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The Discount Voucher Book - Greater Newry area has been launched by local woman Rachel Douglas and you can check out the exclusive offers on her stand in the Buttercrane Shopping Centre this weekend.
Having recently returned home from Australia she saw an opportunity to promote local businesses and encourage consumers to shop, spend, and enjoy local through the discount voucher concept.
Featuring exclusive discounts from over 40 top locally owned businesses covering: Eating Out, Hair & Beauty, Shopping & Retail, Health and Wellbeing and Entertainment there is something inside for everyone.
All discount vouchers are valid right through to June 2017, giving you plenty of time to make the potential savings of up to £1750 locally.
Priced at £12.00 The Discount Voucher Book can be purchased online at www.NEWRYBOOK.com, where you will also find details of local stockists - many of whom feature discount vouchers inside.
Check out the website for further info or the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NewryBook where you’ll find details of a competition to name the new recruit ‘The Duck with no Name?!’.
Buy your copy this weekend in Buttercrane Centre and you could even meet ‘The Duck’ himself.
This is a great opportunity to make everyday savings on everything from fuel and pet supplies to children’s activities and pamper days while supporting our local businesses.
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Local Business Entrepreneurs Emma Marmion and Lorraine Rooney of Prestige Business Solutions Ltd, St Colmans Park, Newry have been nominated for Northern Ireland Most Inspiring Women 2016 by Business First Magazine and you can vote for them to win the competition.
Both nominees said “It was a lovely surprise to be nominated we had no idea, however it is an honour to be recognised for your achievements”. Emma and Lorraine are in their 10th Year of business having successfully steered their way through a local and global recession, as like many businesses in Newry and Northern Ireland and hope to achieve 10 more years.
"The business started with Lorraine and Emma and has grown, now employing 10 employees over the last 2-3 years, they said “We are extremely proud of how Prestige has developed its services over the years to meet the needs of our clients and especially the expert team we have around us”
Prestige Business Solutions Ltd, provide expert HR advice, Health & Safety support and Training. Emma said “It is a privilege to be able to support or clients with their HR needs and develop our service to enable them to have one source for all HR and H&S”.
Lorraine and Emma have demonstrated over the years their entrepreneurial spirit by bringing proactive solutions to businesses ensuring they remain No1 in the market place. Lorraine commented “Our wide range of high standard training courses in HR, Management and Health & Safety have been designed by our team of experts to specifically develop the skills and knowledge of our client’s employees enabling them to develop their businesses further. This is an area we continue to develop and strive to deliver the best at all times”.
If you would like to vote for Emma Marmion and Lorraine Rooney just click www.businessfirstonline.co.uk and place a tick at their names.
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Inspired by a lack of plus size clothing throughout Ireland, Newry’s latest addition to the local business sector, The Curvy Gurl has given a much appreciated boost to the area, with the recent opening of their headquarters and store at Sugar Island.
Formerly from Michigan in the US but of Irish descent, Keven and Shelly Sands together with their son Zach and Keven’s mother Kay run the bustling business selling Clothing, Handbags, scarves, jumpers, underwear, hats, trousers and much much more.
For Newry customers virtually anything that is available on their website www.thecurvygurl.com can be bought in store.
Keven adds “You have the ability to browse online and then take your time and come in to the shop and know what you are looking for already. You will always get a good deal.”
Speaking on how the company began Keven said “The first time I was here in 2012 it was very hot in Michigan and I forgot to bring my jacket with me, I thought no big deal I’ll just pick up a jacket when we are in Ireland, and I found I had to search an entire day and go to about 12 different shops before I found one to fit my size and I thought, what an inconvenience that is.
“Then the following year Shelly was here, she knew the story and she was looking around purposely to find ladies clothing in the plus size market and found that Belfast was the only option”
Evidence of the Business’s growing popularity can be gauged from almost 90,000 followers on Facebook (Probably the highest of any company in Newry).
It’s evident The Curvy Gurl is doing something right and their sales to Ireland, UK, New Zealand, Australia, United States, Canada, Germany, Spain, Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey and more are a testament to that.
Keven’s Grandfather was formerly from Ballinacraig Townland and his Grandmother hailed from Rathfriland but both emmigrated to America. Although they were both from Newry they didn’t know each other until a chance meeting in Detroit and they ended up getting married.
Although Keven’s family were from Newry and Shelly’s from Tralee neither had actually visited here but when Keven’s father, who always wanted to live out his days in Ireland passed away in 2011, it led to an Irish visit and set the wheels in motion for what was to be a live changing move.
“My Father’s final wish was to have his ashes buried in his grandmothers grave in Portadown so we came home in 2012 to bury him.
We stayed for two weeks and just fell in love with the place.”
They decided to return the following year inspired by ’The Gathering’ and Shelly who hadn’t visited in 2012 came over and visited her relations in Tralee
“When we came home from that trip we just kind of sat down and talked and said lets move.”
They talked to their family and made the trip back for good in December 2014.
Reflecting on the move Keven commented “It is definitely a different way of life. I worked for General Motors as a Software Developer, before that it was Hewlett Packard, I’ve always come from huge IT companies. We had the nice big house and the luxury cars and we were like, lets get rid of everything. We sold it all off and we made the move over here to try our lot”
And the outcome there can be no question “No Regrets, we are all happy, we love it here”
When they originally decided to move the initial idea was to stay with General Motors and work remotely from Dublin while Shelly would run a boutique but things turned out more complicated and with a lot of travelling on the cards they decided to throw all their energy into the company.
Kevin's experience in IT proved invaluable for building the Curvy Gurl Website, especially the technical ‘back end’. They started selling locally, selling out of their home with most business coming initially from England. They moved to premises in Kildare Street in Newry but six months in realised they would be outgrowing it pretty quickly so in March this year started looking around for alternatives, finding along the way that getting warehouse space in Newry is next to impossible.
When the Sugar Island building came up they went for it and now all operations, shipping, sales etc are out of Sugar Island, The Curvy Gurl Headquarters.
On Brexit Keven thinks in the long term it could be good for the firm but he certainly couldn’t imagine a border in place and thinks it won’t happen as it would be counterproductive to both Ireland and the UK.
“Maybe it’s the American side of me but, you know we weren’t too fond of having another country tell us what to do, and I think maybe the UK can stand a bit on it’s own.”
Priced competitively with all of the major companies they don’t see the local boutique as their competitor, rather the large companies.
“If you were going to go to Belfast, you’re not going to get a better deal than you would with The Curvy Gurl”
The firm see themselves heading down the franchise route. Commenting on the Sugar Island HQ Kevin points out “This is the flagship store, so everything there is set up for a reason, not just to be convenient to the customers. We want potential franchise owners to be able to come in and see how an operation can be run”
“We are going to offer a franchise opportunity that is unique to the market place, it has never been done before. One of the areas of expertise I have from my IT background is outsourcing so it’s something I know very well.
“We are going to support the stores as if they are part of the corporate structure but yet they are going to be independently owned, so everything from all the technology that goes in, their point of sale system, their security system, everything will be managed by The Curvy Gurl Corporation and they will buy from us at wholesale and then sell their products in their stores.”
Keen to support local enterprises they have recently added a line of hats from Ratty Tat Hats based in Ballynahinch.
Karen Christie from Ratty Tat walked into the shop one day and mentioned her business and it was exactly the type of product they were looking for.
“She is designing one of a kind bowler style vintage hats and that really fits in with our market” Keven said.
They would love to deal with local small businesses and if you’ve got a good product they want to hear about it.
Looking to the future they want to open up franchise stores across the island of Ireland and eventually expand to England, Scotland, Wales and Jersey.
Exciting times ahead indeed for the new Newry based company.
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Yesterday SIPTU members at the Glen Dimplex manufacturing plant in Greenbank, Newry implemented a 'Work Stoppage' in a dispute with the company concerning pay.
The Strike action is from 7.45am Thursday 18th August until 7.30am on Friday 19th August. The work stoppage is the first of several planned for the coming weeks and is in addition to an on-going work-to-rule campaign at the plant which includes a ban on overtime and call outs.
There are approximately 120 SIPTU members employed at the Glen Dimplex Plant in Newry, which has been in operation since 1973.
Alan Clark, SIPTU Chop Steward said " Our members have sought to find a negotiated solution to this dispute. Glen Dimplex is a profitable company and it is only fair that the workers who produce it high quality heating and other products are rewarded in an acceptable manner for their work".
" We regret that we have found it pessary to implement strike action in an attempt to bring an end to this dispute. "
Speaking on the action and expressing the wish that a solution can be found soon Cllr Kevin McAteer said “I want to commend the workers of Glen Electric for taking a stand in this pay dispute. We can’t ignore the fact that 93% of SIPTU members in the factory voted in favour of strike action and we must respect that democratic process.
“There have been extensive talks as of late between workers and management, however as no agreement could be reached members voted overwhelmingly to strike and they should be commended for that.”
Newry MLA Conor Murphy, MP Mickey Brady and Councillor Valerie Harte also joined workers on the picket line.
Mr Murphy said it was the company’s duty to engage with its workers. “We have spoken to the staff here on the picket line and it’s quite clear that they do not want to be striking today; they have been forced into this position by management’s refusal to engage meaningfully with them,” he said.
“These are very dedicated workers; people who have been loyal employees of the company for decades, some of them with 30 or 40 plus years of service; they are not the type of people who would make a decision like this flippantly.
“They’re not asking for anything beyond what will allow the staff to keep up with the cost of living. Their demands are completely reasonable and I think, given the years of loyal service and experience they have here, the company has a duty to engage in proper negotiations with the workers and their representatives.”
MP Mickey Brady said negotiating was not only the appropriate thing to do but the right thing to do. “We’ve been talking to the staff a lot today and as well as a sense of anger at the intransigence of management there is a very genuine sense of hurt that a company they have worked for for so long could dismiss their very modest requests so thoughtlessly,” he said.
“Their demands are not unreasonable and in this case in particular, given the years of service, I would say engaging with the staff and their representatives is not only the appropriate thing for Glen Dimplex to do but the right thing, indeed the decent thing.”
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A new fundraising platform has been launched by Newry based man Tom Hughes, where fundraisers can not only collect donations, but we can also now sell goods directly on the site, with the proceeds going straight to the cause.
The digital revolution has made it easier than ever before for the public to give and charities to receive. Now the next stage in online fundraising technology is launching from Ireland.
Merging the buy and sell elements of modern marketplace sites with the traditional donation technology of fundraising sites, Jumble Fund is an innovative new platform that will allow anyone to buy and sell items in aid of their chosen charity or cause, as well as allowing fundraisers to collect monetary donations towards a challenge, target or event.
Jumble Fund will enable fundraisers to accept the proceeds from items sold through the site as donations towards their fundraising target, thus enabling people to donate their “stuff” for the first time, rather than just cash.
Likewise, people who are clearing out their homes, garages and toy rooms can sell the items and send the money straight to a good cause or their favourite charity. This is a great workaround for charities who, despite some having retail shops, have long lists of donated items they can’t accept and resell for legal or safety reasons.
In this way, Jumble Fund will bring charities the proceeds of more than just the usual Bric-a-Brac, with larger scale items such as golf clubs and bikes currently raising funds for local good causes on the site.
Founder Tom Hughes describes what spurred him to bring his idea to life “The need for Jumble Fund was a real mix of practical and emotional elements for me. Practically, we are living in a society of ever-growing charitable endeavours and that’s great for the good causes. However, social media has left people bombarded with requests to support friends, family and even strangers. We all want to help, but we have a finite amount of spare cash to do so. There just wasn’t an easy-to-use system for turning the things we don’t need into that spare cash to donate.
On an emotional level, there is a real transformative process in converting all these things that would otherwise end up in landfill, into money that can make a real difference in our communities. I wanted to be part of making that process better, so that it happens more often.”
Jumble Fund not only brings a new functionality to online fundraising, it also makes it more secure. Unlike other online marketplaces, no money exchanges hands, making it safer for the seller, the buyer and the end charity.
And it’s not just registered charities that can benefit. Jumble Fund is continually growing and evolving, with the latest development allowing for personal fundraising projects like those set up to help fund operations or support families after a tragedy.
Another new element allows for the posting of “wanted” notices which matches sellers to buyers, who both want to do the transaction in aid of a good cause. People can post a free listing of something they are looking to buy second-hand and a suggested price they will pay for it. They can then either choose a beneficiary cause themselves or allow the seller to choose the charity.
Newry charities are already on board with the idea, with PIPS Newry & Mourne, Women’s Aid and Happy Days Nursery already using the new platform.
Other charities are quickly following suit with Jumble Fund’s team in talks with Southern Area Hospice, Brain Injury Foundation and the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust about how the new site can help their fundraising efforts.
John Fulham, from the Irish Wheelchair Association, explains succinctly why the concept could revolutionise the fundraising sector;
“We love the JumbleFund concept. Not everyone has a spare tenner but almost everyone has something that they don’t need, that they can sell in aid of their friend’s fundraising efforts."
Jumble Fund works like most other fundraising platforms the public would be familiar with, with a small percentage of profits (5% cash, 10% products) used to cover running costs.
Jumble Fund is the easiest way to give something to someone who needs it more than you. Sign up now at www.JumbleFund.com
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After a 5 year campaign by Newry and Mourne Enterprise Agency, small businesses located in the WIN Business Park, Newry, have finally been connected to super fast broadband through the most up to date technology, ‘Fibre to the Premsies’ in partnership with B4B Telecoms.
Up to now the broadband speed in the Park was stalled at around 13 megabytes per second (mps) download and only 1Mbps upload while businesses in the rest of Newry have benefited from the FTTC (Fibre to the Cabinet) broadband which delivers 80Mbps download and 20Mbps upload.
Colin Hanna from Newry and Mourne Enterprise Agency opened discussions with B4B to look at the issue and is delighted with the outcome.
Colin explained “Fast broadband speed is now effectively a utility service, as vital to small businesses as electricity and water. Unfortunately the Newry-wide Fibre to the Cabinet scheme did not reach our business park so our SMEs were being left behind. Working with B4B we identified sufficient numbers of tenant companies who needed faster broadband and we went down the route of the Super Connected Cities Voucher Scheme which opened up new possibilities. The result is that we now have a broadband service which is one step further than Fibre to the Cabinet and that is Fibre to the Premises."
Also commenting Thomas O Hagan from B4B said “The Super Connected Cities Voucher Scheme was ideal for Newry & Mourne Enterprise Agency. More than 20 businesses in the park indicated their willingness to sign up to the scheme and that gave us the opening to explore the Fibre to the Premises broadband solution. This means the Park now has access to 1GBps services, with many tenants choosing to avail of the 100Mbps download, surpassing that available on FTTC.
“W.I.N Business Park is now working with a SuperFast broadband solution and has been effectively ‘future proofed.’”
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Newry businesses were inspired and motivated by TV personality and trainer David Meade as Best Property Services hosted their second business breakfast in the City with mind-reading Mr Meade in the Canal Court Hotel last week.
Billed ‘Meade the Sequel’, guests heard a unique presentation from David, looking at customer psychology and how skills demonstrated by incredible athletes and business leaders can be used by local businesses to grow their customer base and enhance their business performance.
The event was attended by over 100 guests including MLA’s and local councillors, Best Property Services residential, commercial and land clients, members of their professional network, local business chambers and press.
Garry Best, MD of Best Property Services said: “Last year we had fantastic feedback from David’s session, both on the day and months later as people successfully used David’s tips and advice in their own businesses.
“Customer relationships and managing customer expectations is a critical area for all businesses so we felt a second event with David would be really useful to our staff, clients as well as our professional network and other local businesses and we’re delighted so many could join us today.”
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Students from Newry have taken part in a Novosco Cloud Camp which provided hands-on IT infrastructure experience and invaluable learning opportunities to students from across the province.
The camp organised by Novosco and supported by Almac, took place at Belfast Metropolitan College’s Titanic Quarter Campus over the summer months and was open to year 11–13 students.
Professional IT engineers and Belfast Met lecturers facilitated the camp, which also included a tour of Novosco’s headquarters in Belfast to allow students to see a world-class managed cloud company in action.
In addition to free registration, all participants were provided with a free Raspberry Pi computer to keep.
Areas covered at Novosco Cloud Camp included: networking, Python programming, basic HTML programming, and creating virtual servers.
Economy Minister Simon Hamilton MLA, who visited the camp commented: “Summer camps like these are a great way to get our young people engaged in Information Communication Technology in a fun and interactive way.
“The anticipated growth in the ICT sector means that we will need more skilled people in the future to meet the demands of employers. Gaining this hands on experience and having the opportunity to work with two locally based companies will hopefully inspire these young people to go on to consider a career in ICT in Northern Ireland.”
Novosco Managing Director, Patrick McAliskey, said: “We have had very strong interest in the camp, which gives us real encouragement about the increasing enthusiasm there is to begin a career in IT infrastructure. There is already incredible demand for the kinds of skills that these students will be developing, and that is only going to grow in the future. We are very pleased to be working with Almac and Belfast Met to play our role in ensuring the skills pipeline that our business and the industry as a whole requires.”
Andrew Hillis, Group Head of Information Services at Almac commented, “As a global company providing unique services, demand from clients all over the world continues to grow. IT plays an incredibly important role in delivering our global operations and as such we offer a vast range of career opportunities within Almac to people with these skills. The Cloud Camp is an excellent way of stimulating interest in IT infrastructure amongst young people and we look forward to working with Novosco to encourage potential future employees.”
Belfast Met’s Director of Development, Damian Duffy, said: “This Cloud Camp is the latest in a series of fantastic events which are helping to maintain the College’s position as the leading facilitator of education and skills solutions in the ICT sector. Belfast Met is delighted to be delivering this Novosco initiative at our state of the art Titanic Quarter campus. We are also thrilled to be partnering with Almac, another leading firm, in engaging the digital technologists of the future.”
Novosco employs 140 people and works for leading organisations across Ireland and the UK, including UK health trusts, councils and other organisations. It has been ranked one of the top companies to work for in the UK by The Sunday Times for the last four years.
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Southern Regional College’s Business Support Centre (i3) Engineering Innovation Technology Specialists Alistair Quinn and Laura McGirr recently held a New Product Development Masterclass at SRC Newry Campus.
Alistair is a Mechanical Engineer and Laura is a Product Design Engineer; the event was hosted to showcase their skills set and what funded support and opportunities are available within the college.
Alistair provided information on the range of funded support available for SMEs and discussed a case study of a local company which has benefitted from a range of funded projects carried out in collaboration with SRC. Laura spoke about the New Product Development process and how i3 can support local companies.
Guest speaker Alan Wallace from FR Kelly Patent Attorneys provided an insight into trademarks, design rights, trade secrets and copyrights. He also advised attendees on how to obtain a patent and how to protect their designs and ideas.
Michelle Billham, Business Development Executive at i3, informed attendees about the new Higher Level Apprenticeship in Mechatronics and one of SRC’s Engineering Lecturers, Gary Mackin spoke about project based learning initiatives and student placements.
If you are interested in finding out more about the support available within the Business Support Centre (i3) please contact a member of the i3 team today on 028 3839 7778.
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