Derry Chamber meets with Finance Minister Conor Murphy

Finance Minister Conor Murphy MLA visited the North West this afternoon to meet with members of the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce. A Chamber delegation, led by President Redmond McFadden, discussed a range of issues including the expansion of Magee, Medical School, Business Rates, City Deal, skills and support for businesses in the North West.

The Minister last week confirmed he is to recommend the Executive approves £105m in further funding for the Derry and Strabane City Deal. The UK Government announced £105m for the City Deal in May 2019. The Minister said his Department will table a paper to the Executive seeking to match the funding.

President of the Chamber, Redmond McFadden said:

“I was pleased to welcome Finance Minister Conor Murphy to the North West this afternoon. We discussed a host of issues affecting our members including rising business rates, Brexit, the City Deal, and his department’s work to encourage economic growth across the North West.

“Mr Murphy’s announcement last week that he is to table a paper to the Executive seeking to match funding already committed by the UK Government for the Derry and Strabane City Deal is excellent news for the region. The City Deal and Inclusive Future Fund comprise a £105m investment in the North West which means economic growth and innovation, more well-paid and secure jobs, and will ultimately help to address years of regional imbalance.

“The ‘New Decade, New Approach’ agreement makes several commitments to the North West including infrastructure improvements, the establishment of a new Graduate Entry Medical School, the expansion of Magee, and other initiatives which will boost the local economy. Engagements like today’s with Executive ministers are crucial in ensuring these commitments are followed through on swiftly and prove the Executive’s commitment to the North West. I thank Mr Murphy for visiting the city this afternoon and I look forward to future engagements with him and his department to help make the North West a more attractive and vibrant place to live, work and do business.”     

Education Minister urged to work in tandem with local government

(L-R) Alison McCullagh, CEO, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council; Karen Smyth, NILGA, Head of Policy & Governance; Education Minister Peter Weir MLA; Cllr Frances Burton, NILGA President; Ald Alan McDowell, NILGA Vice President; and Roger Wilson, CEO, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council.

A Northern Ireland Local Government (NILGA) delegation has urged Education Minister Peter Weir to champion more effective work with local councils across Northern Ireland to deliver better outcomes for pupils and local communities. 

The first meeting with the minister since the restoration of the Executive saw NILGA elected members and council officials expressing to Minister Weir the transformative effect that community planning – putting local people, evidence and places at the hub of decision making - can have, delivering better outcomes for everyone in society.

Community planning aims to improve the connection between all tiers of government and wider society to jointly deliver better public services – including education provision - for everyone. Community plans identify long term priorities for improving the social, economic and environmental well-being of local areas and the people who live there.

Councils are keen to improve the impact and input of education bodies including the overarching Education Authority in community planning structures and local investment priorities identified.

Cllr Frances Burton, NILGA President, said:

“We welcomed the opportunity to meet with Education Minister Peter Weir. Education, like many of our key public services, is currently facing significant budgetary and capacity pressures. While local government does not have powers concerning the direct provision of education in Northern Ireland, unique community planning initiatives can help our local school premises and estates to be creatively used as assets for the whole community.

“NILGA seeks strong Education Authority partnership and participation across all community planning structures. Our school estate, in several areas, remain an untapped resource. Therefore, we urged the minister to consider how we can make best use of the public sector estate. Greater collaboration between schools, councils and community organisations can ensure some of our most valuable community buildings and facilities can be used by as wide a section of the population as possible, as is evident in some great local schemes both rural and urban.

“Local councils want to work as equal partners with bodies like the Education Authority and the Department of Education, using valuable local data and future planning models. We’ve already seen how partnership between the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs and Mr Weir’s department on the use of single use plastic in schools has led to greater awareness among pupils of their impact on the environment. These are welcome initiatives and council elected representatives and officials want to be involved to ensure we address issues like litter in our local areas, the role of school pupils and personnel in tackling the climate crisis, greater community participation in schools and the great work of youth councils.”

Hospitality Ulster meets with Minister for the Economy, Diane Dodds MLA

Minister for the Economy, Diane Dodds MLA with Hospitality Ulster Chief Executive, Colin Neill. Minister Dodds met with the Chief Executive and Board of Hospitality Ulster this lunchtime in Belfast.

Hospitality Ulster has welcomed direct engagement with the Minister for the Economy Diane Dodds MLA. The Minister met with the Chief Executive and Board of Hospitality Ulster this lunchtime in Belfast with a range of issues being discussed as the sector’s response to Coronavirus remains as a top priority.

Colin Neill, Chief Executive of Hospitality Ulster said:

“There are several barriers to growth hanging over the hospitality sector such as the out of kilter rates system, access to labour post Brexit, and a competitive disadvantage on Hospitality VAT, which has now all been compounded by the concerns over Coronavirus.”

“We reiterated to the Minister that the hospitality industry is taking nothing for granted and carrying out all the preventative measures it can. We also updated the Minister that we have issued guidance which will be updated as the situation develops and that we continues to operate high standards of hygiene and cleanliness, encouraging our members to reinforce those standards at all times.”

“Now is the time we need the most support from government to see us through this concerning period.”

“Pubs, restaurants and hotels are highly susceptible to the impact of people not travelling, visiting places or going out. We have already seen a number of impacts on the sector in Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland and we are right to be worried about what the next number of weeks and months might hold.”

“This is the time of year when many in the hospitality sector feel the strain of mounting invoices and rates bills. Coronavirus could not have come at a worse time and we will need assistance to weather this fearful period, especially if we are hit by cash flow issues.”

Developing the next generation of female manufacturers

Naoimh McAteer, MJM Group Director

It’s no secret that manufacturing and construction has typically been a male-dominated industry. But, increasingly, this is an outdated and inaccurate stereotype. With strong leadership from some of Northern Ireland’s foremost firms, we’re seeing a more inclusive and attractive environment being created for those who haven’t typically been represented within the sector.

Historically it has proven difficult to encourage women into construction and engineering roles but with the focus on STEAM in the education sector and the strength of the local construction and manufacturing sector here, it is increasingly becoming an attractive and viable option. At MJM Marine, the females within our team play a vital role in our success and have a strong presence throughout our operations. We are thrilled to have taken on our first female apprentice in bench joinery at MJM Marine this year and we hope in 2020 to recruit even more female apprentices in both MJM Marine and Mivan through our recently launched Navigate Programme.

One of our key strategic focuses is talent management and development. Some of our senior team, including our Chairman and CEO in MJM Marine, started out as apprentices. We genuinely believe in apprenticeship schemes and student placements, investing time and effort in our staff and their development, and attracting and developing the best manufacturing and engineering talent.  The Navigate Programme is our student recruitment and engagement brand which we have recently launched which will produce a steady stream of highly-skilled, talented young people who will be equipped with the tools they need to lead the sector in the future. Our placement, apprentice and graduate intake in September 2020 will be the first group to embark on this programme and we hope through an integrated approach with local schools, colleges and universities that we can promote the world of opportunities the manufacturing and construction industry can offer to young people, and young women in particular, as they enter the world of work.  

A key focus of Manufacturing Month will be promoting manufacturing and engineering as a viable and attractive career option for young women. It will also provide a pathway for the next generation of industry leaders. This initiative is a wonderful opportunity for businesses across Northern Ireland to showcase their local knowledge and expertise, promote a vast array of career choices and opportunities in the sector, and demonstrate that the industry is welcome to all. There truly is something for everyone, and with the evolution of digitalisation and AI in the sector, we are seeing a shift in the skills required to keep our businesses at the forefront of innovation and Industry 4.0.

Manufacturing Month is an opportunity to create a long-lasting legacy which impacts directly on the sector by promoting our industry as viable and attractive for young women and people from across Northern Ireland. I would encourage any local firms, schools, colleges and universities to get involved in the month, to show to the world why our local industry leads the way in so many different fields, and to enhance our young people’s awareness of the world of opportunity that awaits them in construction and manufacturing.

Eversheds Sutherland strengthen position in Belfast with new office move

Alan Murphy, Managing Partner Eversheds Sutherland Ireland with Belfast Partners, L-R Gareth Planck (Real Estate), Lisa Bryson (Employment and Immigration) and Matthew Howse (Dispute Resolution & Litigation) in their new offices in Belfast City Centre.

Global law firm Eversheds Sutherland has signaled its intent for further growth of its Belfast footprint, by taking up larger offices on Montgomery Street in Belfast City Centre.

The law firm which provides a full range of legal services was established in Belfast in 2015 and has rapidly expanded in Northern Ireland.

Now with fifteen staff, the office is led by Partners Lisa Bryson, Gareth Planck, Matthew Howse, working across several main practice areas including Real Estate, Banking, Immigration and Employment, Procurement and Litigation.

The Belfast office works closely with its Dublin office, offering expert legal services including a specialist ‘Brexit-hub’ across the island of Ireland and the UK.

Alan Murphy, Managing Partner of Eversheds in Ireland said:

“We are thrilled to have moved into new offices right in the heart of Belfast City Centre. This move demonstrates our commitment to Northern Ireland and will allow us to increase the Eversheds Sutherland footprint in the region.”

“As an international law firm, we have an ambitious growth strategy and we recognise the role which Belfast and Northern Ireland has to play in that. Since 2015 we have led the way in changing the face of legal services and have provided a service that meets the needs of businesses.”

“This new office space will see us further develop our services and offering in Northern Ireland. With more room it will allow us to host internal client events and gives us more flexibility in our growth path which is hugely exciting.”

Manufacturing Month underway to celebrate local manufacturing success stories

Stephen Kelly and Mary Meehan, Manufacturing NI

A full month of events across Northern Ireland has been officially launched to celebrate the strength and excellence of Northern Ireland’s manufacturing and engineering sector.

Manufacturing Month NI, led by Manufacturing NI, is running for the entire month of March. A series of events, talks, workshops, workplace tours, and the flagship annual Anchor High leadership summit will be held across Northern Ireland to highlight local manufacturing success stories, address challenges faced by manufacturers, and inspire the next generation of manufacturing and engineering leaders. An overnight visit is also scheduled to tour Siemens’ Digital Factory in Congleton, and the Advanced Manufacturing Centre UK in Sheffield.

Manufacturing Month’s flagship event, the Anchor High leadership summit, takes place on Tuesday 10 and Wednesday 11 March at the Lough Erne Resort in Enniskillen. The two-day summit will hear from industry leaders including Dervla Convery from Bombardier, Gary Kennedy from Greencore, Tom Hughes from GT Exhausts, and Ciaran Doherty from Huhtamaki. 

Sponsored by KPMG, Siemens, Willis Towers Watson, Barclays, Invest NI, and Pinsent Masons, Manufacturing Month NI will bring together industry leaders, politicians and policy experts, young people and schools, and other business leaders to celebrate our manufacturing sector and its successes. A unique video series called ‘Meet the Makers’ has also been produced to profile some of Northern Ireland’s foremost manufacturing firms including Mallaghan’s, Wilson’s Country, Keystone, O’Neills, and Denroy.

Stephen Kelly, Chief Executive, Manufacturing NI said:

“We are thrilled to officially launch the first ever Manufacturing Month NI. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the good and the great of our local manufacturing sector, a sector which forms the foundations of the Northern Ireland economy. Northern Ireland has a wealth of manufacturing and engineering talent and we should be proud of the impact our companies and products have globally. Manufacturing Month NI is about amplifying the good news stories of Northern Irish manufacturing.

“We have an exciting and diverse programme of events planned for March which can be found on our website, manufacturingmonthni.com. We will be exploring everything from promoting manufacturing as a viable career option for young women, the effect Brexit and the NI protocol will have on businesses here, an overnight tour to visit cutting-edge facilities in the North of England, and a major leadership summit for manufacturing and business leaders in Fermanagh.

“We want to see as many firms as possible from across Northern Ireland get involved with Manufacturing Month NI. We are keen to highlight new products, new initiatives, successful processes and practices, and everything else that makes our local manufacturing sector the world-leader that it is.”

For a full list of events during Manufacturing Month and for more information, please visit www.manufacturingmonthni.com.

Local Hospitality sector hyper-vigilant to developing Coronavirus situation and reassures customers and visitors that all preventative measures are being taken

Colin Neill, Chief Executive of Hospitality Ulster

Colin Neill, Chief Executive of Hospitality Ulster said:

“We have been following the developments of Coronavirus closely and have issued detailed guidance to our members and those working in the hospitality industry.

“By nature, the hospitality industry operates high standards of hygiene and cleanliness and we have encouraged members to reinforce those standards, for example by washing hands regularly, making hand sanitisers available for staff and at reception areas, and disinfecting surfaces at regular intervals.

“It is important that everyone adopts a vigilant approach and that we take all the preventative measures we can, to assist with the containment of the virus. The hospitality sector is taking nothing for granted and carrying out all the preventative measures it can.

“The guidance we have issued will be updated as the situation develops, and we are continually urging our own members to keep checking official advice and guidance on the Public Health Agency website which is being updated regularly.”

Eversheds Sutherland advises Blantyre Capital on Multi-Million Pound Northern Irish Investment

Gareth Planck, Eversheds Sutherland, Partner, Real Estate

Eversheds Sutherland has advised London based investment firm Blantyre Capital (Blantyre) on its multi-million-pound investment into leading UK and Ireland offsite construction specialist, McAvoy Group.

Co Tyrone-based McAvoy is one of the leading offsite construction specialists in the UK and Ireland, offering the full range of design, manufacturing, fitting out and construction services for the delivery of high quality, affordable and sustainable buildings in the health, education, residential, commercial and infrastructure sectors.

Blantyre Capital is a London-based investment firm focused on partnering with European companies to relaunch stable business models with temporary financial challenges and reposition them both strategically and operationally.

The deal was struck by a cross-border team from Dublin and Belfast and was led by Corporate Partner Gavin O’Flaherty.  

Adam Phillips, Head of Investments, Blantyre Capital, commented:

“This is a significant investment for Blantyre and it was essential we had the right legal team on board to ensure its success. Eversheds Sutherland put together a team that covered all bases. Their knowledge of the local market proved invaluable and the approach they took ensured a successful completion.”

Gavin O’Flaherty, Partner, Eversheds Sutherland commented:

“This is an astute investment by Blantyre which will provide significant investment for McAvoy’s continued development and growth. We were delighted to support Blantyre on this transaction and we look forward to working with them again in the future.” 

“This transaction built on our showing as one of the premier law firms in Ireland for private equity transactions as exemplified by our Mergermarket ranking of second by deal volume for Private Equity deals taking place in 2019 in the Irish market.”

Belfast Lord Mayor launches ‘One Thousand Paper Cranes’ Project

Lord Mayor of Belfast, Cllr Daniel Baker and Masako Carey, Japanese facilitator at Craic NI

Belfast Lord Mayor Cllr Daniel Baker has launched the ‘One Thousand Paper Cranes’ project at Ulster University, Belfast.

The project, developed by the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building in partnership with Ulster University and Craic NI, celebrates diversity, culture of peace and links between Northern Ireland and Japan. 

Thanks to the support from the Community Relations Council, several community arts workshops will be hosted across Northern Ireland to make 1000 origami paper cranes with messages of lasting peace.

Eva Grosman, CEO, Centre for Democracy and Peace Building said:

“There is an old Japanese belief that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will see their wish come true. Our wish is a hate free Northern Ireland and a hate free world.” 

“Approximately 10 million cranes from all across the globe are offered each year before the Children's Peace Monument in Hiroshima.” 

“This year, as we mark the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima we will also present 1000 origami cranes from Northern Ireland.”

Lord Mayor of Belfast, Cllr Daniel Baker and Masako Carey, Japanese facilitator at Craic NI

Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Daniel Baker said:

“I’m delighted to support Ulster University and the Centre for Democracy and Peace Building in their One Thousand Paper Cranes initiative. A symbol of hope and longevity, the crane is an international symbol of peace and we’re all here to symbolise our shared wish for a hate free country and a hate free world.

“As we poignantly mark the 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing this year, we also remember the great friendship this land shares with Japan. Belfast is a member of the ‘Mayors for Peace’ initiative set up in 1982 by the Mayor of Hiroshima and we continue to celebrate our mutual desire for a peaceful society.”

Professor Duncan Morrow, Director of Community Engagement at Ulster University added:

“We are thrilled to host the launch of the One Thousand Paper Cranes project on our Belfast campus. Ulster University is recognised as a global leader in peace and reconciliation research and this creative project will bring communities together for a common purpose and facilitate important discussions on diversity, peace and reconciliation.”

“As part of the project, our Visiting Professor in Immersive Futures and diversity and inclusion specialist Deepa Mann-Kler will create an artistic intervention using Augmented Reality to explore peace building in digital and physical spaces of Belfast and Hiroshima.”

Next month the project will be launched in Japan House London to celebrate cultural and business links between Japan and Northern Ireland. 

For more information about the forthcoming workshops please visit: www.democracyandpeace.org and follow us on Twitter @CDPB_NI #1000cranes 

Major local government conference outlines future of NI’s local councils

(L-R) Minister Declan Kearney MLA, Executive Office; Karen Smyth, NILGA; Cllr Frances Burton, NILGA; and Minister Gordon Lyons MLA, Executive Office.

Over 200 people attended a major local government conference on Thursday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Belfast, the first council led conference since the restoration of Stormont.

Jointly delivered by the Northern Ireland Local Government Association and the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers (SOLACE NI), the 2020 Local Government Conference focused on work to ensure sustainable communities and strong local councils in NI, defining the policies and evidence  required to achieve this, together with a push for greater local decision taking in government, and the co-design of the emerging Programme for Government.

Speakers included Junior Ministers Gordon Lyons MLA and Declan Kearney MLA, Belfast City Council’s Suzanne Wylie, Pivotal’s Ann Watt, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Anne Donaghy, senior civil servants, representatives from the business and voluntary communities, and the conference’s keynote speaker, award-winning journalist Lesley Riddoch.

Supported by APSE, Version 1, and NI Water, this was the first Local Government Conference since the restoration of the NI Executive.  For three years, local councils were the only democratically elected form of government in Northern Ireland, resulting in massive financial, administrative and capacity challenges. 

Speaking at the conference, NILGA Chief Executive Derek McCallan said:

“Today’s conference was a fantastic opportunity to bring together ministers, civil servants, business partners and community leaders, indeed anyone with an interest in the future of local democracy and sustainable local councils. It is clear from the discussions, policy pointers and presentations that there is a real appetite for transforming our system of governance and giving our councils – together with a more participative community - more powers to co-design how we spend the £23 billion annual public purse.

“Councils in Northern Ireland are a unique and, in many ways, an untapped resource, restrained by the limited devolution of new powers in 2015. Today’s conference explored innovative ways that local councils can better deliver for their communities, including through responsible planning and place-shaping, community-led public service design, tackling the climate emergency, and exploiting new and emerging technologies for the benefit of everyone in our communities.

“With the Executive now back at Stormont, we want to see a comprehensive and far-reaching set of actions delivered which will put greater powers in the hands of local communities. Local government here has ambition and is developing capacity to be the service hubs of our community, but to be so requires institutions to move power, resources and delivery more locally, just as in every other part of the UK, and in Ireland. It’s time to challenge councils & equip them with resources, based partly on the political governance they maintained for three years without our Legislative Assembly, but mainly because this would lead to more effective and efficient public services.” 

SOLACE NI Chair David Jackson said:

“SOLACE was proud to deliver today’s conference in partnership with NILGA. This was a hugely ambitious conference focusing on solutions - everything from infrastructure and planning to shaping Northern Ireland’s high streets and getting our councils to zero-carbon. The future of government in Northern Ireland will be shaped and defined by strong, community-oriented local councils. Today was a great opportunity to define how we transform our system of local governance and sustain our communities.”