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The Economy Minister, Diane Dodds has announced financial support for business in response to Covid-19 with applications opening next Monday 20 April.
Businesses in the hospitality, retail and tourism sectors will be eligible to apply for grants of £25,000. Applications to the scheme will open 20 April and will take around 15 working days to process, subject to verification of eligibility.
The Small Business Support Grant Scheme, providing grants of £10,000, will be extended to include small industrial businesses that qualify for industrial de-rating. This expansion will cover around 2,500 additional businesses.
Speaking about the new support, the Minister said "From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been committed to supporting businesses to mitigate the inevitable economic consequences of the vital restrictions we live under.
"In recent years, the hospitality, retail and tourism sectors in Northern Ireland have flourished, but their sustainability is based on people being able to travel, shop and socialise. COVID-19 has thrown into sharp relief the fragility of these sectors and I am acutely aware of the hardship now being faced by these businesses.
"Over 4,000 businesses in these sectors will be able to apply for grants of £25,000 from Monday 20 April. Information on eligibility and how to apply will be available on the nibusinessinfo website and I urge anyone who believes they are eligible to apply from that date."
Turning to the expansion of the Small Business Support Grant Scheme, the Minister said "We very quickly set up the Small Business Support Grant Scheme to support up to 27,000 businesses in receipt of Small Business Rate Relief.
"I am pleased to be in a position now to expand that scheme further. Around 2,500 small businesses which benefit from industrial de-rating are now also eligible for the support.
"More than 14,000 payments have been made to local businesses through this scheme and applications continue to be processed."
The Minister went on to confirm that both schemes would close for applications on Wednesday 20 May.
Mrs Dodds said "So that we can be in a position to secure budget availability for further measures for local business, we must bring these two grant schemes to a close. I therefore urge anyone who believes they are eligible to please ensure you engage with the process before the closing date of 20 May."
The Minister has agreed that a fund would be earmarked to support businesses not currently able to access existing regional or national grant schemes.
Mrs Dodds said "I recognise that there are many other businesses across Northern Ireland that are being adversely impacted at present and facing financial hardship, and which have not been able to access any of the existing national or regional grant schemes.
"My message to them is: we are working as quickly as we can on how best we might assist you. A budget will be identified for these businesses and officials are examining how to deliver this money to where it is so desperately needed."
More information on support for businesses not eligible for existing grant schemes will be announced as soon as possible.
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Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade was one of four Chambers who have carried out a survey on the effect the Coronavirus crisis is having on local businesses.
The survey paints a bleak picture of the state of the economy across Northern Ireland as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The survey of 250 business from a wide range of sectors including manufacturing, retail, hospitality and tourism, professional and legal services, business administration and support, technology and charities/social enterprises was carried out by Newry Chamber of Commerce and Trade, Belfast Chamber, Causeway Chamber and Londonderry Chamber of Commerce between 8 April and 11 April.
Survey Finds
The survey found that only 12% of businesses remain physically open with 43% of businesses closed and not trading at all and slightly over 1/3 of businesses have their staff working from home;
80% of businesses planning to use the Government’s Job Retention Scheme with nearly 6 out of 10 employees (58% in those businesses being furloughed. The sectors furloughing most workers are retail, charities/social enterprises, hospitality and tourism, and business administration and support.
Only 47% of those eligible for the £10,000 Executive's Grant Scheme have received their payment and fewer than 1 in 5 businesses (16%) have applied for a Government backed Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan.
Businesses have a real fear for the future
Newry Chamber Chief Executive Colm Shannon said “Our survey also found that many businesses have a real fear for the future, not just of their own firms but also the wider economy. Several respondents stated a desire to see the Government spell out when the lockdown might be lifted to allow businesses to better plan and for the economy to restart.
"Business also wants to see the Government develop a stimulus plan to attempt to prevent a likely recession from spiralling into a much deeper, longer term economic crisis with the Executive locally, working closely with the likes of Invest NI, local Councils, enterprise agencies and bodies such as InterTradeIreland to help aid recovery. This is an immense challenge for our economy both now and in the time ahead. Just as business needs Government help to get through this in the short term, our economy will require serious help from the Government and the Executive to help us rebuild”.
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Locally owned business, Casabella Interiors are continuing to trade at 4 The Mall in Newry despite the upheavel surrounding the COVID-19 crisis.
Because a lot of other places haven't been offering the service, proprietor Michael Berrill explains "Business is actually nearly better at the moment than it was before, but I'm aware that it's only going to be a temporary measure" when more local places re-open.
Masonry paint, exterior wall paint and fence paint are three of the items in big demand owing no doubt to people embarking on that long overdue project, now that they have more time on their hands at home.
The first week was exhausting with trading being especially busy. As Michael says "It was hell, only four hours each day but worse than a normal full day" Thankfully though things settled quickly after that.
Casabella is trading at present from 9am-1pm Monday to Saturday and Customers should phone the shop beforehand on 028 3026 3794.
The family business which has been trading for three generations has never witnessed anything quite like the present upheaval but present owner Michael Berrill is glad he can continue to provide the service.
Starting out as Keeley's Wallpaper and Paint and then Berrill's Blinds, the home decorating business began with Michael's grandparents Peter and Frances Keeley before his own parents Sean and Deborah Berrill took it over.
Over the years the business has had to contend with other challenges, a flood which caused quite a bit of damage and as Michael explains, since the 2008 crash it has virtually been a ten year struggle.
Although nothing quite prepares you for the present 'normal' the business has adapted well although it's not something that they will miss when it's over.
The interaction with people in the shop is what is missed the most "We will be glad to let people back into the shop. It doesn't seem like the same premises with no customers inside" says Michael.
You can purchase most items from the shop although due to social distancing measures no one is allowed on the premises so your purchases are delivered out to your car for you.
Michael recommends potential customers check their website or talk to them if looking items like wallpaper. You can check the website out at CASA-BELLA-INTERIORS.CO.UK
Wallpaper, curtain fabrics, ready made curtains and Sanderson paint are also offered on home delivery.
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Newry based recycling company, Re-Gen Waste Ltd are donating nearly 50,000 pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) to help key workers across the Southern Health and Social Care Trust during the present COVID-19 pandemic.
The company was sourcing PPE for its own essential staff, via its supply chain in China, but on learning from family and friends working in hospitals in the Southern Trust, that stock of vital personal protective equipment was running low, Re-Gen’s management acted immediately to assemble a team to bring home extra PPE for them.
An additional £60,000 order was placed, comprising 24,000 pairs of medical hand gloves, 18,000 disposable surgical masks, 7,200 FFP2 masks and 480 sterile medical protective suits. These will be delivered directly to frontline staff in Daisy Hill Hospital and Craigavon Area Hospital.
Aidan Doherty, Commercial Director at Re-Gen said: “We were distressed to hear that healthcare workers in our own community were frightened to go to work because they were running out of much needed PPE supplies. It was important to us that we did our bit to support the health and wellbeing of these incredible individuals who are putting themselves in harm’s way, to provide the very best care for their patients.
“We approached the Southern Health and Social Care Trust to check if this was the right thing to do, to sort logistics and to approve the specification of the PPE materials we could source, from our supplier.
The flight from Shanghai carrying the essential PPE, touched down at Heathrow Airport on Monday 27 April and the cargo is being road freighted to Re-Gen Waste’s Newry Headquarters, on Friday 1 May. There, the consignment will be collected by the Southern Trust and distributed to their hospitals.
Mr Doherty continued: “Whilst Re-Gen was not able to help directly on the frontline, we were able to get the team at Re-Gen to do what they do best and source the equipment needed. Anyone who is capable of helping right now, should be helping. We can have a direct impact on the number of lives protected and saved within our community, he said.”
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Newpharm Pharmacy based at the Health Village in Newry are just one of many local businesses that have had to adjust to post Covid-19 reality, with social distancing, protective wear, counter screens and a delivery service all becoming an important part of normal working life.
Despite all the change in recent times it is reassuring to see that some things do stay the same, and so it was, when John Downey from Friar Tucks called with a special delivery of lunch for all the staff, from the Monaghan Street restaurant. Yes a Friar Tucks Chicken Burger is one Newry product to have withstood the test of time.
It was a much appreciated gesture from Friar Tucks who wanted to show their thanks for the frontline key work Newpharm are doing in keeping the people of Newry supplied with their medical needs, in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis.
Of course Friar Tucks themselves have had to adapt too, reopening last week with an on-street counter at the front of the store where people can pick up their order either after phoning in or ordering at the counter.
Tracy Conlon, Pharmacy Manager, Newpharm Pharmacy was one of nine staff members on site on Friday who enjoyed the lunchtime treat. The staff are all doing their best to keep the business going in what are unique circumstances.
Tracy explained "It's as busy as ever, just a different way of working. Obviously we don't have very many walk in prescriptions. The doctors actually send the prescriptions to us now. Very few people are able to collect their prescriptions from GP surgeries. It has to be sent over via the community pharmacy. Each community pharmacy in Newry will collect the prescriptions assigned to that particular pharmacy and we do them up.
"We are working differently. We do collections during the day, we work on them and people usually collect them that evening or the next day. As best we can we are trying to be committed to the patients so they can obtain their medication safely and effectively."
A lot has changed in the past month or so as Tracy explains "The girls are always wearing protective clothing, that's a big change for everyone, as well, having to wear this PPE. Social distancing we are trying to keep, it is two metres, but within a pharmacy it can be one metre because of the nature of the pharmacy.
"We have reduced staff numbers to accommodate less people in the dispensary. We try to do it as best we can. We wear all the protective gear to try and protect each other but also to be safe for the customers coming in as well."
The pharmacy has also introduced a volunteer delivery service to get prescriptions out to the more vulnerable patients that can't come into the shop.
Like other stores keeping stock of everything was a challenge at the beginning of the lockdown. Tracy comments "Stock levels have always been an issue in pharmacy and it has impacted over years really. There are times we can't get our hands on medication. At the moment I don't notice a real big difference to that. There had been a shortage of inhalers at the very start. When this kicked off a lot of people were getting supplies of inhalers. People that weren't using them regularly were ordering them from their doctor. It left a shortage for a few weeks."
On present stock levels Tracy adds "As far as I'm aware, there is nothing I can see that's impacting on patient health."
Staff were under pressure at the beginning of the crisis in what was a very busy period.
"The girls have been great, they have stepped up to the mark. We are trying to keep things very positive. A few weeks ago it was really busy, a lot of pressure put on us, but we've come through that and I think we are all working well as a team." says Tracy adding "They all feel safe. We have put up the barrier and there is that safety element there. You have to keep your staff safe, and at the end of the day, they do feel safe. A number of them said to me once the barrier went up, they thought it was a great job. It has done its job for us. We don't know how that is going to go in the future. It could be a long time before that barrier comes down. We are not really sure"
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Newry, Mourne and Down Council have opened two tenders for the installation of full fibre gigabit broadband capacity in public sector buildings across the district.
Ultrafast broadband is the next generation of connectivity, capable of delivering download speeds of 1 Gigabit (Gb) or 1000 Megabits (Mb) per second using pure optical fibre.
Since June 2018, Councils in Northern Ireland have worked closely together to create and build the Full Fibre Northern Ireland Consortium (FFNI). The Consortium is made up of all ten councils in Northern Ireland outside of Belfast and hosted by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.
FFNI’s aim is to expand the high-speed fibre broadband footprint across the region to ensure Northern Ireland has available and affordable connectivity to support future growth and prosperity.
FFNI secured £15m of Local Full Fibre Networks (LFFN) funding in March 2019 from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
The procurement of the fibre infrastructure is currently under way to identify the preferred bidders for the LFFN and RGC projects by mid-June 2020.
The funding will be used to install ultrafast fibre ‘gigabit capable’ broadband to public sector buildings across Northern Ireland. Connecting these public-sector sites is likely to make it easier for suppliers to make full fibre available to nearby business and domestic premises. The project will transform connectivity for almost 1000 public sector sites and deliver a major increase in GVA across the region through improved connectivity.
Currently around 44% of premises in Northern Ireland have access to full fibre connectivity; outside of the major conurbations the figure is much lower. With responsibility for promoting economic development, and local knowledge, the councils within the FFNI Consortium are well positioned to drive fibre infrastructure in areas where it is most needed.
Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Charlie Casey commented, “Our residents and local businesses depend on us to deliver high quality public services and having connectivity is essential to that. The Public sector has to keep pace with what technology can offer local communities and not be left behind by other regions who recognise the value of full fibre broadband.
“This funding is essential for developing important telecoms infrastructure and full fibre is expected to provide improved digital connectivity and unlock considerable economic value across the district.”
The UK Government's Minister for Digital Infrastructure, Matt Warman, said, "We are taking the next step in our plans to futureproof Northern Ireland’s broadband for a generation.
“This £15 million investment from the UK government will boost public services and buildings with gigabit broadband and encourage suppliers to improve connections to nearby homes and businesses in the process.
“Across the UK we are also investing £5 billion to make sure hard-to-reach areas are not left behind.”
The FFNI Consortium believes that the future of telecommunications infrastructure in Northern Ireland is vital to economic growth, and full fibre connectivity is the key to ensuring high-speed connectivity for current and future generations. This award will allow the 10 local authorities within FFNI to future proof their network connectivity requirements for the next 20 to 25 years.
The importance of connectivity and high bandwidth has been highlighted during the coronavirus pandemic which has pushed us further into a digital world with businesses forced to work online through video conferencing and school children learning over virtual classrooms. These changes in behaviour are likely to have lasting effects when the economy starts to pick up and the roll out of Ultrafast fibre will help to ensure that internet connectivity is resilient enough for future demands.
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The Southern Relief Road project will receive additional funding from the Stormont Executive following yesterdays announcement by Finance Minister Conor Murphy of over £700m of new funding for infrastructure, regeneration, and tourism projects across the north.
The investment is the result of the Executive today agreeing to match fund £562m for City and Growth Deals and £55m for the Inclusive Future Fund. This match funding along with the British Government funding announced in May 2019 brings the total investment to £1.2bn.
The Executive has also agreed to provide up to an additional £100m for complementary projects where partners can demonstrate a viable capital project which is complementary to the City/Growth Deal proposals.
Finance Minister Conor Murphy said: “This investment package signals our desire to build a productive, regionally balanced and inclusive economy.
“The Executive is currently reacting to the COVID-19 emergency. We have already provided over £500m in grants and rates relief to support businesses survive the ongoing pandemic.
"We also need to plan for the longer-term. This investment of over £700m will provide investment in local areas and much needed jobs and offers hope for the future.”
The package provides at least £700m for the Belfast Region (which includes Newry, Mourne and Down District Council as well as Antrim and Newtownabbey, Ards and North Down, Lisburn and Castlereagh, Mid and East Antrim), £252m for the Mid, South & West, £210m for Derry City and Strabane and £72m for Causeway Coast and Glens.
The funding will deliver a number of potential projects including Newry Southern Relief road and a visitor destination experience at the Mourne Mountains.
Slieve Gullion, Councillor Byrne who sits on Belfast Region City Deal Council Panel believes the Deal has the potential to transform the economy in Newry, Mourne and Down driving new investment and attracting new jobs.
“I am proud of the SDLP’s record on championing City Deals for the North over the last five years. Despite the initial disinterest from the Executive, we have always maintained that these deals would have a significant impact on our ability to reimagine infrastructure, attract new jobs and stimulate economic growth.” said Cllr Byrne who added “Newry, Mourne and Down District Council area is set to benefit substantively from the secured funding. This investment will allow projects like the Southern Relief Road, Newry City Regeneration and Mournes Gateway to be realised in the years ahead.
“As a representative on the City Deal panel, I been provided with great insight into the opportunities both economically and socially for the people of our district. This has been a long time coming. We have been forced to wait for far too long for the chance to build more for our people and our communities.”
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If you didn't get a chace to get out of your house this year to buy garden plants and tools, because of the lockdown fear not, as a local garden nursery has decided to go online with their products to keep their business going through these difficult unprecedented times.
An Tobar CIC based in Silverbridge had to close in March to ensure the safety of their families, staff, customers and local community during the Covid-19 Pandemic but they have now launched their new website where you can buy a range of garden plants, seeds, garden tools, pots, compost, fertiliser and much more for home delivery.
The website has already over 80 products online with more being added daily.
The nursery will deliver items ordered via their online store within 1 or 2 days to customers within 10 miles of Silverbridge.
Like many products, plants have a lifespan and a universal difficulty with many local nursery and garden centres is keeping stock moving when they are in season so An Tobar's online shop will be a massive boost for the non-profit Community Interest Company.
An Tobar will be taking telephone orders (Card payments only) for home delivery starting this Thursday 8 May. Telephone Orders will be taken from 10am to 1pm Tuesdays to Fridays. Tel: 028 30861130. Note the service is deliveries only.
A spokesperson added "We are delighted to be able to offer this contactless service for our customers whilst keeping everyone as safe as possible during the ongoing Covid-19 situation."
Check out their online shop at ANTOBARCIC.COM A delivery charge will apply to all orders under £100.
Please note their shop and garden premises remain CLOSED to the public at this time.
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The CEOs of Newry Chamber have joined together with Belfast Chamber, Causeway Chamber and Derry Chamber to make a presentation to Stormont’s Economy Committee, emphasising that the NI Executive must make clear, as soon as possible, how it plans to restart the local economy and set out what support and assistance it will give businesses to prepare for reopening.
The Chambers emphasised that we are only at the beginning of the economic challenges created by COVID-19 and our businesses need a combination of the short term financial interventions already announced, as well as long-term investment to support the rebuilding of our economy and protection of jobs.
In a joint statement, Newry Chamber CEO Colm Shannon, Causeway Chamber CEO Karen Yates, Derry Chamber CEO Paul Clancy and Belfast Chamber CEO Simon Hamilton said “COVID-19 has taken a huge toll on the health of thousands of local people and has sadly accounted for the lives of too many family members and loved ones all across Northern Ireland. Whilst the health effects of this pandemic will be with us for some time, we can, because of the heroics of our health service staff and the fortitude of so many who have stayed at home to protect the NHS and save lives, now say that we are passed the peak. That is good news.
“Right from the beginning, this has been an interlinked health and economic emergency. As our collective efforts help us to get to grips with the coronavirus, it is right that we start to turn our thoughts towards how we can get our economy going again. That isn’t to say that we demand a date when all businesses open. That can and must, depend on when it is safe to do so. Rather, we are saying that it is appropriate to now commence planning how many businesses can safely open up and trade once more.
“In a survey of our members, we found that 43% of businesses are closed and not trading at all. In most cases, those are businesses in customer facing sectors of our economy like retail, hospitality and leisure. Many of those businesses have had their doors shut now for over six weeks and will likely be closed for quite a while yet. However, restarting those businesses won’t simply be a matter of opening their doors again. With social distancing measures likely to have to remain in place for the foreseeable future, that will have an impact on those businesses as they have to adjust the layout of their premises, introduce queuing systems and put screens and other safety measures in place.
“As well as providing businesses with the clear advice and guidance that they will require to open safely and give confidence to their staff and their customers, it is also the case that even as businesses might begin to open again, footfall is not going to return to pre-coronavirus levels overnight. For the majority, it will be a long time before we are anywhere near business as usual.
“Public investment in infrastructure, innovation and skills will have a huge part in the recovery plan. This week’s announcement by the NI Executive of £700m for the city and growth deals, will be an important first step in stimulating economic growth and job creation right across Northern Ireland.
“A great many businesses are going to struggle for some time to come. The support that the Government and the NI Executive have provided so far has been gratefully received by those who have been eligible. What is now absolutely apparent is that support will be needed for the hardest hit sectors for as long as this crisis continues. Whether that is more employment support like the furloughing scheme, additional grants or an extension of rates relief, our call is that help to ensure that jobs, livelihoods and businesses are protected continues.”
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