thesefgures confrmthis,”MrMacFlynnsaid.

“Wehaveseenasurgein rentalpricesinmany economiesoverthelastnumberofyears, includingintheRepublicofIrelandandother regionsoftheUK.

“Ithinkthepandemichadtheeffectof boostingthatgrowthin rentsandwhetherthat wasduetodelaysintheconstructionsectoror othersupply-relatedconstraintsisunclear.”

Headdedthataswellasprovidinginsightinto rentalmarkettrends,thefguresalsohighlight alaginwagegrowth.

“Thefgurespointtotheverypoor performanceofwages,whichinmanycases havebeenartifciallyconstrainedinNorthern Ireland,particularlyinthepublicsector.

“However,thesefguresareevenmore troublingforpeoplewhoareintheprivate rentalsectorbutwho relyonafxedincome

fromsocialwelfare.Whilethegrowthof wagesoverthisperiodhasbeenpoor,fxed incomeshavebeenevenmoresluggish, leadingmanytofaceunsustainablehousing costs.”

Meanwhile,thelatestHousePriceIndex report forthelastquarterof2023publishedbyUlster Universityhas revealedthathousepricesalso continuetorise.

Accordingtothe report,theaveragehouse priceinNorthernIrelandshowed“resilience andstability”andincreasedby0.4%last quarterto£207,010.

Annuallypriceshaveincreasedby2.9%when comparedtothelastquarterof2022.

The researchpointedtosignsofslowing marketactivitywithtransactionsattheir lowestlevelovertheyearduringthequarter, decreasing26%onthepreviousquarter.

Thedropinactivitywascreditedtoadipin buyerconfdencewhich remainedinthelast quarterof2023astheuncertaintyofinterest

ratesactedasakeyfactorformortgage holdersandprospectivebuyersalike.

Interestratevolatilityoverthelasttwoyears willbeaddingtotheeconomicsqueezebeing feltbyhouseholds,makingitmorechallenging totakethefrststeponthepropertyladder–contributingtogrowingdemandinthe rental sector.

Interestrateswerearound3.25%atthestart of2023and roseto5.25%overtheyearand havebeenmaintainedatthatlevelsince.

DrMichaelMcCord, readerin realestate valuationandlead researchersaid:“Theendof 2023,andbeginningof2024,hasseenamore settledinterestrateenvironmentwhichhas transcendedintothemortgagemarketwith lendersbeginningto reduceratesandprovide moreattractivedeals.

“Withthedirectionoftravelforinterestrates arguablyonadownwardtrendthroughout 2024,alliedwith reducinginfation,the housingmarketshouldexhibitincreased buoyancywithinthefrsthalfof2024.” ■

Lidl chief: ‘We don’t report to shareholders each quarter, so we can thinklong-term’

JohnPaul(JP)Scally isnowheadofLidlinNorthern IrelandandtheRepublic.HespeakstoSarahCollins aboutgrowingthebusiness,exportinglocalproduceto supermarketsacrosstheglobeandaboutthinkinglongterm

JohnPaul(JP)Scallyhasspenthalfhis lifeworkingatGerman retailgiant Lidl.

The41-year-oldCo Westmeathnativejoined thesupermarketas a constructionproject managerstraightoutofuniversity, justthree yearsafterLidlopeneditsfrstoutletinthe country

Hemoveduptheladderquickly, takingonjobs inlogistics,sales, regionalandinternational management – hedid a shortstintinGermany andspentthreeyearsinFrance – before landinghiscurrent roleaschiefexecutiveofLidl IrelandandNorthern Ireland.

Scally recentlycelebratedhis20thanniversary atthecompanyandhasbigplansforthe future,despitethechallengesofoperatingin a high-cost,low-marginenvironment.

“I’mveryproudoftheteamthatwehavehere inthebusiness,thatwehavebuilthere– and everydayin retailis a challenge,”hetellsthe IrishIndependentfromthecompany’s head offcein Tallaght.“Butwecontinuetogrow ourmarketshare.Mycareerambitionisto continuetogrowLidlinIreland.”

LidlopeneditsfrstIrishshopin2000(ayear afteritsmaincompetitor, Aldi)andisnow Ireland’s fourth-biggestgrocer, afterDunnes, TescoandSuperValu.Ithas a marketshare of 12.5%,accordingto researchfrmKantar It operates179shopsintheRepublicwithmore

than6,000staff,plus a further41shopsand 1,500staff inNorthern Ireland.

ThesecrettoLidl’s success,hesays,iskeeping thingssimpleandlow-cost:smallershops, a limitedproductrangeandfewerdaily deliveries.In2022,theGermangroupeven setupitsownshippingline, Tailwind,tohelp minimisethekindsofdelaysandmounting freightcoststhatplaguedfrmsacrossthe globeduringthepandemic.Thosecostsare risingagain,duetotensionsintheMiddleEast andRedSea.

Whilerisingcostsare stillhittingthechain –energycostsare aroundtwicewhattheywere in2020,andrisingcostsinNorthern Ireland shavedaround a third off itsproftsthere last year – Lidlisn’t skimpingoninvestment.

The retailerhaspledgedtopayIrishstaffa livingwageof€14.80fromMarchthisyear, andbumpthepayofemployeeshigherupthe scale.Thecompanyisalsocontinuingtoopen newstores – threelastyear, withbetweenfve and10plannedforthisyear(and a “similar pace”everyyearafterthat).Andlastyearsaw thecompanyinvest€50minthedepositreturn scheme – moneyitwillnotgetback.

JPadmitsthatallofthishasdealt a temporary blowtothegrocer’s bottomlineinwhat istraditionally a low-marginbusiness.But becauseit’sa privatefrm,Lidldoesn’t haveto reportsalesandproftsintheRepublic,giving itmore roomformanoeuvre,hesays.

“We don’t haveto reportbacktoshareholders everyquarter We havetheopportunityto thinklong-term.The resultsin a givenquarter, oreven a givenyear, are notthebe-alland end-all.

“Ofcourse,wehavetohave a sustainably proftablebusinessinordertocontinue,but it’s aboutinvestingattherighttime,and supportingourstakeholders – whethertheybe oursuppliersorourcustomers.

“It’s more aboutcontinuingtogrowourmarket share,continuingtoofferthecustomersthe bestexperienceinthemarket,continuingtodo therightthingbyourcustomersandbysociety andbyouremployees,andthenhaving a longterm,sustainablyproftablebusiness.”

Whilehe’s isupbeataboutthefuture,higher wages,risingcostsandthe roll-outofmore than350machinesforcustomersto recycle plasticbottlesandcanshasput a dentinLidl’s 2023numbers.

“Lastyearwas a reallychallenging[one]forall businesses,butitwas a challengingyearfor consumersaswell.

“Andthe responsibilitywehaveas a retailer istolookatbothsidesofthesupplychain. To lookontheonehandatoursuppliers,and continuetosupportthemin a verychallenging situation,withaninfationaryenvironment – andtolookontheotherhandatour customers,andmakesure wecontinueto

supportthemin a cost-of-livingcrisis.”

Luckily, heexpectslowerenergycostsand interestratecutsthisyear – and,dependingon swingsincommodityprices,there shouldbe more pricecutsinstore forcustomers.

LidlwasthefrstIrishsupermarkettocutthe priceofmilklastspring,kickingoffa grocery pricewarthathasseentheGerman retailer slashthepricesofhundredsofitems,whichit estimateswillsavecustomersaround€16mthis year Andthere’s “plentymore tocome”this year, hepromises.

Hesaysthesupermarketisabletosellits goodsabout15%-20%cheaperthanother supermarkets.ThathasenabledLidltotake marketshare “fromeverybody”hesays.

“Thatissomethingthatdoesn’t happenby accident.More thananythingelse,itisthe valueformoneythatpeopleare seeingwith us.”

TheIrishFarmers’Associationhashitbackat thegrocerypricewars,sayingcutsshouldnot comeattheexpenseoffoodproducers.They

calledonthenewagri-food regulatorto investigate.

JPinsistsLidlmaintainsgood relationswithits suppliers,paysmore where itcan,andiseven abletobringthemnewbusinessabroad.

HesaysIrishsuppliersexportedaround €350mworthofgoodsin2022toLidlstores aroundtheworld.

“Irelandhasbeen a verysuccessfulcountry foruswithinthegroup,”hesays.

“We export a lotofIrishbeeftoLidlstores aroundtheworld. We exportourwhiskey.I wasinstoresinDenmarklastweekand I saw WildBurrowIrishginontheshelves – that our WestCorkDistillershavesentoverto them.

“Sowe’veopeneddoorsfor a lotofIrish foodproducerstosellproductstoLidlstores aroundtheglobe.”

BringinginternationalfoodstoIrelandisalso a beneftofhaving a massiveglobalfootprint, withLidloperating12,000shopsworldwide,

includingjustunder200intheUS.”

LidloftenpromotesSpanish,Italianandeven Germanstaples.Irishstores recentlyfeatured currywurst.

Butnoteverythingworkshere.“We havetried theescargotsinIreland,butunfortunatelyit hasn’t beenthemostsuccessfulproduct,”he says.

Whilehehas“talkedandthoughtabout” buyingor rentinghomesforstaff tocopewith skyrocketinghouseprices,thefrmruleditout as“notfeasible”givenitssize.

Meanwhile,“vexatiousobjections”meanit hassometimestakenuptosixyearstoget newstoresthroughtheplanningprocess.“But ultimatelywegetthestore open,”hesays. Despiteallthesethechallenges,Scallyloves whathedoes.

“There isnostandard dayforme,”hesays. “SometimesI’mintheoffce,sometimesI’m outvisitingstores,oroutvisitingsuppliers,or I mightbeeveninanotherLidlcountryseeing what I canlearn.Everydayisdifferent.” ■

Primark BankBuildings and Ulster University among those shortlisted for architecture award

The restoredBankBuildingsand UlsterUniversity’snewcampusare amongbuildingsshortlistedfora toparchitectureawardhere.

TheRoyalSocietyofUlsterArchitects(RSUA) hasannouncedthefnalninecontendersfor thebestworksofarchitectureinNorthern Irelandin2024.

ApanelofarchitectsfromIrelandandGreat Britainevaluated20submissionstodetermine theshortlistedprojectsfortheRSUADesign Awards.

Eachprojectwillnowbevisitedbythepanel forarigorous roundofjudgingthatwillleadto thewinners’announcementinearlyMay2024.

ThoseshortlistedincludePrimark’sfagship BankBuildingsinBelfastcitycentre,Ulster University’snewBelfastcampusandSt Comgall’s,Belfast.

OthersincludeBarneysRuins,Maghera, GardenmoreGreen,Dunmurry,Housein the Woods,Lisburn,HouseonRedbrae Farm,Ballynahinch,Longhurst,Belfast,and MoylinneyCourt,Newtownabbey.

“Ourbuiltenvironmenthasasignifcant impactonourdailylives,”CiaránFox,director ofRSUA,said.

“Eachnewarchitecturaladditionmustbe craftedwithgreatcarefortheneedsofthe clientandtheenduser,aswellasthewider communityandthenaturalenvironment.

“Icongratulatethearchitects,clients,andthe widerteamsinvolvedindeliveringthesenine projects.Afterassessingthisyear’ssubmissions, ourdistinguishedjudgingpanelhasconcluded thateachoftheseworksofarchitecture demonstratesanelementofdelight,invention, orambitiondeservingofamorethorough examination.”

Budgetsrangefromthe£100m restorationof theBankBuildingsinBelfast’scitycentretoa fewhundredthousandforashippingcontainer homebuiltonruinsasfeaturedintheBBC show,RestorationRescue.

Belfastpractice,HallBlackDouglashashadan outstandingyearwithfourprojectsstillinthe runningforanaward.

“Projectssubmittedforthisyear’sawardswere requiredtobeinuseforatleastoneyear beforebeingconsidered,”Ciaransaid.

“Thisallowsthejudgingpaneltobetter evaluatethesustainabilityandoverall performanceoftheseprojects,ensuringthe competition remainsthemost robustmeasure ofthebestemergingarchitectureinNorthern Ireland.RSUAwillcontinuetofocusnotonly ontheprojects’aestheticsbutalsoondesign considerations,includingenvironmentalimpact andcarbonfootprint.” ■

TheBankBuildingswere restoredfollowingablaze whichguttedthebuilding

Houseinthe Woods basedoutsideLisburn

Longhurst inBelfast

HouseonRedbrae FarminBallynahinch

GardenmoreGreen inDunmurry

UlsterUniversity’s newBelfastcampus

Fromtop:MoylinneyCourtinNewtownabbey; StComgall’s,Belfast;BarneysRuinsinMaghera

Der ry frmlandsdeal toimprovehealthin Australianoutback

ADerryfrmhaswonacontractin Australiaintendedtohelpaddress long-termhealthproblemsina remotecommunity.

AccessElementalhasbeensignedupby healthcompanyNibGrouptoprovidea digitalsocialprescribingplatformforits healthprogrammeinBourke,wherearound one-thirdofthepopulationisAboriginal.The valueofthedealhasnotbeendisclosed.

BourkeisinNewSouth Wales,nearly800 kmnorth-westofSydney,andsynonymous withAustralia’s remote‘outback’ region.Its populationofaround2,400peoplefacea journeyofatleast400kmtoaccessmajor hospitalorhealthservices.

Butit’sintendedthatAccessElemental’s platformthroughtheBourkePathways programmewillhelpimprovethehealthof thecommunity,and reducepressureonpublic healthandalliedservices.

Socialprescribingisahealthcaremodel which referspeopletosourcesofsupport tohelpimprovewellbeing,suchasactivities likedebtadvice,socialwelfarelegalsupport,

befriendingservices,ftnessclasses, gardeningclubsandhealthycooking programmes.

TheAccessElementalsoftwareisdesigned forGPs,socialworkersandmentalhealth practitioners.

JenniferNeff,AccessElementalco-founder andmanagingdirector,said:“Weknowthat socialdeterminants,likeaccesstohousing, goodhealthservicesandcommunity connectionsdictatebetterhealthoutcomes.

“Wedevelopedthetechnologytoleverage existingnetworks,makeiteasierto referpeopletotherightservicesintheir communities,andtracktheirprogress.

“Wehaveadecadebehindus;wecansee thesavingstothehealthcaresystem,and moreimportantly,signifcantimprovements inhealthoutcomesforpeoplefromawide rangeofcommunities.”

AccessElementalhasbeenusedbylocal authorities,GPpractices,mentalhealth trusts,housingassociationsandhigher educationinstitutionssince2017.

NibGroupisahealth,wellnessandglobal travelinsurancecompanywithamarket capof$A3.5bnontheAustralianSecurities Exchange.

Ithasbeenworkingonpopulationhealth managementprogrammeswithNewZealand M¯aoriiwi,onpopulationhealthmanagement programmes.Thosenowcoverfve M¯aori groups,aimtomanageand reducelong-term healthproblems,andcuthospitaladmissions, usingmanagedhealthmethods.

NowitsprogrammeinBourkeisthefrstofits kindinAustralia,focusedonthehealthand wellbeingofthecommunity.Ataround30% ofthepopulation,itspercentageofAboriginal peopleismuchhigherthanthe3%within Australia’sgeneralpopulation.

Roslyn Toms,NibGroupheadofsustainability, groupexecutivelegalandchiefriskoffcer, said:“Inaworldwherehealthservicesare stretchedthin,ourfocusisclear:tobring innovativesupporttothecommunitiesthat needitmost.

“WeareblendingAccessElemental’sglobal expertisewiththeinvaluableinsightsofour localpartners.

“BourkeShire residents,likemanypeople livinginsmallertownships,haveparticular healthissuesendemicto remotelocations inAustralia.Sometimes,thosehealthissues canbesolvedwithgreateraccessorbetter coordinationtoexistingservices.” ■

JenniferNeff(left)and LeeannMonk-Ozgul,who togetherfoundedDerrybasedAccessElemental

Motoring

ByPatBurns

TheFocusstayssharp

TheFocushasbeenoneofFord’sbest sellersforthepast25yearsandit recently receivedsomeupdatesto keepitontopofitsgame.

Thelatestmodeldeliversmorestyle,spaceand advanceddrivingtechnologiesforamid-size familycarthaneverbefore.Upagainstthe likesoftheVWGolf,theFocusstillshowsit hasgotwhatittakestobeattheGermansin thehatchbackstakes.

Ithasaevenbetterfeelbehindthewheel, smooth,comfortableandclassy.Thenew modelisslightlybiggerthanitspredecessor andisavailableinthestylish Titanium,sporty ST-Lineandupmarket Vignalespecification.

To keepitrightuptodate,thenewFocus line-upalsointroducesacomprehensiverange ofadvanceddrivingtechnologiesthatcanhelp driversmakelightworkofstop-starttraffic; seemoreclearlywhendrivinginthedarkand avoidaccidents.

The revisedFocussilhouetteisthemost aerodynamicinitsclass.Eachmodelis differentiatedwithuniqueelementsincluding satinaluminiumdetailsforthe Vignaleexterior andalargespoilerandopenfrontapertures fortheST-Line.

High-endconsumerproductdesignis reflectedwithpolishedglassandbrushed finishes.Uniquefeaturesandmaterialsinclude fine-grainwood-effectfinishesandpremium leatherfor Vignaleandsportycarbon fibre-effectfinishesand redstitchingforthe ST-Line.

TheFocusalsoprovidesmorespaceinside forpassengersandluggage.Morethan5cm additionallengthbetweenthefrontand rear wheelsallowsclass-leadingkneeclearance for rearseatpassengers,andalloccupants benefitfromthewiderinterior–there’s6cm moreshoulder roominthe rear.

Adaptivecruisecontrol,whichhelpsthe vehiclemaintainacomfortabledriving distancefromvehiclesahead,isenhanced withstopandgo,whichenablestheFocusto cometoacompletehaltinstop-starttraffic. Thecarwillautomaticallypullawayifthe stoppedforlessthanthreeseconds,orthe drivercanpushasteeringwheelbuttonorthe acceleratortopullawayaftermorethanthree seconds.

Ford’sadaptivefrontlightingsystemwith predictivecurvelightandsign-basedlightfor thefirsttimepre-adjustsheadlamppatterns formaximumvisibilitybefore reachingacurve,

junctionor roundabout,usingtheforwardfacingcameratomonitorlanemarkingsupto 65metresaheadanddetect roundabout,stop, givewayandyieldsigns.

TheFocusisalsothefirstFordvehiclein Europetoofferahead-updisplay(HUD)–one ofthebrightestandlargestavailable–which helpsdriverskeeptheireyesonthe roadby projectingusefulinformationintotheirfieldof vision.

Theindependent rearsuspensionsystemis offeredforthefirsttimewithcontinuously controlleddamping,whichmonitors suspension,body,steeringandbrakinginputs, andadjustssuspension responsesforthe smoothestpossiblerideeverytwomilliseconds.

CustomerscanchoosefromEcoBoostpetrol engineswithpowerfrom85PSto182PS andCO2emissionsfrom107g/km,whilethe EcoBluedieselenginesofferpowerfrom95PS to150PS,andCO2emissionsfrom91g/km. Asixspeedmanualgearboxoraneweight speedautoboxarebothavailable.

TheFocusalsooffersFordPassConnect onboardmodemtechnology,turningthe vehicleintoamobilewi-fihotspotwith connectivityforupto10devices. ■

BMW5 Series adds EVmodel

Thenew2024BMW 5 Serieswillbe offeredasall-electrici5 Touringfor thefrsttimewhenitarriveshere in May, with a plug-inhybridmodelarriving insummer2024.

The 5 Series Touringcombinessportyelegance andloadluggingcapabilitiesinthepremium uppermid-rangesegment.

Thesixthgenerationofthe 5 Series Touringis more progressivethanever, featuringnumerous digitalinnovations,pioneeringsystemsfor automateddrivingandparking,increased sustainabilitythroughouttheentire productlife cycleand,forthefrsttime,anall-electricdrive intheformofthei5 Touring.Thenew 5 Series Touringis a sophisticatedall-rounder, offering stylishpresence,superiorsportiness,versatility andspaciouscomfort.

Theexteriordimensionsofthenew 5 Series Touringare slightlylargerthanthoseofits predecessor, emphasisingitsdynamically stretchedproportionsandincreasingthe amountofspaceavailableinboth rowsof seats.Modelvariantswillincludehighly effcientcombustionengines,plug-inhybrid systemsandpurelyelectricdrivesystems.

Thenew 5 Series Touringwillbeavailable

infourdistincttrimlevelshere,withthe SportEdition, M Sport, M SportPro and range-toppingi5M60modelseachoffering somethingdifferent.Asoneofthemost importantsales regionsforthenew 5 Series Touring,theUKwillbeoneofthefrstmarkets tolaunchtheall-electricmodelinMay2024, withtheplug-inhybridofferingcominglaterin theyear

Here,themarketlaunchofthe 5 Series Touring willalsoseetheintroductionof a SportEdition acrossboththeSaloonand Touringmodels. Thisnewderivativeprovidesanentrypointinto theBMWi5range,whichcontinuestoboast a high-levelofspecifcation,with19-inchlight alloywheelsandPhytonicBlueMetallicpaintas standard,alongsidethecomfortandsportiness expectedofany 5 Seriesmodel.

Theneweditionoffersuniqueexteriorstyling highlights,featuring‘satinated’aluminium fnishes, M AnthraciteHeadlinerandSun ProtectionGlass.Themodern interiorofthe newmodelisfnishedto a highstandard with a Veganzatwo-spokesteeringwheelalongside theinteractionbarandHarmonKardonsound system.

Thenewi5 Touringisthefrstall-electric premiummodelinitscompetitivefeld.Itwill

beavailableintwoversionsfromtheoutset.In theBMWi5M60xDrive Touring,twointegrated driveunitsonthefrontand rearaxlestogether formanelectricall-wheeldrivewithupto601 hp. With M LaunchControlor M SportBoost activated,thesystemtorqueisincreasedto820 Nm(605ft-lb).Thetopmodelacceleratesfrom a standstillto62mphin3.9secondsanditstop speediselectronicallylimitedto143mph.

Theelectricmotorofthei5eDrive40 Touring islocatedonthe rearaxleandgenerates a maximumoutputof340hpand a maximum torqueofupto430Nm(317ft-lb)withSport BoostorLaunchControlfunction.Thei5 eDrive40 Touringacceleratesfromzero to62 mphin6.1seconds.

Inbothmodels,thehigh-voltagebattery locatedintheunderbodyprovides a usable energycontentof81.2kWh.Inadditiontothe effcientelectricmotors,adaptive recuperation andheatpumptechnologyforheatingand coolingtheinterior, contributetothelongdistancecapabilityofthei5 Touring.Therange determinedintheWLTPtestprocedure is277to 314milesforthei5M60xDrive Touringand300 to348milesforthei5eDrive40 Touring.

Thenew 5 Series Touringisavailabletoorder nowwith a startingpriceof£69,040. ■

Honda’snew CR-Vraisesthebar

Hondahasunveiledthesixth generationofitsbest-sellingSUV, theCR-V,whichraisesthebarfor design,practicality,andeverydayusability. It’snowslightlybiggerwithamuchmore upmarketandsophisticatedfeeltoit.

ThenewCR-Vcombinestheadvancedand sportyvaluesthattheHondabrandisknown for,withthelatestdriveraidsandsafetyaids tomaximise reliability,dynamics,andcomfort. Afocusonhigh-qualitycolours,materialsand fabricsthroughoutthecabinhaselevatedthe CR-Vmoretowardthepremiumsegment.

TheCR-Visofferedwithachoiceofeithera fullhybrid(eHEV)or,forthefrsttime,apluginhybrid(e:PHEV)powertrain.Bothvariants featurea2.0-litrefour-cylinderdirectinjection Atkinson-cyclepetrolenginewhichhasbeen revisedtoenhanceeffciency, refnement,and dynamicperformanceacrosstherange.

TheePHEVusesthesamelightweightand high-outputon-boardelectricmotorsas

itse:HEVstablematetoprovideimpressive acceleration,quickchargetimesandahighly competitiveall-electriconlyrange.Ableto travel82kminelectricmode,theplug-in CR-Vcancompletethemajorityofdailytrips onelectricdrivealone.Whenthebattery temperatureisat25C,a100%stateofcharge canbeachievedfromemptyinthespaceof just2.5hours.

ThefullhybridCR-Vfeaturesthemost advancedversionofthebrand’se:HEV powertrain,frstseenintheaward-winning Civichatchback.Alithium-ionbatteryandtwo compact,lightweightelectricmotorscombine withthepetrolenginetoshiftseamlessly betweenEV,hybridandenginedrive,makingit ideallysuitedtoalldrivingscenarios.

Theall-newmodel retainsitsfamiliar silhouette,butwithamoreaggressivedesign thatincreasesits roadpresence.Thisstartswith morepurposefulstylingatthefront,witheHEV andePHEVvariantseachdistinguishedbytheir ownexclusivegrilledesign.Thinheadlights

combinewithnewsignaturedaytimerunning lightstogenerateastrongvisualpresence.

TheCR-Voffersgreatoutwardvisibilityforall occupants,increasingthesenseofopenness. Thedesignalsomasksanincreaseinevery dimensionfortheCR-V. Wider,longer,and tallerthantheoutgoingmodeltheall-new CR-Voffersmoreinteriorspaceforpassengers, a40mmlongerwheelbaseallowsfor16mm more rearlegroom,and118%moreluggage capacity.Eightlevelsofadjustmentforthe rear seat recline,with10.5degreesmoreangle, alsoallowspassengersto relaxincomfort.

Inaddition,thisisthefrstEuropeanmodelto featureHondaSensing360;anomnidirectional safetyanddriverassistsystemwhich removes blindspotsaroundthevehicle.Thiscontributes tocollisionavoidanceandalleviatesdriver burden,makingitthenextstepinHonda’s boldambitiontobringtraffccollisionfatalities involvingitsautomobilesandmotorcyclesto zeroby2050.

Pricesfortherangestartat£45,895orfrom £539PCP. ■

NInewcarsalessurgeby10%

Thenumberofnewcarspowering outofshowroomsherehassurged bymorethan10%,newfgures show.

Some5,199newvehicleswere registeredhere duringJanuary,upfrom4,687ayearearlier, accordingtofguresfromtheSocietyofMotor Manufacturersand Traders(SMMT).

NorthernIrelandoutpacedtheUKintermsof surgingcarsales,withScotlandseeinga9.8% rise,followedbyEnglandon8.1%and Wales with6.5%.

Atotalof142,639carswere registeredatthe startof2024rightacrosstheUK–up8.3%.

TheHyundai Tucsonwasthemostpopularnew carsoldinNorthernIrelandduringJanuary, with181 registered.

ThatwasfollowedbytheKiaSportageon168 andFordPumaon155.

Thefrstmonthoftheyearsaw142,876new cars registered,anupliftof10,882unitson January2023,thebestperformanceforthe monthsince2020andthe18thconsecutive monthofgrowth.

Thatincreasewasdrivenentirelybythefeet market,which roseby29.9%,whileprivate retailuptakefell15.8%.Fleetsaccounted formorethansixin10(63.2%)newcars registered,upfromjustoverhalf(52.7%)last year.

TheUK-widemarket reachedanewmilestone ofamillionbatteryelectricvehicles(BEVs) since recordsbegan.

“Some20,935BEVswere registeredin January,ariseof21.0%year-on-year, takingtheoveralltotalsince2002to 1,001,677–testamenttothecommitment ofmanufacturerstodeliverever-increasing numbersofzeroemissionmodels,”theSMMT said.

“TheBEVmarketshareforJanuaryalsogrew yearonyearto14.7%,althoughthisisbelow thefull2023performanceof16.5%.Plug-in hybrids(PHEVs) recordedvolumegrowthof 31.1%totake8.4%ofthemarket,while hybrid(HEV)volumesfell1.2%witha13.1% share.”

TheSMMTsaidthatdespitethe“signifcant increaseinBEVnumbersin recentyears, however,demandmustacceleratefaster,

withvolumesexpectedtogrowfrom5.9%of themarketlastyearto9.4%across2024–slightlyshortofthe10%targetmandatedby government.”

“Whilefexibilitiesinthe VehicleEmissions TradingSchemewillenablemanufacturersto offsetthisinitialshortfall,softeningdemand underlinestheneedforgreaterinvestment inpubliccharginginfrastructureforvansof allsizes,which remainsthebiggestbarrierto fasterBEV rollout,”itsaid.

“Thecurrentlevelofdemand,furthermore, meansthePlug-in VanGrantmustcontinueto encourageoperatorsofalltypestoswitchto theverylatesttechnology.”

MikeHawes,SMMTchiefexecutive,said, “Morethanayearofgrowthshowsthe importanceofvanstoBritain’seconomy,and surpassing60,000electricvansisacrucial stepinournetzerojourney.Industryis ready todeliveramassmarkettransitionbutbuyer demandmustincreasemassively, requiring everyonetoplaytheirpart.Rampingup dedicatedpublicvancharginginfrastructure inparticularisessentialforallUKbusinesses tobeconfdentofmakingtheswitch,sooner ratherthanlater.” ■

APPOIN TM EN TS

AccountancyandadvisorypracticeBaker TillyMooneyMoorehasannouncedthe appointmentof TapiwaMhariasaudit senior.Mostrecently,MrMhariworked withSAPRO,aninternationalconsultancy frmwithoffcesinSouthAfrica,India,and theUS.

UlsterBankhasappointedNicola Woodsas localenterprisemanager.Shewillbringher extensiveexperienceworkingwithstartupsandactasalinkbetweenUlsterBank’s in-houseacceleratorprogrammeandother businessareas.

MarkJohnstonisnewheadofsalesand marketingatBelfastDistilleryCompany. Hebringsawealthofknowledgeand experiencegainedfrom30yearsworking inseniorcommercialleadershiprolesacross multiplemarkets,categoriesandchannels.

ESOhasappointedRussellBeggsassenior vicepresidentofengineering.Inaddition tothenewappointmentthefrmhasalso strengtheneditsleadershippromotions andtwonewdirectors.

RhysThomashasbeenappointedas businessdevelopmentmanagerat NorthernIrelandChamberofCommerce andIndustry(NIChamber).MrThomasis responsibleforrecruitingandretaininga largeportfolioofmemberbusiness.

AngokahasexpandeditsteamasRobert McCauslandjoinsasdirectorofsecurity products.MrMcCauslandhasspentthelast 16yearsdesigninganddeliveringidentity andaccessmanagement(IAM)solutions andledaseriesofteams.

SaraElliotthasbeenappointedas administrationandbusinessengagement manageratLinenQuarterBusiness ImprovementDistrict.Shewillleadonthe organisation’s business,communityand stakeholderengagementand a rangeof administrationduties.

Lawrence Tingsonhasbeenappointedas thefrsthealthyandsustainabledistrict manageratLinenQuarterBusiness ImprovementDistrict.Hebringswithhim 20yearsofexperienceinbusinesssupport, publicrelationsandcommunications,and researchandsustainability

StephenMaginnhasbeenappointedas communicationsandeventsmanager atLinenQuarterBusinessImprovement District.Inhisnewrolehewilloverseethe organisation’s strategiccommunicationsand deliveraneventsprogramme.

KatharineClarke,UCU,and MartinCunningham,UCU.

2. StrandArtsCentrehashosted ascreeningofthedrama-comedy, Mickybo&Me.Picturedare MarkHuffam,producer, Terry Loane,director,JohnJoeMcNeill (Mickybo),Mimi Turtle,chief executiveattheStrandArts Centre,Niall Wright(Jonjo),and CiaránHinds(Jonjo’sdad).

3. NorthernIrelandscienceand technologyhubCatalysthas appointedPauline Timoneyasits newheadofentrepreneurship, whowillleadthesuccessful deliveryofprogrammessuch asGenerationInnovationand INVENT.

4. CalorIrelandishelpingto destigmatisementalwellbeing withtheinstallationofauniquely paintedelephantfollowingthe Samaritans’‘Elephantinthe Room’initiative.PicturedisSarah O’Toole,executivedirectorof SamaritansIrelandwithDuncan OsborneofCalorIreland.

5. EconomyMinisterConor Murphy(left)hasmet representativesoftheUCUand NASUWTunions representing workersinthefurthereducation sector.He’spicturedwithMaxine Murphy-Higgins,NASUWT,

1. Thewinnersfrom HendersonFoodservice’s annualVIP Awardsof Excellenceonstageatthe 1980sthemedawardsgala evening. 3

areNigelHarra,BDONI,Dr DanielleMcConvilleQueen’s BusinessSchool,students fromwinningschool, GlenlolaCollegiate,andBilly

7. Ireland’sMinisterofEnterprise, TradeandEmploymentSimon CoveneyTDwithInterTradeIreland chiefexecutiveMargaretHearty andEconomyMinisterConor Murphyduringameetingat InterTradeIreland’soffcesin Newry.

8. Engineeringandcomposite fnishingcompany,TheExact Group recentlyshowcasedits capabilitiesandhigh-quality productstoindustryexperts, businessleadersandgovernment agenciesfromtheDutch TechZone.

9. TourismNIhasheldaseriesof itsInnovate Tourismworkshops acrossNorthernIreland,fnishing upattheGameofThrones Studio TourinBanbridge.Pictured areEimearCallaghan, Tourism NI,PaulO’Callaghan,Innovate NI,andJacquelineMcCann, facilitator.

10. SarahO’Neill,training managerattheMcDonald’s restaurantinBallygomartin, hassaidthatapprenticeship opportunitiesfacilitatedbythe businesshaveledtoherrapid careerprogression.She’spictured withNiamhCampbell,business manager.

6. Pupilsfromschoolsacross NorthernIrelandhavetaken partintheannualNISchools’ BusinessChallenge.Pictured

Moore,HendersonGroup.

12. RyanWhite,directorofheat, buildingsandclimatechange attheDepartmentforthe Economy,ispicturedlaunching theGeoEnergyDiscoveryCentre roadshow.

13. PrestigeInsuranceHoldings hasboughtFindInsurance NI,alocally-ownedinsurance brokeragebasedinDerry.Pictured is TrevorShaw,chiefexecutiveof PrestigeInsuranceHoldings.

14. BelfastCityCouncilisnow operatingapermanentpavement cafélicensingschemeforlocal hospitalityand retailbusinesses wantingtoplacefurnitureona publicareaoutsidetheirpremises. PicturedisSDLPcouncillorGary McKeown,chairmanofthe council’slicensingcommittee.

15. InterTradeIrelandAll-Island VentureCapitalConferenceis returningtoBelfastonMarch5at TitanicBelfast.PicturedareSusan HayesCulleton,MargaretHearty, InterTradeIrelandandco-founder ofSciLeads,LauraHaldane.

11. TheRestaurantat TheFitzwilliamHotelhas launchedanewmenuusing localingredients,including producerssuchastheawardwinningLisdargenButchery, Omagh,whichsuppliesthe restaurantwithbeef,pork andchicken.

16. EconomyMinisterConor MurphyandInfrastructure MinisterJohnO’Dowdwith SteveFrazer,managing director,CityofDerryAirport, attheannouncementof fundingtoprotectthe continuationoffightsfrom theairporttoHeathrow.

20.

ofBluegrassHorseFeedwith KathrynHolland,DownRoyal Racecourse.

GullionatKilleavy,the rebrandof its2AARosetteaward-winning restaurant.Picturedareheadchef DarioPercicandexecutivechef DarraghDooley.

17. NorthernIreland’selectricity transmissionsystemoperator, SONI(SystemOperatorfor NorthernIreland), recently welcomedtheMinisterof StateSteveBaker(left)toits headquarters.He’spicturedwith managingdirectorAlanCampbell.

18. DownRoyalRacecourse hasannouncedBluegrassHorse Feedasthesponsorofthe upcomingStPatrick’sDayrace meeting.PicturedareAdamShort

19. Newly-appointedagriculture ministerAndrewMuirsaidhe wouldnotshyawayfromthe workthatneedstobedoneto begintacklingthebluegreen algaecrisisatLoughNeagh.He’s picturedwithskipperandfsheries offcerEoinMcFadden.

KilleavyCastleEstatehas unveileditslatestculinaryventure,

atRiddelHall,Queen’s UniversityBelfasttocelebrate teachersofdistinctionacross Belfast.PicturedareRobin Livingstone,PamelaJones, Dr RyanFeeney,Michelle Hatfeld,andKieronMillar.

MercurySecurity&Facilities Management,andCastleCourt Centremanager,LeonaBarr.

a roundtableevent,organised by Workplusandsponsoredby NIENetworks,todiscussthe apprenticeshiplevy.Picturedare FinolaO’Kane,GordonParkes, RichardKirk,andMichelle Reynolds.

22. MercurySecurity&Facilities Managementhasbeen reappointedtoprovidesecurityfor CastleCourtShoppingCentrein Belfast.PicturedareLiamCullen,

23. TheNorthernIrelandChamber ofCommerceandIndustry(NI Chamber)haslaunchedanew seriesofnetworkingevents, deliveredinpartnershipwithNIE Networks.PicturedisNIChamber chiefexecutiveSuzanneWylie withIanHunter,NIENetworks.

24. Launchingthe2024Balmoral ShowinpartnershipwithUlster BankisCormacMcKervey,head ofagriculture,UlsterBankand RhondaGeary,operationsdirector, RUAS.

25. Businessleadersfrom acrossthesectorsgatheredfor

21. TheBlackboard Awards will returnonMarch1

26.

servicestosupportthe needsofchildren,young adults,andadultswitha rangeoflearningdisabilities, withthesupportofBank ofIrelandUK.Picturedare GlennMurray,withAspace2 traineesNiamhDoherty andAaronHealy,alongside MartinaBell.

27. YouTubehasawarded Belfast-basedanimationstudio LearningMoletheSilverPlay Button,afterachieving100,000 subscribers.Picturediscompany founder,MichelleConnolly.

28. TheMayorofArdsandNorth Down,JenniferGilmour,has offciallyopenedDementiaNI’s artexhibitionatArdsArtCentre. She’spicturedwithDementiaNI memberAllisonBatchelor.

29. StephenCotterandRosanne Zusman,CIE Tours,present BeverlyGrayandCiaraDevine, Giant’sCausewaywithanaward foritsvisitorexperience.

30. DrinksbrandHeineken hostedaneventforlicensedtrade customersintheHeinekenGreen RoomatTheSSEArena,Belfast. PicturedareLaurenMcGivern andMarkReidfromQuinn’sin Newcastle.

Aspace2isproviding

35. Larne-basedKilwaughter Mineralshasconfrmeditwill continueitssupportofAir AmbulanceNIwitha£20,000 donationtothelife-savingcharity. PicturedareColleenMilligan, AirAmbulanceNI,andCaroline Rowley,KilwaughterMinerals.

32

32. TheInstituteofDirectors (IoD)hasappointedJohnHansen (secondfromleft)asitsnew chairmanforNorthernIreland. TheformerKPMGpartnerin chargeispicturedwithHeather White,KirstyMcManus,and GordonMilligan.

33. Luxuryhandbagandclothing brand Taylor Yateshassecured anationalawardfromInnovate UKworth£50,000.Picturedare motheranddaughterteamKaren andEllen Yates.

34. Deirdre Ward,Department forCommunities,MarkMagill andKristelMiller,Ulster University,withRachaelSingleton, DepartmentofFinanceasit’s revealedUlsterUniversityissetto leada£4.8mcross-departmental researchandpolicyactiongroup calledEPIC.

31. LibertyIThaswelcomed leadersfromGoogleCloud foradayofinnovation focusingongenerativeAI.

37. AndrewJohnston,Everunwith All-IrelandSustainabilitySummit, DanielleMcCormickatthelaunch oftheevent,whichtakesplaceat LaMonHotel&CountryClubon March21.

38. GMcGCharteredAccountants charityfundraisinghasgenerated £13,000forAirAmbulanceNI. PicturedareStuartStevenson, PEMSparamedic,Colleen Milligan,AirAmbulanceNI,Susan Dunlop,GMcGmanagingdirector, andCiaranMcKenna,HEMS doctor.

39. NI Waterisadvisingbusinesses andindividualsthattheymusttalk toNI Waterbeforesubmittinga planningapplication.It’slaunched anewcampaigntohighlightthe stepsdevelopers,smallbuilders andindividualsplanningtobuild orextendmustfollow.

40. Vytahasbecomethefrst companyinNorthernIreland totakedeliveryofMAN’snew truckwithanadvancedmirrorreplacementsystem.Picturedwith oneofthenewtrucksisMarkHill, whoispartof Vyta’scollection crewandDiskShredteam.

36. TourismNIisurging peopleto‘Getinto Tourism’ withthelaunchofa newaccreditedtraining course,alongsideBelfast MetropolitanCollege.

PicturedareCarolynBoyd, TourismNIandMarkRice, BelfastMetropolitanCollege.

Breitling’srugged range gets the in-house treatment

Breitlinghasupdatedits Avengerrangewitha seriesofnewwatches,includingitschronograph within-housemovement. JohnMulgrew spenta weekonthewristwiththerange’sfagshipmodel

Thein-housemovementhasnever beenmoreimportanttoswathesof higher-endluxurywatchbrands.

Therewasatimewhenitwassimplyaname onadialwhichgarneredsuffcientinterest orcloutforabuyer. Youonlyhavetolookat OmegaSeamastersfromthe1990sand2000s, whenquartzwasubiquitous.

Manymodelsacrosssomeofthosename brandsstillturnedtothebigproducersof Swissmovements,bothautomaticandmanual.

Now,lookingatthelastfewyearsofthe Omegacatalogue–andwithotherburgeoning brands–thein-housecalibreisking. You’re unlikelytofndanythingotherthanaCo-Axial variantinthemajorityofOmega’swatches,for example.

AndwhileBreitlinghasalsodevelopedmany ofitsownin-housemovements,it’suppingthe stakesagainandutilisingitsowncomponents acrossawiderswatheofitsrange.

The AvengerhasbeenintheBreitlingstable formorethan20years,andnow,thecurrent iterationincludesitsAutomatic42andheftier

FACTFILE

Model: BreitlingB01Chronograph44

Movement: Breitling01

Casesize: 44mm

Material: Stainlesssteel

Price: £6,350

B01Chronograph44variant–thelatter sportingtheBreitlingcalibre01,aCOSCcertifedautomatic,column-wheel,vertical clutchchronograph,beatingat4Hz.

There’sachunkinessandruggednesstothe 44mmchronoversion.Itfeelslikesomething whichbelongsonanadventure,andwitha 300mdepthratinghasthestatstobackthat perceiveddurabilityup.

It’salsoforgonethesizeableBreitlingwings logoinfavourofamoresubtle‘B’instead,just belowthe‘Breitling’branding.

It feels like something which belongs onan adventure

Housedinafairlyheftysteelcase,thedial featuresthreesub-dials–withthedateatthe sixspotinthecentredial–broadhandsand afnechronographhandwith redtip,inner chapterringandblockmarkers.

It’snotoverlybusyandkeepstoacontrolled andsensiblepalate,withthatlittledashof scarlethelpingliftit.

The rotatingbezeliscleanand reliesondeep machininginordertomakethenumeralspop –forgoinganypaint.

Greeniscertainlyenvogue,butthisisa softerpastelvariety,almostpistachio,which

swapsoutbrightandbrashrichsunburstand patterneddialsforsomethingmoresubtle.

Itallworkswellonthemilitary-stylecalfskin leatherstrap–acomplementarygreencamo shadewhichisatouchdarkerthanthedial.

Thatin-housemovementoffersupagood70 hoursofpower reserve,whichputsitupthere withthemajorityofnewerin-houseCOSCcertifedmovementsonthemarketfromother brands.

Thepushersare roundedcuboids,sitting fairlyneatandfushtothecaseandthus,not addingtoitsalreadyfairlysizeableproportions, whilethecrownhassuitableknurlingand heftyenoughtomakeadjustingorscrewingin andoutaneasytask.

Youalsogetanopencasebacktoseethatinhousemovementinallitsglory.

The Avengerhasafairbitofdepthwhen strappedon,giventhecasesizeandthe chronographmovement,butitshouldsitwell onmostwrists.

Thechronographisastepforwardforthe brandintermsofbringingthestatsupand puttingthehorologyonparwiththedesign andaesthetics.

Butifit’satouchtoolargeorthechronograph doesn’tseemnecessary,thentheAutomatic 42isanotheroption–asmallercasesizeand price,partlyduetoBreitlingoptingforits COSC-certifedcalibre17,whichisamodifed ETA2824-2.

YoucancheckoutthefullBreitlingrangeat theBelfastboutiqueatQueen’sArcade. ■

A tripbackin timeona tour throughIstanbul

EuropeandAsiablendtogetherinthe diverseandhistoricallyfascinatingcity ofIstanbul,writes RoslynDee

Itwasthesummerof1983whenIfrst arrivedhere–young,wide-eyedand excited,andIfellinstantlyinlove.With thecity,withthepeople,withthewhole experienceofthiswondrousplace,which hasonefootinEuropeandtheotherin Asia.

Theheat,thenoise,thearomas,theincredible volumeofpeople–itwasutterlyexhilarating. Icouldn’twaittowalkthroughthevastand holyinterioroftheBlueMosque.Iwasitching toseethe TopkapiPalace,takeaboatupthe Bosphorus,andhaveafternoonteainthePera PalaceHotel,asecondhomebackintheday tothewriterAgathaChristie.

AndIwasbeyondexcitedaboutbeingableto hoponaboatinEminonuontheEuropean sideofthecityandstepoffhalfanhourlater intheIstanbulthatliesinAsia.Likeamagnet, thecitykeepsdrawingmebackovertheyears, butadecadeawayisalongtimeinthelifeof anymetropolisandI’mhopingitsevolution won’tleavemeyearningforanIstanbulofthe past.

Ineedn’thaveworried,forwhatIfndisa cityasthrillingandwelcomingasever.AndI can’twaittohitthegroundrunning,to revisit thefamoussightsandtomakesomenew discoveriestoo.

Mywingmanforsomeofthetimeonthisvisit isafortysomethingtourguidecalledOsman Ozmen,afuentEnglishspeaker,afountain ofhistoricalandculturalknowledge,aman

familiarwithalltheoff-the-beatentrackgems, andsomeonewhoalsoknowshowtosniffout thediningspotsthatarethego-toeateriesfor locals.

Onthefrstmorningwesetouttogetherfrom myhotelandeventhoughtherainiscoming downintorrents,weheadfortheOldCityand immediatelytaketothestreetsonfoot.

Firstthingsfrst,though,bywayofquick layoutguide.TherearemanyfacestoIstanbul; it’sahugecitywithapopulationofalmost16 million.Ifit’syourfrstvisitit’sagoodideato orientateyourselfin relationtothewaterways.

TheBosphorusdividestheEuropeansidefrom itsAsiancounterpartandtheGoldenHorn estuarysplitstheEuropeansideintwosothat theOldCityliesacrossthewaterfromwhat isknownastheNewCity.‘New’is relative,of course,withsettlementsfrstestablishedhere around2,000yearsago.

Meanwhile,onfootintheOldCity,I’mdying toseetheBlueMosqueagainandalso, becauseithaschangedsincemylastvisit, HagiaSophia.BuiltasaChristianchurchinthe 6thcentury,HagiaSophiawasconvertedtoa mosqueinthe1400sandthen,come1935, underthepresidencyoftheforward-thinking andstill-reveredAtaturk,itbecameamuseum.

Forthepastthreeyearsithasbeenamosque againandso,onthistouroftheOldCity,head coveredandhavingslippedoffmyshoesatthe entrance,Ionceagainenteritsvastinterior

andstareupintothemassivedomealmost60 metresabove.Peoplearestrollingin respectful silence;somearesimplythereforalook, othersappearmoreprayerful.Inthetruesense oftheword,HagiaSophiaisawesome.

HavingtrawledearlierthroughtheSpice Marketdownnearthedocksidewherethe ferriescriss-crossfromEuropetoAsia,and thenlater,afterapeepintoasmall,localparishtypemosque(thebeautifulRustem Pasha, resplendentwiththousandsof distinctiveblueIzniktiles),wedecideit’stime togrababite.

AlongthemaindragthroughSultanahmet, betweentheGrandBazaarandthe HippodromewheretheBlueMosqueand HagiaSophiasitalmostcheekbyjowl,we diveintothecheapandcheerfulSedefdoner kebabcafewherewejointhelocals,eatour fll,anddrinkcopiousamountsofteafrom tulip-shapedglasses–andallforaprice

thatwouldn’tgetyouevenabasictoasted sandwichathome.

Nolongerhungryandwiththeraineasing, IfeelfortifedenoughtotackletheGrand Bazaar,theincrediblecoveredmarketinthe heartofSultanahmetwith60streets,22 differententrancesand4,500shops;mostare smallandsomeareminuscule,butthereare alsosome–thoughnotmany–biggeroutlets.

AndwhatistheAsiansideofthecitylike? That’swhatmostfriendsofmineask.Ina word? Wonderful.Intwowords? Wonderfully different.WhenyoulandinUskudaror Kadikoythere’sadifferentfeeltoitfromacross theBosphorus.

IntheKadikoydistrictItakemyselftothe recommendedDenizNadideDuruforSunday morningbreakfast.

It’salovelylittlecafeonaquietstreet,almost

old-fashionedinitsprettiness,butstaffedby hip,youngpeopleanditoffersfourdifferent breakfastoptions.Ioptforthe‘Healthy Breakfast’–scrambledeggsservedinthepan, asmallbasketofbread,lotsofgreen-leaved saladwithtomatoes,cucumberandolives, smallpiecesofcheese,asmuchteaorcoffee asyoucandrink,andfvetinyramekinswith assortedhomemadejams.

TheoldJewishareaofIstanbul,itcomeswith narrow,tree-linedstreets,allotmentsand colourfully-paintedwoodenOttomanhouses. It’stheloveliestplaceyoucanimagine,with delightfulsmallartisanjewelleryandartshops, sidebysidewithlittlecafes.Modern,yes,but withitshistoryforeverpresent(therearestill smallsynagogueshere).It’sahighlightofmy trip.

Andsotomylastday.Iwanderfrommy hotelontonearbyIstiklal Avenue,thelong, pedestrianartery, repletewiththeZarasand

H&MsofIstanbul(plus Turkishfashionstores, bookshops,kebabandcafeoutlets),thatruns from TaksimSquarerightdowntotheGolden Horn.

Now,onaNovembermorningI’mback,and Iwanderoutontothebridge.Theweekend rainhasspentitself,theskieshavecleared,and somelocalmenhavetheirfshing rodshanging expectantlyoverthebridgeanddownintothe water.

Istandthereforaminuteandtakeitallin.The NewCity’sGalata Towerinfrontofme,the BlueMosqueandHagiaSophiastillstanding theircenturies-longsentinelbehindmein theOldCityontheothersideoftheGolden Horn.AndthemightyBosphorusofftomy right,withAsianIstanbulinallitsglorylying tantalisinglyclosejustacrossthewater.

Whatacity.Itcertainlywon’tbeanother decadebeforeI’mback. ■

Cameras,hardwareanddesign make Galaxy S24Ultra theultimateAndroid

After10daystestingSamsung’sGalaxyS24Ultra,it’sprettyclearthatthisisthe best,mostpowerful,fagshipAndroidphoneyoucanbuy,writes Adrian Weckler

ThenewSamsungGalaxyS24Ultra costmore (from£1,249)thanalmost anyotherAndroiddevice,butit can’t reallybebeaten.

Itsphysicaldesignisimproved,itsscreenis substantiallyimproved,itsbatteryisexcellent –anditscamerasystemis,onceagain,topofthe lineintheAndroidworld.

Butitsextraappealmaybeintheslewof newAIfeatureswhich,whilesharedwith thelessexpensiveS24andS24Plusmodels, makeitoneofthemostcompellingsoftware

experiencesonany recently-launchedphone.

Theonethatmostpeoplewillusequicklyis ‘circletosearch’.Onanyscreenonyourphone –a photo, a webpageyou’re on,orwhatever – justlongpressthehomebuttonanditwill inviteyouto‘circle’(withyourfngerorthe S Pen)whateveryouwantonthescreen.Once youdothat,itwillinstantlycallup resultsvia a reverseGoogleimagesearch.

Ingeneral, I havefoundthatitworksverywell formostthings,fromlandmarkstocelebrities toanimalstofood.Forexample,it recognised mostphotosofcity-centre buildingsinDublin 1 threwatit.

Thisisn’ta Samsung – exclusivefeature– it’s rollingoutonGoogle’s Pixel 8 rangeright nowandI’dexpecttoseeitonmore Android phonesovertime.ButtheS24modelsare the frsttogetit.

Whatis a SamsungexclusiveAIfeature is instanttranslationwithintelephonecalls. Thistranslatesyourvoiceortextintoanother languageinstantaneouslyandviceversa,once you’re usingthenativeSamsungcallingor textingapp.It’s somethingof a wowfeature onpaper – andwhileitdoeswork,it’sa little rough.

For a start,it’s notquiteinstantaneous,taking a secondortwosometimestogetthetranslation sorted.Butthemainchallengeinthisearly implementationisaccuracy

When I spokeintoitto‘translate’my remarks intoGerman,itcompletelymistookwhat I was sayingmore than a bitofthetime.Hopefully, itwillgetbetter Rightnow I don’t think I coulddependonit,especiallyforanykindof importantcall.

OtherfairlyimpressiveusesofAIonthephone includetheabilitytomakesummariesand bulletpointsoutofnotesandsomeadvanced photo-editingtricks.

Onethingto rememberabouttheseGalaxyAI featuresisthatthey’re notexclusivetotheS24 Ultra – they’re availableonalltheS24range. That’sa goodthingforcreatingthewidest-

possibleaudienceforSamsung’s latestAI interfacetools.Butitalsomeansthattheactual differentiatorofanS24Ultraover a cheaper S24orS24Plus remainsthehardware and cameras.I’llstartwiththecameras,whichare trulyexcellent.

Samsunghaschangedtheorderofthings aroundfromlastyear, swappingoneofthe fouropticallenses – thetop10xopticallens –for a 5xopticallens.

Thatmeansyounowhave a separate0.6x,1x, 3xand5xlens(zoomableupto100xdigital), insteadoflastyear’s 0.6x,1x,3xand10x lenses.

Samsungappearstohavedonethistoimprove thequalityofthezoomshotsbetween5xand 10xwhich,lastyear, were stretcheddigital shotsfromthe3xlens.Nowthey’re clearerand lessstretchedimagesfromthe5xopticallens.

Ofcourse,thepricetobepaidforthismight beinthelongerendofthezoomphotosand videos.Ifyouwanttotake a shotorvideoat 20xzoom,forexample,you’re nowdigitally stretchingthe5xlensfourtimesinstead ofthe10xlenstwotimes.Samsunghas compensatedbymakingthe resolutionofthe new50-megapixel5xlens a lothigherthanlast year’s 10xlens,meaningthatyoucandigitally cropinfurtherandstillseesimilar resolution becauseofthegreaternumberofmegapixels.

AIisalsoanimportantfeature intheupdated camerassystem.TheS24Ultracaneditphotos inquite a convincingway, movingobjects (orpeople)withinphotosor removingthem altogether

Ifyoudeletesomethingfrom a photo,the camera’s AItechthen‘fllsin’thegapwith whatitthinkslookslikecontinuityfromthe rest ofthephoto.

Googlewasthefrsttointroducethisfeature onitsPixelphonestwoyearsago,butitworks nicelyhere too.

From a physicaldesignperspective,there are sometinydifferencesbetweenlastyear’s S23 UltraandtheS24Ultra.Thenewmodelis

slightlywiderandveryslightlythinnerthan itspredecessor;italsonowhastougher, light titaniumas a frameinsteadofaluminium,and theglassiscompletelyfat.

Thatglassis a littletougherthanlastyear’s versionandisalso a bitless refectiveon a sunnydayorwith a brightlightoverhead. Theoverallfeelofthehandsetisstill a little tooangularinthecornersformypocket threading’s liking,butitstillfeelslike a design upgrade.

Justasithasbeeneveryyear, theUltra’s main physicaldistinctionoveranyotherfagship phoneisstillthebuilt-in S Penstylus,whichis niceand responsiveandclicksnicelybackinto placeinsidethelowerleftcornerofthephone.

Otherthanthedifferenceinglassquality, the displaytechnologyisworthtalkingabout onitsownmeritsasit’s probablyoneofthe phone’s biggesttechnicalupgrades.Itspeak brightnesscapability(again,thinkaboutusing iton a sunnyday)isway, waybrighterthan lastyear’s S23Ultra – 2,600nitscomparedto 1,750nits.

Asforengine-power, theunder-the-hood upgradeshere shouldleaveeventhe mostdemandingmobileuserfairlyhappy Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip,slightly modifedforthisphone,isnowbenchmarked asthemostpowerfulphonechipyoucanget. This,alliedwith a bumpfrom8GBto12GBof Ram,createsanabsolutebeastthatcan’t really betoppedbyanymainstreamrival.

TheS24Ultra’s batterylifeisvery, verygood – noticeablybetterthanlastyear’s S23Ultra, whichwasalreadyabsolutelyadequate.

I couldusuallyget a day-and-a-halfoutof a singlechargewithnormalusage,puttingit withinrangeoftheiPhone15PlusandiPhone 15Pro Max,thecurrentphonebatterykings.

Finally, theS24Ultragivessevenfullyearsof Androidupdates,whichisconsiderablymore thananyoneelseintheAndroidworld.

Itcomesin a choiceoffourtitaniumcolours –grey, black,yelloworviolet. ■

Uncoveringthe9-5

NAME: DrRokNežiˇc

POSITION: Toursandoutreachofficer,ArmaghObservatoryandPlanetarium

6am

AtArmaghObservatoryandPlanetarium, wedelivervibranteducationalandoutreach programmesforallagesandas a Toursand OutreachOfficerwiththeorganisation,there’s nosuchthingas a typicalday

Mywake-uptimeisoftendictatedbythe demandsoftheday If I needtovisittheAntrim Coast,forexample, I couldbeupat5am.If I haveaneveningevent, I mightgetaway withsleepinginuntil 8 or9am.ButtodayI’m headingto a schoolinBelfast,so a reasonably earlystartisneeded. A goodbreakfastalways keepsmegoing,asdoestimeformyself,with a bitofyoga.

7am

I liveinArmagh,somycommuteisan enjoyable10-minutewalk.By7am,I’llhave checkedthatalloureducationaloutreach materialsare inthevan.Theseincludean inflatableportableplanetariumdome, a computer, projectorsystemand a fan.I’llalso ensure thatourelectricvanisfullycharged,and willsetoff earlytoavoidrushhour, sothat I arriveattheschoolbyaround8.30am.

8.30am

Uponarrival,I’llliaiseto findoutwhere is besttoparkandwillthensetuptheportable planetarium. We usuallyerectitin a gymor hall,asit’s quitelarge.Thentheassembly begins.I’m a pro atthisbynowandcanhave it readywithin30to40minutes. To assemble thedome,I’llunrollandinflateit,bringin thecomputerandprojectorandputlotsof cushionsonthe floorforextracomfort,then we’re readytogo.

9.30am

Myfavouritepartofthedaybegins – I’llstart showingP3andP4pupilsthestars,theplanets andmore.TheP4shavejustcoveredspaceas a topic,sothey’re brimmingwithquestionsand enthusiasm.

There are twoP4classes,andI’llspendan hourwitheach.There are alsotwoP3classes, soI’llspendhalfanhourwitheachofthose. Theplanetariumdomeis a magicalplacethat allowsyoutolookupatcurrentconstellations inthesky, or‘fly tospace’toviewtheMoon, theSunandtheplanetsupclose.Asan astronomer,I lovebringingspacevividlytolife. A greatdealoffunishadbyallduringthe showsand Ifinditsatisfyingtoanswercomplex questionsaboutspaceinanaccessibleway

1pm

Thedomeshowsare overandit’s timeto packup.OnceI’mdone,I’llheadbackto Armagh.

3pm

BackatArmaghObservatoryand Planetarium,I’llunpackthevan, setittocharge,thenheadto mydesktoconfirmfuture visitsandplanthenext

‘Our WorldfromSpace’club event.Thiswilltakeplacein themainPlanetariumdome andwillincludeengaging, hands-onactivities.

5pm

I’llheadhomefordinnerat 5pm.Afterthat, I mighthave a videocallwithmyparents, thengooutfor a longwalk aroundArmagh,oreven a 5Krun.

9pm

Ifit’sa rare clearnight,we’llarrange a telescopeviewingwithArmagh ObservatoryandPlanetarium’s PhD studentsattheObservatory

We havesomemodern telescopes butit’s alwaysgreattomake useofhistoricequipment

liketheGrubb10-inchtelescope,whichdates from1885andisfamousforhelpingthe organisation’s formerdirector, J.L.E.Dreyer, to createhisNewGeneralCatalogue(NGC)in 1888.

11pm

Astheclouds rollin,it’s timetoheadhome. Anastronomer’s sleepschedulecanbe a little unorthodox,butit’s importanttogetenough restto restore one’s energy ■