Author: Tina Calder

Charities, community organisations and social enterprises across Northern Ireland are being called on to take part in the only jobs fair of its kind this November in Belfast.

The Charity Careers & Volunteer Job Fair, taking place on Wednesday November 5th at the Assembly Buildings Conference Centre, is set to once again be the biggest gathering of third sector employers in the country.

Now in its second year the event, which celebrates careers, jobs and volunteering opportunities in the third sector, is calling on organisations who are interested in exhibiting to sign up early as spaces are limited.

Launched in 2024, the fair has quickly established itself as a key date in Northern Ireland’s third sector calendar and remains the only event of its kind anywhere in the UK or Ireland. It provides a platform for organisations to connect directly with job seekers and volunteers who are actively looking for meaningful opportunities, while also raising awareness of the impact charities have across communities.

At the spring 2025 event more than 190 paid positions and 260 volunteer roles were promoted, generating over 450 application requests on the day. Exhibitors reported meaningful conversations with candidates from a wide range of backgrounds, with many going on to secure new hires and volunteers as a direct result of the fair.

Co-founder of Charity Jobs NI, Chris Bunce, said: “The Charity Careers & Volunteer Job Fair is about connecting people who want to make a difference with the organisations that need them. For attendees it is a chance to explore whether a career in the sector or a volunteering role is right for them. For charities, it is a practical way to meet new talent, share ideas and showcase the work they do across Northern Ireland.”

Previous exhibitors have highlighted the benefit of speaking face-to-face with motivated job seekers and volunteers, building connections that online platforms alone cannot achieve. Organisations have also praised the event’s marketing reach, which includes press, social media, and targeted promotion to Charity Jobs NI’s growing database of sector candidates.

Early expressions of interest for November have already been received from many of Northern Ireland’s largest charities, some returning for the November event. Around 50 stands will be available on the day, with allocation managed on a first come, first served basis.

To book your free ticket to attend or find out more about how your organisation can exhibit and take part go to charityjobsni.com/charity-careers-fair 

The Northern Ireland Creative Health Network has published its first year review and set out clear next steps to co-create a Northern Ireland Creative Health Strategy that can be embedded in policy. 

The plan is designed to address fragmented activity and bring creative health closer to the core business of the health system.

The review proposes convening senior leaders across the Public Health Agency, NICON, the five Health and Social Care Trusts, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Arts Care, Developing Healthy Communities and Ulster University to shape the strategy. 

It highlights learning from approaches taken in Wales, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland, and plans to connect with the National Centre for Creative Health and the UK All Party Group on Creative Health, with exploration of an All-Party Group at Stormont.

The network highlights that there is widespread recognition of the value of creative health, but practice remains fragmented and often seen as fringe to the priorities of the health system. The next phase has been designed to respond to this by developing a co-created national strategy and policy for creative health.

Will Nicholson, convenor of the Northern Ireland Creative Health Network, said: “The review sets out a practical route to move creative health from the margins to the mainstream. We are bringing system leaders together to co-create a Northern Ireland strategy and embed creative health into policy, learning from other nations and focusing on what will work in our context.”

Will’s review records specific outcomes from the first year that underpin this direction. These include a high level summary strategy for the network with five priorities and references to evidence, and the establishment of the Derry and Strabane Creative Healthy City Taskforce with partners in Donegal for a cross border scoping project. 

The network also participated in the NICON annual event with a fringe session on the benefits of creative health chaired by the Chair of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust and endorsed by NICON’s Director.

Barry Macaulay, chief executive of Arts Care, a founding member of the network, said: “The review shows why a Northern Ireland strategy is needed. There is strong activity across wards and community spaces, but it is dispersed. A clear framework, built with health and arts partners, will help join up delivery and support better conversations inside the health system.”

The report notes further steps to build momentum. It sets out plans to connect with national bodies, and a programme of events through 2025 and early 2026 to engage stakeholders and maintain profile, including partnership activity with the Ulster Orchestra, the Irish Doctors Orchestra and the Bamford Centre for Mental Health.

Background information in the review confirms that the network has moved from an informal group to a formal, recognised and valued network with a steering group, high level strategy and brand. It records more than 500 attendees across events in the year, growth in membership from 78 to 129, and establishment of core infrastructure including a holding web page hosted on the Arts Care website. The review acknowledges early support from the Baring Foundation in creating the conditions for this work.

Will Nicholson said: “The network has taken a relationship-led approach. Building trust with health partners has been essential, and the next phase focuses on co-designing the strategy with those who will use it.”

Barry Macaulay added: “This is about practical delivery as well as policy. The partnerships and events set out in the review give a platform to test ideas, gather evidence and make the case for creative health in Northern Ireland.”

For more information about the Creative Health Network go to artscare.co.uk/creative-health-network 

Organisers of BarCamp Belfast 2025 have announced the first group of speakers set to take the stage on September 26 at the Oh Yeah Centre in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter. The line-up includes experts on everything from soft skills and financial freedom to accessibility, email marketing and critical thinking in the age of AI.

Building on Andy McMillan’s 2009 success, organisers Marty Neill (of AirPOS Pay & Retro Rooms) and Jennie Wallace (Beyond Skin) have brought the captivating day to fruition alongside the event’s headline sponsors Options Technologies, AirPOS Pay, Infinity 21, The Alchemists Forum, Morrow Communications and media partner Excalibur Press.

This year’s BarCamp will feature 17 sessions across two stages, covering topics as diverse as how to retire in ten years, using AI in PR, accessibility in design, generative coding, neurodiversity and email marketing.

Among those confirmed is South Belfast entrepreneur Katie Willoughby, founder of ProTech, who will deliver Ctrl+Alt+Communicate: Soft Skills in Tech. Katie, who is launching her business to provide soft skills workshops for the tech sector, will argue that empathy and communication are not “nice-to-haves” but critical drivers of innovation. Her talk will challenge attendees to rethink the value of human skills in a sector dominated by tools and automation.

Lisburn’s Connor McAuley, founder of Move at Pace, will lead How to Retire in 10 Years or Less. Connor works with agency owners to help them scale and exit their businesses and his talk will set out the information and actions people need to achieve financial freedom within a decade.

Dermot Beattie, originally from Castlewellan and now based in Belfast, will speak on Accessibility in Design. Having experienced vision loss during university, Dermot will share his lived experience of using digital products and highlight the impact poor design has on people with disabilities. He is the founder of The Dandelion Group, which supports individuals with acquired disabilities and this year the organisation has also been named as the official charity partner of BarCamp Belfast.

Dublin marketing trainer Liz Maguire, founder of Litir Marketing, will bring her trademark humour and energy to Email Isn’t Dead. Liz will show how email remains one of the most effective ways to build communities and brands and why it offers real value compared to the unpredictability of social media platforms.

And flying in virtually from Kansas City, USA, Doug Jackson, founder of consultancy 2md, will lead The Increased Need for Critical Thinking in the Age of AI. Doug will draw on his experience as a business analyst and enterprise architect to explore when AI can add value and when human-led reasoning is essential, offering practical tools for decision-making in complex transformations.

Jennie Wallace, co-organiser of BarCamp Belfast, said: “BarCamp is about creating a space where anyone can contribute, learn and share. This year, we are covering everything from ‘How to Retire in 10 Years’ to ‘AI Disasters in PR’. We want to ignite ideas in all kinds of creatives. For us, it is about learning, collaboration and fun.”

Following last year’s success, BarCamp Belfast has returned with an eclectic mix of founders, developers, creatives and industry experts sharing their knowledge in an open, informal environment. Admission is free, with attendees encouraged to drop in throughout the day, listen to talks, or even deliver one themselves.

For more information about #BelfastBarCamp2025 and to register for the September 26 event, go to barcampbelfast.com

Last week’s Northern Ireland Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference has prompted renewed political calls for a regional manufacturing strategy, after Economy Committee member David Honeyford MLA used his attendance at the event to highlight the need for government action.

Speaking following a panel debate on finance and funding at the Eikon Exhibition Centre, Alliance party MLA for Lagan Valley Honeyford said the scale of innovation and ambition on display from local firms underlined why Northern Ireland cannot afford to fall behind international competitors. He argued that while the sector continues to show resilience, it requires leadership and a joined-up plan to secure skills, growth and investment for the future.

Honeyford pointed to strategies already in place in Germany, Singapore and the Republic of Ireland and said Northern Ireland must respond with its own Manufacturing Strategy and Action Plan. Without it, he warned, the region risks missed opportunities, weaker productivity and a loss of global competitiveness.

His comments come hot on the heels of a finance-focused panel on the Business Support Stage at the event, moderated by Excalibur Press chief vision officer Tina Calder and featuring Mark Johnston of Johnston Financial Solutions, Alan Lowry, Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses and Jim McWilliams, managing director of INFOFORTE. 

The discussion, How to Build a Robust Finance & Funding Roadmap in Manufacturing, explored the roadmap manufacturers need to navigate funding options, from bank debt and asset-based lending to alternative models such as crowdfunding and blended finance.

It asked what practical steps firms can take to secure funding, strengthen cash flow, and plan for investment in growth and innovation. Panellists explored the full spectrum of finance options, from traditional bank debt, asset-based lending and equity to alternative models.

Speaking during and after the panel, David Honeyford MLA said he was encouraged by the debate and used the opportunity to call for a comprehensive manufacturing strategy for Northern Ireland.

Speaking in the Assembly on Monday he said: “Today I welcome the investment of 1,000 new jobs, good news that shows the value of investing in people.

“Three years ago, funding went into college training programmes. Today’s announcement proves that when we back skills, it delivers real opportunities.

“That’s why it’s essential moving forward that Northern Ireland has a joined-up approach, like Skillnet Ireland, to build a pipeline of talent, giving opportunities for local employers and attracting global investment.

“Last week I spoke at the NI Manufacturing Expo at the Eikon, where industry leaders showcased the very latest in technology and innovation. They were clear: we need more than words, we need a Manufacturing Strategy and, crucially, an Action Plan.

“Other regions are racing ahead. Germany has Industry 4.0. Singapore has Advanced Manufacturing 2030. The Republic updates its strategy every five years, and only last week launched a new Action Plan. Meanwhile here, we risk falling behind, and that means missed investment, weaker productivity, and lost opportunities.

“A strategy must come with delivery a strong skills pipeline with apprenticeships and re-skilling, a SkillNet Ireland type body here extended to here in Northern Ireland, support for SMEs to adopt digital and Industry 4.0 technologies, regional investment zones like Maze/Blaris or Dromore, with plug-and-play industry parks and net-zero manufacturing to keep firms competitive.

“We have the talent, ambition and entrepreneurs. What we need now is government leadership, a Manufacturing Strategy and Action Plan that delivers skills, growth and jobs for the next generation.

“This is about good jobs, stronger exports, and putting money back in people’s pockets. It’s about creating hope and securing our place in the modern economy.”

For the business community, the panel focused heavily on practical realities. Mark Johnston, founder of Johnston Financial Solutions, stressed that access to finance remains a constant challenge but also pointed to the importance of financial literacy within firms.

“For businesses, cash flow is always a very important one, because you can go through phases of not making massive profits or even making losses, hopefully not for long, but you can’t ever run out of money,” he said, adding: “You really should be able to recognise what’s possible for your business, and money’s just a resource. 

“If you haven’t got the resource to deliver a certain project, whether that’s finance, people or machinery, then you shouldn’t do it. Education and timely reporting are critical. Either you can tell the story around your numbers, or you need to find someone who can do that for you. That’s what informs the right decisions.”

The wider conference highlighted the continuing strength of Northern Ireland’s £16 billion manufacturing industry, which accounts for 14% of regional GDP and supports nearly 100,000 jobs. Organisers said the event had grown year on year, reflecting both the challenges and opportunities facing the sector.

Colin Murphy, Founder and Chairman of Premier Publishing & Events, said: “This year’s conference underlined just how central manufacturing is to Northern Ireland’s economy. The finance panel in particular showed the scale of innovation already happening and the appetite for growth. At the same time, it highlighted the urgency of aligning industry needs with government policy, so that firms can invest with confidence in skills, technology and exports.”

Delegates across the exhibition floor agreed Northern Ireland manufacturing is at a turning point and as many prepare for the Scotland Manufacturing & Supply Chain Conference & Exhibition in Glasgow next month despite still navigating global supply chain disruption, rising input costs and skills shortages, they will be celebrating the success of consistently outperforming other UK regions in recovering output post-pandemic.

For more information or to register for your free ticket for the Scotland show taking place on October 1 & 2, go to manufacturingexposcotland.com