Diaspora spotlight: Aoife Doherty, founder, Sass & Halo

Derry woman and London College of Fashion graduate Aoife Doherty returned home in 2016 after six years studying and working in Newcastle and London. She set up Sass & Halo, designing and handcrafting bespoke crowns, at her kitchen table that year. Aoife, now 28, opened premises in Derry’s Craft Village in February 2017, and went on to win Council’s £10k Business Start Up Challenge. Today, Sass & Halo receives orders from all over the world, has more than 11,000 Instagram followers, and also employs two part-time staff.

Why did you decide to move back to Derry?

I always had this dream to come home. If anyone was thinking of living in London, I would say you have to experience it, but I never really thought I’d settle there. I went travelling for a while and then moved back to Derry and worked in retail, but it wasn’t really what I’d worked towards. I was thinking of going away again, but my Daddy, Thomas, died in 2016 and then everything kind of changed. It was a turning point for me. I thought, ‘I’m going to live here and I’m going to do something myself and try and make it work’.

Where did the idea for Sass & Halo come from?

I’m obsessed with wearing things on my head, so I was passionate about it, and at the time, there was a niche in the market. The hairdresser Ronan Stewart asked me to stock my pieces at the RoCo till for Christmas 2016 and they just kept selling out. I thought, ‘Maybe it’s something I can actually turn into a viable business’. I made enough money to put a deposit down in the Craft Village, and just took a massive risk.

What impact did winning the £10k Challenge have?

It was amazing. I got £5k and was able to buy a pink horsebox that’s been fitted out inside, so I could drive it to festivals and markets, literally taking the products to my target market on a day when people have disposable income. Winning the Challenge was great for marketing too, because so many more people heard about me and my business.

What have been your other key successes?

Topshop in Victoria Square, Belfast, got it touch last year and we had a stand in there for festival season, which was massive. And now we’ve gone down the wedding route, doing alternative wedding floristry – mainly silk or dry bouquets, hairpieces, décor – this summer has been wedding after wedding after wedding. I get a lot of job satisfaction when I do a wedding and it looks so beautiful. The business has grown so much from when it started.

What would you say to someone thinking of returning home?

You definitely do have to think about work and what you want to do here. There are challenges. But the best thing about having a business here is that everybody’s so supportive. I think supporting local is really big in Derry at the moment. Also, I think the internet is so powerful and we live in a time now where it doesn’t really matter where you are. You can move home, but you have this tool that anyone in the world can reach you and you can reach anyone.

What did you miss most about home when you lived in England?

Family. Getting from A to B much quicker. My Mommy’s home cooking. But then also Derry Chinese. It’s not as good over there. Free State Dairy Milk and Tayto. My Mommy used to post me packages with white pudding. I wasn’t sure if it was edible… I still ate it though!

How has Sass & Halo evolved since it started?

It’s completely changed. I used to think, ‘I’ll be a shop that people just come in and buy things and maybe the odd custom order’, but now pretty much everything is custom made. I’ve started to make stuff for Christmas, so that it is a shop at Christmas. I’m posting to all sorts of places – Florida, Australia. A lot of it seems to be word of mouth; I’ll get one order from Newcastle, then you get loads of messages from people in Newcastle.

What are your plans for Halloween?

We’ve been reaching out to celebrity make-up artists so we’re going to do some collaborations with them. I’ve also got exciting plans for my own costume. I love Halloween; I’m always trying to be as extra as possible. There’s nothing better than walking around and seeing all the costumes and all the children dressed up too.

And you’ll be part of Fashion Fest too?

I’m involved in the opening number. I don’t know how much I’m allowed to tell you – but we are sponsoring their heads! There seems to be a lot going on locally in fashion and the arts. There are loads of new start-ups and people trying different things.

https://www.instagram.com/sassandhalo/

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Guildhall hosts glittering sell-out Fashion showcase

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Fashion fans flocked to the Guildhall on Saturday evening where a cornucopia of couture awaited as the sell-out annual Fashion Fest show got underway.

The Main Hall of the historic building became an autumnal paradise, as the catwalk cascaded with colour in all the hues of the season. The show was a celebration of creativity, diversity and self-expression showcasing the work of both emerging and established designers.

The event was delivered by Derry City and Strabane District Council with support from Style Academy, who co-ordinated the stunning catwalk display.

Speaking after the event, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District, Councillor Michaela Boyle said it had been a fantastic production. “I want to say well done to all involved in co-ordinating Fashion Fest this year. It was a delight to see the Guildhall being used for such a glamourous event, and the beautiful backdrop of the Main Hall. The talent on display was fantastic and our local designers are undoubtedly right at the cutting edge of the fashion industry.”

Business Support Officer with Council, Tara Nicholas, said the event had been a great success. “I want to thank everyone involved in the show for the delivery of such a spectacular and ambitious production. We had an array of talent on show here at the Guildhall – not just the designers and models who lit up our catwalk, but also the music and dance performers who helped create such an entertaining experience.

“This year there was a strong message about identity, inclusivity and how fashion is a form of self-expression that is accessible to everyone. We strive to support the local creative industries in terms of offering business advice and mentoring, as well as showcase opportunities such as Fashion Fest. The calibre of the talent here is exceptional and it’s fantastic to be able to see so many local designers coming together for one show.”

The audience enjoyed an evening of live music, song and fabulous fashion from a whole host of emerging and established designers, including Bridie Mullan, Paul Stafford, Una Rodden, Hope Macaulay and Alan Cresswell.

Other highlights included a showcase of eco-friendly fashion by Junk Kouture as some of the past winning designs took to the runway to inspire people to resurrect old materials and transform them into stunning ensembles and local dance company CREATE with a show stopping opening. 

The show closed with a magical collaboration with US label Badgley Mischka showcasing their luxury Bridal Collection which made for an epic finale.

Entertainment included performances by Irish Singer / Songwriter Racheal O’ Connor and Derry’s award winning DJ, Louise DaCosta, plus live sax accompaniment.

You can find out more about Fashion Fest at www.derrystrabane.com/fashionfest Follow us on Instagram @FashionFestDerry

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Kimosop and McGlynn take the honours as thousands complete Waterside Half Marathon

Ann Marie McGlynn and Kenyan Gideon Kimosop have claimed the respective women’s and men’s titles in the 38th staging of the Waterside Half Marathon, as a record-breaking field of over 2,000 runners took on the challenge of the 13.1 mile course.

Strabane’s McGlynn recorded a record-breaking time of 76 minutes and 54 seconds as Jim Corbett claimed the wheelchair honours at the September event.

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Michaela Boyle, started the race and was at the finish line at Ebrington Running Track to greet the runners as they finished.

“Congratulations to the thousands of runners who took part in the Waterside Half Marathon and in particular the category winners, where the competition was particularly stiff this year,” she said.

“It was heartening to see the runners encouraged around the course by the hundreds of spectators who lined the route, and it was clearly an emotional moment for many at the finish line. 

“Well done to the Festival and Events team at Council and City of Derry Spartans for hosting another smoothly co-ordinated event and good luck to all the runners as they continue their running journey and pursuing their personal goals.”       

Festival and Events Manager at Derry City and Strabane District Council, Jacqueline Whoriskey, thanked everyone who contributed to another successful event.

“A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to manage an event of this scale so I would like to thank all the volunteers who helped out as stewards and at water stations and, in particular, to Gerry Lynch and the City of Derry Spartans Club, without whose expertise this event wouldn’t be possible,” she added.

“We were delighted that more teams than ever took advantage of the relay option this year, it allows more people to enjoy the race day experience and I’m sure many relay runners will return in 2020 with some attempting the full distance.

“We are also proud that the event is one of the most environmentally friendly races ever hosted in the UK and Ireland through a number of eco-initiatives including paperless registrations and race instructions, smaller water bottles, more recycling bins and recyclable race pack bags.”

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UU researchers make step towards self-aware artificial intelligence

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Ulster University researchers have developed a pioneering new computational model that could be used by developers to make self-aware machines.

The Intelligent Systems Research Centre (ISRC) at the university’s Magee campus has created the world’s first biologically motivated, computational model which can quantify decision uncertainty and explain its effects on change-of-mind during decision-making processing.

Numerous top technology companies are using some form of artificial intelligence (AI) in fields such as advertising technology, manufacturing, cybersecurity, and healthcare.

AI systems encompass machine learning techniques and powerful computational resources to create predictive models by processing complex and large data. However, they lack a key component essential to human intelligence and effective decision making: self-awareness.

At the ISRC, new research on biologically-inspired algorithms has been advancing beyond standard AI algorithms.

This exciting new work in Computational Neuroscience has shown for the first time that neural network models can be equipped with metacognition or self-awareness of their own actions and choices.

The computer model can not only mimic brain activity observed in humans and some animals, but also replicate change-of-mind and error correction behaviour, which require “on-the-fly” metacognitive processing.

Senior author and researcher of the research work, Dr KongFatt Wong-Lin, said: “Our research has revealed the plausible brain circuit mechanisms underlying how we calculate decision uncertainty, which could in turn influence or bias our actions, such as change-of-mind.”

He added: “We are perhaps closer than ever before to creating self-aware machines than we have previously thought. Real-time monitoring of decision confidence in artificial neural networks could also potentially allow better interpretability of the decisions and actions made by these algorithms, thereby leading to more responsible and trustworthy AI.”

Mr Nadim Atiya, lead author of the paper and a PhD researcher at the ISRC, added: “Our research work could also form the basis towards understanding brain disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and addiction, in which metacognitive abilities are impaired.”

The researchers are now working with cognitive scientists and brain scientists to further develop their computer model, while creating conscious machines that are self-aware of their actions and decisions, making AI and machines more intelligent and interpretable.

The research can be viewed here.

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Leading academics, clinicians and industry members gather for 10th TMED conference

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Around 250 local and international academics, clinical researchers and members of the Life and Health Sciences industry have attended a prestigious TMED (Translational Medicine) conference in Derry-Londonderry.

The event which is now in its 10th year, had a theme of ‘Disruptive innovation in healthcare’, and was opened by Professor Rafael Bengoa, an internationally renowned expert who previously developed a Systems not Structures healthcare strategy for Northern Ireland.

This year, the Clinical Translational Research and Innovation Centre (C-TRIC) celebrated a decade of partnership between Derry City and Strabane District Council, Ulster University and the NHS through the Western Health and Social Care Trust. 

Based on the Altnagelvin Hospital site in Derry/Londonderry, C-TRIC have been instrumental in facilitating healthcare research by bringing together clinicians, academic university staff and industry to achieve better outcomes for patients both locally and internationally.

During his keynote speech at the conference in the City Hotel, Professor Bengoa addressed how Northern Ireland has delivered on his report, which is also referred to as The Bengoa Report.

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Terex reveals ‘ambitious growth plans’ as it unveils new £12m facility

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Global manufacturer Terex has officially opened its new £12m facility in Campsie, which will create 100 jobs locally.

The firm, which makes lifting and material processing solutions, unveiled the 105,000 square foot facility where heavy equipment for Terex Ecotec (waste management and recycling) and mobile conveyors will be manufactured.

Speaking at a reception of over 100 representatives from educational, political and business institutions in the area, Kieran Hegarty, president of Terex Materials Processing revealed that the manufacturer has “ambitious plans for growth” in the future.

“We’ve a fantastic local team now in place and trained in our world-class manufacturing processes. But we don’t stop there. Terex has ambitious plans for growth and just as important as this new facility and filling our current vacant positions is in developing and retaining our people so we have the skills needed to deliver our ambitious growth plans,” he said.

Discussing the new facility, Mr Hegarty added: “As people, businesses and governments become more aware of their carbon footprint we’re seeing enormous growth in demand for environmental equipment globally.

“We’re excited that Terex Campsie has started producing equipment to cater for this market – the type of equipment capable of processing construction and demolition waste or everyday waste from your home – to be exported all over the world.”

Manufacturing at Terex Campsie is underway, with almost 40% of the initial 100 jobs filled. Northern Ireland is a key manufacturing location for the firm, with nine sites in the region and more than 1800 people employed.

Derry City and Strabane District Council Deputy Mayor, Cara Hunter said: “The grand opening today is very good news for our region and reaffirms the North West’s position as a competitive, exciting and innovative place to do business.”

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Constructing peace – St Columb’s Park Walled Garden opens

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A stunning new walled garden has been unveiled in St Columb’s Park as a shared space for the whole community.

The garden was officially opened during Good Relations Week in September by the Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor Michaela Boyle.

The project received over £370,000 in external funding through the EU’s Peace IV Programme (Special EU Programmes Body) for the completion of the garden, and a supporting programme of peace building activity.

The extensive development to the rear of St Columb’s Park House was built by contractor Willie Doherty Construction, and the finished project includes an historic path network at the site and the rebuilding of the Walled Garden enclosure.

The project is identified as a priority in Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Parks Development Programme and the Strategic Growth Plan, which commits to protect and promote our natural and built heritage assets and develop our parks and green spaces.

Mayor Boyle said the project would be a welcome addition to the park’s expanding infrastructure: “I am proud to officially open this beautiful new outdoor space which is a key element of the wider St Columb’s Park Regeneration Plan,” she said.

“The Walled Garden enhances the Park’s historic, cultural and landscape amenity and will crucially create a shared space that will benefit the entire community. Congratulations to all the project stakeholders from Council, St Columb’s Park House and the Acorn Fund for their collaborative work in bringing this project to fruition.”

A series of cross-community programmes are planned, themed around ‘Working with the Natural Environment’, ‘Health and Wellbeing’, ‘History and Heritage’ and ‘Art in the Park’.

The PEACE IV Programme is supported by the European Union, managed by the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB). Match-funding has been provided by the Executive Office in Northern Ireland and the Department of Rural and Community Development in Ireland.

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US delegation forges links ahead of trade visit

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A high-level delegation from Pennsylvania’s Department of Community and Economic Development has visited the North West to engage with local companies ahead of a trade mission to the US.

During the trip, the representatives met with local businesses and visited Ulster University, Letterkenny Institute of Technology and CoLab to explore the opportunities for partnership with education and business centres in the US.

The visit comes just weeks before a trade delegation from Derry, Strabane and Donegal travels to Boston and Philadelphia.

The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Cllr Michaela Boyle said she was delighted to showcase the city and region for investment and collaborative working.

She added: “The delegates were very impressed with our offering and how well placed we are in terms of offering cost competitive business opportunities in a cross border location, along with high level digital connectivity with a skilled and talented workforce pool.”

John Kelpie, Chief Executive with Derry City and Strabane District Council, said the work being done by Derry City and Strabane District Council and Donegal County Council and its partners to promote the City Region for investment was beginning to gain momentum.

“We are really seeing the benefits of this joined up and positive approach to establish strong economic development links and initiatives between the US and the North West region,” he added.

“The visit by this delegation puts us in a really positive position ahead of our trade mission planned for November.”

Seamus Neely, Donegal County Council Chief Executive said there would be a strong emphasis during the upcoming trade mission on promoting the region’s strategic cross border location to the US market.

“We will also be showcasing our talent, skills and entrepreneurship along with our strong ICT strengths, well established eco system and quality of life,” he said.

The North West City region trade delegation will build on the work done over the past number of years to build strong political, economic and cultural links and to reach out to the diaspora. Key to the visit is the inclusion of local companies to promote the region as an attractive investment proposition and to develop new market and network opportunities.

For more information, visit www.IrelandNW.com #IrelandNW19.

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Foyle Port hits record turnover despite Brexit concerns

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Foyle Port has announced a new record turnover of £10million, with
an operating profit of £1.9million for the 2018/2019 financial year.

Despite uncertainties over Brexit and its effects, this marks the
Port’s seventh year of consecutive growth.

All profits will be reinvested to improve the business and upgrade
facilities.

Recent financial success has allowed the Port to undertake ambitious
capital investment in assets and infrastructure worth £3.5million, which
includes the purchase of a new harbour crane and expansion of the Port’s
landbank to 155 acres.

Foyle Port, which celebrates its 165th anniversary this
year, now employs more than 100 staff, with a payroll total of £4million per
year.

Foyle Port chair Bonnie Anley said: “Over the last year in
particular, there has been ever increasing anxiety about Brexit and its
impacts. Potential change and uncertainty, both locally and nationally has had
to be managed.

“We’ve risen to that challenge and are ready for the outcome of
Brexit in terms of a ‘deal’ or a ‘no deal’ scenario. As a commercial entity, we
have shown that we can be flexible and adapt to the new realities of the
business environment.”

Foyle Port chief executive Brian McGrath added: “We have a strong
balance sheet and are primed for future investment. We are one year ahead of
delivery in terms of our strategic plan, which will give us much need time
before setting the direction of travel for 2020 and the outcomes of Brexit.”

In addition to the Port’s core activity, it has seen growth in its
diversification programme such as the Port’s civil and structural engineering
division, Foyle Consulting Engineers.

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Chinese delegation visits city for cultural celebration

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Government officials and VIPs from China have visited Derry-Londonderry as part of a celebration of Chinese culture marking four key historic anniversaries.

Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District, Councillor Michaela Boyle welcomed the major delegation, led by the Chinese Consul General in Belfast Madame Zhang Meifang, as well as cultural performers who led a colourful showcase of traditional Chinese music and dance.

Mayor Boyle said the event was another opportunity to strengthen local relations with China.

“This is the latest in a series of meetings and engagements between local partners in business and education which have been establishing strong ties between the North West and China,” she said.

“I look forward to continuing to explore the future prospects that these discussions may present to the benefit of both our countries, based on our shared interests and ambitions.”

Events were held in both Derry and Belfast in September by the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Belfast to celebrate four events: the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, the 65th Anniversary of UK – China Relations, the 5th year of the Chinese Consul General locating in Belfast, and China National Day, which is traditionally celebrated on October 1st.

A China National Day Dinner Celebration also took place in the Guildhall hosted by Madame Zhang, Mayor Boyle, and members of the local Sai Pac Chinese community.

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