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Specsavers Newry has announced the appointment of Will Stevenson as an Ophthalmic Director, after four years as an Optometrist with Specsavers.
Mr Stevenson will join fellow Newry locals and store partners Alison Dunne, Sharon Fegan and Michelle Linden in his director role at the store, where he has been working since returning to Northern Ireland from Scotland in 2019.
After attending St. Colman’s College in Newry, Will gained his Optometrist qualifications in Coleraine before moving to Edinburgh and joining Specsavers in 2018. He moved home to Northern Ireland, settling in Newry with his family in 2019, and in 2021 completed Specsavers’ Pathway programme, which prepares optometrists, optical dispensers and retail managers for practice ownership.
Will explains: ‘Pathway equips you with all the skills and knowledge to become a partner within a regional Specsavers store, and throughout the course you take on a project to make an impact on your current store. My project was on improving mental health in the workplace, which I implemented by pulling together a mental health team in-store, who will be trained in Mental Health First Aid to help promote staff wellbeing and support our colleagues when required.’
Mr Stevenson will continue to work as an Optometrist at Specsavers Newry, meeting customers daily and undertaking routine eye tests and regular appointments.
He continued; “I’m really honoured to be joining Alison, Sharon and Michelle as a partner at Specsavers Newry. We are all local to the area and our entire team prides itself in being trusted faces, providing healthcare for our local community through our testing and clinic services, including our two hear care clinics per week.”
The appointment follows the recruitment of two local optometry students who will gain practical experience within the business, bringing the number employed at the store from the local area to more than 50, allowing even more services to be offered.
Such services include Specsavers Newry’s growing audiology business which provides a wide range of hear care for the local community, including wax removal clinics bi-weekly.
Alison Dunne, Partner at Specsavers Newry added: ‘Will joined the team with an ambition to expand his skills and expertise, as well as making our business an even better place to work.
‘We were thrilled to put him through the Pathway programme, which was created for this very reason to allow staff to move up the ranks and experience all areas of working with Specsavers. We’re passionate about bringing a wider range of accessible healthcare services to our local community, and we can only do that by providing training and employment opportunities locally. We’re very proud to have a great local team with faces our patients and customers can trust.’
To book an appointment and for more information on Specsavers Newry, visit www.specsavers.co.uk
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Newry, Mourne and Down District Council (NMDDC) has urged independent businesses from across the District to register their interest in the Council’s ‘Make It Local’ campaign.
NMDDC has issued a call for businesses, operating either instore and/or online, to submit an expression of interest where businesses will be considered to feature in ‘Make It Local’ across the next year.
There are several ways in which businesses can get involved in the initiative, including through photography and videography which will feature on a range of advertising mediums as well as on social media.
The initiative sets out to support local businesses by encouraging people – both from within the district and further afield – to shop locally across Newry, Mourne and Down.
NMDDC’s Deputy Chairperson Cllr Aoife Finnegan said: “Make It Local promotes the unique business offering that our District boasts, as well as stimulating the entrepreneurial spirt of Newry, Mourne and Down.
“The District is full of surprises. Our local businesses are outstanding, diverse and resilient, and that’s why we want to showcase what we have to offer during this campaign. I would urge all our local businesses to consider signing up to this campaign in 2022/2023.”
Business owner Niamh Hanratty from Iconic Accessories in Dock Street, Warrenpoint commented: “On a personal note, it is encouraging to see that the Council is engaging with local businesses to showcase our unique offering.
“I am in business three years; I want to continue to grow my customer base and promote my business. I believe that the Make it Local initiative is an ideal platform to compliment my marketing initiatives.
“I will definitely engage with this initiative to raise Iconic Accessories’ profile, and I urge other business owners to engage with the initiative to demonstrate the wide-ranging businesses that operate within Newry, Mourne and Down.”
If you are interested in featuring in this year’s visual campaign across outdoor advertising as well as digital channels, then please take a few minutes to complete the short survey which can be found at www.newrymournedown.org/make-it-local
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There are just two weeks left to enter the Newry Chamber Employee & Team Awards 2022 and organisers are encouraging businesses to get their entries in.
Organisations in the Greater Newry Area are encouraged to nominate across the 21 categories.
The Gala Awards Ceremony takes place on Thursday 8th September 2022 at the Canal Court Hotel & Spa, Newry.
Do you have an employee or team that has displayed exemplary performance or made a significant contribution to your organisation? Here is a way to thank them!
The Employee & Team Awards is designed to celebrate Greater Newry's Greatest and recognise our greatest assets - our people.
Our teams and employees are the lifeblood of businesses across the region and we invite you to show your appreciation by submitting entries via www.newrychamber.com
DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES: Friday 5th August 2022 at midnight.
The Categories
Best Retail Team
Best Retail Employee
Best Tourism and Hospitality Team
Best Tourism and Hospitality Employee
Best Manufacturing and Engineering Team
Best Manufacturing and Engineering Employee
Best Property and Construction Team
Best Property and Construction Employee
Best Professional Services Team
Best Professional Services Employee
Best Beauty, Health and Wellbeing team
Best Charity/ Social Enterprise Team
Best Creative, Media, Digital Tech Team
Best Family Business Employee
Best Family Business Team
Best New Business Team
Best New Entrepreneur
Best Public Sector Employee
Best Higher Level Apprentice
Overall Team of the Year
Overall Employee of the Year
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The cost of living crisis was the main topic for discussion at last weeks meeting between Newry Chamber of Commerce members and Alliance MLAs, Andrew Muir Patrick Brown.
Discussions also included a range of business challenges and opportunities at the meeting held at Canal Court Hotel. Meetings with other MLAs & MPs will take place over the coming weeks.
Julie Gibbons, President of Newry Chamber said “We welcome the opportunity to engage with political parties. We have a diverse range of members covering multiple sectors. We feel it is important that our members are given a forum to speak directly with elected representatives.”
“We obviously stressed the need for a functioning Executive as the Assembly’s ability to intervene in the cost-of-living crisis is limited at the present time. We saw during the Covid crisis how government could support businesses and consumers with innovative ideas and targeted action. Some businesses are going to need intervention to help them survive.”
“We are already seeing closures in the hospitality trade, in Newry and other places due to raising energy, wages, materials, fuel costs and supply chain issues.”
“Other issues discussed included the skills shortage due to Covid and Brexit, access to labour, infrastructure improvements, Daisy Hill Hospital and medical care provision, housing need and planning reform, disparity between wages and VAT rates, particularly in the hospitality sector between NI and ROI.”
“We thank the Alliance MLAs for meeting our members and we hope to engage further in the future. We have given them a clear view on the issues faced by businesses and their staff. Through continued dialogue we can come up with solutions to address the challenges.”
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Already in 2022 as part of their fundraising drive for charity partner Cancer Fund for Children, staff at JMK Solicitors and CRASH Services have raised £10,000, bringing the total raised to date to over £100,000 since the partnership with the charity began in 2020.
Cancer Fund for Children support children and young people diagnosed with cancer or living with a parent diagnosed with cancer. They offer support in their home, community, on the hospital ward and at their residential centre, Daisy Lodge in Newcastle, with the aim that no family face cancer alone.
Jonathan McKeown, Chairman of JMK Solicitors and CEO at CRASH Services said “We were delighted to be able to support Cancer Fund for Children over the past 2 and a half years. This is particularly so during the covid-19 pandemic which impacted many charities across the province.
Credit must go to our staff who continued to come up with engaging fundraising challenges despite many of the team working remotely. Thankfully, in-person events have returned and we have taken part in the Belfast Marathon this year, and several members of the team are looking forward to a skydive this September. Our staff have also opted to join into a monthly salary sacrifice scheme where a regular amount is donated each month going directly to the charity.
Jonathan added, “We are delighted to surpass the £100,000 fundraising milestone and look forward to continuing our efforts through the latter part of the year for our amazing charity partner.”
Alex Murdock, Corporate Fundraiser at Cancer Fund for Children commented, “It has been such an amazing start to our third year of partnership with the teams at JMK Solicitors and CRASH Services. The salary sacrifice scheme continues to be a fantastic initiative to engage their staff in the vital work of Cancer Fund for Children. I was thrilled as well to see the teams taking to the streets of Belfast for the annual marathon at the start of May putting their best feet forward in support of families impacted by cancer!
I can’t wait to get stuck into the second half of 2022 with all the team to celebrate not only the return to in-person events which we have been waiting on for so long, but also mark the end of our 3rd year of partnership in style with events like the Superhero Skydive in September (which is also Childhood Cancer Awareness Month!).
It has been such a phenomenal 2 and a half years with such an incredible group of people and all the team here at Cancer Fund for Children cannot say thank you enough for their enthusiasm and commitment to our vital work. Together we have, and will continue over the coming months of 2022, to ensure no child or family has to face cancer alone.”
If you are feeling inspired and think your organisation would be interested in raising vital funds to support local young people and families impacted by cancer, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Alex Murdock at alex@cancerfundforchildren.com or call 028 9080 5599.
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Newry company Food Safe System, a technology company that simplifies and automates the food compliance procedures for hospitality and food service businesses, has been awarded £5,000 as part of Live Here Love Here’s Climate Challenge Fund, where schools, local councils, community and youth groups and businesses across Northern Ireland benefitted from grants to help put their climate knowledge into action.
Funded by the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund, the scheme made £200,000 available for projects that introduced climate action into local communities. The grant money allocated will help reduce carbon emissions through innovative initiatives and maximise opportunities for community participation in local climate conversations and projects right across Northern Ireland.
Food Safe System Manager Neil Bradley says, “We plan to use the money to roll out our F*Waste smart scales food waste prevention platform, into hospitality businesses in the Newry area, to enable them to reduce their food waste.
“The F*Waste smart scales are connected to the internet as part of the IoT (Internet of Things). The scales sit under food waste bins in professional kitchens and measures their food waste in real time. It then uses that information to help them reduce and prevent food waste therefore minimising their environmental impact and reducing the business's cost.”
In a first for Ireland and the UK there are no other IoT connected scales like this in the world at the moment.
The scales sit under the kitchens bin. It's completely wireless and can be located anywhere. Staff don't have to do anything differently and information is collected automatically. The scales are tracking in real time and that data is used to identify patterns of food waste.
Bradley explains “Perhaps when they buy a particular type of food they waste more, maybe on a particular day there's more waste happening or when a particular member of staff is working there's more food waste, so maybe they need to train that staff member. They might find when the weather is bad they have more food waste, so they can plan for that.
“We can also then by using information on sales and purchases identify why those patterns are happening and then use that data to help the restaurants prevent that food waste happening. Ultimately, we are aiming to tackle carbon emissions and improve the quality of our area.”
At present the scales are undergoing commercial testing in restaurants in Belfast, and with the Live Here Love Here funding, Food Safe System are now able to purchase and install scales into restaurants in Newry. The future looks bright for F*Waste with significant interest at present from UK, Ireland and US businesses.
The Climate Challenge Fund, which received applications in March and April, was open to any organisation in Northern Ireland interested in tackling the climate emergency. Funded projects were required to demonstrate innovative, creative or functional approaches to climate action, with successful applicants receiving in the region of £1,000 to £5,000 to meet the scale of the challenge.
Bradley adds: “I have always been passionate about finding ways to help the hospitality industry reduce its carbon footprint and by doing so helping to increase their profits. I’m thrilled that the Live Here Love Here funding has given us a fantastic opportunity to introduce this unique technology to our home city of Newry. Our F*Waste smart scales will enable selected local businesses to reduce their food waste and ultimately reduce their impact on our local environment.”
Jemma Davies, Climate Clever Communities Programme Coordinator comments: “We are very pleased to support 42 different projects through Live Here Love Here’s Climate Challenge Fund. People from a variety of sectors have come forward to access the capital they need to transform their carbon-cutting ideas into practice. In the end, we were hugely oversubscribed with applications and worked hard to stretch our budget across as many exciting proposals as we could. We encourage as many groups as possible to reach out to us if they want to ‘Live Here Love Here’.”
For further information on the Climate Challenge Fund, visit www.liveherelovehere.org.
To contact Food Safe System/ F*Waste call Neil on ——- or email ——
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Customers of the Iceland store in Newry can now order speedy delivery of food to their doors via the Uber Eats platform.
A further 22 stores are now offering groceries on demand via the delivery platform bringing a total of 28 stores to the service.
Uber Eats is a food delivery platform that connects with local restaurants and retailers via an app allowing customers to order at the tap of a button. Customers can shop via the Uber Eats app in the same way as they would when ordering from a restaurant. Once accepted, the order is picked out in-store by Iceland colleagues before being collected and delivered by a courier who uses the Uber Eats platform in as little as 30 minutes.
The partnership gives customers a convenient, contactless and cash-free option when shopping for their favourite products and complements Iceland’s existing online service, which also offers free home delivery for customers.
Customers can avail of over 3,800 products including fresh groceries and vegetables from the comfort of their own home. A number of exclusive frozen food ranges perfect for summer entertaining, are also available from the supermarket retailer such as TGI Fridays, Greggs, Cathedral City, Harry Ramsden’s, Barratts and Slimming World.
Ron Metcalfe, Managing Director, Iceland Ireland said: “We are encouraged by the appetite for this type of service in Northern Ireland. The Uber Eats roll out in a further 22 stores across the region reflects our belief that rapid grocery delivery for busy lives and households will continue to evolve and further cement our position within the sector.
“Giving our customers instant access to their favourite brands has enabled the business to adapt to the change in consumer shopping habits. We are committed to offering a wide range of products, alongside global brands at affordable prices. This high street to doorstep service enhances our offering and makes shopping hassle free via the Uber Eats App.”
Alex Troughton, Head of Commerce at Uber Eats UK said: “We are delighted to be expanding our partnership with Iceland in Northern Ireland, which will enable even more customers to order from Iceland’s range of groceries and essentials via the Uber Eats app.”
To celebrate the Uber Eats Partnership, customers can receive FREE DELIVERY.*
*Terms and conditions apply: Free delivery offer available until 11:55pm on 15 August 2022 to a maximum discount of £5, when you spend £20 on menu items (excluding the delivery fee). Valid on one (1)/all order(s) from selected Iceland stores in the UK (check the Uber Eats app for availability of participating restaurants, promotional products and deliveries). Service fee (calculated on the pre-promotion total) will apply to order. Other fees (such as a small order fee) may apply. Offer is not valid on any basket that includes alcohol or tobacco products. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers. Offer subject to availability. Offer available for a maximum of 1 users per store, on a first come, first serve basis.
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Norbrook Laboratories is one of the world’s largest privately owned veterinary pharmaceutical companies and is ranked in the top 20 companies within the global animal health market. With its global headquarters in Newry the company has developed, manufactured and distributed generic veterinary pharmaceuticals worldwide since 1969.
Norbrook’s culture is based on its values, and its One Team ethos is evident through the ongoing commitment and dedication of employees to producing high quality products for livestock and pets globally, and also supporting community initiatives.
Denise Collins, HR Director at Norbrook, said: “Working at Norbrook provides the opportunity to make a difference by supporting the development and manufacturing of products that improve the lives of people’s pets around the world and help the food supply chain on which we all rely to function and thrive. It also provides fantastic career development opportunities, with our focus on people development and the fact that our global headquarters are based here on the island of Ireland.”
Oliver Allen works for Norbrook as a manufacturing supervisor. Having previously worked in a bank for 20 years, Oliver joined Norbrook with aims to progress a career in operational leadership.
“Everyone will say it, but no day is typical in Norbrook” Oliver says, “With the nature of the work every day is different and challenging so I’m going home feeling like I’ve achieved something. There is great satisfaction in knowing that our products are sitting in shelves all around the world.”
Norbrook, dedicated to upskilling their employees, provide their staff with ongoing training which Oliver says is improving his work, “it is helping me become more effective in achieving better results and building better relationships.”
Oliver says that it was very easy to integrate into the team in Norbrook, “Even though my career journey has been very different I would say that I’ve settled in very quickly and was made to feel very welcome, I felt part of the team from the outset.”
Level 2 Operative Fergal began his career with Norbrook over four years’ ago. As a Production Operative, Fergal is based in the vial preparation room, and for him, a typical day can include preparing paperwork, cleaning and sterilising vials in preparation for each batch of products being manufactured.
In his role, Fergal is challenged, which he finds rewarding: “Attention to detail is needed. You also have to be good at problem solving in order to fix any issues”.
Whether you are starting your career or want to take the next step in your career progression, Norbrook has a wide range of opportunities available across all functions, with immediate starts available for Production Operatives and Manufacturing Supervisors, and a £500 sign-on bonus available
Norbrook are hosting a Recruitment Open Day on Monday 8th August in the Canal Court Hotel Newry. Come along between 12pm-7pm to meet with members of our team, and find out about our opportunities. No experience? No problem – we have a role to suit you as full training is provided. Fast track applications and interviews will be available on the day, making it easier for you secure your next career move.
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Newry Chamber members held a meeting with SDLP MLAs, Justin McNulty MLA and Colin McGrath MLA at the ThinkLab, WIN Business Park, Newry yesterday, 11 August.
The focus of the meeting was the cost-of-living crisis but discussions also included a range of business challenges and opportunities. This part of a series of meetings with political representatives.
Edwina Flynn, Chamber Vice President who led the delegation said “We welcome the opportunity to engage with political parties. We have a diverse range of members covering multiple sectors. We feel it is important that our members are given a forum to speak directly with elected representatives.”
“We obviously stressed the need for a functioning Executive as the Assembly’s ability to intervene in the cost-of-living crisis is limited at the present time. We saw during the Covid crisis how government could support businesses and consumers with innovative ideas and targeted action.”
“Some businesses are going to need intervention to help them survive. Some members have reported doubling of their energy prices and other costs are rising weekly.”
Other issues discussed included the skills shortage due to Covid and Brexit. In particular, there was good discussion around how the Regional Colleges can support the Government’s 10x Economic Strategy and how demand for higher level apprenticeships is growing. There is a clear need for schools and the Further Education Sector to work together and Newry Chamber are supporting this in the local area.
Daisy Hill Hospital, medical care provision, housing need and planning reform and the need to address vacant properties on the high street were also raised.
Chamber Vice President, Edwina Flynn concluded “We thank the SDLP MLAs for meeting our members and we plan to engage further in the future. We have given them a clear view on the issues faced by businesses and their staff. Through continued dialogue we can come up with solutions to address the challenges.”
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