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Northern Ireland charity OG Cancer NI today warned people with symptoms of oesophageal and stomach cancer to contact their doctor as soon as possible as they launch their “Catch It Early” 2021 awareness campaign.

More than 400 people per year were diagnosed with oesophageal and stomach cancer each year prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and OG Cancer NI, chair, Helen Setterfield, feels it is now more important as ever to make sure that anyone worried seeks help.

“The current lockdowns and urgent need to protect the health service has affected the number of people contacting their doctors,” she said. 

“But you should not hesitate to make the call if you experience persistent heartburn that doesn’t go away, trouble swallowing, regurgitation or hiccups that do not go away”

“Recent figures show that there has been a drop in the number of those referred by their GP to the hospital due to showing symptoms in 2020 compared to previous years so we want to make sure that we reverse that

“Early diagnosis leads to a much better chance of survival from this cancer which has a 20% survival rate of five or more years, according to the NI Cancer Registry 2019.”

Helen herself is a survivor of oesophageal cancer as is Shauneen Brown from Lurgan.

Even though the majority of cases are diagnosed in men and women over 60, Shauneen wants everyone to be aware of the symptoms: “I was 40 when I was diagnosed and we know of people in their 30s who have been diagnosed and treated,” she explained.

“Just because you might not fit the typical statistic doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take your symptoms seriously.”

OG Cancer NI was founded in 2018 and provides telephone support to newly diagnosed patients, information stands in the hospital, wellbeing meetings providing peer to peer and professional advice and support and funding for local research or equipment projects which will improve patient wellbeing.

“We work with GPs to raise awareness so when patients present with the symptoms of Oesophageal and Gastric cancers they take the appropriate action,” said Helen. 

“Consult your doctor if you experience persistent or recurring Indigestion, food sticking in your throat, difficulty swallowing, heartburn or acid reflux, hiccups that won’t go away, or unexplained weight loss.”

The OG Cancer NI Catch It Early campaign, funded by the National Lottery and OG Cancer, strives not only to increase the awareness of the signs of oesophageal-gastric cancers in the public but also throughout the medical and caring professions.

For further information go to ogcancerni.com, follow #OGCancerNI, call 07568 157450 or make an appointment to see your local GP today.

St Joseph’s Chapel in Sailortown Belfast came alive for St Patrick’s Day yesterday from 2pm celebrating cultural and historical heritage of the historic area of the city.

After years of restoration St Joseph’s Chapel was transformed to a community hub that hosted the event on March 17 from 2pm to 9pm.

Project manager for Sailortown Regeneration, Terry McKeown said music, dancing, storytelling and art were all featured for the landmark occasion for Sailortown.

“We are delighted to have had such a stellar line-up,” Terry said. 

“The years of campaigning and hard work to open St Joseph’s deserve to be celebrated and the event was a packed day that had audiences joining us from all over the world including America, Canada, Italy and Australia.”

The performances broadcasted live from St Joseph’s across two stages with all the acts introduced by U105 presenter and DJ, Johnny Hero.

Opening the day was Dál Riada Folk, a three-piece band who brought 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 was 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 light up Sailortown.

Singer songwriters Amanda St John and Anthony Toner were 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 have been 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: “The gig was amazing. I was really missing proper gigs so much. It’s exciting to have full stage sound and lighting set up and to be on the bill with so many other local talents.”

A feature during the day was the presentation of an NVTV film 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 was 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 was 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 performed with the Sean Nos Dancers including a solo from Meabh Muir.

Other acts who appeared included The String Ninjas, The Adventures, the Ferris School of Irish Dancers, Patrick Ryan, Seamus McPeak and Paul Dean.

St Patrick’s Day Live from Sailortown was streamed live on a variety of social media platforms and available for replay on the Sailortown Regeneration Facebook page or at sailortownregeneration.com

Sailortown’s St Patricks’ Day show will be live streamed across eight online platforms, from Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and NVTV, from 2pm to 9pm from St Joseph’s Chapel.

With a packed schedule of music, dance and art it represents a unique to celebrate the Patron Saint as well pay tribute to the work to restore St Joseph’s as a community hub.

Project manager for Sailortown Regeneration, Terry McKeown said it was important that they were able to share this landmark occasion for Sailortown.

“We are delighted to have such a stellar line-up that we can broadcast to friends, near and far” 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.

Seamus Lavery of opening act, 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.

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.

Seamus O’Neill, director of Belfast City Blues Festival said: “As I was born and bred in Fleet Street Sailortown, I am a million per cent behind this event and everything Terry McKeown and her team and friends are actively doing to bring Sailortown back to what it once was, a brilliant, vibrant and positive community hub in Belfast City.

The Belfast City Blues Festival is looking forward to working with Sailortown Regeneration.”

Susan Picken, director of Cathedral Quarter Trust and Culture Night Belfast said: “Fantastic to see the great online programme our friends and ’neighbours’ Sailortown Regeneration are putting on for St Patrick’s Day – can’t wait.”

Simon Wood, Chairperson, Northern Visions TV said: “We are delighted to be able to support the Sailortown community and former residents on St. Patrick’s Day, they say that sometimes you will never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory, let us hope that the enthusiasm of those intent on saving what is left of this community brings a brighter future.”

Singer songwriters Amanda St John and Anthony Toner will be among the line-up. Anthony, who released his song Sailortown in 2008, said: “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.”

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.”

“The rich cultural and historical heritage of Sailortown is something we look forward to celebrating on St Patrick’s Day. 

“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.” 

A full list of St Patrick’s Day Live from Sailortown streams is below.

All performances and the event will adhere to Covid-19 restrictions.

Details of the line-up can be found at sailortownregeneration.com  or on Sailortown Regeneration Facebook page. 

Catch the live broadcast on 17th March on….

Sailortown Twitter: https://twitter.com/StJoesBelfast 

Sailortown Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/friendsofstjosephssailortown 

Sailortown YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCokO_cwb3iDvUjQ-59kcs3g 

Culture Night Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CultureNightBelfast/ 

Belfast City Blues Festival Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialbelfastcitybluesfestival BAM Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bammagni

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.”

You can find out more at peoplehq.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.

For more information keep an eye on the Sailortown Regeneration Facebook page or at sailortownregeneration.com

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.”

For information go to pip-chemicals.co.uk

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 23^rd 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!) 

10.  Enjoy with some hot chocolate sauce!

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.

If you are interested you can to register with the Department for Communities. The deadline for registrations is 23:59 on Wednesday 5 May 2021.

Help to promote your offer for FREE

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. 

If you’re interested, find out more on the Communities NI website or contact the EHOD team by email: ehod@communities-ni.gov.uk

You can also keep up to date on all things EHOD and the 2021 plans via social media:

• Facebook: @LoveHeritageNI 
• Twitter:  @loveheritageNI
• Instagram:  @loveheritageni

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.”

Learn more at sailortownregeneration.com. 

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 .