Business Eye May 2024

Biopax Issue 233 May 2024 £2.50 Voted best Business Magazine in Ireland and Magazine of the Year for Northern Ireland

Homegrown Success Story Set To Double In Size Features:

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Joe Kennedy On Northern Ireland’s Economic Potential

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Business Eye Sustainability Awards For 2024

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Matthew Hall - Rapid Growth At Belfast City Airport

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Contents 18

J oe Kennedy & Northern Ireland’s Investment Potential

The US Special Envoy for Economic Affairs talks to Richard Buckley about political stability here and Northern Ireland’s potential as an investment location, particularly for US investors.

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iopax – Homegrown Success B Story Set To Double In Size

Dr. Terry Cross has already invested heavily to establish the Biopax sustainable packaging plant at Springvale in West Belfast. Now he and his team plan to double the size of the manufacturing operation.

Steven Goldblatt & Leaf – A 24 Pragmatic Approach To Tech Nowadays one of Northern Ireland’s leading IT providers, Leaf was born out of humble beginnings but has just celebrated its 20th birthday in style at The MAC in Belfast.

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arren Toombs – Adding Energy D To Law Society President’s Role

A Belfast-based solicitor with Carson McDowell, Darren Toombs says he’s been determined to take the Law Society NI President’s role outside the confines of the city.

Gareth Hanna – An Advice-Led 28 Approach To Executive Recruitment Gareth Hanna of G1 Search reckons that advice and forward planning can go a long way in today’s ultracompetitive recruitmernt marketplace.

Cancer Focus – New Era For 30 Corporate Partnerships Having launched an ambitious strategy last year, Cancer Focus Northern Ireland is on track to open the first of five cancer support centres later this year.

May 2024 ISSUE 233

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usiness Eye Sustainability B Awards 2024

The 2024 Business Eye Sustainability Awards in association with Strategic Power Connect were presented at a black tie event held at the Culloden Estate & Spa in early May. GRAHAM, Biopax, Brett Martin and Killeavy Castle Estate were among the big winners on the night.

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atthew Hall & A New Era M At Belfast City Airport

Matthew Hall took over as Chief Executive at Belfast City Airport during the dark days of Covid when air travel was at a virtual standstill and Flybe had ceased operations. It’s a very different picture today with a healthy route network operated by a number of airlines.

Embedding Sustainability 52 Into Businesses Business Eye joined forces with Deloitte to stage a Round Table Discussion at Belfast’s Resolution Centre focusing on the sustainability agenda and how local organisations to making increasing progress, and an increasing impact.

& Stena Line – Investing 56 In PaulVitalGrant Transport Links Stena Line continues to invest in its Irish Sea operations.

Two new ships are due to enter service on Belfast-Heysham next year and Belfast continues to be the Swedish ferry operator’s largest port, as Paul Grant explains.

Business Leaders 62 Forum How important is CSR in the wider corporate agenda? A group of leading business personalities gives us their view on CSR and its relevance to organisations today.

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aking To The Stage – Lyric Theatre T & FinTrU Build A Lasting Partnerhip

FinTrU’s Katrien Roppe and Jimmy Fay, Executive Producer at Belfast’s Lyric Theatre, talk about a partnership which brought one of our most successful plays back to the stage recently.

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There’s no doubt that business in Northern Ireland has warmly welcomed the return of the Stormont Executive and Assembly.

Comment

“The hard fact is that, this time, we have to be able to stand on our own two feet, at least to some extent. There’s no point in waving a begging bowl in front of a Prime Minister, and Chancellor, who look as though they may be living on borrowed time.“

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Richard Buckley EDITOR Irish Magazine Editor of the Year 2005

n particular, business here welcomes the fact that Ministers have been getting on with their jobs, that the new First & Deputy First Minister partnership seems to going well and that there is relative harmony in the Assembly chamber.

But everyone in business knows that there is a big difference between a feelgood factor and real results delivered by our devolved administration. At the moment, we’re enjoying the remaining warmth of the feelgood factor but it won’t last forever.

If our devolved government is to start achieving real results, it needs to start grasping nettles and making hard decisions. Caoimhe Archibald’s longanticipated budget was an exercise in nettle grasping for the Finance Minister, but it’s probably left us with more problems than we had before we realised the full extent of funding shortfalls.

The hard fact is that, this time, we have to be able to stand on our own two feet, at least to some extent. There’s no point in waving a begging bowl in front of a Prime Minister, and Chancellor, who look as though they may be living on borrowed time. Arguably, senior figures at Westminster have never had much of an interest in Northern Ireland, except when points can be scored. On the long run-up to a General Election, the interest meter registers close to zero.

Stormont has to get on with introducing revenue-raising measures. They’re certainly not vote winners, but they’re decisions that have to be taken. To try to go on making calls and spending money without looking at the income stream is simply foolish.

Yet, that’s exactly what our Ministers are doing. They’re touring the country trying to please groups of people here and there by spending a few quid on health, throwing a few more at education, or fixing the odd pothole here and there.

That kind of approach might avoid incurring the anger of any constituents, but it won’t solve the problem of the A5, it won’t build the Yorkgate Interchange, it won’t link our railway network to our airports, and so the list goes on. The region is crying out for infrastructure investment.

Turning to business and the economy, we can make hay while the sun shines on the dual market access front.

Whatever some politically motivated but economicially ignorant politicians might claim, the post-Brexit arrangement have delivered a major advantage.

But there is more than can be done to transform and further boost the business environment here. A lower corporation tax rate, set by Stormont, could produce real results. But, with government finances in a mess, the prospect looks further away than ever.

The bottom line is that, as we all know, there are no votes to be gained by boosting business.

But a fresh and innovative approach to the economy is exactly what is needed.

But, before that can happen, let’s see some real action, real decisions and real problem solving at Stormont.

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Eye on News

Dale Farm invests record £70m in cheddar production L - R Dale Farm’s Fred Allen, Chair; Nick Whelan, Group Chief Executive; Chris McAlinden, Group Operations Director.

Northern Ireland dairy cooperative Dale Farm is investing £70million in its cheddar processing facility at Dunmanbridge, Co. Tyrone.

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he expansion will mark one of the largest ever single investments by a Northern Ireland agri-food company. The plans will see Dale Farm integrate state-of-the-art technologies and equipment at the site, boosting production and making significant sustainability gains as the cooperative builds on its expertise as a leading European cheddar manufacturer.

The investment comes on the back of successive years of impressive growth for the cooperative, and in response to continued customer growth across the UK, Europe and beyond, with the site already exporting cheddar to 40 countries worldwide.

Nick Whelan, Group Chief Executive at Dale Farm said the investment will support growth and capability for the

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cooperative, and position Dale Farm as a leading cheddar player in Europe.

“Dale Farm has built a strong reputation as a leader in cheddar production, and thanks to our reputation for quality, sustainability and consistency, we are seeing strong customer growth in the category,” Nick said. “Key to our success is the dedication and ingenuity demonstrated on a daily basis by our team right across the business.

We are already exporting to 40 countries, and with this investment we want to build on that momentum and future proof our operation at Dunmanbridge for decades to come.”

Work on the expanded operation at Dunmanbridge is well underway and is on track to go live in February 2025.

As well as improving and replacing

existing site-wide services and utilities, the expansion will include a new high speed automated cheese slicing line, an increased warehouse footprint and investment in new patented products and processes.

The investment will increase the site’s cheese capacity by 20,000 tonnes per year, while also expanding its WPC (whey protein concentrate) capacity.

It will incorporate the integration of advanced energy efficient technologies which together with new production processes will reduce the site’s carbon footprint by an estimated 4,500 tonnes per year when compared against milk powder production.

Nick Whelan added: “We want to continue to lead the sector in Northern Ireland and beyond and cement our region as a global leader in quality, sustainability, and innovation. We have been granted a patent for cheddar produced at the site and are onboarding new technologies and digital transformation. We’re also

investing in sustainability and as a result of this expansion our carbon footprint will see a significant reduction, marking another important milestone on our journey towards net zero.”

The Dunmanbridge site currently directly supports over 1,100 families in the local area, with 345 employed at the facility and a further 760 farms, out of Dale Farm’s 1280 milk producers, supplying milk to it.

Nick Whelan said: “The sustainability and profitability of our farmers and their businesses are at the heart of every decision we make as a cooperative.

Thanks to the success of our strategy and growth, we are in a position where we can make an investment of this scale while continuing to pay a competitive milk price.

“This investment will be transformative not just for Dale Farm, but for the Northern Ireland rural economy. We have big plans for the future and are looking forward to the next step of this journey.”

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Eye on News

Ulster Bank comes on board as official sponsor of NI Hospice’s Dragon Boat Race

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orthern Ireland Hospice’s biggest team-building event of the year, proudly sponsored

by Ulster Bank, is back for 2024!

Last year, eight teams battled it out on the River Lagan for an unforgettable day of laughter, camaraderie, and fun to be crowned the ultimate Dragon Boat Race Champions.

The charity is calling on local businesses across Northern Ireland to join the fun on Friday 13th September and Saturday 14th September at the River Lagan, Belfast.

Lauren Doherty, Acting Director of Commercial and Brand Development at NI Hospice, said: “The Dragon Boat Race is an unforgettable, adrenaline-fuelled day for corporate and community businesses supporting Hospice’s specialist care for babies, children and adults.

“Each boat accommodates 18 participants, so assemble your team swiftly for this popular event. Fancy dress is encouraged, with prizes awaiting the most creatively attired crews. Full training will be given on the day so you just need to have a will to win and a sense of fun!

“There’s no better way for local businesses to boost team bonding, demonstrate

their commitment to social responsibility, and make a real difference in the lives of local people and the community.”

Gillian McCandless, Regional Board Engagement Manager, Ulster Bank, said colleagues were looking forward to another unforgettable day, raising money for a great cause.

“We have taken part in the Dragon Boat Race on a number of occasions previously and always thoroughly enjoyed the sense of fun and occasion.

It’s wonderful to be back on board this year as headline sponsor of the event and we are looking forward to collaborating with the team at the NI Hospice to grow the event further and hopefully encourage as many teams as possible to sign up.

“The Race is one of the many activities we have planned this year as part of our annual fundraising campaign for the NI Hospice. In 2023, our colleagues raised over £160,000 for the charity and we have set ourselves the challenge to try and increase this total in 2024.

“We know just how valuable the work of the NI Hospice can be to families right across Northern Ireland and, as part of our mission to champion local causes, we are committed to supporting this great charity and growing our partnership even further.”

Kieran Buchanan, Corporate Fundraiser at NI Hospice, Gillian McCandless, Regional Engagement Manager at Ulster Bank, Gail Geddis, Implementation Manager at Ulster Bank, and Annie-Rose Mulholland, Communications and Engagement Executive at NI Hospice.

Don’t miss this chance to make a splash for a fantastic cause! Register your interest and learn more about the event at www.nihospice.org/dragon

Ursula Lavery appointed Chair of Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association

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he Northern Ireland Food and Drink Association (NIFDA) has appointed Professor Ursula Lavery MBE as the new Chair of its board. Ursula is Technical and R&D Director at Pilgrim’s Europe, including Moy Park, and she takes over from immediate past Chair George Mullan.

She will hold the position for two years. Simon Fitzpatrick, Group Commercial Director at Coca-Cola HBC has been appointed as Vice Chair.

Speaking after her appointment, Professor Ursula Lavery MBE said: “The food and drink sector is one of the most important economic assets we have here in Northern Ireland. We are a £4.9 billion industry, representing 16% of the economy locally, exporting local food and drink globally. Across the wider supply chain we employ some 113,000 people, supporting local

communities across the geographic spread of Northern Ireland.

“I am confident that with the right support, we can grow even further, and do so in the most sustainable way. As an industry we want to build on our reputation for sustainability and play our part in addressing carbon emissions. Across the sector, NIFDA members are introducing new processes and strategies to improve efficiency and move towards net zero.

“To further enhance sustainability and encourage innovation, we need investment. For too long food and drink firms here have faced a competitive disadvantage as the only jurisdiction on these islands without a government capital investment support scheme.

We have been engaging with Ministers to encourage solutions that will level the playing field and equip our industry for further success.”

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Eye on News

New Ulster University Belfast Campus Named Northern Ireland’s Building of the Year

Pictured are Ciarán Fox, Director of The Royal Society of Ulster Architects with Paul Spray - Ulster University and Keith Bradley - FCBS Studios

The Royal Society of Ulster Architects (RSUA) has awarded the Liam McCormick prize for Northern Ireland’s Building of the Year to the new Ulster University Belfast Campus.

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he £364 million campus, stacked 14 floors high in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter, was designed

by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, with McAdam Design, Scott Tallon Walker and White Ink Architects. The project also received the Living Places Award, which honours developments that excel in placemaking.

The judges noted how ‘the complex, expansive brief has been accommodated on a challenging, irregular site through the architects’ intelligence and skill’ and how the project is ‘socially, economically, and culturally important both to Belfast itself and to the very idea of ‘city’.’

Northern Ireland’s House of the Year accolade was won by House on Redbrae Farm, by McGonigle McGrath architects, with Alice Nickell named Project Architect of the Year for her

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work on this rural Co Down project.

McGonigle McGrath also scooped a second design award for Longhurst, a private house in south Belfast.

Hall Black Douglas Architects won two awards for conservation projects. The first was the refurbishment of the longabandoned St Comgall’s School in West Belfast into a multi-use community hub.

This also earned the Falls Community Council an award for Client of the Year. The practice’s second winner was a £100m project they delivered in partnership with JCA Architects, that saw Primark’s Bank Buildings resurrected from the ashes following a devastating fire in 2018. This project picked up the Conservation Award.

Architect Patrick Bradley secured the Sustainability Award with his shipping container home, Barney’s

Ruins, which he built floating above the ruins of his family’s 200-yearold farmstead near Maghera.

Ciarán Fox, RSUA Director, said, ‘Belfast, as with many city centres, is facing multiple challenges with depopulation, working from home, online shopping and limited public investment. It is bold projects like the new Ulster University campus and the rebuilding of Bank Buildings by Primark that help bring life and energy to the city centre. One, an exceptional example of the conservation of our built heritage, and the other an embodiment of the city’s future aspirations.

‘The quality of the architecture in a city has a direct bearing on its success.

I hope these two projects can act as an encouragement to our political, business and civic leaders to work even harder to create the conditions that allow architecture to flourish in Belfast and across Northern Ireland.

‘On the housing front, hats off to McGonigle McGrath who have completed a hattrick, winning Northern Ireland’s House of Year for the third

year running. Every year we change our judging panel of experts from across Britain and Ireland but time after time each new panel reaches the same conclusion – that McGonigle McGrath’s work is outstanding.’

The RSUA Design Award Gala Dinner took place on Thursday night in The MAC Belfast, designed by Hackett Hall McKnight, which itself was awarded a prestigious RIBA National Award in 2012 and nominated for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture.

At the ceremony, guest of honour Infrastructure Minister, John O’Dowd, said: ‘Architects, clients and built environment professionals have a critical role in designing and creating an environment in which diverse and sustainable communities can thrive – a positive environment in which people live, work, study and relax.

‘I am very aware of the critical role that my Department plays upon the lives and well-being of every person, every hour of every day. Whether it’s roads and greenways; waterways; drainage and flood defences, or by the provision of public transport, if we get our infrastructure and strategic policies right, and if we invest in them appropriately, it can be a real game changer.

‘We all know that they can create the foundations for a more productive and prosperous economy. They can also lay the foundations for future growth for our businesses – and for the great architecture that enriches our lives. The RSUA awards allow us the opportunity to recognise and celebrate those great works of architecture and I want to congratulate all the teams involved in delivering the varied projects that were shortlisted this year.’

All entries for the RSUA Awards were required to have been in use for at least one year so that the judging panel could better evaluate the sustainability and real-life performance of the projects.

The six winning projects are now in the running for a RIBA national award, celebrating the best of architecture across the whole of the UK. The awards were sponsored by JP Corry and Metal Technologies, the Department of Infrastructure, the Department for Communities, and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.

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Eye on News

AIB To Sponsor All-Island Female Entrepreneurs Conference

AIB’s Roisin Keenan with Lorraine Acheson of Women In Business

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IB has been announced as title sponsor of the prestigious 2024 Women in Business All-Island Female Entrepreneurs Conference taking place on 6th June in Belfast’s Europa Hotel.

This year’s conference will focus on the theme of ‘Grit and Growth’ with Gráinne Mullins, Head

Chocolatier and Founder of Grá Chocolates recently added to the line-up of leading female founders who have defied odds and showcased unwavering perseverance in the face of business challenges.

Commenting on the partnership, Head of Business Banking at AIB, Roisin Keenan said, “At AIB we are committed to enabling women entrepreneurs to sustain and grow their business from the ground up. We’re proud to support Women in Business in delivering this premier event which showcases enterprising women on an island-wide scale. Next month’s All-Island Female Entrepreneurs Conference promises to have grit and growth in spades, and we look forward to a room filled with inspiration on 6th June.”

2024’s event will feature engaging panel sessions and breakout masterclasses with leading business advisors from AIB, InterTradeIreland, Invest NI, Enterprise Ireland and Innovate UK

Business Growth in the room. Representatives from each organisation will share their knowledge in a bespoke marketplace covering innovative export strategies and sustainable growth ideas so that attendees can challenge themselves and learn from others best practice to enhance their business acumen and personal growth.

Commenting Lorraine Acheson Managing Director Women in Business said: “The full conference agenda for this year’s All-Island Conference promises a diverse range of topics catered to the evolving needs of female entrepreneurs with the event set to be the cornerstone of inspiration, empowerment, and connection for over 300 women-led business owners across the island.”

To find out more about the event and to book your tickets visit womeninbusinessni.com/events

Celebrating Northern Ireland’s Marketers

Northern Ireland’s first dedicated awards ceremony celebrating marketers will be held in Belfast later this month.

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he Remarkable Marketing Awards which are the brainchild of the team behind the hugely popular annual Big Marketing Meet Up will be held on Friday 31st May at the Europa Hotel Hosted by comedian and presenter, Emer Maguire, the RMA’s are calling on the marketing community to join the nominees on the night and celebrate creativity, innovation and marketing successes from across Northern Ireland.

Guests on the night will hear from Head Judge Walter Campbell, who will be discussing his award winning career on stage. One of the most awardwinning creative thinkers and inspirational ECD’s in advertising Walter is renowned for his TV work including his film “Surfer” for Guinness which was voted Best Commercial of All Time by the UK public.

The RMA’s are sponsored by headline sponsors Card Group Research and Insight, along with category sponsors Excalibur Press, Horrible and Mrktsearch.

Putting their best foot forward, event partners Card Group, Horrible Brands, Mrkt Search and Excalibur Press

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To buy tickets for the big night go to remarkableawards.com

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Eye on Business

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GM G marks ten-year TIAG membership at Nashville Conference The TAG Alliances Spring International Conference in Nashville was the perfect setting for marking GMcG Chartered Accountants’ milestone membership.

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embership of TIAG® has been one of the key features of GMcG Chartered Accountants’ service offering to clients with international interests or ambitions since 2014. The membership has enabled GMcG to provide clients with access to trusted sources of accounting, tax and legal expertise at regional, national and international levels.

TAG Alliances is one of the few international multidisciplinary alliances

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for accounting firms. Composed of TIAG®, an alliance of independent accounting firms; TAGLaw®, an alliance of independent law firms; and TAG-SP®, a multidisciplinary alliance of strategic partners, TAG Alliances serves the business needs of its members’ clients in over 110 countries worldwide.

Without any room to pack a stetson, GMcG Director Robbie Milliken headed Stateside to represent the firm at the

TAG Alliances’ International Conference in Nashville at the beginning of May. The International Conference, which takes place twice annually and alternates between USA and European locations, presents a packed programme of networking sessions, keynote speeches and information sessions. Importantly, it is valued by members for the opportunity to develop relationships with accounting

and legal contacts from numerous international jurisdictions.

As the only Northern Ireland accountancy firm with TAG Alliances membership, GMcG is represented at each European Conference by one or more of its TIAG liaison Directors Robbie Milliken, Lyn Canning Hagan, Susan Dunlop and Gabriel Greene.

Robbie explains more about how GMcG became associated with TAG

Eye on Business Alliances, which has been ranked in the Top 3 accountancy alliances internationally by Accountancy Age Magazine for 11 successive years: “We found that an increasing number of clients had aspirations to broaden their operations to international markets. Having considered the features and benefits of a number of international alliances for accountancy firms, we found TAG Alliances had the reputation, reach and type of membership that particularly suited our needs.

Through the Alliance, we have been able to confidently provide clients with access to international contacts we trust and with whom we have developed strong working relationships, helping them gain access to the specific expertise and advice they need.”

This year’s USA Conference was a significant event, organised to coincide with the 25 year anniversary of TAG Alliances and also to mark milestone anniversaries of a number of member firms, including GMcG’s ten-year membership of TIAG. The programme in Nashville included Robbie’s participation as a panellist on one of the information sessions. More than 200 attendees benefited from Robbie’s insight and expertise on succession planning for accountancy and legal practices.

Commenting on the Conference, Robbie said:

“The Conference afforded me the opportunity to reconnect with a number of international contacts as well as broaden my network.

The location of the Conference in the heart of downtown Nashville provided a great backdrop to socialise outside of the formal Conference setting. This allowed me to further strengthen our relationships within the Alliance.

A key focus of the Conference was that of Next Generation Leaders and Succession Planning within professional services firms. I was delighted to be asked to sit on a panel to discuss my own experiences as well as sharing how we have approached succession planning within GMcG. It was great to be able to contribute as well as hear the insights of the other panellists from Australia, USA and Austria.

GMcG Director Robbie Milliken (left) with delegates at the TAG Alliances Spring International Conference in Nashville.

the Conference with a number of hugely beneficial insights that we will be able to use in

“ Through the Alliance, we have been able to confidently provide clients with access to international contacts we trust and with whom we have developed strong working relationships.”

The panel session prompted much discussion amongst delegates with many differing views and approaches to succession planning.

As always, I have come away from

developing and enhancing our service offering to GMcG clients.”

GMcG looks forward to continuing to build on the relationships established over the last decade

with TIAG members and also with legal experts from across the TAGLaw Alliance. Throughout a broad range of global jurisdictions, the Firm has been able to provide clients with access to a wide spectrum of accounting, tax and legal expertise that has been instrumental in helping them establish new markets or operations with international focus.

Robbie Milliken millikenr@gmcgca.com 028 9031 1113 gmcgca.com

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Eye on News

NI Chamber and QUB in new partnership Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NI Chamber) and Queen’s University, Belfast (QUB) have formed a new partnership, which will see the organisations work together to deliver a series of events, specifically focused on digitisation and cyber security in a business context.

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ver the course of the next 12 months, it will cover themes including AI and innovation, digital transformation for productivity improvement and cyber security in the context of risk management. There will also be a strand specifically directed towards university students, connecting those studying in relevant academic fields with the business community.

The series kicks-off on Thursday 11 April in Titanic Hotel, Belfast when speakers from Analytics Engines and QUB will discuss how companies of all sizes can learn to create and elevate data strategies, assess their current data maturity levels and understand the fundamentals of analytics. Attendees will also hear experts discuss local perspectives and global trends in AI, as well as how AI can be leveraged for competitive advantage.

Launching the new series, Suzanne Wylie, Chief Executive, NI Chamber, said: “Businesses of all sizes are dealing with increasingly large and complex volumes of data. Understanding how to leverage it presents significant opportunity in terms of forecasting, efficiencies, and driving global competitiveness. Of course, we know too that it comes with additional responsibilities and considerations around cyber security.

“Given the scale of both risk and reward, helping our member businesses to really understand data in a highly digitised global trading environment is vital, so we are delighted to have secured QUB as our series partner.

“This series is pitched very specifically for NI based businesses and is an ideal peerlearning opportunity for SMEs who want to harness their data effectively, as well as finance, IT, marketing and sales professionals, in addition to Directors and CEOs seeking to understand the strategic use and importance of data. Already, there has been a significant

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Joanne Mallon (Business Engagement Manager, Queen’s University Belfast and Suzanne Wylie (Chief Executive, NI Chamber).

level of interest in participating, which is further demonstration of its importance.”

Queen’s University Belfast is known for its expertise in the areas of health, fintech, cyber security, and data analytics, and is home to a new Cyber-AI Hub at the Centre of Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) funded by the UK Government’s £18.9 million investment in NI’s Cyber Security industry.

Joanne Mallon, Business Engagement Manager, Queen’s University Belfast, commented: “Queen’s University Belfast has been a proud patron and partner of the NI Chamber of Commerce and Industry for many years and I am delighted that we will continue to strengthen our long standing relationship with them and their members in 2024 through the delivery of

the Digital and Cyber series of seminars.

“Understanding the power of data and the importance of cyber security is a major challenge facing businesses across all sectors.

At Queen’s, addressing real world need is at the heart of our civic mission, and this programme will offer local business access to a wide range of experts within the University, whilst also facilitating peer-to-peer learning.

“We are looking forward to working directly with NI Chamber members over the next 12 months through the Digital and Cyber series and to help more Northern Irish businesses use data and cyber security as a key to unlocking valuable insights, protect against potential risks and threats, stay ahead of emerging trends and gain competitive advantage.”

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Eye on News

A BOLLY GREAT IDEA THIS SUMMER Former Miss Northern Ireland Meagan Green is pictured at the opening of The Bollinger Champagne Garden

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he Bollinger Champagne Garden is back by popular demand at the renowned fivestar Culloden Estate & Spa in Belfast, promising a summer of elegance and indulgence.

Nestled on the estate grounds outside the Cultra Inn, the hotel’s picturesque lawns have once again been transformed into an alfresco haven, inviting guests to immerse themselves in the scents, sounds, and scenery of the season.

Set against the breathtaking backdrop of Belfast Lough, guests can choose from a drinks menu of Bollinger champagne, handcrafted cocktails, and premium wines, complemented by a seasonal food menu featuring sharing boards, small bites, and delectable mains.

“We are thrilled to bring back the Bollinger Champagne Garden, following its tremendous success last year. It’s a true pleasure to provide this exquisite setting for our guests to create lasting memories with friends and family. It really is an experience not to be missed,” said Stacy Hooper, Manager of the Cultra Inn at the Culloden Estate & Spa. For those seeking an extended retreat, the “Bolly Great Stay” offer, from £150 per person sharing, invites guests to indulge in an overnight stay with breakfast at the Culloden Estate, and a glass of Bollinger accompanied by a charcuterie sharing board in the champagne garden.

For more information, visit cullodenestateandspa.com

Accountancy Accolade For Kyra

The Danske Bank Accountancy Award was presented to Kyra MacMahon at Danske Bank’s head office in Belfast in May 2024.

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yra, who is a Chartered Accountant working at Claremount Chartered Accountants in Omagh, was awarded the annual prize for achieving the highest marks in Northern Ireland in the 2023 Institute of Chartered Accountants Ireland (ICAI) Final Admitting Examination.

Kyra is pictured receiving her award from Danske Bank’s Deputy CEO and Chief Financial Officer, Stephen Matchett.

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Eye on Investment

Tapping Into NI’s Investment Potential – Joe Kennedy Talks Business

Joe Kennedy III, the United States Special Envoy to Northern Ireland for Economic Affairs, is the highest profile American envoy we’ve had here over the years. He’s also one of the most passionate about the region. Richard Buckley talked to him during his most recent visit to Belfast...

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Eye on Investment

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oe Kennedy has been across the Atlantic from his Massachusetts home to Northern Ireland six times since his appointment just over a year ago and that makes him a regular visitor in anyone’s book.

“I try to come every six to eight weeks or so,” he says. “It’s important to keep the momentum going and to build on the foundation that people here have laid. I love this role, and it’s been a pleasure for me to spend time here in Northern Ireland. This visit is the only one which is based entirely in Belfast.

Usually, I’m all over the place.”

RB – You’ve talked a lot about our economic potential. Do you really believe that we have a lot of potential?

“Without question. The single biggest challenge Northern Ireland confronts is one of perception.

So much of the story of Northern Ireland is told through the lens of the Troubles. But this is a profoundly different place today. Yes, there are still issues of history, experience and identity. But the United States is wrestling with issues of history, experience and identity.

“So Northern Ireland isn’t alone in terms of places in the world that are wrestling with these issues, and how you navigate through them peacefully. Yes, we have to recognise the challenges but we shouldn’t be mired in them.

“When you spend time at Queen’s or Ulster University, when you spend time with the young people here, they are just as talented as they are anywhere else in the world. Belfast feels like a thriving, modern European city because that’s exactly what it is. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t challenges elsewhere in this city.

“If I brought you ten blocks from Kendall Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, you’d feel a difference and you’d see challenges.”

London is amazing. I talked to a global financial leader recently who has been in Dublin multiple times over decades and who had never been in Northern Ireland. We’re working hard to change those attitudes.”

“ Belfast feels like a thriving, modern European city because that’s exactly what it is. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t challenges elsewhere in this city.” now. To watch Gerry Adams and Peter Robinson sit on chairs next to each other, tell their stories and talk about how they found a way through the problems was profound.

“The United States is about to go through a brutal electoral cycle, and so are some other parts of the world.

Yet, here is Northern Ireland showing us that it can be done and that it can have a shared vision going forward.”

RB – Back on business and economy, let’s say you’re back in the States and you’re talking to a business leader who might be an investor. What is your elevator pitch for Northern Ireland?

“Again, perception is the issue. So I tell them that Belfast is the safest city of its size in the UK and Ireland,

that its the happiest city in the UK, that it’s the biggest destination for cyber security firms outside of the United States. No one has any idea of those three things.

“Then you tell them that there are 260 American companies already over here. There are 1200 international companies doing business here. You tell them that you can recruit some of the best English-speaking talent that you can get anywhere. And you tell them that they’ve got access to both EU and UK markets.

“The biggest challenge is getting them to actually come here. The number of those executives who don’t realise that Belfast is just over an hour from Dublin Airport and a 60-minute flight from

RB – The return of devolved government clearly helps but what should our priorities be going forward?

“That’s for Northern Ireland’s political leaders. But what I’d say is that you’ve done the hard part. The next steps aren’t easy, but they’re easy compared to what has been achieved.

Engage with the international companies who are here to encourage them to re-invest.

But let’s also plan for the larger transformational investments that I believe are coming.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt that we will see economic transformation here as a result of political stability. Every day that passes with stability is a positive story. But these things take time.

They don’t happen overnight.”

RB – You’ve been out and about, not just with American companies but with local ones.

Have you been impressed by the business community here?

“Massively impressed. When it comes to the ingenuity of Northern Ireland, I’d put you guys up against anyone. Every small business here is a problem solver. All this region needs is a good shot of confidence. But the world has a lot to learn from this place. Let’s go out there and tell our story.”

RB – So you think that the United States can learn from Northern Ireland?

“Definitely. One of the most meaningful moments I’ve had was when we were at Stormont in October with the delegation of business leaders from the United States. On the stage were five political leaders who’ve helped to navigate this place to where it is

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Eye on Cover Story

Biopax Homegrown Success Story Set To Double In Size

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When Dr. Terry Cross OBE sold his Delta Print & Packaging operation on Belfast’s Kennedy Way to Finnish giants Huhtamaki back in 2016, a stipulation of the deal was that he couldn’t pocket the money and then go off and open his own print and packaging operation elsewhere in Northern Ireland.

I

nstead, he had to sign a non-compete agreement. Given Dr. Cross’s record as something of a serial entrepreneur, it’s hardly surprising.

Sitting in the boardroom of his new packaging venture, Biopax at Springvale Business Park at the top of West Belfast’s Springfield Road, he admits that he started to think about a new venture almost before the ink was dry on the Huhtamaki deal.

“We’ve got 40-odd years of experience in this sector, and we have created somewhere in the region of 5000 jobs in China, India, Poland and Belfast,” he says.

“This place has been a few years in the planning. We knew what we wanted to do, and we’ve worked very hard to get to this stage.”

Biopax is a printed cartons, paper wraps and labels manufacturer with a firm commitment to sustainability.

“Consumers are demanding sustainable packaging these days,” he adds. “So are our customers.”

Since selling Delta Print & Packaging, Dr. Cross has also found the time, and the money, to launch another very successful start-up, Hinch Distillery in the County Down countryside between Belfast and Ballynahinch.

“Our first challenge here at Biopax was to find the right premises,” he says. He and his team eventually settled on a 70,000 sq.ft industrial unit at Springvale. “It has been used

by Caterpillar as a large call centre so we had a bit of work to do to re-purpose it as a manufacturing unit. But it sits on an 8.3 acre site and that’s something that attracted us.”

It attracted him because he could see the potential for expansion, and that’s exactly what Biopax is already intending to do.

“We’re going to build upwards and outwards,” says Terry Cross, “and we’re going to double the size of this facility to enable us to produce two billion cartons a year in addition to other products.

“Expansion is also going to give us the space we need to continue to work on the innovation of new sustainable packaging product lines, and in anticipation of significant orders coming through our doors,” he says.

“Like other manufacturers in this part of the world, we’ve got unfettered access to both the UK/Ireland and European markets, and that’s a major advantage for us.”

The West Belfast plant is already sending product to customers in various parts of Europe via the

ports of Rotterdam, Calais and Le Havre.

Biopax is the result of the kind of investment that would have many lesser entrepreneurs running for cover. It’s not just the set-up costs. Every one of the huge print units in the meticulously clean manufacturing hall comes with a hefty price tag.

But Dr. Terry Cross knows that success doesn’t come without investment.

“Investment in this plant will continue as long as I am alive,” he says in his typical forthright fashion.

The current plan to double the size of the Springvale plant will help drive the innovation programme forward. Biopax is working hard on the development of manufacturing processes for biodegradable and recyclable paper cups for worldwide food and beverage customers.

And it’s also agitating for change in the wider food and non-food packaging sector, leading the way in environmentally-friendly materials and bringing PFAfree barrier coatings from the laboratory to market reality. One of the big challenges in this industry is to find replacements for polyethylene, the most commonly produced plastics worldwide.

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Eye on Cover Story

“ We’re bringing employment to an area of high social disadvantage and we’re committed to continuing to do that. But it always helps when government and its agencies throw their weight behind what you’re trying to do.”

Sales & Marketing Director at Biopax, Liam O’Connor.

“Consumers are demanding change,” adds the Sales & Marketing Director at Biopax, Liam O’Connor. “They want to see an end to harmful plastics. But change is also being driven by legislation. Big companies are increasingly being required by law to change their packaging away from potentially harmful substances towards new, fibre-based alternatives.”

Biopax has had some limited assistance from Invest NI but Dr. Cross says he’s looking forward to more

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being forthcoming on the back of the agency’s new focus on productivity.

“Productivity isn’t something we’re very good at here in Northern Ireland, but we need to get better so I welcome the spotlight being thrown on this by Invest NI and we look forward to working with them.”

He also warmly welcomes the return of functioning devolved government here and, in particular, the fact that an Economy Minister is in place.

“We’re bringing employment

to an area of high social disadvantage and we’re committed to continuing to do that. But it always helps when government and its agencies throw their weight behind what you’re trying to do.”

Experienced machine operators don’t grow on trees in West Belfast or elsewhere, so the company has to employ people and then train them alongside their key machinery provider, Heidelberg, a German leader in print machinery dating back to the early 1900’s.

Biopax currently employs a team of 60 but firm plans are in place to accelerate employment at the site.

“By 2027, we’re intending to have almost 170 people here and our target for 2030 is 300 plus,” adds Liam O’Connor.

“We’re a dynamic business.

We have a great mix of experience and youth through our apprenticeship programme, and we’ve invested heavily in state-of-the-art equipment.

We’re definitely not limited by old technology.

“Northern Ireland is a hub for packaging manufacturing but a few of the organisations here now form part of much larger groups. Biopax has local roots and it’s privately owned.

We’re part of the community.”

“Where do we want to be in a couple of years time? We want to be at the very forefront of technology in folding cartons, in wraps, cups and lids. And we want to be big employers right here in West Belfast with customers all over the world,” says Dr. Terry Cross.

Eye on Commercial Property

SUSTAINABILITY PLANNING CRUCIAL TO FUTURE-PROOFING REAL ESTATE VALUE

By Mark Elliott, Senior Director, CBRE NI

It has been said that recognising and managing the intrinsic link between a building’s value and sustainability is like knowing next week’s Lottery numbers.

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tongue-in-cheek remark, of course, but there is no denying that removing the uncertainty around the works required to ensure an asset is where it needs to be in the journey towards net zero is crucial to future-proofing that asset’s value.

Commentary around sustainability has been growing for some time, but many businesses – landlords and tenants alike – still choose to bury their head in the sand, perhaps in the belief that it will delay any perceived stress that having to address sustainability would bring.

However, acquiring a tight grasp of sustainability in real estate should be seen as an opportunity for companies

to enhance their asset’s value, rather than being viewed negatively.

It can be easy for minds to instinctively turn to incoming legislation as the main driving factor in the calls for commercial property to become more sustainable.

Legislation is a major factor, of course, with CBRE NI at the forefront in making the Northern Ireland business community aware of the new rules that they need to be prepared for. At our Outlook event in January, for example, we indicated that three-quarters of Belfast’s office stock may become obsolete by 2030 due to upcoming EPC legislation.

While being fully cognisant of

regulations is important, it is not the only factor that needs to be considered. More and more of the larger global firms with offices in Northern Ireland have their own internal sustainability targets to hit – and these are increasingly influencing their decisions in terms of the buildings they occupy.

A lot of key occupiers have already declared that they will exit buildings that do not align with sustainable objectives and the drive to net zero.

Indeed, we recently worked with a leading global occupier that provides an interesting snapshot of the direction the market is travelling in.

The firm’s building has recently

been refurbished but, because it does not meet its own company-wide sustainability goals, the business opted to pay a premium for a short three-year lease, allowing time to relocate to a suitable alternative which meets their sustainability targets.

This trend is becoming more prevalent, particularly within the office and industrial sectors.

Tapping into the global CBRE network of expertise, our CBRE NI Sustainability Panel team is working closely with clients to ensure sustainability is at the core of all of their strategic thinking and that there is more market alignment in analysing how sustainability is assessed in commercial real estate valuations.

The office market in Belfast currently has a limited supply of new build space, which creates a significant opportunity for landlords of existing office buildings to capitalise on the demand for sustainable space.

Working with existing tenants to agree a programme of works during the course of the next five years is now crucial in terms of not only retaining tenants, but also in securing rental growth and protecting value.

Major lenders also want clarity when it comes to work that needs carried out from a sustainability perspective. We are regularly facilitating conversations between banks and our clients about refinancing and securing loans in order to enhance an asset’s value.

Having a detailed plan of exactly how a building can get to net zero in the most efficient way makes those conversations with banks smoother and provides lenders with something that is easier for them to buy into.

Making those in-depth plans is something CBRE NI is doing for clients, as more and more realise just how vital sustainability has become to value. Comparing it to knowing the Lottery numbers might be a stretch, but it’s still crucial that these plans are made and carried out.

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celebrating 20 years of customer service.

Eye on Technology

Steven Goldblatt & Leaf – A Pragmatic Approach To Tech

Darryl Heanen, Chief Technology Officer, Colin Patton, Operation Director, Steven Goldblatt, Chief Executive Officer, Barry Donaldson, Customer Sales Manager.

Nowadays one of Northern Ireland’s leading IT Managed Service Providers, Leaf was born out of humble beginning, in common with many in the sector.

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“I

t all started in my garage in Bangor and it began as a hobby rather than a business,” says Steven Goldblatt, Leaf’s founder and CEO. “20 years later and we’re right up there with the leading managed service providers in Northern Ireland, but also working in the Republic and in GB.

“We call ourselves an IOI operation these days – we’re growing this business all over the Island Of Ireland. But everything comes back to Belfast. This is very definitely our base.”

Leaf, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary with a spectacular night for clients and friends at

The MAC in Belfast, is based at Weavers Court in the centre of Belfast and has a current team of 30 employees, which Steven Goldblatt expects to rise above 35 in the coming year or so.

“When I left the garage in Bangor and started to build this company, I took on three people fairly

celebrating 20 years of customer service.

Eye on Technology

L-R: Brendan Lyons, Digital Transformation Analyst, Pamela Parker, Accounts Technician, Mark Mulligan, Cloud Services Engineer, Rachel Morrow, Senior Marketing Executive, Justin Archer, Network Security Architect, Iain Bell, Infrastructure Architect, Steven Goldblatt, CEO, Alex Dinu, Cloud Services Engineer, Danielle Magee, Customer Sales Advisor, Christine Wylie, Account Manager, Darryl Heanen, CTO, Katie McAdam, Modern Workplace Engineer, Colin Patton, Operations Director, Oonagh McKeogh, Senior Digital Transformation Analyst, Barry Donaldson, Customer Sales Manager, Allison Millar, Infrastructure Engineer, Stephen Mitchell, Senior Cloud Services Engineer

quickly,” he says. “What makes me particularly proud is that two of those three people are still working here and the other probably would be too if she hadn’t moved to live in Spain and got married.”

Twenty years might not be long in the history of some larger organisations, and might not mean much in some sectors.

But, in technology, it’s a very long time indeed. Steven Goldblatt reflects on just how much has changed since 2004.

“There was no such thing as the cloud. The only clouds we knew were the ones above our heads. Back then, it we wanted to store data or anything else, we had to have big, lumpy pieces of hardware in our offices.”

Nowadays, Leaf is a major provider of cloud services and consultancy to its varied client list which includes some of our leading private sector firms as well as some in the public sector, notably in local government.

“We didn’t have iPhones back then and none of us would have thought of holding meetings by Zoom or Teams.”

Steven Goldblatt is clear that its customer service that has been the lifeblood of the company over the past 20 years. “That’s what this business is all about,” he says.

“We have an excellent support team here working day in, day out with our customers ranging

from smaller firms with 10 users through to larger organisations with thousands of users. Our support staff sell Leaf and what we do better than anyone or anything.”

Today’s tech agenda for most organisations, he says, is dominated by the issues of cybersecurity and disaster recovery.

“Both have as real fear factor built into them,” says Steven Goldblatt.

“And both can impact on businesses of any size and in any sector.

“When it comes the cybersecurity, it’s clear that there are all sorts of threats out there, and that the criminals are always moving, always developing, always trying to stay one step ahead of their victims.

“The old idea that the perpetrators are young people hiding away in darkened bedrooms isn’t a reality any more. Cyber attacks are carried out by sophisticated organised

crime gangs and they can work in a whole range of different ways.

“Cyber attacks are about money, of course, but for a lot of companies out there, they are also about reputation and the damage to corporate reputation as the result of an incident,” he adds.

“Here at Leaf, we’ve worked really hard to develop our expertise in cyber security over the years and we were delighted to win a global award recognising that expertise.”

Leaf was one out of 44,000 global partners chosen by ConnectWise, a Florida-based provider of cybersecurity software solutions and support, as its Cybersecurity Partner of the Year for 2023. Leaf was the only company from the Island of Ireland to receive an award at the group’s annual awards held in Orlando.

“The second threat with a real

fear factor is disaster recovery, what happens after a major IT crash or something similar strikes your organisation. It can happen and it does happen,” says Steven Goldblatt.

Most local organisations will already have IT partners and many will already have considered or bought insurance against cyber attack and major IT crashes. But Goldblatt warns that it isn’t always easy to secure insurance cover these days.

“There is no doubt that the risk factors are huge,” he says. “The internet has revolutionised how we do everything. But the downside is that it comes with risks and threats.”

Another issue rapidly impacting on many business is AI or artificial intelligence. “In the case of some businesses, AI can become a very useful and productive tool. But, on the other hand, it will impact on jobs and it will impact on people’s livelihoods. We all need to assess how best it can work for us, if at all.”

Assuming that the next 20 years will deliver the same pace of change as they 20 just past, it’s hard to predict where we’ll be in terms of technology for both business and personal life.

“I wouldn’t want to be the one doing the predicting,” says Steven Goldblatt. “But I’d like to think that Leaf will be around to continue to guide its customers through the maze.”

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Eye on Law

Darren Toombs – Adding Energy To Law Society President’s Role

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Eye on Law This year’s Law Society of Northern Ireland President, Darren Toombs, is a man who has brought a new energy to a role dating back many years.

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espite being a Belfast-based solicitor with one of our biggest law firms, he’s been determined since taking on the chain of office back in November to take his presidency outside of the confines of the city.

His boundless energy and desire to meet colleagues is perhaps best highlighted by his recent attendance at a regional dinner event in Limavady.

The new Law Society President made the trip by bike, for charity, taking close to three hours to get there while his Society colleagues made the trip by car, with Darren’s suit in the boot.

As a practising solicitor he heads up the Insolvency, Restructuring & Debt Recovery department at Carson McDowell in Belfast city centre, working with trustees, banks, liquidators, and others. Recently, he’s seen an increase in case work involving director disqualifications. He acts for a number of the former directors of Wrightbus contesting their disqualifications.

“It’s been the biggest ever case of its kind brought in Northern Ireland, possibly in the UK as a whole,” he says.

Carson McDowell ranks as Northern Ireland’s largest law firm. From 26 fee earning lawyers when he joined 21 years ago, it’s grown to 110+ in Belfast with another 14 based in Dublin and mainly representing clients in medical negligence cases.

Darren took over as President in late autumn after serving the previous year as the Society’s Junior Vice President.

“Being Junior Vice President gives you a chance to see what the role is all about,” he says. “As November got closer, I did start to worry a little about how I was going to be able to serve as President and do my day job at the same time.”

As President he fully recognises that the Law Society has a unique doubleedged role to play as both a regulator and the representative body for solicitors in Northern Ireland, but he remains of the view that the Society is best placed to successfully undertake both roles.

Over the last number of months, he’s worked hard to meet colleagues outside of Belfast listening to their concerns and quick to get involved in seeking ways to be responsive to the specific challenges facing the legal sector, and solicitors firms in particular.

“After meeting so many colleagues I can see that it would be all too easy for the Society and indeed the President to take its members for granted.

As a representative body we cannot afford to do so given the challenges and changes now facing the solicitor profession.

I recognise that the Society needs to be responsive to the ‘real time’ issues affecting members and firms. This work is one of my key priorities”.

As a practising solicitor he understands that the legal profession as with many other businesses are facing challenging times ahead

“ One of the issues that I was already aware of but which I hear repeated all the time, particularly from firms outside of Belfast, is the difficulty in finding and retaining young legal talent for private practice these days.”

not least in respect of reduced public funding and an ever-changing business environment.

“The challenges facing our members are very real including recruitment, succession planning and at times, simply keeping their business going. One of the issues that I was already aware of but which I hear repeated all the time, particularly from firms outside of Belfast, is the difficulty in finding and retaining young legal talent for private practice these days.

Working in private practice as a solicitor is hard work and it can involve long hours,” says Darren.

In response to these issues Darren says that the Society is working on business support initiatives, training and recruitment initiatives which he believes will help members.

One of the greatest challenges facing his members is this historic funding for legal aid.

The Society met with the Justice Minister Naomi Long recently, pressing the case for improved funding for the Justice sector.

“This part of the Justice system is in need of a comprehensive review. Solicitors are effectively propping up the legal aid system.

Thankfully retired Senior Judge Tom Burgess CBE is currently undertaking a fundamental review of the criminal legal aid system in Northern Ireland. We are confident that the Review report, expected later this year, will provide the foundation for a properly informed discussion about legal aid funding in Northern Ireland”.

Other issues have been raised with him as he travels around Northern Ireland engaging with solicitors on their local issues including Court closures and the lack of Police custody suites in some provincial centres.

“Because of the closure of some local courts, Solicitors are particularly keen that the practice of video hearings continues. It was all we had during the pandemic, and it can still be a very good way to avoid a lot of costly travel to court for lawyers and witnesses.”

On that note, the Law Society President notes that most law firms are either largely or completely back to office working.

“I think that’s particularly important for younger solicitors,” he says. “A lot of them suffered badly during the pandemic and I think they’re really benefitting from being in an office environment. We all often learn by observing the work of others, don’t forget.”

The Law Society of Northern Ireland’s Annual Conference makes a welcome return in the Autumn with a two-day event taking place at the Ebrington Conference Centre on 26th and 27th September.

“The theme will be ‘The Future of The Profession’. So, we’d expect to be talking about sustainability, about AI, about education and staffing challenges as well as entry to the profession.

“As things stand, the only way to enter this profession is to complete your law degree, become a trainee and study at the Institute to qualify. We’d like to develop part-time courses as well as modern apprenticeships to attract more people into the legal profession.”

The profession, and the Society, also wants to attract more women returners. 50% of women leave private practice to head in other directions during their careers.

“We want to see more of them coming back,” says Darren Toombs. “To that end, we’re looking at a programme to attract more of them back into private practice.”

Asked what he has learned to date as President, Darren replies.

“It’s been an eye opening 6 months, understanding the challenges and opportunities facing our members and I think having a greater appreciation of the invaluable work solicitors provide to our economy and support to our community right across Northern Ireland”.

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Eye on Recruitment

Gareth HannaAn AdvisoryLed Approach To Executive Recruitment For Gareth Hanna, senior-level recruitment and executive search isn’t just about finding the right candidate for the role. It’s about advising client companies and their leaders on how to prepare and how to attract the right people to their organisations.

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Eye on Recruitment

“W

e look on ourselves as specialists in talent attraction and retention,” he says. “Strategic search and selection is a very big part of what we do, but providing expert advisory support is just as important these days in a challenging talent marketplace.”

An Ulster University graduate, he headed west to the United States for post-graduate studies for a number of years in Dallas, Texas, before heading back to the UK with his wife, Emily.

“We ended up in the East Midlands and that’s where my career in recruitment began,” he says. “I took up a role with a global recruitment company looking after the Leicester & Nottingham areas, and I loved it.”

It wasn’t long before he headed back home to his native Moira in County Down and a role with a local executive search firm where he went on to stay for almost eight years.

“Between the role in England and a more senior one back here, I think I’ve had a chance to learn my craft. And, while there are no academic qualifications for recruitment, it is definitely a craft that needs to be learnt.

“What does a good recruitment or executive search specialist need? First and foremost, strong inter personal skills and the ability to communicate well. But he or she also needs resilience, an eye for detail and the ability to understand clients and their companies.”

Over the years, Gareth has successfully delivered upwards of 200 individual assignments, in other words securing candidates for organisations or placing candidates into new roles. Among them have been some very high profile and senior leadership roles across the private, public, and third sectors.

Now 34, Gareth Hanna has embarked on a new chapter in his career. He’s left his senior role with an established firm and launched one of his own. G1 Search is a boutique strategic search and talent advisory firm with its headquarters in Belfast.

“I’ve long thought about starting my own firm. I suppose it was something that was always on the agenda,” he says. “My experience to date has provided me with the tools and experience to deliver immense value for our clients, but it’s still never easy to take that final step and commit to becoming an entrepreneur.”

G1 Search launched in April this year. Nobody’s fool when it comes to the art of marketing, Gareth Hanna made sure that his website and socials were in place and working well right from the outset. Now he’s spending most of his time talking to prospective clients and candidates.

“Having a strong online presence is essential for just about any company these days,” he adds. “But, in this business, it’s an absolute necessity. Carefully adopting the right blend of traditional and digital marketing is an essential element to how we do business day to day.”

The G1 Search business, he says, has two primary elements.

One is strategic search, for board level appointments, non executive directors, C-suite, executive level and interim managers.

The second is talent advisory, advising clients on how to adopt a proactive and strategic approach to attracting talent.

“It brings us into a whole area of employer branding,” explains Gareth Hanna. “Employer branding is all about building and creating a brand that will appeal to potential employees, and it’s not as easy as some might think. Just because you’re already a respected brand in your own market, it doesn’t mean that you’re automatically attractive as an employer.

That needs a bit of work.

“It can be proactive, but it can also be reactive. It can also be called talent pipelining, and it’s very important for an increasing number of well known organisations nowadays.”

Employer branding and talent pipelining isn’t just about attracting the best talent in the here and now. It’s also about talent retention, an issue that most leading organisations are all too aware of in today’s increasingly fickle talent marketplace.

“ Creating the right culture and looking after people isn’t a cost. It’s an investment. And it’s one of the best investments that you can make.”

“We’re talking to clients on a regular basis about the culture of their organisations and about the importance of having a consistent message and a consistent approach. If organisations don’t get things like that right, the staff will look elsewhere. It’s as simple as that.”

The old days of a job for life, he says, are gone. “On average, most people will stay in a particular role for five to seven years at most and then they’ll look for their next challenge,” says Gareth.

It’s one of the reasons why so many organisations today are struggling with recruitment and staffing issues. Various surveys have shown that as much as 70-80% of companies are experiencing difficulties with recruitment and staffing.

As employee tenures are shortening, it’s incumbent on the company to innovate when it comes to its approach to talent attraction.

“If you only turn up the talent attraction dial when there is a vacancy, it might not work.

The secret is to think about employer branding and talent

engagement all the time and make it part of business life,” Gareth emphasises. “It’s crucial to invest in the recruitment process and it’s even more crucial not to be passive.

“How many times have you heard companies say that their greatest asset is their people?

Yet too many organisations fail to invest in those people in the right ways,” he says.

“Creating the right culture and looking after people isn’t a cost. It’s an investment. And it’s one of the best investments that you can make.

“It might sound like a bit of a cliché but we see ourselves as an extension of our clients’ business. We have to be agile, we have to be flexible and we have to move with those clients.

We’re excited to get going and we’re really looking forward to playing our part in the success of our clients’ businesses.”

www.g1search.com

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Eye on Charity

A New Era for Corporate Partnerships with Cancer Focus NI Launching an ambitious strategy last year, leading charity Cancer Focus Northern Ireland is on track to open the first of five Cancer Support Centres later this year.

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ith building works having started at 18 High Street in Enniskillen, the charity is now turning its attention to the local business community to help raise the £687,000 needed to ensure the delivery and sustainability of this quality and first of its kind sanctuary for local people impacted by cancer.

Speaking about the charity’s new direction of travel, Richard Spratt, Chief Executive at Cancer Focus NI stated, “We aim to mirror the emphasis of the Northern Ireland Cancer Strategy by consolidating our charity’s existing services under a series of fit-for-purpose regional Cancer Support Centres. However, we cannot do this alone and are asking local businesses to partner with us at an exciting time.”

Richard Spratt, Chief Executive, Cancer Focus NI

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Eye on Charity

To successfully plan and deliver on this ambitious target, Cancer Focus NI has been working closely with a GB-based cancer care charity, Maggie’s Centres, for over two years to share best practice. Marking another period of change, the charity has committed to selling its current headquarters on Belfast’s Eglantine Avenue to help fund activity and see the introduction of bespoke premises for its operations.

“There is no limit to our ambition as we proceed in delivering cancer support directly to the heart of towns and cities across Northern Ireland where need is greatest. For decades, our charity has successfully provided support services, community-based cancer prevention initiatives, helped drive policy agenda, and funded research. We genuinely believe that our planned approach of providing cancer care separate from clinical environments will further help fill a gap in Northern Ireland’s current cancer care sector.” says Richard.

Currently, the charity relies on c.£4.0m in funding each year to deliver its current work. The innovative approach is seen as a major shake-up to how cancer care and support will be delivered across Northern Ireland and requires bold decisions and investment.

The charity has calculated that the Enniskillen Cancer Support Centre alone will require further investment of almost £7m over the next twenty years but believes the will, want, and opportunities are available to make this and following initiatives a success.

Speaking about choosing Enniskillen as the charity’s first location, Richard detailed, “We have been operating in

the area for 30 years and recognise the town’s remoteness. We wanted to address and target under provision of cancer care for local people in Fermanagh and the surrounding areas.”

Detailing plans further, Richard explained: “Our charity currently provides cancer support and awareness to thousands of people each year across Northern Ireland. However, most of this work is carried out in hospitals or community settings. Our strategic plan is to reconcile this existing work under a series of state-of-the-art and carefully designed sanctuaries. This way, we can reach even more people at the right time on their cancer journey. Of course, this comes at a cost, but the Northern Irish people and businesses have always been there to support us, and we are, once again, asking them to join at an exciting time in our charity’s history.”

With 80pence in every £1 invested directly towards the delivery of a range of cancer support services including counselling, family support,

bra fitting, support groups, and a patient driving service; the charity is proud of the fact that all monies raised are kept in Northern Ireland.

Coinciding with this new era for a charity that has been at the forefront of cancer care, health promotion, research, and campaigning for over 50 years; Cancer Focus NI has redesigned its corporate offering to better support the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) needs of local companies.

Richard detailed, “As 90% of our income is raised via fundraising, our charity is committed to developing and nurturing corporate partnerships. That is why we have grown our Corporate Fundraising team to ensure that we can be there to support businesses on their journey with us. We are committed to designing bespoke packages that energise, motivate, and educate workforces to get involved and make a rewarding difference.”

By choosing Cancer Focus NI as a charity of the year, workplaces will avail

of a range of opportunities that includes one-to-one account management, volunteering, seasonal fundraising activities, and employee health initiatives via the charity’s Keeping Well Van, Health Talks, and Stop Smoking Clinics. Charity partners will also receive priority booking at key events such as the iconic and popular Pink Run, Mourne Seven Summits Hike, The Big 3 Irish Mountain Trek, and Corporate Golf Day. Richard, who moved into the charity sector from a background as a former business banker with Bank of Ireland, finished, “I know how important it is for an organisation to choose the right Charity of the Year. Luckily, Cancer Focus NI has the necessary experience from working with leading businesses across a range of sectors to make partnerships rewarding and mutually beneficial. I understand that decision makers and staff want to know that the fundraising and volunteering they do will make an immediate and lasting impact. That is why I am proud to say that Cancer Focus NI is the perfect charity for organisations of all sizes. While just £213 will pay for 4 hours of Family Support for a local family as they learn to process a cancer diagnosis or death, £40,000 could pay for an experienced cancer specialist stationed in the heart of a community. Local fundraising does matter, and is needed more than ever.”

For more information, visit www.cancerfocusni.org

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Eye on News

Minister Lyons visits Northern Ireland’s first mixed tenure apartment scheme Minister for Communities, Gordon Lyons MLA joined the Choice Housing team as he viewed the first fully mixed tenure apartment scheme in Northern Ireland, located at the current King’s Hall site in Belfast.

The new development is due to be handed over on 5th June 2024.

Choice Group Chief Executive, Michael McDonnell with Minister for Communities, Gordon Lyons MLA and Paul Leonard - Chair of Choice Services Board - pictured at the first mixed tenure apartment scheme in Northern Ireland.

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he £14m project managed by Choice and their subsidiary Maple and May incorporates affordable social housing and private rental units all designed to be part of one integrated scheme with shared communal areas, parking and access.

During the visit, the Minister viewed the newly built apartments, alongside the wider shared and communal areas that make up this innovative development.

Minister Lyons said: “As Minister, I am pleased to visit this pioneering project as it nears completion. I have said that we need

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to be innovative as we seek to address the housing need in our society. In providing high-quality accommodation across a range of tenures – both social housing and private rentals – this scheme is an example of progressive thinking in action. I hope it will have a positive impact on the people who live here, and also the wider community in this area.

“Projects of this nature are the result of a tremendous amount of work, involving individuals, organisations, communities, and government at various levels. I commend Choice Housing, and indeed all those involved,

and wish the incoming residents every happiness in their new homes.”

This new housing development forms part of a wider £100m regeneration project, being led

by Benmore Octopus which will also include medical and life sciences accommodation, a multi-storey car park, a central plaza, a creche and retail/café/ restaurant and leisure facilities.

With 81 new apartments in total, the mixed tenure development offers 45 1- and 2-bedroom social apartments for over 55s alongside a further 36 apartments for private rent, which

will be leased via Maple and May. Choice Group Chief Executive, Michael McDonnell said, “We are pleased to welcome Minister Lyons to view this groundbreaking development. Mixed tenure is a strategic priority for Choice and our subsidiary Maple and May, with the focus on offering a range of living options whilst facilitating the opportunity to foster greater social, economic and community cohesion.

“Mixed tenure developments that are adaptable and built within the context of a specific area has the potential of delivering more viable housing options across Northern Ireland. To achieve this, we need a collaborative approach with partners and statutory agencies all working together.

“This new scheme forms part of an exciting and innovative initiative aimed at enhancing this iconic site and the wider surrounding area. The Choice Group is excited to see the wider project progress and we are keen to play a truly regenerative role.”

H&J Martin Construction partnered with Choice and Maple and May in delivering the development of the mixed tenure scheme. H&J Martin has a long history of working with and developing some of the most iconic sites across Northern Ireland and this project will prove to be a world class development when complete.

The social housing apartments have been constructed to Lifetime Homes standards with all apartments benefitting from Secured by Design ‘Gold’ accreditation. The development is also served by private parking, internal and external amenity space and a concierge service.

NORTHERN IRELAND’S LEADING BUSINESS AWARDS Culloden Hotel Estate & Spa Thursday 9th May

Eye on Awards

www.businesseyeawards.co.uk

Brett Martin & Biopax Share Top Honors At Business Eye Sustainability Awards The Team from Brett Martin collect the coveted Sustainable Company of the Year Award 2024 Andrew Slaine, Andrew Martin, Jack McAlister, Mike Gimson (Strategic Power Connect), Lynne Patterson, Amanda Green, Brenda Buckley (Business Eye) & Adam Louden.

Mallusk-based plastic sheet manufacturer Brett Martin and West Belfast packaging firm Biopax lifted the top Company of the Year awards at the 2024 Business Eye Sustainability Awards in association with Strategic Power Connect.

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he second annual awards took place on Thursday evening (9th May) at the Culloden Estate & Spa, with more than 350 guests in attendance.

Brett Martin took the award in the larger company category with Biopax picking up the award for SMEs. Philip McMichael, Chief Executive of Belfast IT disposal and recycling specialists Vyta took the Sustainable Business Leader of the Year title.

The gala awards evening, hosted by the BBC’s Mark Simpson, saw awards being presented across a line-up of 14 different categories.

Wilsons Country, Northern Ireland’s leading producer of potato products, took the honours in the Sustainable Food & Drink Company category while the innovative Killeavy Castle Estate outside Newry came out on top amongst

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the Tourism & Hospitality contenders.

Lidl Northern Ireland was named as Sustainable Retailer of the Year while the Sustainable Manufacturing title went to AG Paving & Building Products.

The awards evening produced a double for Co. Down based construction group GRAHAM. The company lifted the Sustainability Team of the Year award in addition to the Net Zero/Carbon Reduction Award.

“We were delighted with the Business Eye Sustainability Awards last year, when we launched them for the first time,” says Richard Buckley of Business Eye. “This year, it was obvious that sustainability continues to grow in importance for local organisations across every sector.

“Our judging panel was impressed by the stories of innovation, of investment and of commitment to

the sustainability cause that jumped out of this year’s excellent entries.”

The awards judging panel included Steven Agnew, Director of RenewableNI, Dr. Marc Duffy from Ulster University, Deloitte Sustainability Lead Gareth Martin and Liam Faulkner, Chief Executive of Strategic Power Connect.

“We’re really pleased to be associated with Northern Ireland’s leading Sustainability Awards,” added

Strategic Power Group Managing Director Paul Carson. “There is clear evidence that local companies are taking their sustainability duties much more seriously year after year.

“We all have a long way to go on this journey, but these awards show once again that Northern Ireland companies are committed to improving the local environment, and the planet, for all of us.”

SME Winner Biopax

Liam O’Connor (left) and Patrick Cross (right) collect the Sustainability Company of the Year Award 2024 (SME category) on behalf of Biopax from Mike Gimson, Strategic Power Connect & Brenda Buckley Business Eye.

Eye on Awards Highly Commended

www.businesseyeawards.co.uk

Musgrave NI

Highly Commended SME

Cundall

Connlaóth McSherry(L), Yvonne McNally and Jamie McGarrity (R) collect a highly commended award in the Sustainable Company of the Year category (SME category).

Mike Gimson, Strategic Power Connect and Brenda Buckley, Business Eye.

Mike Gimson, Strategic Power Connect (second left) and Brenda Buckley present Connor Fitzgerald (left), and Paul Abraham, Musgrave NI a highly commended award in the Sustainable Company of the Year category (large organisation).

Highly Commended

Henry Brothers

Eco Developer of the Year

Net Zero/Carbon Reduction Award

Sponsor: CBRE NI

Sponsor: Invest NI

Strand Homes Sustainable Food And Drink Company Of The Year

GRAHAM HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Larchfield Estate

Innovation In Sustainability Award

Wilsons Country

Sponsor: Ulster University

Sustainable Hospitality & Tourism Business Of The Year

Environmental Street Furniture HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Fish City

Sponsor: Diageo NI Killeavy Castle

Sustainable Team Of The Year Sponsor: Honeycomb

Sustainable Retail Business Of The Year Sponsor: Maxol LIDL Green Building Award Sponsor: Alpha OH (Office) Developments HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Graham

Version 1

Young Sustainability Champion Award Jordan Birt – BITC HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Donna Harkin Tetra Tech

HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Jamie Hamilton Odyssey

Sustainable Transport Award

Sustainable Business Leader Of The Year

Sponsor: Fleet Financial

Sponsor: QUB Business School

Translink

Philip McMichael – Vyta

HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Weev

Major Project Of The Year Alternative Heat HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Mike Gimson, Strategic Power Connect (left) presents Deborah O’Hanlon, Hannah Crawford and Ian Henry, Henry Bros with a highly commended award in the Sustainable Company of the Year category (large organisation). Also pictured is Brenda Buckley, Business Eye.

GRAHAM HIGHLY COMMENDED:

M&M Contractors

Sustainable Manufacturing Business Of The Year Sponsor: Bank of Ireland AG Paving + Building Products HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Biopax

HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Roger Alexander – Cubic3

Sustainable Company Of The Year 2024 Sponsor: Strategic Power Connect Biopax (small) HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Cundall

Brett Martin (large) HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Henry Brothers

HIGHLY COMMENDED:

Musgrave NI

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Eye on Awards Eco Developer of the Year

www.businesseyeawards.co.uk

Strand Homes

Richard Buckley addresses the audience.

Brian Lavery, CBRE (centre) presents the Eco Developer of The Year Award to Matt Myers & Jonny Dobson from Strand Homes.

Peter Corry Productions perform.

Sustainable Food And Drink Wilsons Country Company Of The Year

Paul & Ciara Donnelly.

Ciara Donnelly, Business Eye (centre), presents the Sustainable Food & Drink Company of the Year award to Stephanie McAvoy and Joanne Weir from Wilsons Country.

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Agnew electric vehicles on display.

Eye on Awards

www.businesseyeawards.co.uk

Guests enjoying the Diageo reception.

Sustainable Hospitality & Tourism Business Of The Year

Rachel Maher (L), Diageo presents the Sustainable Tourism & Hospitality Business of the Year to Darragh Dooley, Mick Boyle, Robin Boyle, Seán Edgell of Killeavy Castle Estate.

Brian Lavery, Mark Elliot, Stuart Magill & Robert Scott.

Mark Simpson, compere.

Killeavy Castle

Matthew Cavan Performs.

Paul Carson, MD of the Strategic Power Group, addresses the audience.

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Eye on Awards

www.businesseyeawards.co.uk

Sustainable Retail Business Of The Year

LIDL

Richard Buckley, Business Eye and Alastair Hamilton of InvestNI.

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Brian Donaldson (R) presents the Sustainable Retail Business of The Year to Ivan Ryan and Elaine O Connor, Lidl.

The team from Strategic Planning.

Green Building Award

Highly Commended

OH (Office) Developments

GRAHAM

James Eyre (R), Chief Executive of Titanic Quarter receives the Green Building of the Year Award from sponsor Peter Campbell, Alpha.

Peter Campbell, Alpha presents a highly commended Award in the Green Building of The Year category to David O’Hagan of GRAHAM.

Eye on Awards

www.businesseyeawards.co.uk

Sustainable Transport Award Translink

Highly Commended Weev

Damian Campbell, Fleet Financial (L) presents the Sustainable Transport Award to Sarah Simpson and Martin Madine, Translink.

Philip Rainey, Weev, collects a highly commended Award in the Sustainable Transport category from sponsor Damian Campbell, Fleet Financial.

Major Project Of The Year

Highly Commended M&M Contractors

Alternative Heat

Ruth Kimbley, Strategic Power Connect, presents the Major Project of the Year Award to Connel McMullan from Alternative Heat.

Nicole Barr, M&M Contractors collects a highly commended award from Ruth Kimbley, Strategic Power Connect on behalf of M&M Contractors in the Major Project of the Year category.

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Eye on Awards

www.businesseyeawards.co.uk

Sustainable Manufacturing Business Of The Year

Highly Commended Biopax

AG Paving + Building Products

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Niall Devlin, Bank of Ireland, presents the Sustainable Manufacturing Business of the Year to Chris Comer and Mark McArdle AG Paving & Building Products.

Patrick Cross, Biopax collects a highly commended award in the Sustainable Manufacturing Business of the Year category from sponsor Niall Devlin, Bank of Ireland.

Net Zero/Carbon Reduction Award

Highly Commended

GRAHAM

Larchfield Estate

Lianne Taylor, GRAHAM collects the Net Zero Carbon Award from sponsor Grainne McVeigh, Invest NI.

Grainne McVeigh, Invest NI, presents a highly commended award in the Net Zero/Carbon Reduction Award Category to Sarah & Gavin Mackie, Larchfield Estate.

Eye on Awards

www.businesseyeawards.co.uk

Innovation In Sustainability Award

Highly Commended

Environmental Street Furniture

Fish City

Dr Marc Duffy (L) Ulster University Business School presents the Innovation in Sustainability Award to Alan Lowry, Environmental Street Furniture.

Dr Marc Duffy, Ulster University Business School presents a highly commended award in the Innovation in Sustainability category to John Lavery and Aaron Norton, Fish City.

Sustainable Team Of The Year

Highly Commended

GRAHAM

Version 1

Erin Butler (R), Honeycomb (sponsor) presents the Sustainable Team of the Year Award to GRAHAM. Pictured L-RareDavid O Hagan, Jayne Walker, Suzanne Hill, Andrew Cooke, Lianne Taylor, Hannah Catterson, Morgan Beattie, Lizzie Gillespe, Emma Crane, Yvonne Patterson from the GRAHAM team.

Chloe Gillard, collects a highly commended award in the Team of the Year category on behalf of the Version 1, from Erin Butler, Honeycomb.

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Eye on Awards

www.businesseyeawards.co.uk

Young Sustainability Jordan Birt – BITC Champion Award

Highly Commended

Jordan Birt, Business In The Community, receives the Young Sustainability Champion Award from Brenda Buckley, Business Eye.

Brenda Buckley presents a highly commended award in the Young Sustainability Champion category to Donna Harkin, Tetra Tech.

Donna Harkin Tetra Tech

Highly Commended Jamie Hamilton Odyssey

Dr Marc Duffy and Alan Lowry.

Brenda Buckley presents a highly commended award in the Young Sustainability Champion category to Jamie Hamilton, Odyssey.

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Eye on Awards

www.businesseyeawards.co.uk

Sustainability Business Leader Of The Year

Highly Commended

Philip McMichael – Vyta

Roger Alexander – Cubic3

Professor Shuang Ren, Queens University Business School, presents the Sustainability Leader of The Year Award to Philip McMichael, Vyta.

Professor Shuang Ren, Queens University Business School, presents a highly commended award in the Sustainability Leader of The Year category to Roger Alexander, Cubic 3.

Cherrie On Topp performs.

Gary McDonald, Paul Beattie, Paul Donnelly.

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Eye on Awards

www.businesseyeawards.co.uk

Guests at the Strategic Power Connect Business Eye Awards 2024

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Eye on Awards

www.businesseyeawards.co.uk

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Eye on Awards

www.businesseyeawards.co.uk

Guests at the Strategic Power Connect Business Eye Awards 2024

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Eye on Awards

www.businesseyeawards.co.uk

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Eye on Management

Mount Charles boss Trevor Annon: ‘Covid-19 nearly killed our business but, somehow, we came back stronger’ The chairman of the largest independently owned catering, cleaning, events and support services company in Ireland has revealed that the business almost went under during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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ut Trevor Annon, who founded Mount Charles in 1988, also told how the company fought its way out of crisis following the darkest days during which they were forced to lay off some 500 staff.

Now, employing over 3,000, and with a turnover of more than £55m, the business is one of Northern Ireland’s top 20 employers, which is testament to Trevor’s entrepreneurial acumen and diehard resilience.

“We could have been finished,” he said.

“It was a fight for survival. We lost 65% of our business within four or five days.

“We were saved by the speedy actions of our management team who quickly renegotiated contracts with our clients. Otherwise, we could’ve been a casualty of Covid.

“That was a very challenging time. We had to make some very difficult decisions “We had to tighten our belts significantly and let people go, which was particularly difficult, as our staff are our most important asset.”

Trevor added: “Now in 2024 we’re stronger than we were in 2020 but it was a very testing period.”

It’s staggering that Trevor’s family business – which continues to grow and expand its size and reach across Ireland – began with a gut instinct.

“I just had a gut feeling telling me to give it a go. It was as simple and unscientific as that,” he said.

“The industry has changed so much. Back in 1998, there were only two multinational players in the market and now there are 10.

“If I was to try and create Mount Charles today, I genuinely doubt if it would succeed.

“But I had fire in my stomach and, while I knew there were risks, I wasn’t

going to let that hold me back.”

Trevor’s foray into being his own boss came when he bought The Copper Kettle cafe in Carryduff.

He continued doing his day job for a multinational catering company and worked in the cafe at weekends.

“I didn’t consider it at the time but, perhaps, subconsciously it was my way of seeing if I could run a business for my own benefit,” he said.

The initial goal was simple.

“The priority was to make sure there was a loaf of bread coming into the house on a Friday night,” he said.

“Beyond that I didn’t have any fancy business plans or projections.”

The company’s current headquarters at Annon House on Belfast’s Ormeau Road is a far cry from its humble origins – a small office loaned to him by a business friend.

So much has changed in the intervening years. For a start, his sons Gavin and Chris are now key players in the business.

The company has also cultivated an impressive client list that includes Moy Park, Spirit Aerospace, Ulster Rugby, Down Royal Racecourse, ICC Waterfront Hall, Belfast International Airport, Maynooth University, RTE and, most recently, Translink.

As the world of contract catering has changed significantly, Trevor’s business focus has shifted towards cleaning in recent times.

“Food prices have gone through the roof and, post Covid, there’s been a major short supply of staff,” he said.

“The margins within contract catering are so tight we’re putting a lot more focus into securing long term cleaning contracts in Northern Ireland and Ireland.”

Of note, for its political significance, is the Castle Buildings hospitality contract

that Trevor secured in 1998 for his business covering the talks leading up to the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement.

Not only did the company cater for the then UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, Trevor also rubbed shoulders with popular Northern Ireland Secretary, the late Mo Mowlam.

“We worked 14 hour days for weeks during the final stages of the negotiations,” he said.

“It was a relief when the deal was done… But it was great to be part of a major historical event.”

As founder of the outsourcing and facilities management empire, Trevor has guided Mount Charles into the all-island operation it is today, comprising five individual companies.

These include CCM (Corporate Cleaning Management), Mount Charles Group,

MCGFMI (Ireland), Hospitality Belfast (a JV overseeing ICC Waterfront Hall, Ulster Hall and the Irish FA) and, most recently, Craft Event Co, a corporate event and banqueting business.

He added: “Around 18 months ago we acquired a local company called Concept Services, which specialises in washroom consumables, to diversify and broaden the base of the company.”

Trevor is as “immensely proud” of his contribution to the local community - evidenced by his involvement with the Irish Football Association and charity Crimestoppers – as he is of building his business from scratch.

“I didn’t have a name for the company, I didn’t have an office, I didn’t have any business and I didn’t have any money, but I wasn’t going to let any of that hold me back,” he said.

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Eye on Transport

Matthew Hall –

New Era At Belfast City Airport

As we walk through Belfast City Airport, from the entrance to security through the terminal building to the business lounge, Matthew Hall stops numerous times to exchange a few words with security men, high-vis jacket wearing passenger agents, retail staff in the duty free shop and the receptionist at the lounge entrance.

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I

t says something for the airport, its size, its scale and its friendly atmosphere. When Matthew Hall took over as Chief Executive at Belfast City Airport back in the summer of 2021, the airport was struggling to its feet again after a double blow early the previous years.

The collapse of Flybe robbed the airport of its biggest operating airline and the dust has barely settled on that when Covid swept in and air travel was all but wiped out.

Hall is a 33-year veteran of the industry who has worked in airlines, in airports and in the technical sector. He landed in Belfast after a stint as Chief Commercial

Officer at London City Airport.

“The disappearance of the original Flybe and Covid were major blows, there’s no doubt about that,” says Matthew as we talk in the City Airport’s new Aspire Business Lounge, an impressive facility for business class passengers travelling through. “But, in common with a lot of businesses, it gave us a chance to take stock, to build again and to build differently.

“Now, we have some 30 different routes and 10 airline partners. We’re no longer dependent to any extent on one single airline,” he adds.

Aer Lingus Regional, operated by Emerald, operate most of the ex-Flybe routes to UK

Eye on Transport destinations away from London. British Airways fly to both London Heathrow and London City, and Belfast City also has a relatively new and expanding easyJet network of six routes including London Gatwick, Luton and Liverpool.

In addition to the larger operating airlines, Scottish airline Loganair has routes to Aberdeen and Inverness while the airport’s two key European services to Amsterdam Schipol and Frankfurt are operated by KLM and Lufthansa respectively.

“About 70% of our market is passengers flying to and from GB. That’s our bread and butter. But we’re always keen to develop direct European routes. The KLM and Lufthansa routes link Belfast City to two major European hub airports and open up a wide range of route options for onward travelling passengers.

“In addition, we’ve also added a number of seasonal routes for the coming summer, direct from Belfast City to destinations like Alicante, Palma and Reus.”

If it sounds as though Belfast City runs the risk of stepping on the toes of Belfast International Airport, Matthew Hall doesn’t see it that way. “I think we can co-exist,” he says. “At the end of the day, it’s all about providing choice for the consumer.

“Our strong points are well known. We’re right next door to Belfast city centre and we offer the kind of speed and convenience, six minutes or less from check in to the departure gate, that only a city airport like this one can provide.”

But the airport’s Chief Executive is keen to talk about the passenger experience and how Belfast City Airport, with the support of its owners, an investment fund managed by 3i, is continually investing in that experience.

The new and larger business lounge, operated

by Aspire Airport Lounges, the European leader in the field, is one of the highest profile post-Covid improvements. But there have been plenty of others. The WH Smith outlet has been extended, a new curi.o.city store (owned by WH Smith) has opened selling local items of interest, and the Caffe Nero outlet is currently being extended. Work will also soon begin on a new bar and restaurant facility to the eastern end of the airport building.

“We don’t have a lot of space to play with,” says Matthew Hall. “So we have to be clever and work hard to maximise the space that we have while, at the same time, providing what our passengers want to see in their airport.”

Unlike its competitor up the road, Belfast City continues to provide a free pick up and drop-off zone at its long-stay car park, but charges for drop-off closer to the terminal. It has long lobbied for effective rail connectivity, and the addition of an airport station on the Belfast-Bangor line adjacent to the airport.

Currently, rail passengers have to disembark at Sydenham, cross a bridge and walk along a busy dual carriageway to access the airport.

The airport is also looking at ways in which

“ Our strong points are well known. We’re right next door to Belfast city centre and we offer the kind of speed and convenience, six minutes or less from check in to the departure gate, that only a city airport like this one can provide.”

it can capitalise on its linear site fronting on to the busy Sydenham By Pass. Potentially, it could look at retail developments at the western end of its site towards Victoria Park.

If Belfast City Airport its vital to the Northern Ireland economy in terms of providing air links to GB and beyond, it’s also vital as a major employer.

“We might have only 75 direct employees of Belfast City Airport,” explains Matthew Hall. “But we have 1,200 indirect employees, working for airlines, for Swissport, our handling agents, for our security contractors and for retailers operating on this site.

“But I think that most of them like to think that they work for Belfast City Airport. They have a lot of pride in what they’re doing.”

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Eye on Round Table

Embedding Sustainability Into Business

Sustainability might be a buzzword for businesses of all shapes and sizes here in Northern Ireland, but how are local organisations embedding sustainability into their enterprises? What challenges are they facing? How are they monitoring and reporting on their progress? What does the future hold?

Business Eye partnered with Deloitte to stage a Round Table Discussion at the spectacular Bridge Suite in the Resolution Centre at The Boat on Donegall Quay.

The Participants

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Gareth Martin

Stephen Prendiville

Lianne Taylor

Northern Ireland Sustainability Lead, Deloitte

Sustainable Infrastructure Leader, Deloitte

Head of Environmental Sustainability, GRAHAM

Conor McCandless

John McLaughlin

Derek Scully

Group Sales & Innovation Director, Energystore

Finance Director, Bob & Berts

Head of Corporate Affairs, Energia Group

Sara Lynch

Richard Buckley

Head of Sustainability, Queen’s University, Belfast

Editor, Business Eye, Chair

RB – Let me ask Gareth and Stephen from Deloitte to set the scene for us. Where are we on sustainability, what are the issues, is it rising up the corporate agenda?

GM – I think it has really gained focus and momentum over recent years. We see government commitment, we see media focus.

There has been real development around management reporting requirements for companies. All of those factors are helping to drive change. Sustainability is seen as a board level high priority item for most companies now and this is filtering down from larger to much smaller organisations.

SP – The last number of years have been like preparing for a marathon. Corporates have signed up for the marathon, lots have started doing their 10k runs, warming up the muscles, understanding what they’re capable of. But it’s starting to get harder, it’s taking a bit more out of them. For companies nowadays, it’s not about their four walls, it’s about their value chain. Up until now, it’s been mainly carrot but the stick is starting to appear in the shape of legislation and penalties.

There is a whole industry around compliance and we do run the risk of getting bogged down in compliance box ticking as distinct from actual sustainability. So we are progressing but there is still a lot of road ahead of us and I think that 2024 will be a critical year.

RB – Let’s bring everyone else in.

Are corporates doing sustainability the way they should be? Are they stepping up to the mark?

Eye on Round Table

SL – I think they are. There are plenty of examples out there. As a university, we’ve been engaged for over 15 years now and we didn’t wait for reporting requirements to be put into place. We set our own carbon reduction target in 2010 for 2020 and we met that target. Our new strategy for 2030 sets out new directions in terms of embedding our sustainability goals right across the organisation, including in our research and how we educate our students.

Our estate is large and complex but we’re progressing on that front too. Our new Riddel Hall building has ground source heat pumps, an innovative technology for Northern Ireland. We’ve set a net zero target for 2040 and we want to be leaders on that front.

JM – We’ve got 30 stores across the UK and Ireland and we’re still growing. Our focus has been on food waste. We’re already recycling 100% of our cooking oil and we’ve partnered with a group called Too Good To Go to minimise our food waste. We’ve got plans in place to focus on our electricity usage, specifically around our coffee machines. Our employees want us to make their step changes.

They only want to work for a company that is sustainable.

CM – I’ve been to events where I’ve heard from big organisations spending millions on gathering the data for their Scope 3 responsibilities. It’s complex stuff but it’s not rocket science. There’s a danger that too much time is spent on preparing, analysing and reporting and not enough on actually achieving more sustainability. We’ve set ourselves the target of being net zero on Scope 1 & 2 emissions by 2028 across our six manufacturing facilities. Two of them are already on 100% green energy, we’re one of the first to develop green logistics routes between our suppliers and sites, and we’re buying raw materials that use 100% green energy in their manufacturing process. And we’re finding that we can achieve higher margins by making more expensive products that are green. We’re doing this for the right reasons, we care, but there are opportunities.

LT – We’re not doing it because we’re being made to do it. We know it’s the right thing to do. But there is a massive competitive advantage to be gained. Everyone in our sector is pushing the bar on this, so this is board level, mission critical stuff. I liked Stephen’s marathon analogy. Back in 2019 or so, all we were hearing were

pledges about how everyone was going to do their bit. There’s been a bit of backtracking as organisations realise the level of investment required in all of this.

On Scope 3, I agree with Conor to some extent but we are already working on that front. We think it is something that we have to do.

RB – Derek, maybe you can provide an industry perspective?

DS – On the carbon side, the whole transition is going to be powered by green electricity and that’s what we’re investing in via wind turbines, battery storage and the rest. I think we’ve had a sustainability strategy for quite a while. We just didn’t call it that. Disclosure has moved into reporting and we’re now looking at mandatory reporting. And it’s been happening with little or no resistance. We’re doing lots of good things but not really recognising it. It’s when you recognise it and sell it back to the business that you get more buy in. I agree with what others have said. It’s a challenge but also an opportunity and it needs to move faster. We are at risk of over promising and under delivering. That needs to be flipped around. We can’t just set targets and assume that we’re going to get there.

RB – Is sustainability sitting at the very highest level of priority in organisations these days? Is it boardroom level?

DS – For us, it’s high level. Our CFO drives the agenda. If you control the purse strings, you control what everyone else does in the business. We have a steering group for sustainability and ESG and that branches out into working groups focused on areas like data and people. That democracises it but also gives it a structure.

GM – That’s so important. And it underlines the need for an understanding of sustainability and sustainability issues at board level in larger organisations to drive the agenda forward.

SP – I think it’s becoming more and more clear that this is now part of the fiduciary duties of corporate boards. It’s a fact of business life.

CM – For a lot of corporates, it’s been important to have a sustainability voice at board level but there’s always been a danger that the voice is pushed into the corner at times. A lot of it has been around perception. When the purse strings tighten or a major issue comes along, sustainability can be pushed aside.

Cynical, perhaps, but it’s also true.

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Eye on Round Table

SP – There is now a recognition that just because you’re involved in wind farms, for example, you’re not necessarily a sustainable company. So this is definitely a board-level issue these days.

It’s almost impossible now for companies to get away from it, even if they wanted to.

LT – I know from our own company that we’re talking about this at the highest level regularly and I sometimes have to have uncomfortable conversations... but it’s good. Siloed sustainability teams won’t work. It needs leadership. We’re talking these days about bonuses linked to emissions, we’re talking salary sacrifices for our grey fleet, we’re talking about a transition plan for commercial vehicles. It’s hard and it’s constant, but the conversations are happening.

GM – The point on executive remuneration is important. If

you move the goalposts on that, it changes attitudes. It won’t just be about the cost of something. Environmental and social goals will become more important at executive level.

many people in an organisation are actively working on solutions versus those working on the data burden? The same could be asked of boards. Are they thinking about solutions or compliance?

SL – We have a sustainability board which is chaired by our Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor, Professor Michael Alcorn. Having a senior leader at that level has been a real game changer for us in moving our objectives forward. We report to the university management board, our equivalent of board level. There is a lot of governance at universities. That can be a challenge. Whilst we have ambitious sustainability targets and support for them, we also have targets to internationalise, raise our profile and compete in the marketplace.

LT – I think I can and have used it to my advantage. We need this budget because we have to disclose what we’re doing.

Compliance can drive action.

RB – Is there an increasing risk of organisations getting bogged down in the bureaucracy of all of this?

SP – Maybe we should ask how

JM – Sustainability has now become commonplace on our agenda. To put things into perspective, the Bob & Berts Group has existed for only 10 years, compared to Queens’ 15-year sustainability drive. Like a lot of others in our space and business age, we have ticked the boxes that didn’t require scary investments and this has made significant impacts on our carbon footprint.

SL – We don’t have the same reporting requirements. But we still have to disclose and report. We have to think about rankings and there is a sustainability component to those rankings, such as The Times Higher Education list. And, as Lianne says, that can be a positive for me in driving sustainability forward in the organisation.

RB – Do your customers expect you to be sustainable?

LT – Our’s certainly do. We’ve some customers who are less engaged but many larger customers who want us to be aligned to their values. A good example is National Highways. From 2025, all their main suppliers have to be verified by an external body.

For us, it’s not a big problem. For smaller suppliers, it will present a major challenge. That’s just one example. Gone are the days when anyone could pay lip service.

SP – The customer relationship drives a lot of action. Sara makes a very good point on rankings and how they effect competitiveness.

I think we’ll see more rankings coming into other sectors so that end customers will be able to see how organisations they deal with are performing. It will sharpen everybody’s minds.

DS – This is a lot about how your business looks to your customers, how it looks to your investors, how it looks to your staff. Those are questions that are fundamental to your business.

So change has to happen.

Compliance is going to be key to reputation. Organisations will start to be compared, not on their marketing claims but on what they can substantiate.

RB – Should government do more?

JM – Absolutely. We saw a big uplift when we trialled a recyclable coffee cup. About 70% of our market is between 18 and 36, so we’re very aware of what they expect from us as a company.

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CM – The obvious answer is yes.

That would help. Also, there are some glaring issues. HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) has the same levy on it as diesel. It

Eye on Round Table DS – It can be complex though.

Nobody I’ve ever met knows what a kilowatt hour is, what it does and how much resource goes into producing it. So, before we incentivise, people need to understand their behaviours.

As an industry, we need to get much better at storytelling.

CM – Companies are being much more open when it comes to sharing information and knowledge on this issue, more so than they would normally be. I think we recognise that we all have to help each other.

SL – I think that in Northern Ireland, we’ve been really disadvantaged by the long absence of the Assembly & Executive. The legislation in the Republic might not be perfect, but it’s significantly better than anything we have here. There is a real danger that we will lag too far behind, when it comes to investment decisions, for instance.

This needs to be a priority for our devolved government.

should be half the price and it has 95% less carbon emissions.

HVO has to be part of the journey.

There won’t be enough electricity to get us where we want to go.

SP – If all of the subsidies were taken away from the concrete industry for example, it would likely have a material negative impact on affordability of new housing projects. But these aren’t easy challenges. There’s a double edge to the question.

Should governments do more?

Yes, but probably not in the same way that they’ve been doing it.

DS – Setting a target is only a part of it. You’ve got to implement a plan to get there. Renewables are a good case in point. To get where we want to go, the planning system has to be improved and it will all require really big investment.

Government’s role is to map out how we’re going to make this affordable. I don’t think it needs to intervene in what we’re doing, but it does need to pull the levers to unlock the opportunities.

JM – There should also be incentives.

This is an SME-dominated economy and there really should be incentives in place to encourage companies to do the right thing.

SP – Arguably, your government has the chance to leap frog if it’s bold enough to do that. Imagine what that might achieve.

SL – I think collaboration and sharing knowledge is really important. We’ve shared the knowledge and data from our ground source heat pump with others. Similarly, our new Dublin Road student accommodation will meet Passivhaus standards and we’re working with GRAHAM on that. People are keen to hear about best practice and innovation.

LT – I agree. I think we all know that we have to learn from others.

None of us hang on to information for our own tenders any more. For us, as a large organisation with lots of sites, it’s also important to communicate all the time with our staff and our suppliers. There will always be naysayers, you can’t expect to win everyone over. But you’ve got to do what you can.

DS – We’re trying to strike a balance around who we can ask for information and how much we can ask them for. On the other hand, as a large company, we’re having to handle a lot of questions from our customers around these issues.

JM – From an SME perspective, education, information and data sharing is going to grow in importance. For a lot of SMEs, investment in sustainability is only going to become more challenging.

CM - It’s a double edged sword. Two major housebuilders we work for sent us questionnaires to complete around sustainability. Both had

more than 100 questions on them and they wanted them returned within two weeks. We could manage to do that, but smaller companies just couldn’t. Also, I was at a conference recently where a weather expert told us all that we were doing it all wrong. With average summer temperatures in the south of England set to top 35 degrees, we needed to think about ventilation. Not what we wanted to hear as insulation manufacturers.....

Reflecting after the discussion, Gareth commented, “We covered a lot of ground and it is clear that the local organisations represented are taking steps to embed sustainability in their businesses. They are finding solutions to challenges and new ways of running their operations. There are lots of great examples of what these and other local organisations are doing as part of their sustainability journey. The challenges in respect to sustainability will continue and so the earlier that organisations start to make steps to embrace sustainability and understand their impact, the more likely they are to navigate those challenges and put their organisations on a solid footing for success in the longer term.”

SP – I think that’s a great point.

There’s a real hunger for straight talk, for lessons learned. The more we can talk about real experiences, the better. I’ve been to a lot of sustainability conferences and they’re starting to evolve.

There is more straight talk. We’re starting to get real with it.

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Eye on Transport

Paul Grant & Stena Line – Investing In Vital Transport Links For a lot of people in Great Britain, ferry travel is something they do very occasionally. For most of us in Northern Ireland, it’s something of a necessity. Our ferry routes across the Irish Sea are something we take for granted.

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Eye on Transport

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ut this is a multi-million pound business and one that requires constant investment in new ships, in port facilities, in refurbishment after refurbishment...and in people.

Just ask Paul Grant, Stena Line’s long-serving Trade Director for the Irish Sea. That means that he looks after all of the routes from Belfast to both Scotland and England, as well as Stena’s routes from both Dublin and Rosslare in the deep south-east.

“The Irish Sea is Stena Line’s biggest region and Belfast is the company’s biggest port,” he points out. “And we carry two thirds of all the freight coming into and out of Northern Ireland and 80% of the cars crossing the Irish Sea.” Stena’s Swedish owner, Dan Sten Olsson, has something of a passion for Belfast and the company’s Irish Sea routes and he’s a regular visitor. But, perhaps more importantly in economic terms, he’s also a regular investor. This is a business that never stands still.

Stena has invested in its port facilities at Belfast, in particular Victoria Terminal 4 which is the home of the Belfast-Cairnryan route. But it also built a brand new terminal on the Scottish side not too many years ago.

It has recently introduced a new freight-only route from Dublin to its Birkenhead terminal, just across the Mersey from the Liver Building in Liverpool. And, next year, it is due to replace two ageing vessels on another freight-only route, from Belfast to Heysham, with two brand new hybrid vessels able to operate on alternative fuels.

Sustainability, perhaps not surprisingly, is a big area of focus for the company as a whole. “There have been significant advances in developing alternative fuels for large passenger vessels, and we’ll adapt as quickly as we can.

It’s very important to the group.

“Our traffic levels now across our routes are higher than they were back in 2019 before Covid came in,” says Paul Grant.

“Last year, we carried 1.7 million people on our Belfast routes and close to 500,000 cars.”

Like many businesses, Stena Line faces challenges on the recruitment front. “It can be particularly difficult to attract new

people into seafaring careers,” says Paul Grant. “A lot of our onboard staff will work on a week on, week off, basis living on board for seven days at a time. It suits some people very well, others find it difficult.”

Stena’s Irish Sea operations, he says, has a mix of domestic and frontier workers on board its vessels, seven of which operate on a daily basis into and out of Belfast Port. Two ships each serve the Belfast-Cairnryan, BelfastBirkenhead and Belfast-Heysham routes, with a seventh freight-only vessel also serving Birkenhead.

Another perennial bugbear for Paul Grant and his team is roads infrastructure. Its Victoria Terminals in Belfast might be well served by the road network, but travel over to Scotland and thing aren’t so good on leaving Loch Ryan Port.

“ There have been significant advances in developing alternative fuels for large passenger vessels, and we’ll adapt as quickly as we can. It’s very important to the group.”

“Successive Scottish governments have promised an upgrade for the A75, which links Cairnryan with the top of the M6 and the English motorway network,” says Paul Grant. “But nothing of any significance has yet to happen.”

It’s a notorious road, mostly single carriageway as it winds its way across the south-west of Scotland, but carrying large volume of HGV traffic to and from the ports. And the A77 north to Glasgow through Ayrshire might be scenic but it isn’t rapid.

One of the most recent, and popular, innovations has been the introduction of dog-friendly lounges and cabins on board Stena ships. In the case of the short Belfast-Cairnryan crossing, that means a dedicated dog friendly lounge. On the longer Belfast-Liverpool (Birkenhead) service, dog friendly cabins are available.

Gone are the days when ferry travel was something of a travel ordeal. Onboard its ships these days. Stena Line works hard on the passenger experience. “We have to keep the standards high.

Passengers have a choice and they expect a level of comfort nowadays. We’ve invested in our Stena Plus and Hygge lounges and we haven’t been slow to innovate.”

One of the most recent, and popular, innovations has been the introduction of dog-friendly lounges and cabins on board Stena ships. In the case of the short Belfast-Cairnryan crossing, that means a dedicated dog friendly lounge. On the longer BelfastLiverpool (Birkenhead) service, dog friendly cabins are available.

“We listened to what our customers were saying and we’ve made it work,” says Paul Grant, “and the reaction has been really positive.

“We’re in planning mode all the time,” he adds. “This is every inch a 24 hour, seven days a week business and it never stands still.

We’ve got around 250 sailings every single week on the Irish Sea. That’s a lot of vehicles and a lot of passengers. And we’re always trying to think of ways we can make the travel experience even better for those who travel with us.”

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Eye on News

Version 1 Announces New Leadership Team Members

Version 1 has announced the appointment of Louise Lahiff as Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Patrick Cooney as Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

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his forms part of the company’s ongoing strategy to drive ambitious growth and expansion throughout the business, and in turn deliver an even stronger and more compelling offer to customers.

Louise has been with Version 1 for a decade and in this new role she will oversee the outcomes for delivery and technology implementations for all customers, leading the delivery functions across the UK, Ireland, India and the US. She has held previous positions including Director of Strategy, People and Planning where she was instrumental in facilitating the necessary structures

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and support systems for rapid expansion and scale on a global level. Louise was the first woman to join the board of Version 1’s software entity in July 2022.

Louise expresses her enthusiasm stating, “This is a very exciting time for Version 1 and I’m extremely pleased and grateful to continue my journey as the new COO. We have ambitious plans in the pipeline for our growth and development and I am looking forward to working with my teams to continuously evolve our value proposition to our customers, setting the bar high in transformation that in turn benefits their own customers and users.”

Patrick Cooney joins Version 1 as CFO following a highly successful tenure at Kerry Group plc, where he served as Europe CFO for nine years, helping the organisation to navigate several geopolitical challenges including Brexit, cost inflation and the impact of COVID19. Patrick will spearhead Version 1’s financial growth strategy, driving the business safely during a time of rapid expansion through acquisition and progression into new markets.

His charter will include building a high performing finance team that can support business performance and growth, while remaining grounded in the three sides of the company’s strategic operating model – customer first, empowered people and a strong organisation.

Patrick takes over from Andrew Langford who is retiring after almost seven years as Version 1 CFO, having

successfully steered the organisation through several acquisitions as well as securing a new partner and majority shareholder deal with Partners Group in 2022.

“It was very important for me to join an organisation that had values which match my own,” said Patrick.

“Each of the Version 1 core values resonates with me and I’m confident that I can thrive and be happy in this environment while delivering what’s needed for the business. It has an impressive track record of growth to date and ambitious plans for the future, I am truly excited to have the opportunity to contribute to this.”

The appointments of Louse Lahiff and Patrick Cooney mark key milestones in Version 1’s plan to drive significant growth and expansion this year.

Eye on CSR

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Eye on CSR

Diageo announce €100M investment to decarbonise St James’s Gate A global leader in the premium drinks sector, with over 200 brands and sales in nearly 180 countries, Diageo has an outstanding portfolio with remarkable breadth and depth.

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Eye on CSR

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ere in Northern Ireland, the business is synonymous with the tourism and hospitality industry from authentic bar experiences to international events, with its world class brands, including Guinness, Harp, Baileys, Johnnie Walker, Smirnoff, Gordons, and Tanqueray being enjoyed by visitors and locals alike.

That long standing commitment to Northern Ireland is firmly rooted in its facilities and its people, with Diageo being a major economic contributor and employer here.

The business employs 320 people across its three sites including a beer packaging plant in east Belfast, its corporate headquarters in Belfast city centre which hosts its GB and Ireland customer service and credit teams, and Baileys global supply at Mallusk which produces over 60 million bottles of Baileys every year.

For a company with such a significant footprint and with far reaching supply chains not only across the island of Ireland but across its global operations, how does it ensure that it is socially responsible and remain committed to its sustainable goals?

Innovation, creativity and positive societal impact is at the heart of everything the company does, supporting its role as a corporate leader that drives sustainable standards across all of its operations, and throughout its supply chain.

A fundamental part of Diageo’s success is being a responsible business and being fully committed to not only supporting but driving the agenda to create a more sustainable future. Diageo’s sustainability goals are set out in its overarching 'Society 2030: Spirit of Progress' action plan which addresses the most material issues facing the company, including its people, brands, suppliers, and communities across its global and local operations.

The business is embedding sustainability across all of its operations from grain to glass, to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030. Baileys and Guinness brands lead the implementation of these sustainability targets, across the island of Ireland, with plans to ensure its brands are produced using 30% less water than it does today and packaging being 100% recyclable.

That commitment to leading sustainable change and driving its ‘Society 2030: Spirit of Progress’ action plan is borne out by the company’s recent and significant capital investment announcements, including at its historic St. James Gate brewery where Guinness has been brewed for 264 years. The business recently announced an investment of over €100 million to decarbonise its production at the site, underpinning the goal to accelerate the transition to net zero carbon emissions, transforming energy and water consumption at the site with the aim to make it one of the most efficient breweries in the world by 2030.

Diageo had also received permission to develop Ireland’s first purpose-built carbon neutral brewery at Littleconnell, county Kildare with a €200 million investment, supporting the transition to a low carbon economy while increasing production and creating associated jobs.

The company’s clear and unambiguous focus to help deliver a new sustainable society is visible across all of its operations throughout the island and includes significant investment in its Northern Ireland sites and a commitment to run its operations with 100% renewable energy by 2030 delivering efficiencies right throughout the business.

The Belfast and Mallusk facilities have been at the forefront of key global initiatives within the business with a £24.5m

Diageo’s site in Castlereagh packages brands including Guinness, Harp and Rockshore – and all of the Guinness 0.0 cans currently on sale globally.

investment in the East Belfast site.

This investment doubled the site’s canning production, converting existing warehouses into a state-of-the-art packaging line, capable of producing 72,000 cans per hour.

The new packaging process at the East Belfast site is a good example of how Diageo’s environmental commitments are based on the concept of becoming sustainable by design, which involves making packaging more environmentally friendly and eliminating waste throughout its value chain.

That vision and creativity to achieve its net zero targets is also evident in the company’s approach to reducing the environmental impact of its bottling. Earlier this year Diageo announced that it was launching a 70cl aluminium

The Baileys manufacturing site in Mallusk is home to the world’s fastest liqueur packaging line.

spirits bottle for Baileys, which is a B Corp certified brand, available in travel retail. The new aluminium bottle is five times lighter than the traditional 70cl Baileys bottles with an anticipated 44% reduction in carbon versus the current glass bottle.

While there has been significant investment by the company in brewing, production, bottling and packaging, Diageo has also been working hard to deliver on its sustainable commitments with its partners throughout its supply chain undertaking an ambitious regenerative agriculture pilot on the island of Ireland.

Regenerative agriculture is an approach to farming that works in harmony with the natural environment to put back more than it takes out and is central to the Spirit of Progress vision. This three-year farm-based programme aims to highlight opportunities for reducing the carbon emissions in barley production, working in collaboration with Diageo’s third party suppliers; agronomists; and farmers to achieve this.

Key outcomes include improvements in soil health and its carbon sequestration potential, enhanced biodiversity, reduction in synthetic fertiliser use, enhanced water quality and improved farmer livelihoods. The ambition is for the barley grown to be used to brew beautiful tasting Guinness, generating positive outcomes make the Irish tillage sector more resilient.

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Eye on CSR

Business Leaders Forum There are clear pressures on business spending, as almost anyone running a company at the moment will testify...

Richard Buckley Editor, Business Eye

Considering pressures on business spending, should investment in CSR remain a priority for local organisations and what are the key benefits for businesses?

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ut CSR spending and budgets are so ingrained in corporate culture these days that they’re unlikely to have taken any significant hit recently.

It’s clear from the business leaders we’ve spoken to that CSR isn’t just a priority for them, it’s part of how they do business.

They see clear benefits and not just in obvious ways like generationg positive PR. The most valuable benefits are

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around staff, and how they can gain from positive and often innovative CSR activities.

There are plenty of examples of imaginative CSR partnership being forged by our local companies, from relatively small firms working with voluntary organisations in their local communities through to some of our largest retail groups and the high-impact CSR programmes that they run.

Consider the words of Vyta’s Philip McMichael on the facing page: ‘CSR investment has delivered substantial returns for our business, not just financially but also in terms of customer trust and confidence in our services, which in turn has led to increased customer loyalty and ultimately competitive advantage.’

Says it all really.

Eye on CSR

Philip McMichael Chief Executive Officer, Vyta

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yta, a Mallusk-headquartered IT asset disposition and lifecycle management (ITAD and ITALM) company was recently awarded the King’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development, recognising its commitment to sustainable practices.

Vyta Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Philip McMichael, explained: “At Vyta we have always considered CSR to be so much more than just a box ticking exercise. Our core business – IT Asset Disposition - revolves around helping companies to maximise the lifespan of redundant IT equipment by collecting, refurbishing, recycling and reselling it for them.

“This approach not only serves environmental goals – such as the prevention of nearly 40,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions on behalf of our customers in 2023 alone through the recycling and processing of devices – but also aligns with broader ESG objectives.

“This alignment is critical as companies increasingly seek to quantify their sustainability efforts through measures like carbon impact reports. In an industry in which compliance is crucial, it has been essential for Vyta to invest heavily in data security and compliance standards. As a result of this longterm strategy of achieving world-class accreditations, Vyta is recognised as one of the most compliant ITAD companies in the UK and Ireland.

“The investment has delivered substantial returns for our business, not just financially but also in terms of customer trust and confidence in our services, which in turn has led to increased customer loyalty and ultimately competitive advantage.

“Investment in CSR also yields significant benefits in terms of social impact and on the broader economy. Vyta’s revenue return charity donation scheme empowers customers to actively participate in a circular economy via our established partnerships with charities and social enterprises, including Camara Education and the Turing Trust.

“Such initiatives not only enable community engagement to bolster social well-being but also equip future generations with skills essential for thriving in our local economy.

“For Vyta it has always been clear that commitment to CSR and responsible practices is not just good ethics – it is good business.”

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n the face of business spending pressures, investment in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) should indeed remain a priority for local organisations. This is particularly true for our company, Clearhill, as we pledge our vision and purpose for the next three years. A significant part of this vision involves implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3 and 4.

The SDG framework allows us to contribute to solving the world’s biggest problems by aligning with SDGs that we are passionate about and implementing them in a meaningful way. We believe that as employers, we must provide our people with more than just a job. We are personally passionate about self-development and aim to provide resources and an environment in our company where all members of our team can be the best version of themselves.

Furthermore, we believe that more and more people are looking for purpose in their work lives. Therefore, to attract the best people and talent, businesses need to align themselves with their purpose. This alignment not only helps in attracting talent but also in retaining it, thereby creating a stable and motivated workforce.

The key benefits of investing in CSR for businesses include enhanced brand reputation, increased customer loyalty, and improved ability to attract and retain talent. Moreover, it also provides an opportunity to make a positive impact on society and the environment. Therefore, despite the pressures on business spending, CSR should remain a priority for local organisations.

John McAreavey Director, Clearhill 63

Eye on CSR

Joe O’Neill CEO of Belfast Harbour

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s a Trust Port, social responsibility has been embedded in Belfast Harbour’s DNA for generations, and our commitment to delivering a positive social impact not only remains at the heart of our strategy, it informs every decision we make.

Belfast Harbour is essential to the smooth running of day-to-day life in this region and is a major contributor to Northern Ireland’s economy. Our ambitions are to become a world leading regional port, to develop as a key economic hub for the region and to create an iconic waterfront for the City.

But we also know we have a critical role to play at the heart of the City’s ongoing development and regeneration and in supporting

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those in our communities who are most in need. As such, we’ve put people, place and the environment at the centre of our sustainable business model.

We believe it is our duty to protect the natural environment, to reduce our carbon footprint and implement sustainable behaviours, so we are investing in a number of initiatives to help us operate as a truly Green Port.

Our annual budget towards community engagement support is based on 1% of our annual operating profit, which last year meant over £300,000 of funding support was allocated to community and charitable organisations. Through major partnerships and the small grants provided through the Belfast

Harbour Community Awards we’re supporting the development of employability and skills in young people, supporting environmental initiatives and supporting communities in Belfast and beyond.

In all of this, it is important to benchmark what we do against others, to make sure we are on the right track, and I’m pleased that Belfast Harbour is one of only four local businesses to hold Platinum accreditation for CORE – Business in the Community’s Responsible Business standard.

We do all of this not only because it is the right thing to do, but because it makes good business sense. Many of our customers and suppliers now operate in supply chains or under regulations which require them to demonstrate how

they are making a social impact, reducing carbon emissions, supporting employability schemes and operating ethically. That is only going to increase in future.

So, as we plan our strategy for the future, I can confidently say that Belfast Harbour will remain committed to leading responsibly.

Eye on CSR

Sam Davidson Group HR Director, Henderson Group

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he simple answer is – Yes! Henderson Group’s CSR framework, Tomorrow Matters, spans across People, Place and Planet. With fantastic engagement across the Group, this framework helps us to develop our business in a way which is beneficial to suppliers, customers and colleagues, while also having a positive impact on society as a whole.

“Investment in CSR is not a tick-box exercise. It requires engagement and endorsement, colleagues who are going to buy into the ethos and culture that is set throughout the company, which in turn, futureproofs jobs, positive community impact and business and sector growth.

“By the nature of our businesses, we are very much rooted in every community

across Northern Ireland. Our SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO branded stores are serving every neighbourhood, with many colleagues serving their neighbours within those stores, filling the shelves with local products and produce (we source more than 75% of all our fresh food locally), and supporting local community groups and organisations.

We’re totally committed to supporting the goals of the British Retail Consortium in being carbon neutral by 2040, and have been working hard to understand our carbon footprint, so that we can develop a plan which allows us to reach this milestone.

It’s a powerful win-win for us as an employer. Research has overwhelmingly shown that organisations which are rated

highly on CSR reputation are also very highly rated as great places to work. That dynamic begins with our investment in our colleagues.

“In turn, you get a workforce that carries that culture throughout their every activity.

Henderson Retail has recently achieved Platinum Investors in People accreditation, reflecting our culture of exceptional people management aligned to strategy, ethos and values. Henderson Wholesale and Henderson Foodservice were recognised with the Gold standard in 2023.

“Now more than ever, our Group recognises the need to be a positive force within our community and to invest in future leaders as young people, in particular, navigate an ever changing social and environmental landscape. This is also evidenced

with our recent partnership formed with Young Enterprise (YE) NI, with Henderson Group becoming an ESG Business Backer to support YE NI’s programmes, aimed at empowering promising students across NI to develop their entrepreneurial skills.

“Even though we have been operating for more than 125 years, our CSR strategy is an active and evolving one into which we will continue to invest over the long-term.”

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Eye on CSR

Ian Henry MBE CR Director at Henry Brothers

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s Northern Ireland continues to fall behind the rest of the UK in its decarbonisation goals, Ian Henry MBE, CR Director at Henry Brothers, analyses the growing importance for businesses across the region to invest in and develop Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.

“With the UK government’s ambitions to achieve net zero by 2050 fast approaching, it is imperative that businesses prioritise the investment of CR initiatives. But first, companies must recognise the value of CR in fostering sustainable growth and long-term success.

“Recent recognition of Henry Brothers as one of only two Northern Irish companies to be honoured with a King’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development further underscores the importance of investing in CR and becoming a responsible organisation that people want to work with and work for.

“Our approach to CR focuses on Planet, People and Place, and is embedded throughout all levels of the business to ensure it is embodied in everything we do and ultimately supports our longstanding ethos of being ‘altogether stronger’.

“We recognised the value and importance of CR initiatives over two decades ago and have since fostered very strong relationships with our communities, local schools, and universities, and are guided by a pioneering ‘Journey to Net Zero’ strategy through which we are committed to reducing total greenhouse gas emissions by 2% each year for the next eight years and halving C02e emissions by 2030.

“CR is not only a monetary investment but one which also requires resources and patience. Overnight success should not be the goal. Instead, organisations should first look at what impact they currently have on the community and environment around them, and then consider what actions they can take to gradually enhance this.

“Measurement and tracking of success is key to defining the impact an organisation is having.

At Henry Brothers we have been tracking our sustainability efforts since 2014 and therefore have evidence of significant improvements – all of which is looked upon favourably by customers, staff, and potential employees.

“Ultimately, people want to work with people who are doing the right thing, and therefore businesses that are addressing their impact and taking steps to improve it are going to have a clear advantage concerning reputation, sales and recruitment, than those who are not.”

For more information, visit henrybrothers.co.uk

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Eye on CSR

(L-R) Linda McMillan, Chief People Officer at Fibrus, Principal Torney of St Patrick’s Primary School Newtownstewart, Ciara Mulgrew, Programme Manager at Business in the Community with pupils of St Patrick’s Primary School Newtownstewart.

Fibrus Donates £14,000 To School Meals Fund Fibrus, Northern Ireland’s full fibre broadband provider, has announced its donation of over £14,000 to the Business in the Community (BITC) Good Food Fund.

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ith communities at the heart of everything Fibrus does, the company’s donation to the Good Food Fund will be used to help primary schools establish or extend a Breakfast Club, provide classroom Grab and Go Baskets, or enable the procurement of white goods to help prepare food.

Business in the Community is the UK’s largest and most influential

responsible business network dedicated to building a fairer and greener world together. BITC’s Good Food Fund was established to tackle the issue of hunger in Northern Ireland through primary schools.

Fibrus, which make fibre broadband more accessible in regional and rural towns and villages across Northern Ireland and Northern England, places huge importance on supporting

communities through a number of initiatives.

Primary schools across Northern Ireland who have benefited from Fibrus’ donation include Carnlough Integrated Primary School, Garvagh Primary School, Ardstraw Jubilee Primary School and St Patrick’s Primary School Newtownstewart, who received £2,510.

Linda McMillan, Chief People Officer at Fibrus said: “Communities are at the heart of what we do at Fibrus and so we are delighted to be able to give back and support so many through Business in the Community’s Good Food Fund. We are on a mission to connect and improve the everyday

lives of people right across our region and through initiatives such as the Good Food Fund, we are able to support beyond broadband.”

Ciara Mulgrew, Programme Manager at Business in the Community added: “We are very grateful for Fibrus’ contribution to The Good Food Fund here in Northern Ireland. It is so important that we ensure our children are getting vital school meals to reach their full potential.

Together, we hope to make a difference to the lives of young people in Northern Ireland through this initiative and encourage any businesses who would like to contribute to get in touch with us. “

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Eye on CSR

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is more than just a concept for companies like Biopax; it’s an integral part of its identity and purpose.

The Community Foundation awarded Philanthropist of the Year to Dr Terry Cross OBE.

In today’s world, having good ethics plays a big role in a business’s success and in turn, businesses can play a crucial role in shaping communities and influencing societal well-being.

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his understanding has led to a positive shift where profit-making enterprises recognise their responsibility to contribute positively to society beyond their bottom line and Biopax is at the forefront of that movement here in Northern Ireland.

At the heart of its CSR lies a fundamental belief in the obligation to serve not only shareholders but also stakeholders, which encompasses employees, customers, suppliers, local communities, and the environment.

By embracing CSR, it acknowledges that its operations have wide-

ranging impacts that extend beyond financial metrics.

The very business plan of Biopax exemplifies this ethos through its commitment to crafting packaging solutions for a sustainable, netzero world while Chairman, Dr. Terry Cross OBE, epitomises this dedication through his deep-rooted involvement in philanthropic actions within the local community.

Through partnerships with organisations like the British Red Cross and initiatives such as the David Cross Foundation for Peace and Reconciliation,

he channels his resources and expertise towards advancing health equity, supporting humanitarian efforts, and promoting community resilience and, by instilling a philanthropic spirit within his team and encouraging engagement in diverse CSR activities, he ensures that Biopax’s impact extends beyond business operations.

Dr Cross is deeply embedded in the local community through his philanthropic pursuits and has been for decades — he’s worked across many sectors since the early 1970s.

Among those philanthropic efforts is his role as Chairman of the British Red Cross in Northern Ireland, where he also champions humanitarian efforts and community resilience. Through this leadership, he advances health equity and emergency response, aiding vulnerable communities during crises.

The well-known businessman has also supported local charities throughout his life, recently establishing his own charitable trust – The David Cross Foundation for Peace and Reconciliation, named in memory of his son, David, who tragically died at the age of 33 from malignant melanoma, an aggressive form of skin cancer.

Unsurprisingly, Dr Cross has instilled his philanthropic spirit within the Biopax team, fostering a commitment to community empowerment. From supporting worthy causes to nurturing talent and engaging in a diverse range of CSR activities, Biopax illustrates a real dedication to making a positive impact.

Among those initiatives are ‘litter picks’ which are part of Biopax’s mission for cleaner communities and an extension of its business. The team will champion environmental cleanups in local areas alongside community members, promoting shared pride in preserving clean and sustainable surroundings.

In the area of team sports, Biopax extends its support by sponsoring

Eye on CSR

Biopax Ltd unveiled a significant sponsorship deal with Ballymacash Rangers FC, Ballymacash Rangers Youth, and Ballymacash Sports Academy in Lisburn. Chris Finlay, Ryan Ellis, Michelle Wood and Neil Woolsey, Ballymacash Rangers; Alderman Amanda Grehan; Dr Terry Cross OBE and Greg Prescott, Biopax Ltd and Bill Shaw from the David Cross Foundation are pictured with the football players.

Biopax supports Aquinas FC and Ballymacash Rangers FC. L-R Niall Atkinson, Captain, Aquinas FC; Liam O’Connor, Sales & Marketing Director, Biopax and Jordan Morrison, Captain, Ballymacash Rangers FC.

some of Northern Ireland’s most cherished teams, such as Ballymacash Rangers FC, the Northern Ireland Under 18 Football Team, Aquinas Football Club, and Gort na Mona GAA. Through this aspect of corporate social responsibility, Biopax actively promotes health and fitness within its neighbouring communities, while ensuring the sustainability of the very teams and organisations that have this spirit at their core.

Staff at Biopax are also encouraged to indulge in activities to raise funds for charity.

Among those endeavours recently have been team members Liam and Anthea’s abseil for Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) which supports families with children who are undergoing medical treatment.

Meanwhile, Dr Cross extends his generosity by donating prizes to various charities, including exclusive stays at his Chateau de la Ligne in France, which he lends for auction purposes, and offering exclusive Whiskey Casks for auction. These contributions benefit a wide range of charitable organisations, ensuring that Biopax’s CSR efforts have a far-reaching impact.

Looking to the future, Biopax places a focus on supporting young people on their life journey. This is evident through the company’s partnership with Belfast Metropolitan College, via which it promotes career opportunities.

It also works alongside schools to provide work experience and has welcomed students from St Joseph’s and Rathmore Grammar schools in Belfast in recent months.

Dr Terry Cross OBE, has revolutionised paediatric ophthalmology in Northern Ireland with the introduction of the Optos Silverstone retinal camera. L-R Louis Gilliland, Ms. Eibhlin McLoone, Consultant Paediatric Ophthalmologist in Belfast Trust and Dr Terry Cross OBE.

Biopax’s commitment to social responsibility is also evident in its generous donation of specialised sight-saving equipment to the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVH) Children’s Eye Unit. This contribution, led by Dr Terry Cross OBE, has revolutionised paediatric ophthalmology in Northern Ireland with the introduction of the Optos Silverstone retinal camera. This advanced tool enables timely diagnoses and telemedicine consultations, benefiting over 2,000 children annually.

Through Biopax’s support and Dr. Cross’s philanthropy, this initiative exemplifies how private-sector engagement can drive transformative change in public health, showcasing the profound impact of corporate social responsibility.

Biopax’s commitment to CSR extends far beyond business operations, embodying a profound dedication to social

and environmental progress. Through these initiatives, it not only enriches communities but also inspires a new standard of corporate citizenship.

As Biopax continues to lead by example, its impact on society resonates far beyond the factory floor, creating a legacy of positive change.

For Biopax, CSR is not just about ticking boxes to enhance reputation; it’s about making a tangible difference in areas where it’s needed the most. From healthcare to sports and research, Biopax’s CSR efforts leave no stone unturned in its quest to empower communities and foster positive change.

Its core purpose as a manufacturer of environmentally conscious packaging aligns seamlessly with those broader CSR goals, reflecting Dr Cross’s lifelong commitment to social and environmental responsibility.

Eye on Charity

Henderson Group invested in colleagues and communities with CSR strategies

Operating in Northern Ireland for over 130 years, and now with over 5,000 employees throughout its companies and Henderson Retail operated stores, Henderson Group’s People, Place and Planet CSR strategy is in place to nurture neighbourhoods their stores are operating within as well as their colleagues.

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Eye on Charity “ At the beginning of the year, Henderson Group announced their latest sustainability efforts, after the installation of 1,494 solar panels on a warehouse at their Mallusk headquarters.

Covering over 75% of the most recently built refrigerated Group warehouse.”

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ronagh Luke, Head of Corporate Marketing at Henderson Group says the business invests heavily in employee engagement and initiatives to create a positive and thriving culture in the workplace, and through their store brands – SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO – are committed to nurturing neighbourhoods, too.

“Our stores are long-standing in the community, they are well-rooted within their areas and know what matters to their shoppers and neighbours. We work with over 400 independent retailers operating under our SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO brands, while Henderson Retail operates 107 SPAR and EUROSPAR stores throughout Northern Ireland, which all adopt our mission to make their stores a hub for the local community.”

The most recent example of this type of activity can be seen in the recently launched Community Cashback Grant, which offers a share of a no-strings £20,000 grant to multiple local groups, organisations and charities in Northern Ireland.

Bronagh continues; “This is the fifth year we have brought the Community Cashback Grant to organisations here, so after this year we will have distributed £100,000 to grass roots organisations, lifesaving search and rescue teams such as Air Ambulance NI and the Community Rescue Service, and homegrown charities such as SOS Bus NI and Pretty ‘n Pink.

“This year, twenty organisations will receive £1,000 each, ensuring we are reaching even more applicants. We have seen applications rise since we launched this initiative in Northern Ireland during the COVID pandemic, and charitable groups and organisations still need our help.”

Throughout Henderson Group’s employees and store teams, over £938,000 has been raised for Marie Curie, Cancer Fund for Children, Age NI, Action Mental Health and Tearfund in the past year, while Henderson Foodservice raised £46,500 for the NI Children’s Hospice, Jack & Jill Foundation and PIPs. In the past year, many independent and Henderson Retail stores have engaged with even more Foodbanks in local areas, as thousands more open across communities to help those that they have become a necessity for. Stores are donating thousands of products per month to help even more in their local neighbourhoods.

Bronagh says another important factor on a community level is increasing access to public defibrillators, especially as ambulance waiting times, particularly in rural areas, continues to be longer than expected.

“We have been running our Heart of the Community campaign for eight years now, and in that time we have installed 280 Automated External Defibrillators outside SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO stores in major cities, rural villages and in every town in between. We provide CPR training for store staff, many of whom have helped to save lives. We know of 20 people in total whose lives have been saved using one of our defibrillators since 2016.”

At the beginning of the year, Henderson Group announced their latest sustainability efforts, after the installation of 1,494 solar panels on a warehouse at their Mallusk headquarters.

Covering over 75% of the most recently built refrigerated Group warehouse, the installation represented an investment of £900,000 and was just phase one of

a £2.5 million investment by the Group towards their sustainability goals.

“As a Group that is operating five companies, over 100 retail stores, four busy distribution warehouses and a fleet of lorries, we have stringent and ambitious sustainability goals that are a strategic part of our business. Installing the solar panels on our refrigerated warehouse makes a big impact – it is the equivalent of taking 309 cars off the road, equating to an annual saving of 320,263kg in CO2 emissions.

“Last year we also announced our ambition to install a new network of over 200 bp pulse ultra-fast and rapid electric vehicle (EV) charging points throughout our 107 Henderson Retail operated SPAR and EUROSPAR sites, which is set to complete in 2025. As a leading operator of petrol forecourt sites, we recognise our responsibility to provide access to EV charging points, which is a major barrier to the uptake of EVs and societal decarbonisation of transport.

“This year will see the continuation of our solar panel installations in Mallusk,

with installations planned for our Hyde Park warehouse, which will service Henderson Wholesale’s ambient range of products alongside the refrigerated Henderson Foodservice warehouse.

We have also recently completed the installation of solar panels on 23 Henderson Retail SPAR and EUROSPAR stores reducing our annual electricity consumption by around 760,000KWH or 160 tonnes of carbon. A further 950KW of solar panels spread across 19 stores are approved for 2024, reducing imported electricity by another 760,000KWH or 160 tonnes of carbon.

“This means our business will have one of the top three largest solar installs in Northern Ireland and aids our net zero emissions targets.”

2024 is a key year for the Group, implementing even more elements of their sustainable CSR strategies to futureproof the business as a key employer for another 100+ years, while continuing to do what they do best on a local level – keeping neighbourhoods thriving through their community hubs.

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Eye on Charity

Put Your Breast Foot Forward for Action Cancer O Judith Colhoun (in her 40s) and her mum Carol Anderson (in her 70s) are both in the eligible age range of Action Cancer’s breast screening service and are looking forward to taking part in the walk again this year on 7th June.

Every year Action Cancer helps to save and support 20,000 people across Northern Ireland through the delivery of its services including the provision of 8,000 breast screening appointments at Action Cancer House and on board the Big Bus.

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n Friday 7th June a sea of pink will sweep through Belfast once again as Action Cancer hosts the Breast Foot Forward Walk sponsored by SuperValu. With nearly 500 people already registered; participants are looking forward to a fantastic evening that will raise thousands for Action Cancer’s lifesaving breast screening service.

The charity is encouraging men, women and children of all ages to participate in the fun-filled family event – where dogs are welcome too!

Walkers will arrive at Belfast City Hall at 6pm to a fun warm up with Fitness Freddie and lots of free goodies.

Participants will not only raise much needed funds but increase awareness of breast cancer by choosing to walk either a 5K or a 10K route.

Last year’s Breast Foot Forward Walk was Action Cancer’s most successful to date, hosting almost 800 participants raising an incredible £77,000, ultimately funding potentially life-saving breast screening appointments for 641 local women.

Action Cancer is the only charity to provide this service for free to women aged 40-49 and over the age of 70; outside of NHS screening age range. While each breast screening appointment is free to the user the cost to the charity is £120, which is why participation in this event is so important.

Keri Finlay from Ballygowan, who is taking part in the event, said “I believe Action Cancer saved my life through early breast cancer detection. We are really fortunate here in Northern Ireland to have this service on either side of the NHS screening programme.

I would encourage any woman in her 40s or over the age of 70 to book a mammogram and get checked out. It’s 20 minutes that could save your life.

I’m really looking forward to this year’s walk, in aid of the wonderful breast screening service. See you there!”

All participants are encouraged to raise a minimum of £120 in

Eye on Charity

Last year’s event attracted almost 800 participants and the charity is hoping for another successful event again this year.

sponsorship, the amount it costs Action Cancer to provide digital breast screening for one woman.

Every year Action Cancer helps to save and support 20,000 people across Northern Ireland through the delivery of its services including the provision of 8,000 breast screening appointments at Action Cancer House and on board the Big Bus, supported

by SuperValu and Centra. For every 1,000 women screened, an average of six breast cancers are detected – hopefully at an early and treatable stage.

This is only possible because of the continued, generous support Action Cancer receives from the general public in Northern Ireland and through its charity partnership with SuperValu. The charity needs your support now more than ever to continue with the work and help save lives.

Desi Derby, Director of Marketing at Musgrave NI, added: “As a long-term partner

of Action Cancer, SuperValu is delighted to sponsor this superb event once again. The event is a great opportunity for families, friends, or groups of work colleagues to come together, walk in memory of a loved one or support someone going through breast cancer, and raise vital funds for this local charity.”

Online registration is now open at £15 per adult and £7 per child, and everyone taking part will receive a drawstring bag for life and complimentary pink t-shirt. So, grab your BFF or your 4-legged friend, get dressed up in pink, and step your way to the finish line with Action Cancer.

For further information or to register visit www.actioncancer. org, contact Action Cancer on 028 9080 3347 / 07912 066787, or email breastfootforward@ actioncancer.org

Action Cancer Ambassador Keri Finlay is encouraging members of the public to sign up to the Breast Foot Forward Walk and raise money for the charity’s free breast screening service which she claims saved her life.

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Eye on News

AIB launches 2024 ‘€1 Million Fund’ to support charities

Denise Curran, AIB Community €1 Million Fund ambassador, Michelle Emerson, Head of UK Legal and Chair of the UK Charity Forum at AIB and Lisa Toan, Childcare Services Coordinator, Sólas Autism and Additional Needs Charity

AIB’s annual €1 Million Fund to support charitable organisations in communities across Northern Ireland is open for nominations.

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he fund, now in its third year, has supported 150 charities across Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland. Charities in Northern Ireland who benefitted from the fund last year include Cruse Bereavement Support, Friends of St. Gerard’s, which caters for pupils with additional needs aged 3-19, and Sólás, an autism and additional needs charity based in Belfast.

The bank is calling on customers, colleagues and the wider public in Northern Ireland to nominate registered charities

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that connect with causes that matter most to them.

Michelle Emerson, Head of UK Legal and Chair of the UK Charity Forum at AIB said: “The AIB Community €1 Million Fund is an initiative that is very close to the hearts of our colleagues, customers and communities. So many charities benefited last year, and our hope is that this funding will continue to help make a real difference to those who are working tirelessly for the benefit of their local communities. The nomination process is now

open and we’re calling on our customers, colleagues and the public in Northern Ireland to get behind this important cause and nominate the charities they wish to see supported by the fund.’’

Speaking about the impact the fund has had on its organisation, Joan Henderson, Managing Director at Sólás autism and additional needs charity said: “We are so grateful to AIB and to all those who nominated Sólás to receive £15,000 in funding support through the 2023 nominations process.

The fund has allowed us to purchase a sensory room and transform a previously disused space into an invaluable resource for young people with Autism and Additional Needs in Northern Ireland.

“Our mission is to deliver interactive, practical support for young people aged 2-18+ and to support their families through the services we provide. The AIB funding has expedited a much-needed resource for our organisation, providing a safe and calming space on-premises.

I’d highly recommend the process to other charities and organisations as it was very straightforward and stress-free.”

The 2024 fund will be distributed following an online nomination process, one for customers and the public and one for our AIB colleagues. The UK fund will be split across Northern Ireland and Great Britain.

Entries are now open and will close Wednesday 12th June 2024, visit https://aibni.co.uk/ community

Eye on Young Enterprise

Liam Johnston: 17-Year Old Tyrone Entrepreneur With A Passion For Business We’ve all heard of young entrepreneurs who’ve managed to start a business while they’re still poring over text books in the classroom.

Liam Johnston has taken it to the next stage.

Richard Buckley reports.

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he annual Young Enterprise Awards, organised by Young Enterprise NI, produces plenty of youthful talent, but most of them confine their efforts to the school companies they’re charged with setting up. But there are exceptions. There are those who plough their own business furrow outside of school enterprise, and 17-year old Liam Johnston from Strabane is a perfect example.

Part of the Omagh Academy team which took a couple of the top awards on Young Enterprise Awards night at Belfast City Hall, Liam is studying Chemistry, Biology, Physics and Maths and hopes to go on to study Pharmacy at university. But, in the meantime, he balances his four A-Levels study with running a successful second hand bike business.

“I actually started selling things in P7 when I bought some Hot Wheels toy cars from a charity shop and sold them on my Mum’s eBay account. I grew it over the years and, by the first lockdown in March 2020 I’d built a large model car shop on eBay and Facebook, which I really enjoyed running. But, as work returned to normal after Covid,

I had to start looking for alternative sources of income,” says Liam. “I saw a gap in the market for electronics like robot vacuum cleaners. I decided to aim for the lower demographic of the market, contacted suppliers in China via Alibaba, and managed to buy stock in bulk, working out a drop shipping agreement with my supplier. In the end, I sold more than a thousand vacuum cleaners.”

But, as the trend towards robot vacuum cleaners began to fade, Liam had to look elsewhere. “I’d always been a keen cyclist and I came across a job lot of 20 bikes for sales in a small village in Donegal. Phone calls were made and I found myself with a garage full of broken bikes. I contacted a bike mechanic and good friend of mine and we started work on them.

Once restored, they sold really well.”

A bigger step forward followed. Liam bought over the entire stock (around 80 bikes) and equipment of another dealer based in Dungannon. “I went on to acquire a couple of other people’s stock during 2023 increasing my market share all the time,” he adds.

“By then, I was giving part-time work

to a bicycle mechanic and opened a new repairs side to the business.”

Nowadays, LJ Bikes has some 400 used bikes in stock at any given time, making it the largest used bike dealer on the island of Ireland, with two shops/stores. One is used for the repair, storage and sale of children’s and cheaper machines, the other for higher quality and more expensive ones.

“I’m in the process of creating a new website working alongside a developer, I’ve opened an eBay

store, and I’ve also branched out away from the world of bikes.”

Despite being only 17, Liam has become a specialist in performance cars - including Maserati, Porsche and Mercedes-Benz - and, if that’s not enough, he buys and sells luxury watches such as Rolex, Omage and TAG Heuer.

When we met at the Young Enterprise Awards, it’s a safe assumption that he was the only sixth former in the room wearing a Rolex Oyster from the 1990’s.

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Eye on Hospitality

Titanic Hotel Launches New Wolff Grill Dining Experience Foodies and families are being urged to set sail on a journey of adventure and experience the new menu in the Wolff Grill at Titanic Hotel Belfast.

Richard and Brenda Buckley are pictured at the launch of the new menu in The Wolff Grill with Yvonne McIlree, Sales and Marketing Director, and Adrian McNally, General Manager, Titanic Hotel Belfast.

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Eye on Hospitality

Adrian McNally, General Manager; Yvonne McIlree, Director of Sales and Marketing; Ethan Mawhinney, Restaurant Manager; and Matthew Poole, Deputy General Manager; are pictured in the Wolff Grill with Nigel Mannion, Titanic Hotel Belfast Head Chef.

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he menu exudes the rich tapestry of locally sourced produce for which the Wolff Grill has become synonymous, and diners can drop anchor to enjoy a contemporary selection of nibbles including smoked almonds, padron peppers and breads while starters range from soup and chowder to scallops and salad.

The mains are an array of tantalising dishes which promise a gastronomic delight sure to satisfy even the most discerning palate. For the fish lovers there’s a choice of salmon, cod, sea bass and prawn dishes, while

the burgers from the grill can be paired with Pont-Neuf fries and there’s the ultimate in sharing steaks with both Chateaubriand and Cote de Boeuf on the menu.

There’s a selection of innovative vegan and vegetarian options, while snazzy sides are the perfect accompaniment to any dish and, for those with a sweet tooth, the delectable desserts include Bailey’s cheesecake or chocolate and salted caramel tart, providing the perfect ending to the perfect meal.

Adrian McNally, General Manager of Titanic Hotel Belfast, said: “Titanic Hotel Belfast is renowned for being

Starter: Asparagus, Parma ham and crispy egg.

awarded the title of Northern Ireland’s Leading Hotel every year since we opened seven years ago.

Our restaurant, the Wolff Grill, embarked on a journey of offering an exceptional dining experience and has also won many an award for this offering over the last seven years.

“We have considered the new era in which foodies chart their way through a menu and enjoy being inspired by a bounty of flavours and choices from small plates to extravagant mains.

We believe that with this new and exciting menu we have created a culinary experience to satisfy the tastebuds of those with an hour

to spare at lunchtime, taking the children out for an early evening tea, nipping in before taking in Belfast’s night life or a show in the nearby SSE Arena and those who wish to relax by spending the evening with a sharing steak over three exuberant courses.”

To reserve a table at the Wolff Grill, please visit www.titanichotelbelfast.com or call the restaurant on Tel 028 9508 2000.

Follow Titanic Hotel Belfast on facebook, instagram and X for all the latest accommodation offers.

Sharing steak with beer battered onion rings and Pont-Neuf fries.

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Eye on Hospitality

Sale di Mare offers NI drinkers a taste of Italian coast A refreshing new Italian beer with ‘a hint of sea salt’ has reached Northern Ireland’s shores, courtesy of leading lager brand Birra Moretti and Craigavonbased drinks distributor United Wines.

“We are absolutely thrilled to introduce Sale di Mare to the Northern Ireland market,” said David.

“With its crisp refreshing taste and very cool Italian coast vibe, it’s a perfect beer for the summer, so let’s hope we get some well-deserved sunshine over the next few months!

“If not, just close your eyes, take a sip and imagine you’re basking in the Sicilian sun,” he laughed.

“Research shows that 37%** of consumers like trying new drinks brands, and we’re sure that the Northern Ireland public will be very curious to try this interesting new beer from the popular Birra Moretti brand.”

Italian beers account for almost two thirds of all lager sales in the UK, with Birra Moretti the biggest brand, having surpassed over £1bn of retail sales in the last year.

The company has developed Sale di Mare in response to the rising demand for Continental style lagers.

Launching the new beer with some delicious pizza from Orto in Bedford Street are (l-r) United Wines Brand Manager David Greenlees and Orto co-owner Ashley French.

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ale di Mare, which translates as ‘salt of the sea’, is the newest member of the Birra Moretti ‘famiglia’ and promises to refresh the local lager market with an authentic taste of the Italian coast.

Harvested from Sicily, Sale di Mare is a naturally unfiltered, medium-bodied premium lager (4.8% ABV), brewed with Italian passion and the finest quality ingredients. Slightly hazy in colour, its extra hop aromas give a fuller taste than

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Birra Moretti L’Autentica, with herbal aromas of citrus and pine. With sea salt commonly used in food to enrich flavours, Sale di Mare isn’t just great as a standalone beer, but also paired with food, its taste profile perfectly complementing some of Italy’s finest coast-inspired dishes.

United Wines Brand Manager David Greenlees believes the new lager will tempt ‘curious’ drinkers and encourage more people to discover beer this summer.

United Wines Brand Manager David Greenlees with Sale di Mare crew members Sarah Heath (left) and Amy Carter.

Eye on News

Around Noon ranked one of UK’s fastest growing food and beverage companies

Around Noon CEO, Gareth Chambers (left) and company Chairman, Howard Farquhar (right).

Newry-headquartered Around Noon, one of the leading food-to-go manufacturers in the UK and Ireland, has been listed as one of the fastest growing, privately owned food and beverage companies in the UK in a new report published by global advisory firm Alantra.

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he food-to-go manufacturer, which produces high-quality chilled, hot and frozen products including sandwiches, wraps, salads and baked goods, is ranked 12th in prestigious Food & Beverage Fast 50 report. This is the second time Around Noon has secured rank in the report after it first made the list in 2019.

With annual sales growth of 65 percent, Around Noon was the highest-ranked Northern Irelandbased company in the listing.

Alantra has now been publishing its Fast 50 report annually for more than

15 years. It ranks the UK’s fastestgrowing, privately owned food and beverage businesses on the basis of the revenue growth they have achieved over the past two years, according to their most recently published accounts.

Gareth Chambers, CEO of Around Noon, said: “Our business has grown from humble beginnings to become one of the largest producers of food-to-go on these islands and that is testament to the hardworking team we have built – one that is at the very forefront of the industry, supporting our clients to

continually innovate and serve the needs of this fast-paced market.

“Our market knowledge is driving strong organic growth and we’re seizing the moment to capitalize on the momentum of our most recent acquisition to really propel growth over the next few years through significant investments in our facilities that will maintain and create new employment opportunities to further reinforce our market position.”

Charles Lanceley, Managing Director and Head of UK Food & Beverage at Alantra, added: “Congratulations to the

Around Noon team. They have built an outstanding business and their impressive performance has rightly earned them a high ranking in the Alantra Food & Beverage Fast 50. The Fast 50 illustrates the strength of the UK’s food and drink sector, with disruptive and innovative privately-owned businesses such as Around Noon challenging the status quo, building new categories and scaling at pace. I look forward to following their progress in the years ahead.”

Around Noon employs over 800 staff across its six manufacturing facilities in Newry and London, where it produces over 4.4 million products every month which are supplied into industries including forecourt, convenience and supermarket retail, the café and coffee shop industry, contract catering, healthcare, travel, education and corporate.

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Eye on Events

Clarendon Executive Celebrates At Custom House

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The team at Clarendon Executive were delighted to host a Networking Reception in their salubrious home of Custom House. The event fostered the connection of peers, clients and friends in the marketplace and also marked Clarendon Executive’s appreciation for continued support for our growing business.

The reception marks the first of a number of events to run over the coming year to create connections, share experiences, network and learn from each other to drive continued success and positive economic and social impacts where possible.

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1 – Mairead Regan – Associate Clarendon Executive, Fergus Devitt, Associate Clarendon Executive, Ciaran Sheehan – Managing Partner, Clarendon Executive, Claire McKee – Partner, Clarendon Executive. 2 – Simon Chambers, Russell & Co, Kathryn Thomson – Chief Executive Officer, National Museums NI, Ciaran Sheehan -Managing Partner – Clarendon Executive.

3 - Deborah McClinton, Finance Director, Pac Group; Emma Woods, Senior Consultant, Clarendon Executive (Deborah facing camera). 4 - Joanne McAuley, Partner Clarendon Executive & Jim Dennison, Chief Executive Simon Community.

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Eye on Events (5)

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5 – Paula Logue, Executive Director of People,Invest NI; Nicola Skelly, Chief Executive, Washington Ireland Programme; Mairead Regan,Associate, Clarendon Executive; Joanne McAuley, Partner, Clarendon Executive. 6 – Pat Walls, Managing Director, Bulrush Horticulture Ltd; John McLean OBE, Chief Executive Radius Housing; Neil Ramsden, Creative Director, McCadden. 7 – Hugh McPoland, Associate, Clarendon Executive; Kerry Reynolds, Head of HR Operations and Reward, Translink. 8 – Donal McAteer, CFO, Drinksology; Christine Sheridan, Director of HR, Belfast City Council. 9 - Christine Sheridan, Director of HR, Belfast City Council (back to camera); Clare Guinness, Chief Executive, Belfast Chamber of Commerce; Alan Campbell, Chief Executive, SONI. 10 - Jacqui Kennedy, Chief People and Corporate Services Officer, Translink; Paula Logue, Executive Director of People, Invest NI. 11 - Alan Campbell, Chief Executive, SONI; Christine Sheridan, Director of HR, Belfast City Council. 12 - Suzanne Wylie, Chief Executive, Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce; Jim Dennison, Chief Executive, Simon Community.

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Eye on Events

Ulster University’s Academy Restaurant Welcomes Media Guests (1)

Academy Restaurant, Belfast recently welcomed a host of guests from across the Northern Ireland media landscape for a drinks and canapés reception followed by a panel discussion led

by TV legend Pamela Ballantine.

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he panel consisted of former Ulster University student and current Night Manager at Co. Limerick’s 5-star Adare Manor, Niall Beatty current student and World Culinary Skills 2023 Gold winner, Sophie Smith, who both spoke of their experiences at Ulster University and learning through the Academy. Joining them on the panel were Academy Head

(3)

Chef Wendy McGuire and Academy Business Manager Lisa Kennedy, discussing the importance of local sourcing, enhancing the local tourism and hospitality industry and offering a top class dining experience. Academy Restaurant is open for lunch Monday – Friday, and dinner Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Visit Academyrestaurant. co.uk for reservations.

(2)

(4)

1 – Associate Head of the Department of Hospitality and Tourism at Ulster University Robert McKenna, current student and World Culinary Skills 2023 Gold winner Sophie Smith, Academy Business Manager Lisa Kennedy, Lecturer in Culinary Arts Management at Ulster University Michael Gillies, Head Chef at Academy Wendy McGuire, former Ulster University student and current Night Manager at Co. Limerick’s 5-star Adare Manor Niall Beatty. 2 - Head Chef at Academy, Wendy McGuire. 3 – Academy training staff member preparing canapés for Wednesday night’s event. 4 – Paula McIntyre and Joris Minne.

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Eye on Events (5)

(6)

(7)

(9)

(8)

(10)

5 – Manager at the Food & Drinks Business Development Centre for Ulster University, Dr Lynsey Hollywood and Gary Quate from Tourism NI. 6 - Sophie Smith, Lisa Kennedy, Wendy McGuire, Niall Beatty and Pamela Ballantine. 7 –Sophie Clarke, Ryan McAleer and Flavia Gouveia. 8 – Richard Buckley, Pamela Ballantine and Brenda Buckley. 9 – Academy Business Manager Lisa Kennedy and Gary McDonald. 10 - Niall Beatty, Dr Laura Wells and Matthew Graham.

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Eye on Arts

Taking To The Stage –

FinTrU & Lyric Theatre Build A Lasting Partnership Not so many years ago, the prospect of a stage play about Northern Ireland’s politics would have seemed laughable. So it’s a measure, perhaps, of how far we have all come that it’s certainly not the case these days.

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he Lyric Theatre’s evocative production of Agreement, Owen McCafferty’s thought-provoking play about the Good Friday Agreement, finished a successful run at the end of March at the theatre and has since moved across the Atlantic for an equally successful run at the Irish Arts Center in New York City.

For sponsors FinTrU, it’s been something of a labour of love. “We are so lucky to have a wonderful theatre, and a wonderful building, like this one in Belfast,” says Katrien Roppe, FinTrU’s Chief of Staff.

“We first linked up with the Lyric back in 2018 when we supported the FinTrU Theatre Bursary to help fund drama students who wanted to take their studies outside of Northern Ireland, and we have stayed involved ever since.

“For FinTrU, sponsoring the production of Agreement was an easy decision,” she says. “As a company, we are a corporate child of the Good Friday Agreement, if you like. We set up here in Belfast because of what happened in

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Katrien Roppe and Darragh McCarthy of FinTrU with the Lyric Theatre’s Executive Producer Jimmy Fay.

the wake of the agreement.

“Sponsoring theatre here, and this production in particular, gives us a great opportunity to engage with our stakeholders and with our staff in a very different way.

We have a lot of young people working for us, and those who came to see the production loved it. And, of course, it’s always good to give something back to the Arts here in Northern Ireland.”

As a RegTech company serving global investment banks, FinTrU also took the sponsorship across the Atlantic, hosting US-based clients at one of the early performances in New York during April.

Eye on Arts

Richard Croxford as Senator George Mitchell in Agreement 2024 at the Lyric Theatre.

Martin Hutson and company in Agreement 2024 at the Lyric Theatre.

Andrea Irvine as Mo Mowlam in Agreement 2024 at the Lyric Theatre.

In his programme notes for the production, the Lyric’s Executive Producer Jimmy Fay says this:Events that changed the course of history make great drama. The Greeks knew it.

Shakespeare knew it. Netflix knows it. Public curiosity about what was behind an event drives the news and fuels drama.

Directed by Charlotte Westenra, and with an impressive cast of top local actors, Agreement has been hailed by the critics (5-star reviews in both The Irish Times and The Guardian) but, perhaps more importantly, by local audiences and by some

of those who were central to the events of 25 years ago in and around Stormont.

Bill & Hillary Clinton have seen it, Senator George Mitchell has seen it (three times!), numerous local politicians have seen it and the families of both John Hume and David Trimble have seen it.

It’s worth recalling, too, the Lyric Theatre building has a special place in more recent Irish history.

Back in 2012, it was the setting for the historic handshake between The Queen and Martin McGuinness, then Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister.

“We couldn’t have done this

without the help of FinTrU. Funding is a major, major issue for all of us in the Arts at the moment,” says Jimmy Fay. “and we really lean on the support of the business sector. FinTrU added a level of enthusiasm and support that we are really grateful for.”

Jimmy Fay is quick to make the important point that the Lyric is our only producing theatre, a venue that produces and stages its own productions from scratch rather than playing host to touring productions and performers.

It’s an important distinction.

“There is no drama school in Northern Ireland, and I think everyone in the Arts is quick to agree that this place plays a vital role when it comes to inspiring young actors and encouraging talent here. And, of course, this place has produced plenty of really good actors over the years, and it continues to do so.

“There’s an atmosphere and an intimacy about the Lyric that sets this place apart, I think. Audiences can feel as though they are part of a production here in a way that they can’t in larger venues.”

Both Jimmy Fay and Katrien Roppe were delighted that

Agreement held an appeal for all age groups here. “There was always the worry that the play wouldn’t have as much relevance for younger people as it would for those who lived through the late 90’s,” Jimmy Fay adds. “But younger audiences were just as fascinated by the production.

“It’s a testament to the skills of Owen McCafferty that he managed to craft a play that encapsulates a lot of history and lot of nuance into a couple of hours of drama. That’s a heck of an achievement.

“It’s also a real testament to actors like Ruairi Callaghan (David Trimble), Chris Corrigan (Gerry Adams), Dan Gordon (John Hume) and Andrea Irvine (Mo Mowlam) as well as Dylan Quinn, who was behind the choreography.

I have huge admiration for what the cast achieved.”

Will FinTrU continue its involvement with the Lyric and with theatre here? “Of course we will,” says Katrien Roppe.

“We’d love to keep involved in a really vibrant part of life here in Belfast and Northern Ireland. We know that theatre faces funding challenges and, if we can help, we’re happy to be able to do so.”

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Eye on News

Lidl Northern Ireland raises £1M for NSPCC Ireland employees across its 41 stores and supported locally

by Lidl’s valued customers.

The milestone fundraising achievement was marked at a celebratory event held this week at the Kingfisher Country Estate in County Antrim and was attended by representatives from Lidl and NSPCC, partners and supporters.

Hosted by well-known Q Radio presenter, DJ and charity supporter Ibe Sesay, the event recapped on the outstanding success of the partnership and outlined key impacts delivered since it was established in 2017 – including how money raised by Lidl Northern Ireland and its customers helps to support NSPCC’s Childline service which answers a call from a child every 25 seconds.

Ivan Ryan, Regional Managing Director, Lidl Northern Ireland said,

Lidl Northern Ireland and NSPCC Northern Ireland have celebrated a successful seven-year partnership in which the region’s fastest-growing retailer has helped to raise a record £1M, to help keep children safe across Northern Ireland.

NSPCC was chosen by Lidl NI as its preferred charity partner in 2017 for an initial three-year period but this was extended in 2020, and again in 2022 due to its unprecedented success.

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The groundbreaking collaboration has helped to make a significant difference to the lives of countless children through a range of activities and initiatives driven by Lidl Northern

“Choosing the right charity partner matters and we’ve always been incredibly inspired by the work of the NSPCC. Throughout this past seven years, our local team and customers have been passionately dedicated to helping NSPCC provide the vital support needed to keep children safe so that they can grow up healthy and thrive.

Together, we have been able to achieve remarkable outcomes over the course of this partnership and support vital services within our local communities where we live and work. Across 41 stores we have hosted everything from spinathons to superhero dress-up days and of course our annual fundraising events as part of our flagship Trolley Dash campaign.

While we’re sad to see this partnership come to an end, we are so proud of the impact we’ve made together to help and support the children and families in need across the region.”

Funds raised through the partnership have contributed to the running of NSPCC NI’s Belfast and Foyle Childline bases; it has supported the training of practitioners at the NSPCC’s two Service Centres in Northern Ireland and supported NSPCC Northern Ireland’s flagship Speak Out Stay Safe Schools programme – one of the most highly demanded initiatives aimed at raising awareness amongst children of their right to be safe from abuse and neglect. Speak Out Stay Safe was delivered to 189 schools across the region, reaching over 45,000 local children.

Lidl’s annual celebrity-led Trolley Dash campaign was a big winner for the charity, with thousands of customers across the region taking part each year to be in with the chance of winning a supermarket sweep-style dash around their local store to grab as much of their Christmas shopping as possible in two minutes. Over the course of the partnership, the initiative raised more than £640,000 for the charity.

Lidl Northern Ireland also supported the NSPCC’s annual Childhood Day initiative, hosting a special in-store Superhero Day where staff and shoppers were encouraged to don their favourite superhero costume to raise vital funds. Over the course of the partnership, this annual campaign raised more than £40,000 for NSPCC. It also teamed up with a local couple in Derry-Londonderry to help raise NSPCC funds in a Christmas Lights for Charity campaign while in Newtownards, a pop-up, fun-filled Lidl Elf Factory helped to power resources.

Eye on News

Stena Line reinforces its Irish Sea management to drive growth in the region

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wedish ferry operator Stena Line has announced strategic changes to its management team aimed at further enhancing its position as a market leader and driving continued growth in the region.

Over recent years, Stena Line’s Irish Sea operation has experienced significant expansion solidifying its status as a cornerstone of the company’s network.

With 13 ships operating across 7 routes and providing a market leading 240 sailings each week, the Irish Sea has become an increasingly vital component of Stena Line’s business.

The recent launch of the Dublin – Liverpool freight route further underscored the company’s commitment to providing efficient and reliable transport solutions across the Irish Sea. As part of its ongoing development, Stena Line will be reinforcing regional management to effectively

address the new opportunities and demands that lie ahead.

Since 2020, Paul Grant and his dedicated regional management team have demonstrated remarkable resilience and leadership, successfully navigating through both Brexit and the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under their guidance, Stena Line has achieved significant growth, with car volumes increasing by almost 20% and freight volumes by 4%, setting new records for business levels in the region.

Effective June 1, 2024, Stena Line will revert to a two-region structure to reflect its growing business needs. Paul Grant, who has played a pivotal role in the success of the Irish Sea operations, will assume responsibility for the newly established Irish Sea North region, overseeing operations from Belfast. In addition, Paul will join the main board of Stena Line (UK) Ltd. and serve as

Stena Line’s representative on the UK Chamber of Shipping Ferry & Cruise.

“The Irish Sea has long been a key market for Stena Line, and I am pleased to continue leading our efforts and growth in our Belfast hub,” says Paul Grant, incoming Trade Director for Irish Sea North. “I am excited about the opportunities that lie ahead and confident that, with our reinforced management team, we will strengthen Stena Line’s position as the foremost ferry operator on the Irish Sea.” Johan Edelman will take up the role of Trade Director for the Irish Sea South region, overseeing operations from Dublin and Rosslare. With a focus on development and growth, Johan will work to further enhance Stena Line’s presence in the region, building upon the strong foundation laid by his predecessors. Johan is currently the Trade Director for Baltic Sea North, covering the routes between

Johan Edelman

Nynäshamn and Ventspils as well as between Liepāja and Travemünde.

Johan Edelman, incoming Trade Director for Irish Sea South, said: “I am thrilled to join the team on the Irish Sea and look forward to driving growth and innovation in the Irish Sea South region. Together with Paul and the entire Stena Line team, I am committed to delivering exceptional service and value to our customers while further expanding our market presence.”

The Irish Sea North and Irish Sea South regions are closely connected, and both Paul and Johan will be dedicated to ensuring seamless collaboration and a unified brand experience across the entire Irish Sea network.

As a result of these strategic changes, Stena Line will be well positioned to embark on a new chapter of growth and success in the Irish Sea, reaffirming its position as the preferred choice for passengers and freight operators alike.

The Whitefort Reopens After £1.5m Investment

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ne of Northern Ireland’s leading publicans has completed a major renovation of The Whitefort in West Belfast and created 50 new jobs.

Jim Conlon has played a key role in the evolution of Belfast’s hospitality industry and operates some of the city’s most popular venues including Henrys, The Jailhouse and Whites.

And now, he has announced the completion of the first phase of a multi-million pound refurbishment programme of the

reinvent the spaces to present an entirely new customer experience. The rejuvenated bar is the perfect blend of tradition and innovation and features a tonal colour palette, mood lighting and comfortable seating to create a timeless and contemporary space.

The ground floor has been opened up and now includes an extensive island bar, cocktail bar, restaurant booth seating and staging area for live entertainment. Whilst the second floor is now a

ingredients has been created by head chef, David Donnelly, featuring a wide selection of seasonal dishes and the perfect Sunday roast sharing platter. A new pouring partnership has been agreed with Molson Coors expanding the drinks offering to include Coors light, Madri, Carling, Rebel Red, Well Hazy, Punk IPA and Rekorderlig Cider.

Jim Conlon, Owner of The Whitefort said: “The completion of this major renovation programme represents a new era for The Whitefort. I’ve

first bar in his extensive portfolio which he opened a decade ago.

The Whitefort has been completely transformed with the £1.5m investment spanning over two floors.

The refreshed interior design was developed by hospitality design specialists O’Donnell O’Neill who have helped to

contemporary sports bar with 11 pool tables, three interactive dart boards, a media wall for live sports, a premier area for private events accommodating from 10 – 200 people and further staging area. Outside boasts a new sun terrace for al fresco dining.

An exciting new food menu using the best of local

leaned on my experience and expertise of creating some of Belfast’s most popular venues and brought it to the West of the city. The completion of the first phase of our multi-million pound planned investment demonstrates our long-term and continued commitment to the local community.

Jim Conlon of The Whitefort in West Belfast.

And with the opening of the redeveloped Casement Park in the not too distant future, we look forward to offering a unique hospitality experience for those visiting the stadium. We are confident that the new-look

Whitefort will not only appeal to our existing customers, but will also attract a new customer base from Belfast and beyond, which will in turn have a positive impact on employment in the local area and the surrounding businesses.”

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Eye on News

Gold Standard For ICC Belfast At Eventex Awards ICC Belfast, Northern Ireland’s only purpose-built international convention centre, has been awarded ‘gold’ in the Convention Centre category at this year’s Eventex Awards.

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he awards are the world’s leading honours for events and experience marketing. This year received 1207 entries from 62 countries and six continents. ICC Belfast was the only convention centre from across the UK and Ireland to be awarded gold, earning an impressive score of 90,317. Qatar’s National Convention Centre scored 80,237 and earned silver.

Judges evaluated venues on criteria including concept, creativity and innovation. They acknowledged ICC Belfast’s position as a catalyst for economic development in Northern Ireland. They also noted the venue’s recent accomplishments, including hosting the One Young World Summit and receiving acclaimed

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industry accolades such as the Green Meetings Gold Award.

Delegate numbers, the venue’s accessibility and sustainability commitments, and its high employee engagement, were also taken into consideration.

The gold award comes following the venue’s £29.5 million extension, unveiled in 2016, which firmly positioned Belfast as a destination for conferencing. The venue has enabled the region to target £209 million in direct economic impact by 2030.

Julia Corkey, Chief Executive of ICC Belfast, Waterfront Hall and Ulster Hall, said, “This award recognises ICC Belfast as a state-of-the-art international conference venue. With the support of our partners, we create a world-class stage

where great things happen. I’m incredibly proud of our fantastic team for driving forward our commitments to diversity and inclusion, and sustainability. This enables us to compete globally for Business Events and attract global organisations to Belfast that deliver socially, culturally, and economically for the region.”

Notable organisations at the Eventex Awards 2024 included Lufthansa, L’Oreal, AUDI and Netflix. The United States won the most awards - 65 trophies. Qatar and Poland rounded out the top 3 receiving 56 and 45 respectively.

Ovanes Ovanessian, co-founder of Eventex Awards, said, “This edition of the Eventex Awards has seen a recordbreaking number of entries, as well as record-breaking creativity

and innovation – the industry is truly back with a bang. We have undoubtedly been wowed by outstanding events and experiences, ground-breaking technology and suppliers, as well as breathtaking venues. We have also seen remarkable inspiration from every corner of the globe, with new countries joining the Eventex Awards family each year, enriching the competition with their unique contribution – this diversity is one of the things that makes Eventex Awards truly exceptional. So, on behalf of the entire Eventex team, as well as personally, I would like to congratulate all winners.”

Eye on News

Keystone Group officially opens new Cookstown HQ The Keystone Group, one of the UK and Ireland’s leading manufacturers of construction products, has officially opened its new headquarters in Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, ahead of welcoming 400 guests to Northern Ireland for a 35th-anniversary gala event in Titanic Belfast, hosted by popular broadcaster, Patrick Kielty.

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ith an annual turnover of over £300m, the Keystone Group has evolved from a solo steel lintel manufacturing operation started by former building control officer Sean Coyle in 1989, into a leading and innovative manufacturer of construction products.

The Group’s newly expanded headquarters at Ballyreagh Industrial Estate in Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, has been designed with staff wellbeing as a key focus. It also offers purpose-built space designed to encourage greater collaboration and innovation. The opening also marks another significant milestone for the Keystone Group with the recent appointment of its 2,000th member of staff.

Attendees at the official opening included many of the 400 leading figures from the UK and Ireland’s construction and manufacturing sectors who have been brought to Northern Ireland today by the Keystone Group. They were given a behindthe-scenes look at Keystone’s innovative factory premises in Cookstown, where cutting-edge technology and sustainable practices have propelled the company to the forefront of the construction manufacturing sector. Later this evening, they will enjoy a celebratory 35th anniversary gala event in Titanic Belfast, hosted by popular broadcaster, Patrick Kielty.

Speaking at the official opening of the new headquarters, Sean Coyle, founder of the Keystone Group, said: “Thirty-five years

on from its beginning, the Keystone Group now operates from 27 locations across the UK, Ireland, Poland, and the Netherlands. We have chosen to make this investment in our Cookstown headquarters, however, as a signal of our continuing commitment to the people of Mid-Ulster and to ensuring economic growth and prosperity for the region and Northern Ireland as a whole.

“We are also delighted today to be bringing 400 of the UK and Ireland’s leading construction industry figures to Belfast and Cookstown to celebrate our 35th anniversary with us.

As well as being an occasion to thank our customers and partners, it will be a tremendous opportunity to network, share insights, and foster further growth and collaborations.

“From 1989 to today our focus has always been on providing customers with innovative products to meet their needs, along with unrivalled customer service, and we will continue to emphasise those aspects of our business in the decades ahead. We may be a bigger company now, but we are still a family business and we’d like to keep it like that.”

The Keystone Group also showcased its newest acquisition, Showersave Ltd as part of the official opening.

Part of the Group’s continued drive to deliver innovation and sustainability in the construction and manufacturing sectors, the innovative waste

water heat recovery system was recently awarded “Best Services Product” at The Housebuilder Products Awards.

Speaking about the Group’s commitment to innovation, Owen Coyle, divisional chief executive, said: “To date, we have over 110 patents across the Keystone Group, and our commitment to innovation means we will continue to deliver the products our customers need before they know they need them.

Whether it’s thatched roofs in the Netherlands, homes in Tyrone, or the skylines of New York, we’re confident Keystone Group products will continue to be used to enhance the performance and aesthetics of buildings around the world across the next four decades and beyond.”

Thanking Keystone’s staff

and customers, Sean Og Coyle, chief commercial officer for Keystone Group, added: “Our journey to becoming an international company with 2,000 staff, and over 1,500,000 sq ft of manufacturing and warehouse space, is down to the hard work and dedication of our team as well as the support of our partners and customers. As we officially open our new headquarters, we remain committed to investing in the future workforce through our Keyskills initiative which enables our Further Education Colleges to offer apprenticeships, traineeships, and welding programmes, and to support our staff so they continue to enjoy their work at Keystone and are equipped to reach their full potential.”

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Eye on News

CO Belfast Cocktail Bar Stirs Up Success With SKI Top Industry Award

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A Belfast bar is one of only 37 in the world to be named in a prestigious list of top cocktail bars.

attlebag, the unique, intimate cocktail bar located within Belfast’s Bullitt hotel, has been awarded an ‘excellent’ rating or ‘one pin’ in the inaugural Pinnacle Guide.

Launched by the founders of the hugely successful London Cocktail Week, the brand new Pinnacle Guide is described as the ‘Michelin guide for bars’ aiming to promote the best cocktail venues across the world and highlighting those that are ‘leading cocktail culture in their communities.’

Using a categorisation system known as ‘pins’, the Pinnacle Guide rates and ranks the cocktail bars lucky enough to have made the list using a strict set of criteria.

Venues awarded ‘one pin’ receive an ‘excellent rating’ under the guide, ‘two pins’ means outstanding while the maximum ‘three pins’ is awarded to venues deemed ‘exceptional’ by contest judges.

It is a huge accomplishment for Rattlebag to be selected from hundreds of applications that were received from across the UK, US, Australia, Dubai, Mexico, Singapore, and Spain. The pins were gained if a bar’s application met

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BERTIE’S BAKERY ROLLS OUT INNOVATIVE NEW PRODUCT LINE AT SPAR STORE

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ertie’s Bakery, the awardwinning family firm with 50 years of baking heritage, is expanding its relationship with Henderson Group through the rollout of an innovative new product line in over 80 Henderson Group stores across Northern Ireland.

The Magherafelt-headquartered bakery has experienced strong growth in sales since it began listing with Henderson Group, just over four years ago in March 2020.

The latest expansion of the bakery’s relationship with Henderson sees the introduction of Bertie’s Bakery’s new high-protein rolls into Henderson Groupowned stores, a move that is expected to see Bertie’s brand sales grow further due to strong consumer demand.

Brian McErlain who founded Bertie’s Bakery says: “Protein is one of the top food trends this year due to many people wanting to reduce their carbohydrate intake and increase their

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Neal Kelly, Fresh Foods Director, Henderson Group, commented: “We’re proud to work together with Brian and E: the team at Bertie’s Bakery to expand our offering of Bertie’s products in 66 This stores across Northern Ireland. builds on a very successful relationship over the course of the last four years.

Bertie’s is a local business with a long history in Northern Ireland and we are excited to be able to take this next step in our long-standing partnership by offering their new high protein rolls to Henderson customers.”

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intake of protein. And as consumer needs and wants evolve, we want to be at the forefront of that. Over 21 percent of the calorific content of our new rolls is protein, which allows them to be classified as high protein,

and we expect them to be in strong demand when they go on sale”.

“As a local company, it has been fantastic to work with Henderson Group over the last four years, making our products increasingly widely

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Other treatments available include: Anti-wrinkle Injections, Dermal fillers, PDO There is usually a dressing for the first 3 to off (electrotherapy).

This skin sutured withinare 5 to 10 minutes. be discussed. the skin – termed cryotherapy.

All options Q: Does it hurt having these removed?

Anti-wrinkle Injections, fillers,Aqualyx PDO There is usually7adays dressing for the first 3 to Thread-lifts, ThreadDermal vein removal, and, depending upon the operation with beforehand. of anaesthetic and done in a discussed controlled sterilethe patient Administration urt having these removed?

Thread-lifts, vein removal, fat Thread dissolving injections and Aqualyx Profhilo. days and, depending upon the operation If there is going to be significant discomfort7the doctor site, sutures may need to be removed.

READER OFFER READER OFFER Common Q&A for cosmetic skin tag and mole removal:

Q: and Will I havefata dissolving scar? injections and Profhilo. minimise the risk of usually infection, skin preparation add some time, or surgeon should theto face are often removed between to be significant discomfort theadminister doctor local anaesthetic site, sutures may On need bethese removed.

Q: Does it hurt having these removed? ouldbleed the needs to discomfort ifOn several are toso numb the clinic area.

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A skin in anyone’s hands, so yes. But of course the whole Since these are treated under ea. There will be mild discomfort as 5 to 7 days, but are left a bit longer on other body significant and the anaesthetic takes effect within skilled and experienced as doing it incorrectly can h a scalpel.

Occasionally they tag can be removed in a matter of point is to be cosmetic and so everything is it shouldn’t! c is being injected but it is usually not areas. Again these should be removed by someone a couple of minutes. For very small skin tags, they leave bits of stitch in the skin, or risk reopening the designed to minimise this. It’s best to consider this off anaesthetic butcantoThe ensure completion seconds but it is akey that this the takes effect within skilled and experienced as doing incorrectly can do not sometimes be frozen off anaesthetic. wound.

After about it week most wounds worse bit is without having the injection ofagain, anaesthetic, as replacing one cosmetic blemish with a another utes. very smallhas skin tags, they leave bits ofin indressed the skin, risk reopening theand paraffin val, For especially ifmany there are any iscan done aneed controlled sterile setting Cosmetech local anaesthetic cream which beas butorshould be kept clean, will. The quality of the scar can vary depending on which patients describe astitch mild stinging After about a weekthemost wounds do not one, which should be much better. be frozen off without anaesthetic. wound.

After about a week most do not applied in clinic in advance of the procedure.

We don’t ointment often helpswounds at this time.

Depending genetics.

To optimise scar we perform precise features, the whole depth (don’t tryeven this at home). sensation.

Cryotherapy does not need an need dressed but should be kept on clean, like pain and make every it. on should your surgeon, theclean, woundand mayparaffin be dressed stitches the appropriate local anaesthetic cream which beeffort to minimise need dressed but be kept will. Thestitching, quality remove of the scar canatvary dependingtime, needs to causing be removed incan one anaesthetic. and and paraffin ointment often with ointment alone or sometimes skin glue. scar in helps the precise form at of this in thesent procedure.

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Depending genetics.

Toencourage optimise themanagement scar we perform s advance should be to the Q: Canoften I drive home afterwards?

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Scars surgeon, can take up to the 2 time.

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A mole years to mature to their final appearance.

If a scar does How long does the procedure take?

Usually there is ornosometimes issue with driving wound may be dressed inwith ointment with ointment alone skin glue. and encourage scar management the form of can be removed and the skin sutured within 5 to All surgery which cuts through the full depth of skin become thicker or remain red for a long time there are cells.

At Cosmetech we send g does the procedure take? unless for example the lesion was near the moisturising alonetreatments or and sometimes skin glue. massage.

Scars can take tocolour 2 This depends on what’s being done, but most 10 minutes.

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Q: Will I have a scar? eye andminutes. vision temporarily affected rocedures are very quick. mole mature to final appearance.

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Hand surgery Q: Will I have a scar? hurt having Can I drive ministrationQ: of anaesthetic and home afterwards? will leave a scar.driving Skin tag but excision leave treatments such as steroid injections or laser colour also affect theshouldn’t vast majority oved?

All surgery which cuts through the full n add some time, and if several much noticeable scarring but mole excision usually reduction, but these are thankfully rarely necessary. of these lesions areperson small enough not to That depends on you! If you are the sort of depth of skin will leave a scar. Skin tag Maypole Clinic 5-7 Shore Road oing to bewho significant a problem.

If in doubt bring a friend can drive home aftercause a filling at the dentist Holywood BT18 9XH excision shouldn’t leave much noticeable then there should be no reason why if you the doctor or surgeon should or relative ornot. takeBut a taxi. scarring but mole excision usually T: 028 9042 3200 someone with are anaesthetic a bit squeamish, best to bring minister local will. The quality of the scar can vary E: frontdesk@cosmetech.co.uk you. will They can at Road least tellQ: you howabout brave you were, aypole Clinic 5-7beShore e area. There mild What aftercare? www.cosmetech.co.uk depending on genetics. To optimise even if they don’t 9XH need to drive!

Holywood as66the anaesthetic is BT18 being There is usually a dressing for the first 3 the scar we perform precise stitching, t it is usuallyT:not significant 028 9042 3200 to 7 days and, depending upon the remove stitches at the appropriate time, aesthetic takes effect within : frontdesk@cosmetech.co.uk operation site, sutures may need to be and encourage scar management in the Forvery enquiries, minutes.

For small skinplease call 028 9042 3200 www.cosmetech.co.uk removed. On the face these are often form of moisturising and massage. Scars or email frontdesk@cosmetech.co.uk can sometimes be frozen off removed between 5 to 7 days, but are left can take up to 2 years to mature to their aesthetic. Cosmetech has local cosmetech.co.uk a bit longer on other body areas. Again final appearance. If a scar does become cream which can be these should be removed by someone thicker or remain red for a long time there linic in advance of the Cosmetech Maypole Clinic skilled and experienced as doing it are treatments such as steroid injections We don’t5-7 like causing Shore Road, pain Holywood, BT18 9XH incorrectly can leave bits of stitch in the or laser colour reduction, but these are Tel:to +44 (0) 28 9042 every effort minimise it. 3200 skin, or risk reopening the wound. thankfully rarely necessary.

ries, please call 028 9042 3200 or email frontdesk@cosmetech.co.uk

Eye on News

Oxfam Ireland’s First Superstore Opens In Holywood Oxfam Ireland has opened its first Northern Ireland superstore in Holywood, Co Down.

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he expansion builds on the continuing popularity of sustainable and pre-loved shopping in Holywood and Northern Ireland. Oxfam is aiming to curate a unique shopping experience, whilst helping tackle poverty globally.

Originally opening its doors in 1979 the current Holywood Oxfam store is the longest standing charity shop in the town. After 45 years of trading, it has established itself as a popular shopping destination for sustainable shoppers across Belfast and beyond.

The existing store is recognised by many for its artistic window displays and wide range of designer and high street brands. The superstore is now set to be bigger and better. It offers everything

from womenswear and menswear to homeware and vintage items, including major designer brands; Alexander McQueen, Dior, Gucci and Louboutins. It will also feature a selection of the popular Italian vegan Miomojo handbag range.

Situated just a five-minute walk from its original premises on Holywood High Street, the store will operate at almost eight times the size of any of the 45 Irish stores. It will also host its very own designated Donation Station. Four staff and 30 volunteers will help to run the store. All proceeds from the store support the work of Oxfam around the world.

Fiona Anderson, Manager at Oxfam Holywood will head up the new superstore. Originally starting off as a store volunteer at the age of 16, Fiona

progressed to the role of store manager in 2021. Commenting on her excitement about the new store opening, Fiona said: “Seeing the store progress from what it was back when I started, to now opening our first superstore is more than what we could have ever imagined. We have a lot of hugely valuable items available, but it’s important to us that we keep these affordable for our customers.

We’re proud to boast a wide range of stock to suit everyone, and we really want to challenge the misconceptions surrounding charity shops. Our goal is to curate a beautiful shopping experience that speaks to everyone, and sustainable shopping has never been more topical.

We want to keep the conversation going as the climate crisis and textile pollution worldwide worsens.”

Discussing the importance of sustainable shopping and its contribution to the environment, and economy,

Trevor Anderson, Director of Trading at Oxfam Ireland pictured with Fiona Anderson, Manager of the new Oxfam Holywood Superstore.

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Trevor Anderson, Director of Trading at Oxfam Ireland continued: “Our shops play a vital role in our strategic vision, which includes a focus on sustainability in tackling climate justice and we do this through the collection, sorting and reuse of textiles donated by the public. By shopping in a charity shop, you extend the life of goods you buy and donate, significantly reducing your carbon footprint.

This will be more than a traditional charity shop. The store’s potential contribution to shopping sustainably in a cost of living and climate crisis is unparalleled for the area”.

The store continues to welcome volunteers and donations and those interested can email holywood@oxfam.org for more information. Keep up to date with news from Oxfam Holywood Superstore on Instagram @oxfamholywoodsuperstore or follow Oxfam on X at @OxfamIreland.

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Eye on Motoring

Motoring with James Stinson

What’s this?

An affordable electric car…

Dacia Spring provides a new entry-level route into battery-powered motoring, writes James Stinson

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fter a particularly strong couple of years, sales of electric cars have taken a dip in recent months. Sales of EVs in the UK in December were 34% lower than the year before. Despite a raft of new and better battery-powered cars hitting the market, fully electric cars still account for fewer than one-in-five new cars sold.

However, this plateauing of demand was to be expected and can be explained according to the technology adoption curve. This clever piece of thinking was developed by American academic Everett Rogers as a way of explaining how, why, and the rate at which an innovation spreads.

Rogers divided society up into five categories: Innovators, Early Adopters, Early Majority, Late Majority and Laggards. In simple terms, Innovators and Early Adopters drive the takeup of new technologies in the early stages. They tend to be younger, more tech savvy, financially better off and more prepared to take risks. However, they account for a relatively small portion of the overall population.

The majority fall into the other three categories. These, to varying degrees, are much slower at taking up new technologies. Their reticence can be for a number of reasons but in electric car terms, broadly centres on concerns about range, cost and charging infrastructure.

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We’ve come a very long way on all these fronts, especially in the last few years but these disappointing sales figures show we’ve still some way to go to persuade the Early Majority and Late Majority adopters into the fold.

When it comes to buyers’ concerns, price likely remains the biggest impediment for those thinking about making the switch to electric.

Late Majority adopters to the electric cause. Prices for this new Spring model start from £14,995, which compares very favourably to rivals like the MG4 (£26,495), Fiat 500 Electric (£28,195) or the Citroen e-C3 (around £23,000).

However, to get that super low entry-level price, compromises have had to be made. In the UK, it’s being offered with two power outputs,

“ At a time when car prices have been going through the roof, the Renaultowned Romania-based carmaker has stood out for its good value fare. So maybe it’s Dacia that is going to win over some of those Early and Late Majority adopters to the electric cause.”

Much store is being put in the new Renault 5 and VW I.D 2, which are due to go on sale over the next year at less than £25,000. That still seems hard to get excited about.

But what about this new Dacia Spring?

At a time when car prices have been going through the roof, the Renaultowned Romania-based carmaker has stood out for its good value fare.

So maybe it’s Dacia that is going to win over some of those Early and

either 44bhp or 64bhp, both with a top speed of just 78mph. 0-62mph will take 19.1 seconds with the former, and 14.0 seconds with the latter.

It’s comes with quite a small battery too – just 26.8 kWh, which has an official range of just 137 miles.

That’s more than some but much less than most of its, admittedly, far pricier rivals. A charging port hidden behind the front badge allows the Spring to use a 7kW wallbox home

charger, which means a 20-80% top-up takes around four hours.

Three trim levels will be offered in the UK, with the entry-level Essential trim giving you 14 inch wheels, a 7.0 inch digital driver’s display, a dashboard clip (for mounting your smartphone), remote central locking, electric front windows and rear parking sensors as standard. Expression trim is the next level up, and adds manual air conditioning and 15 inch wheels.

At the top of the range sits Extreme, which includes copper interior and exterior finishes, electrically adjustable door mirrors, electric rear windows, a 10.0 inch infotainment screen (with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay), two USB ports and V2L charging.

It’s a good-looking car, with an airy and spacious interior while the cabin finish majors on functionality over refinement.

Prices range from £14,995 to £16,995, with orders being taken now for first deliveries starting in late autumn.

For potential electric converts, the new Spring is well suited as a second car, used mainly around town. But if you remain on the Late Majority end of Rogers’ technology adoption curve, you’d probably be happier with Dacia’s excellent petrol-powered Sandero, which offers a good bit more flexibility, space and refinement for a similar price.

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Eye on Motoring

Motoring with James Stinson

Familiar Golf still has plenty of swing…

New hybrid options keep VW’s Golf fresh, writes James Stinson

W

hatever madness is going on in the world, it’s reassuring to know that the VW Golf, now some 50 years old, is still selling strong.

Even with the stellar rise of SUVs, the Golf was still among the top 10 selling cars in Europe last year with more than 37 million sold over its now 50-year lifespan.

The Golf’s appeal largely remains the same. It’s a well-engineered, desirable family hatch with a degree of cache that places it above mass market rivals from the likes of Ford and Vauxhall and closer to premium brands like BMW and Audi. It was and is a motoring status symbol.

The latest Mk8 model, introduced in 2020, has just been given a major refresh, including VW’s latest infotainment system – complete with ChatGPT integration – plus a sharper design that incorporates an illuminated Volkswagen logo at the front. There are also new hybrid drive systems, including plug-in hybrids with an increased all-electric

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range of more than 60 miles.

The range kicks off with a choice of 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engines and all initial models adopt a traditional front-wheel-drive layout. They include 114bhp and 148bhp turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol units – with and without mild-hybrid technology.

A reworked turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine also joins the range with an added 13bhp, at 201bhp, in the upgraded 2.0 TSI – and 20bhp more in the 262bhp GTI. The diesels get a further developed version of Volkswagen’s turbocharged 2.0-litre engine, offering 114bhp and 148bhp in a pair of 2.0 TDI models.

The existing plug-in hybrid models have been reworked with what Volkswagen describes as a secondgeneration petrol-electric drivetrain.

Consisting of a turbocharged 1.5-litre engine (in place of the previous 1.4-litre unit) and an electric motor, it develops 201bhp

in the new 1.5 TSI eHybrid and an added 20bhp over the outgoing model, at 268bhp, in the 2024 GTE. The two plug-in hybrid Golf models also receive a 19.7kWh lithium ion battery in place of the 10.6kWh battery used in predecessor models.

These updated PHEVs versions, which will appeal to company car buyers especially, also allow for faster charging while Volkswagen claims an electric-only range of around 62 miles for both.

A key update comes with the introduction of VW’s new fourth-generation infotainment system, called MIB4, which has already been rolled out to the latest Tiguan, Passat and ID 3 as well as the new ID 7 saloon.

With quicker processing times, revamped menus and slicker graphics, it runs through either a standard 10.4 inch or optional 12.9 inch touchscreen display and introduces a new ChatGPT-powered voice assistant, which can be used to control the air conditioning, telephone and navigation system as well as access the internet.

Manoeuvring both the Hatch

and Estate versions of the new Golf will soon be simplified by the latest assist systems including the enhanced Park Assist Plus and Park Assist Pro, which will be available for the first time for the Golf and enables driving in and out of parking spaces using a smartphone.

The 360-degree Area View is another new and useful feature.

Life, Match and Style trims for the Golf Hatch and Life and Style trims for the Estate are the first versions to go on sale in the spring with prices starting from £27,035 for the Golf Hatch and £28,400 for the Golf Estate.

The first Golf R-Line models will be available shortly after with a wealth of sporty styling and additional features, including 17-inch Coventry alloy wheels, LED headlights, leather-wrapped and heated multifunction sports steering wheel, 12.9-inch infotainment display, a rear-view camera, adaptive cruise control and Lane Assist. R-Line prices start from £30,285 for the Hatch and £31,650 for the Estate.

Other models, including eHybrid, GTI and GTE versions, are set to arrive in the middle of this year.

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R R M I E E TA H T V C S I I E T N R E S C A L D S T A F A R IS N S T R S O E C E N S I S IR T A IV R CO A H R E R P M D E T E C V I L S electric or plug-in Whether van, RAhybrid, TE RE DR it’s a car,TaIC I T H N simple with E we make managing company vehicles A O T R M solutions.L C C our award E winning A A L R A RC T TE N E N T in all O how we can Fhelp O Talk to us today about S A vehicles. C R your company’s E From a fleet of one T aspects of managing P N R to a fleet of many, E O D T I 028 9084 9777 we’re here for you.

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