Greg Quinn of People HQ in Newtownards celebrates the opening of his new offices following a £30,000 investment into the business. Photo by: Francine Montgomery / Excalibur Press
Human resources specialist consultancy, People HQ, has opened new offices in the heart of Newtownards to further advance the business ambitions of its clients.
Founder, Greg Quinn, said the opening of the new office represented the latest stage of the evolution of People HQ and its range of services.
“When I created People HQ in 2019 I always wanted to make sure we had a physical presence,” he explained.
“Opening the office in The Precinct is a statement of intent to new and existing clients that we will continue to offer the full range of human resources services.”
Throughout the current lockdown Greg has been on call for his clients offering a variety of services in human resources, recruitment, training and development.
“We serve clients of all sizes across multiple sectors, including the fast moving consumer goods, manufacturing, retail and hospitality sectors where we have been busy helping both our clients and candidates navigate their way through the pandemic,” said Greg.
“I opened People HQ with the vision of wanting to help businesses across every aspect of the employee life cycle and thats exactly what we have been doing. If a business owner has a HR or recruitment problem or they need support with team development my team can help. I penned the strapline ‘We’re the HQ for HR’ when I started the business, we have delivered across all fronts for many clients to date and look forward to helping more as the business grows..
“This past year has been a challenge for many business owners, never before has looking after their teams been so important. Even if tough decisions have to be made, I am right there with business owners to help them make those decisions and ensure a fair process is followed. ”
The new People HQ offices represent a £30,000+ investment, and means that Greg and his team will be able to provide their holistic HR and recruitment service across Northern Ireland and in the Republic of Ireland.
“We chose Newtownards as after 25 years in industry I wanted to bring my knowledge and skillset to help those businesses that I shop in daily,” he explained.
“We are also the first established Human Resource & Recruitment Consultancy on the high street in Newtownards.
“Our location allows us to easily serve our current clients as well as established a growing client base around North Down and beyond.”
Greg said that at this time good professional advice has never been more important.
“The current business environment means that business needs to plan ahead, make decisions and ensure their strategy and actions are taking advantage of every opportunity available,” he explained.
“We have found that employees still in post have had to adapt to new ways of working, whether that be due to working from home or having a blended home and office working week.
“Client organisations had to move very quickly to ensure employees had the relevant home setup to conduct their roles effectively. Communication with teams has never been so important, at People HQ we worked with numerous clients to help them work with their team communications.”
Photoshoot ahead of the St Patrick’s Day Live online event presented by Sailortown Regeneration at St Joseph’s Belfast on March 17th 2021.
Singer songwriter Amanda St John
Photo by Francine Montgomery / Excalibur Press
For more information contact Tina Calder, Excalibur Press, 07305354209 or tina@excaliburpress.co.uk
The line-up has been revealed for a packed seven hours of entertainment live streamed on St Patrick’s Day from 2pm celebrating cultural and historical heritage of Belfast’s Sailortown.
After years of restoration St Joseph’s Chapel has been transformed to a community hub that will host the event on March 17 from 2pm to 9pm.
Project manager for Sailortown Regeneration, Terry McKeown said music, dancing, storytelling and art will feature for this landmark occasion for Sailortown.
“We are delighted to have such a stellar line-up,” Terry said.
“The years of campaigning and hard work to open St Joseph’s deserve to be celebrated and we can promise that it will be a packed day that will have you not wanting to miss a minute.”
Several performances will be live broadcasted from St Joseph’s across two stages and all the acts will be introduced by U105 presenter and DJ, Johnny Hero.
Opening the day will be Dál Riada Folk, a three-piece band who will bring their selection of Irish folk songs, Irish and Scottish reels and jigs and modern folk.
Seamus Lavery of Dalriada Folk said: “Although I was not born in Sailortown I have a long association with St Joseph’s through Conradh na Gaelidhge.
“In more recent times I have been a supporter of the Save St Joseph’s campaign, playing with the band at fundraisers and a few years ago we played in the church when it was reopened.
Closing the proceedings is The Lee Hedley Band, whose inspired blues sets have delighted audiences across Europe, the States and North Africa for more than a quarter of a century and will now light up Sailortown.
Singer songwriters Amanda St John and Anthony Toner will be among the line up.
Anthony, who released his song Sailortown in 2008, added: “St Joseph’s is a beautiful building, the atmosphere of churches is always welcoming to musicians, I think – there’s a sense of the music rising up into the rafters that you don’t get in more traditional venues.
“The history of that part of the city adds another layer of importance to the place, and the exciting plans for its regeneration make it feel multi-layered, the past and the future of Sailortown collide right here, in this space, right now.
“It’s a pleasure to be part of such a wonderful bill of musicians and dancers and artists, to also see films included in the line up as well.”
Amanda added: “I’m really looking forward to performing at this event as I’m missing proper gigs so much. It’s exciting to have full stage sound & lighting set up and to be on the bill with so many other local talents.
“I’ll be performing acoustically with my piano player so it’ll be a very stripped back set of some of my favourite Irish ballads.”
A feature during the day will be the presentation of a video on Sailortown, recounting the history, and the battles to win the lease when the church was deconsecrated through to the ongoing work.
Singer songwriter, Ludwig O’Neill, is no stranger to Sailortown having campaigned to keep the Rotterdam and Pat’s Bar from development, will bring his dark, realistic folk and blues tunes to the party.
He said: “I am very pleased to have been included in this St Patrick’s Day event almost a year since I played there before.
“Sailortown is in my blood, it’s the heartbeat of North Belfast and over the years has been Belfast’s conduit to the rest of the world. St Joseph’s chapel has long been the spiritual hub of that area.”
This year’s St Patrick’s Day event is being funded by Intercom, The Executive Office and The Community Relations Council.
Terry said it’s a big turning point in the history of the chapel.
She added: “It’s about bringing people back to showcase the creative talent that’s in Belfast and celebrating the transformation of the Chapel on the quays to a community hub.”
Also on the bill are musician and songwriter Hugh Jordan who is best known for his hit Road to Donegal about returning Irish-immigrants.
Award winning dancer and musician Edel Ní Churraoin will perform with the Sean Nos Dancers including a solo from Meabh Meir.
Other acts appearing include The String Ninjas, The Adventures, the Ferris School of Irish Dancers, Patrick Ryan, Seamus McPeak and Paul Dean.
“The rich cultural and historical heritage of Sailortown is something we look forward to celebrating on St Patrick’s Day,” said Terry.
“This will also be an event with an eye very much on the future at St Joseph’s and what we hope will be a vibrant future.”
St Patrick’s Day Live from Sailortown will be streamed live on a variety of social media platforms. All performances and the event will adhere to Covid-19 restrictions.
Dr Adam Hunniford, founder of PiP Chemicals inside PiP Chemicals in Newtownards, Co Down Photo by: Francine Montgomery / Excalibur Press
A Northern Ireland company has warned that substandard and noncompliant biocidal products are being sold as hand sanitisers, resulting in the potential of harm.
PiP Chemicals, based in Newtownards, produces scientifically proven and regulatory compliant sanitising products to industry, and makes sure that all its products meet high certification standards.
Founder, Dr Adam Hunniford said that there needs to be stricter controls to keep the public safe.
“At this time when we need to be cleaning our hands to help stave off the spread of Covid-19 for the foreseeable future,” he said.
“However, if you are not using a sanitiser that is certified and has been through the regulatory processes then it could be causing harm.”
“Many appear to contain methanol, which the government’s Compendium of Chemical Hazards describes as toxic, including when used on skin.”
PiP Chemicals, based in Newtownards, was established nine years ago by Dr Hunniford, applying his experience in chemical formulation and manufacturing to produce a range of chemical products, specialising in biocides and automotive care.
It provides direct to business, not to the end user, and as such are experts in what should and should not be included in products.
“Our products have multiple test certifications, including BS EN 1500 and BS EN 14476” Dr Hunniford said. “We have gone to the trouble to make sure that the biocide contents are of the highest quality. If you are using a product that does not have the test certification you need to ask why it does not.”
Dr Hunniford said that there are some indicators that some hand sanitisers are not suitable.
“If it smells bad, don’t use it – there is a good chance it has been made from some questionable alcohol source,” he said. “If it has a sticky residue after use or leaves you with dry skin then people will be discouraged from using it so it won’t do the job it is supposed to.”
“Buyers should also be alerted to products claiming to be ‘safe’, ‘natural’, ‘eco-friendly’ or other such claims – these are prohibited by the regulations and indicate a manufacturer which is failing in it’s basic regulatory obligations.”
“There may be additives that are also toxic – an inexperienced manufacturer can fall into this trap simply by using the wrong grade of alcohol.”
“At a time when we are all conscious of the need to stay safe and healthy it is only right to make sure that the sanitiser you are using or buying has been tested thoroughly and meets all health and safety requirements.”
The Grand Central Hotel in Belfast is well-known for its delectable dining including stunning afternoon tea which can be enjoyed in the Observatory located on the 23rd floor boasting breath-taking views of Belfast and beyond.
If you fancy trying your hand at something different for St Patrick’s Day, the Grand Central’s Pastry Chef, Caitlin Lopes, has shared a delightful recipe to make at home. Enjoy!
St Patrick’s Day Choux Bun Recipe with a green sable topping and a pistachio filling
Ingredients
Brown sugar craquelin
75g butter (soft)
90g soft light brown sugar
85g plain flour
Green food colouring (or desired colour)
Choux ingredients
125ml milk
125ml water
125g butter
Pinch of salt
10g sugar
245g eggs (lightly beaten)
160g strong flour (sieved)
Pistachio diplomat
125ml whole milk
125ml double cream
1tsp vanilla bean paste
45g egg yolk
40g caster sugar
20g plain flour
10g cornflour
30g pistachio paste
1 leaf gelatine (soaked in ice cold water)
85g semi whipped double cream
Method – Brown Sugar Craquelin
1. Beat butter and sugar until smooth
2. Add flour and food colouring (add food colouring bit by bit until you get your desired colour)
3. Let rest for at 30 minutes
4. Lightly flour your bench and roll your craquelin until approx 2-3mm thick
5. Cut to desired size and keep in fridge until required
Method – Choux pastry
1. Heat oven on to 170ºC fan assisted
2. Place milk, water, butter, salt and sugar into a wide based pan and bring to a simmer
3. Add in sieved flour and keep mixing vigorously with a wooden spoon until your dough comes away from the sides of the pan to form one piece of dough
4. Allow dough to cool for 5 to 7 minutes before gradually adding in your eggs bit by bit. When each bit of egg is added ensure that it has been fully mixed into your dough before adding any more. You should end up with a smooth glossy dough of thick dropping consistency
5. Pipe mixture onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment and top with craquelin (you want your craquelin to be a few centimetres bigger than your piped choux)
6. Bake at 170ºC for 15-20 minutes then lower your oven to 130ºC and cook for a further 15 minutes.
Method – Pistachio diplomat
1. Heat milk, cream, vanilla and pistachio paste to a simmer
2. Whisk egg yolks sugar and flours
3. Gradually pour cream mix over egg mix continuously whisking
4. Place back on the heat and keep whisking (do not leave it or it will scramble) until you can make a figure of 8
5. Whisk in gelatine
6. Set over ice
7. Once set smooth with a spatula
8. When smooth lightly fold in semi whipped cream and place in the fridge for approximately 20 minutes
9. Pipe into choux buns (whichever way suits you best!)
Have you heard of European Heritage Open Days? Would you like to take part this year?
This year marks the 24th year of European Heritage Open Days (EHOD) in Northern Ireland. It’s an annual celebration of local architecture, history and culture. It’s when hundreds of properties and locations open their doors and organise free events for the public each September.
EHOD provides a unique opportunity for the public to see ‘behind closed doors’ at a variety of historic places, many of which are not normally open to the public.
It’s when the public can enjoy talks, tours, exhibitions, workshops, walks, traditional skills demonstrations.
It’s also a celebration of Northern Ireland’s history and culture through art, literature, song, dance, drama, film, food and crafts.
Getting involved
Your business can take part in EHOD by:
putting on an event
opening a historic property or building of interest to the public
hosting an online event
contributing digital content
The physical events are on 11 & 12 September whilst the digital offerings run from 6 to 12 September.
EHOD is co-ordinated by Department for Communities – Historic Environment Division. They’ll help you promote your offer to the public for FREE on @LoveHeritageNI social media channels, Dept. for Communities website, Discover NI website and in an e-brochure. There’s also help to manage bookings if needed and you’ll be given promotional material, all FREE.
The only requirement is that your place, space or story is provided free of charge to the public for EHOD and it has heritage at its core.
Photoshoot ahead of the St Patrick’s Day Live online event presented by Sailortown Regeneration at St Joseph’s Belfast on March 17th 2021. From left Anthony Toner, Singer / Songwriter; Terry Sharpe, lead vocalist, The Adventures,; Terry McKeown, project manager, Sailortown Regeneration and Johnny Hero, DJ & presenter, U105 Photo by Francine Montgomery / Excalibur Press.
The rich cultural and historical heritage of Belfast’s Sailortown will be celebrated on St Patrick’s Day with an eight-hour live streamed event from the iconic St Joseph’s Church featuring music, dancing, storytelling and art.
After years of restoration the ‘sailor’s church’ has been transformed to a community hub that will host the event on March 17 from 2pm to 10pm presented by U105 presenter Johnny Hero.
Terry McKeown, Project Manager of Sailortown Regeneration explained the event will be a landmark day after the efforts of so many past and present residents of the area.
“For years we have been collating, collecting and recording the heritage of Sailortown to keep alive the memories and history, and the future of the area,” she said.
“The St Patrick’s Day event which is funded by Intercom, The Executive Office and The Community Relations Council is a big turning point for us. It’s about bringing people back to showcase the creative talent that’s in Belfast and celebrating the transformation of the Chapel on the quays to a community hub.
“We would like to express our gratitude to the National Lottery for their ongoing support of Sailortown Regeneration.”
Boasting a mixture of live events and exclusive video presentations the day will mark the re-opening of St Joseph’s.
“When the church was going to be closed in 1999 it really triggered a whole outpouring of emotion and feeling and hundreds of people who used to live here came back down,” Terry explained.
“They objected vociferously to the church being closed, with the result that there was a long campaign. Then in 2006 we managed to get a lease on it.”
However, the building was in a state of disrepair, and since then there has been a long journey, with always the vision to transform St Joseph’s and the Parochial House into a usable community space but still retaining the character of the buildings that date back to the 1880s.
“Sailortown was devastated when new motorways began in the 60s and 70s,” said Terry.
“But the spirit of the area has always been there. There is a new future with apartments, housing and some of the original buildings. Reopening St Joseph’s is a symbol that we have a population here, some new, and we have those who may have moved away, but their heart is still in Sailortown.”
Among the performances on St Patrick’s Day will be from Dalriada Folk, Anthony Toner, Ferris School of Irish Dancers, Barnbrack, Hugh Jordan, The String Ninjas, The Adventures, Amanda St John and The Lee Hedley Band, with many more on the line-up. There will also be the screening of a video about Sailortown.
Previously known as Sailortown Cultural and Historical Society, which gathered much of the heritage of the area together, Sailortown Regeneration are utilising these Listed Buildings as an Anchor Institution to promote ‘people led’ regeneration and re-establish a thriving community in this city centre waterfront area.
Sailortown is looking forward to the future, with planned developments such as the new Ulster University campus, the City Quays complex and work with the Maritime Trust, the Harbour and City Council to develop the Maritime Mile trail into Sailortown.
The group will explore the rich Maritime Heritage of Belfast and plan to host events for ex-seamen and their families to discover why Sailortown’s Seafarers became such a vital part of the Belfast Story.
“The milestone event on St Patrick’s Day will be streamed under the current Covid-19 restrictions,” said Terry.
“but we want to present St Joseph’s as an iconic space for St Patrick’s Day to show that we will soon be welcoming everyone back in a celebration of our past and a brighter future for our City.”
One of the most difficult things business leaders have had to do throughout the pandemic is ensure not only their business survived but that staff morale and client confidence was maintained.
A year ago no one knew what to expect and the economic landscape was much more uncertain than it is now.
According to Northern Ireland business coach Bernie Allen experience in how the pandemic is shaping the world around us isn’t enough for businesses to survive.
She said: “With the new of a general plan of exiting the lockdowns and restrictions and a bit of hope that a new normal isn’t far away business leaders can now start really planning for their future.
“However, whilst planning for the future is absolutely essential the threat to our businesses hasn’t gone away and survival should, for many leaders and business owners, still be top of the agenda.”
Here are 5 things Bernie says you can do to continue surviving:
1. Know Your Vision
“Successful business leaders not only know where they are with their business at any given time, but they know where they are going” said Bernie, adding: “Especially during uncertain times, it is essential that you exert as much control over your vision as you possibly can, while remaining suitably prepared for the odd bump in the road.
“You should know what you want, know what you need to do to get it and most of all know why you want it. Knowing your why is the single best way to stay connected to your vision, and achieve it.”
2. Make A Plan
Bernie explained: “So you know what you want, and you know roughly what you need to do to get there. Now it’s time to make a plan. As a business owner, these unprecedented times can cause us to feel defeated by our plans, because the plans we once had now seem so far removed from our current reality.
“However, it must be said that poor preparation produces poor results, and if you are a business leader who is hell bent on surviving this pandemic, then it is essential you have a plan up your sleeve.”
3. Focus On Action
As you make your plan, I cannot stress enough the importance of focusing on action. Centre all of your planning around tangible actions that you can take to move the needle forward in your business.
“It’s true, for many of us Covid has thrown the needle in the air completely, but getting back on track relies on focusing on action. Once you begin taking relevant, positive action, motivation will follow.” said Bernie.
4. Break It Down
Bernie said: “Have you ever felt as though you have so much to do that you don’t know where to start? Me too. We all have. However, the important thing is that you start somewhere.
“Take the actions that you know you need or want to complete, and break them into smaller, bitesize tasks which are more easily completed. This will make it much easier for you to survive the pandemic as a business owner.”
5. Serve
Bernie’s final words of advice: “Finally, there has never been a more important time to adopt the service mindset. Serve more than you ever have before.
“Focus on adding value, on helping. That way, when we are finally out the other end of the pandemic, you will be the one still standing.
“These five but simple strategies, if implemented, will help you have clarity, focus and a clear path on your journey to recovery out of this pandemic.”
If you would like to find out more about what you can do as a business leader or owner to keep on top of your game and not let challenges or situations change your direction contact Bernie Allen at bernieallen.com or by emailing Berniespowerhouseacademy@gmail.com
Bernie Allen’s book How To Succeed In Business & Life is out now published by Excalibur Press and available from excaliburpress.co.uk .
We are Hiring career employee message background. Employment hiring job recruitment concept banner.
With exit plans now revealed as to how Northern Ireland will move out of lockdowns and restrictions the recruitment landscape is looking healthy again for many companies.
From customer services, IT, tech and marketing through to business development, administration and project management there’s something for everyone out there at the minute.
Regardless of your sector, experience or desired grade, here are 17 jobs recruiting right now that might be right for you:
1. Customer Service Advisor | Tyson Wilson Recruitment
From £18,160 | Full Time | Permanent | Belfast
As a member of our clients Team, you will play a key role creating a unique customer experience for our client in Bangor Co.Down. You will become a specialist in effectively resolving incidents and queries.
Our callers want to talk to people with personality. People who’ll listen, ask the right questions and patiently offer solutions that leave them smiling. Bring your experience and enthusiasm and you’ll have the chance to support one of the world’s leading mobile phone brands.
Tyson Wilson Recruitment are looking for enthusiastic people who are comfortable speaking on the phone. Working for one of the largest contact centres in Northern Ireland you the ideal candidate will be the first point of contact for customers.
Whilst this is a temporary role, there is with potential of becoming permanent at week 13.
Tyson Wilson Recruitment are looking for enthusiastic people who are comfortable speaking on the phone. Working for one of the largest contact centres in Northern Ireland you the ideal candidate will be the first point of contact for customers.
Whilst this is a temporary role, there is with potential of becoming permanent at week 13.
Our Client is seeking an immediate experienced Customs Broker to join their expanding team. The role has been created to support our clients in specifically Post-Brexit Customs. The successful candidate will receive full training with the potential to progress and be accredited with a professional qualification.
Previous experience in a UK and/or EU Customs office and a working knowledge of Brexit, Customs procedures and International Trade are required.
£35,000 – £40,000 | Permanent | Full Time | Lisburn
As an IT Systems Analyst you will contribute to the delivery of internal IT projects and business processes to support the newly formed Customs Department with our client.
The ideal candidate will have a bachelors degree in IT, Computer Science or an equivalent field and will be knowledgeable on IT Systems.
6. Business Development and Sales | PIP Chemicals £30,000 | Permanent | Full Time | Newtownards
We want an experienced professional in client account management who is confident in generating sales and leads for PiP Chemicals throughout the UK and Ireland.
This role is centred around sales and maintaining customers of automotive cleaning and care chemicals. It is important that you have a general interest in cars and that you can work independently or as part of a team to deliver results for the organisation.
You are perfect for this role if you are hardworking, passionate about driving great SEO or PPC opportunities for our growing list of clients and you are on the lookout for a new, challenging opportunity in Belfast.
It’s important that you have a minimum of two years experience in the field and can demonstrate strong commercial awareness.
You will be working within the Payroll Bureau undertaking administrative, advisory and payroll duties to ensure that processes and systems are completed to an exceptionally high standard.
You will have experience in payroll, pensions administration and processing, and be able to showcase an ability to adapt quickly to new technology alongside strong IT skills.
Excalibur Press are looking to add to their growing team of high level, good quality copywriters.
Ideally, we want someone who has industry experience in marketing, PR or journalism and who is happy to write conversion based corporate copy as well as consumer facing content and blogs.
Excalibur Press are looking to add to their growing team of content creators.
Ideally, we want someone who has created a range of content in a variety of different platforms including photo, graphics, video, text etc.
Those who will be successfully added to our freelance register will have examples of content they have created. Candidates should be prepared to show examples and talk about what apps, software etc..they use.
You will take overall responsibility for the delivery of new projects and the success maintenance and enhancement of existing applications. The role involves creating and tracking quality project plans and managing both the delivery and operations teams’ time to deliver projects to agreed timescales.
You will be able to showcase strong experience in all aspects of project management and hold a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, business or a related field.
You will take responsibility for the success of our projects. The role involves creating and tracking quality project plans and managing the team’s time to deliver the project to the agreed timescales.
You will be able to showcase strong experience in all aspects of project management and hold a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, business or a related field.
You will help us scale our existing MySQL databases, enhance database performance, support our database batch processes, and progress our integrations with external organisations.
You will have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field and be able to show one to three years of experience in database development, information technology, database architecture, or a related field.
You will take responsibility for our projects’ successes. The role involves quality & test advocacy, resource planning & management, and resolution of issues that impede the testing effort.
You will have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field and be able to show three to five years of experience in application testing.
You will elicit, analyse, specify, and validate the business needs of stakeholders, be they customers or end users. The BA will work closely with the Chief Technology Officer and designers to deliver requirements work products and assist in the production of design work products.
You will have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field and be able to show three to five years of experience in Business Analysis along with associated Technical Qualifications.
You will be a part of a full-stack creative team that is responsible for all aspects of the ongoing software development from the initial specification, through to developing, testing and launching.
You will have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field and be able to show 5+ Years proven software development experience in PHP.
You will be positioned within the Marketing team and will report directly to the Chief Marketing Officer to grow the Lead Onion brand and deliver customer acquisition at scale.
You will have at least 2 years of work experience in a similar role and ideally have a minimum of 5 years’ experience in digital marketing in total.
The East Belfast basedfootball club have announced their involvement in the charity’s campaign which strives to raise awareness of the shocking reality of domestic abuse in Northern Ireland and raise funds to support their vital work in the community
Glentoran FC have endorsed Belfast & Lisburn Women’s Aid’s latest campaign – the #10KbyMay challenge- and have encouraged their fans to get involved and show support.
The challenge, which was launched at the end of January, seeks to encourage the people of Belfast and Lisburn to take part in a 10K run, walk, or cycle on or around May 1st this year.
The charity launched the campaign in a bid to raise community spirits and encourage an active lifestyle during Covid-19 lockdowns, whilst also raising awareness of and funds for their vital work with women and children.
The motivation behind the campaign is to inspire communities in Belfast and Lisburn to get involved with supporting Women’s Aid, as well as look after their mental and physical health during Covid-19 lockdowns, a feat which Glentoran jumped at the opportunity to get behind.
They approached the charity shortly after the campaign launched back in January and offered their endorsement and support in what they understood was – and still remains – a demanding time for domestic abuse charities.
On their website, the club have issued the statement: “Glentoran Football Club is delighted to support the excellent work done by the employees and volunteers at Women’s Aid, so we are very happy to formally endorse the 10K by May initiative run by Women’s Aid in Belfast and Lisburn”
Glentoran General Manager Ian Clarke said of the club’s involvement: “We are well aware of the impact the Covid-19 pandemic and resultant lockdowns have had on so many aspects of our society and on our daily lives. We are also aware of news reports indicating the very worrying increase in domestic abuse related offences over the past year.
“As a club with very strong community roots, Glentoran wishes to support Belfast & Lisburn Women’s Aid in their vital work protecting victims of domestic abuse across our society and offering practical help to those vulnerable to abuse. We encourage the Glentoran Family and society as a whole play their part, however small, in raising money for this very important cause.”
Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid Chief Executive Kelly Andrews added: “We are very grateful to have the support of Glentoran FC for our #10KbyMay campaign, and truly appreciate their commitment to helping us continue to raise awareness among the general public of the work we do as well as raising funds to support our work.
“In what is a difficult time for everyone, it’s great to see a club which already has a strong sense of community supporting us with our community efforts. We’re excited to continue to work closely with Glentoran for the remainder of this campaign and look forward to having their support in the future.”
Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid and Glentoran FC are encouraging everyone to consider getting involved in the #10KbyMay challenge, whether they want to run, walk or cycle the distance.
The Chief Executive of car technology company Bluesona, Mel Morrison, has welcomed the introduction of tougher action on mobile phone use while driving as an important step in improving safety.
Downpatrick-based Bluesona works with insurance companies to provide a system, LoopMatics, that tackles distraction driving caused by mobile phone calls.
“The changes to The Road Traffic Offenders (Northern Ireland) (Amendment) Order 2020 are vital,” said Mr Morrison. “They are a clear signal that mobile phone use while driving is the worst type of distraction for a motorist.”
Under the changes approved the fine for using a handheld mobile phone was increased from £60 to £200 and the number of penalty points increased to six. A second offence will lead to the loss of their licence.
Bluesona’s LoopMatics system tracks the driver’s on road behaviour as well as recording their mobile phone use. It is designed to encourage safer driving by providing feedback to the user on their journey and flagging the times when a mobile is used.
“The Statutory Rules introduced by Infrastructure Minister, Nichola Mallon, are an important step forward,” said Mr Morrison. “Hopefully they will indicate to all drivers that it is not legal, and not acceptable to use a mobile when behind the wheel.
“And I particularly welcome the fact that all parties backed Ms Mallon’s changes, and spoke so powerfully in the Assembly chamber.”
From 2017 Bluesona has focused on making driving safer, in partnership with insurance companies. Unlike many of the ‘black box’ style devices they developed LoopMatics uses a simple plug-in to track journeys, acceleration, heavy braking and if these coincide with using a mobile.
During the discussion on the changes to the Road Traffic Offenders Order Ms Mallon said that she had consulted with the Assembly’s Infrastructure Committee, Justice Minister, Naomi Long, and PSNI Chief Constable, Simon Byrne, and that all backed the increased penalties.
“The illegal use of a mobile phone while driving is a selfish disregard for the law,” the SDLP MLA said bringing forward her proposals in the chamber. “It poses a serious threat to not just the driver who made the selfish choice but to many other innocent road users. The consequences can be devastating.”
Mr Morrison said that he was conscious when developing LoopMatics it was clear there needed to be more than just a nudge to the way mobile phone use is thought about.
“There needs to be a change of attitude, and a change in behaviour,” he said. “It needs to be based on it becoming the norm to stop using phones when behind the wheel.
“And, I congratulate the Assembly parties and members on passing the changes with no opposition. Too often we forget the role of MLAs in introducing safety measures.”
Under the changes newly qualified drivers who commit the offence will also be banned on their first offence as a result of the increase in penalty points.
Chair of the Assembly Infrastructure Committee, Michelle McIlveen, said: “As we are all aware, the technical advancements in phones have made the device an indispensable addition to our lives.
“However, it is the urge to check messages and respond to the sound of a notification that makes them so dangerous whilst driving.”
The DUP member also said that the committee would support the planned review of mobile phone offences to be carried out in line with the English and Welsh Department for Transport review.
Sinn Féin’s Cathal Boylan reflected on the impact of fatal road accidents.
“It is often said that a single death on a road is one too many,” he said. “We must improve road safety in any way that we can.
“We all know how families and, indeed, communities are affected by a death. It is incumbent on us to try our best to introduce as many measures as possible.”
Ulster Unionist, Roy Beggs, said: “The use of mobile phones has become more and more common. Many people are almost addicted to them. They forget the risks that are involved in being distracted when driving, even by considering the use of such a phone.”
Andrew Muir of the Alliance Party echoed the seriousness of the issue.
“Fifty-six people died on our roads in Northern Ireland last year,” he said. “Nine in 10 road deaths and serious injuries are caused by human error. That is why we must come down hard on those being reckless with the safety of others.”
Mr Morrison said that safety was the ultimate aim of Bluesona and LoopMatics, through its ability to show drivers, in an easy to use interface the habits, especially in terms of mobile phone use that needs to change.
Bluesona is based in Downpatrick and has a centre in Letterkenny. They offer their LoopMatics software to customers through various insurance companies.
