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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MetaCompliance creates 70 new jobs in Londonderry expansion

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A cybersecurity company has announced 70 new jobs in Derry-Londonderry as part of a £4.5 million investment.

Based in the city, MetaComplance develops cloud software for cybersecurity and compliance, providing software solutions and e-learning content to educate employees on the dangers of a cyberattack.

The firm is looking to grow its business into new markets in the US and Europe. The 70 new jobs, which will help develop the cybersecurity learning market via cloud-based solutions, will inject an estimated £1.9 million per year in additional salaries into the local economy.

MetaCompliance chief executive Robert O’Brien said: “Our ambition is to be internationally recognised in our field of expertise. We have seen a rapid global increase in the demand of cybersecurity products and services, particularly since GDPR has been implemented.

Invest Northern Ireland has offered £695,000 of support towards creating the new jobs and market development activity.

John Hood of Invest NI said: “MetaCompliance is already a strongly established business within the cybersecurity sector. The creation of these jobs will build upon its previous success and help the company to expand its presence in the North West, the cybersecurity market, and in new markets.

Invest NI has previously supported MetaCompliance with job creation investment in 2017; management and digital training for employee development; and R&D support for its Voyager and MyCompliance Cloud user awareness cloud solutions. The company is also currently receiving support through Invest NI’s Skills Growth Programme.

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Derry~Londonderry Alchemy Tech Services partner with stateside software firm

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Alchemy Technology Services has announced their partnership with Silicon Valley software company Guidewire PartnerConnect as a consulting alliance member at the Select level.

The Derry~Londonderry based firm has made the announcement just under a year after its official launch in the city last September. Since then, Alchemy has employed 62 full time permanent staff against its three year target of 250+ staff to work on insurance software implementation projects across Europe.

 “We are pleased to join Guidewire PartnerConnect as a Consulting partner, especially given that our focus on collaboration and investing in our people aligns us both culturally and operationally with Guidewire,” said John Harkin, the company’s CEO and Founder. “This is a great acknowledgement of the work we have done over the past year and to be in partnership with an industry leader such as Guidewire confirms that we are moving in the right direction. We look forward to working with Guidewire and helping to ensure that insurers’ digitization projects are delivered with the expertise needed globally.”

“We welcome Alchemy Technology Services as a Guidewire alliance member,” said Lisa Walsh, vice president of Global Alliances at Guidewire Software. “We are pleased to work with a company whose values are consistent with our own, and we are excited to expand our relationship with them.”

Alchemy Technologies provides talent and resources to support insurers in their efforts to modernize and grow their technology platforms. Alchemy’s near-shore resourcing allows for quick and efficient deployment of services to insurers across Europe. Backing from Invest NI and the Department for the Economy supports the company’s intensive training plans enabling them to provide fully certified consultants.

Guidewire PartnerConnect’s consulting partners provide consulting services in areas such as business transformation and strategy and implementation, as well as in related delivery services. It is a subsidiary of Guidewire Software, who provides software, services, and partners ecosystem to enable customers to run, differentiate, and grow their business, serving more than 350 companies in 40 countries.

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Holiday Inn Express city centre hotel opens in Derry ~ Londonderry creating 44 jobs

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The city of Derry~Londonderry’s tourism sector is thriving, enjoying record occupancy levels and welcoming thousands of visitors each year. The latest addition to the city’s portfolio is the new Holiday Inn Express Hotel, which opened its doors in July 2019.

The Holiday Inn Express is part of the Intercontinental Hotels Group, a global company representing 12 hotel brands including Intercontinental Hotels, Crown Plaza Hotels and Hotel Indigo, with over 5,000 partner hotels worldwide. The hotel will be managed by Interstate Hotels and Resorts, one of the world’s leading independent multinational hotel operators. These International partnerships and globally renowned brands will provide the hotel and its team with unique access to a world-class portfolio of knowledge, operational and reporting systems and training initiatives to achieve the very highest standards of delivery.

The £7m development will support the wider tourist and hospitality industry in Northern Ireland and provide a new base for visitors to explore the city and surrounding areas. The hotel will create 44 new jobs, generating employment and business opportunities for service providers in the region.

General Manager Stephen Redden commented “We are committed to building a dynamic, passionate and professional team capable of delivering a first-class service for our guests. Our global brand partnerships will enable us to offer ongoing development opportunities for our employees ensuring the hotel is committed to continually enhancing skills, capabilities and knowledge.”

The hotel is the second largest in the city with 119 modern bedrooms and plans are already underway to further increase capacity to 150 bedrooms by early 2020. All bedrooms are air-conditioned and offer appealing amenities such as internet ready Smart TVs, blackout blinds and a free Express Start™ Breakfast for all guests. The hotel’s Express Bar and Café offers an informal all-day dining menu and two on-site meeting rooms can accommodate up to 12 delegates.

Phase 2 of the development is currently in progress to further transform the site with the addition of a stylish independent bar, a chic destination restaurant and 22 modern self-catering apartments, all due to open in 2020.

W: www.hiexpress.com/derry-ldnderry

Contact: Aoife Thomas salesmanager@hixderry.com

T: +44 2871 162400

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Road Cycling Championships a ‘defining moment for NW road racing’

Foyle Cycling Club have welcomed the finest cyclists from home and abroad for the Cycling Ireland National Road Championships.

The three-day festival of racing saw a series of solo time trials on Thursday June 27, followed by road race action on Saturday June 29 and Sunday June 30.

International professionals battled with top locally-based amateurs for the title of national champion and the right to wear the coveted shamrocks on their jersey for the next 12 months.

The women’s and men’s elite road races were filmed for a highlights TV programme to be broadcast in the week after the championships.

Race Director Chris McElhinney of the promoting Foyle CC said: “This is a defining moment for our club and for the history of road racing in the North West.”

The action got under way on Thursday with the time trial, using a 36km course laid out on a traditional ‘out and back’ format starting and finishing near Speenoge, County Donegal.

The road race action began on Saturday afternoon with the Women’s Elite race and the men’s junior events utilising the 20.29km circuit beginning and ending in the heart of Derry/Londonderry.

They culminated with a final race to finish line on Shipquay Street, where the champions of Ireland were crowned.

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Over 1,000 compete in Walled City Marathon

Athletes from around the globe descended on Derry to take part in the O’Neills Walled City Marathon 2019 in June.

More than 1,000 competitors embarked from the Everglades Hotel on a stunning 26.2 mile course that took in all the sights and sounds of the city.

They ran through an urban and rural odyssey of streets, parks and greenways, in and out of the Walled City to an iconic finish in a spectator-packed Guildhall Square.

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Foyle Cup 2019 prepares for kick off

O’Neills Foyle Cup returns to the city in July, with around 1,500 matches set to take place.
The tournament, which runs from July 22 to July 27, attracts interest from around the world, and has seen demand and quality increase each year.
The contest began in 1992 and was originally staged over one day, with eight teams taking part in an U14 and U16 event.
Now, top clubs in the UK and Republic of Ireland travel to Derry to compete as well as entrants from mainland Europe, North America, and even South Africa.

http://foylecup.com/

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