Local firms honoured at North West Business Awards

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A much-loved Derry bookshop has been crowned Business/Entrepreneur of the year at the North West Business Awards.

Little Acorns Bookstore, located on Foyle Street, took home the final award at the annual ceremony, which recognises and celebrates the achievements of local businesses.

Among those who paid tribute to Little Acorns and its proprietor, Jenni Doherty, on the night were Derry Girls creator Lisa McGee.

“Creative writers inspire each other and drive our imagination. Most successful films come from books and the existence of independent book stores keep literature alive and are cornerstones for communities,” she said.

“Without places like this, many would not get the opportunity or confidence to create and inspire, and that is a catalyst to successfully making films and TV programmes that can promote our city and drive its economy.”

Other winners on the night included Find Insurance, named Small Business of the Year, retailer Ferry Clever, awarded Best Retailer and Best Use of Marketing and Social Media, and Best Western Plus White Horse Hotel, named Best Hotel and Best Restaurant.

Enterprise NW Team
Ethical Weigh
Ferry Clever
Find Insurance
White Horse Hotel Team
FinTrU NW Team
Alchemy Technologies Team
JACE Team
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Taoiseach meets NW Development Fund

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The Taoiseach Micheál Martin has visited Derry to discover the positive impact the North West Regional Development Group is having on regional growth.

Attendees at the Guildhall meeting were updated about ongoing work between Derry City and Strabane District Council, Donegal County Council, regional strategic partners and central government to deliver economic growth, investment and environmental and social cohesion for the region.

Senior council and government representatives discussed with the Taoiseach a range of regional priorities and options for scaling up co-operation and development work on both sides of the border.

Delegates heard how, with the Irish Government’s continued support and North-South co-operation, the cross-border North West City Region can boost innovation, create jobs and contribute to a sustainable, balanced regional economy on the island of Ireland.

Members re-emphasised to the Taoiseach the Irish government’s role in supporting efforts to improve road, air, rail and sea connectivity of the region and in supporting sustainable ‘green’ growth.

Chief executive of Derry City and Strabane District Council, John Kelpie, said the meeting highlighted both Councils’ shared goals.

He added: “Whether it is in education, business or tourism, the two Councils and Government are working collaboratively to ensure what we achieve is sustainable and brings benefits and opportunity to everyone.”

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North West Talent Pool is the Cornerstone to Allstate Northern Ireland’s Success

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The impressive ecosystem of multinationals based in the North West of Ireland provides the people of the region with strong employment and development opportunities across diverse sectors.

One of the North West City Region’s largest employers, Allstate NI was established in 1998, to provide high quality software and business solutions to support its US-based parent company, the Allstate Corporation. Protecting people from life’s uncertainties with more than 113 million proprietary policies, Allstate offers a broad array of protection products through multiple brands and diverse distribution channels, including auto, home and life assurance.

Employing 900 people across the North West in offices in Derry and Strabane, the region is of major strategic importance to the company.  Their Derry office celebrating 20 years in business last year.

Allstate Strabane Office

Based in Buncrana, Co. Donegal, Talent Acquisition Manager, Alan Fletcher explains Allstate’s reasons to locate in the region with “The initial set-up about getting access to a deep talent pool available in the wider city region. The North West has talented individuals who make a great contribution to the success of all our businesses.”

Alan Fletcher: Talent Acquisition Manager

Alan is one of many cross-border workers in the Fortune 100 firm. He along with fellow colleague Maria McColgan, are both natives of Donegal and are part of a growing list of digital professionals who speak glowingly about Allstate and the North West City Region.

Maria speaks about the Allstate experience; “the social aspect of the company was beyond anything I had ever experienced, there is so much inclusiveness here and I felt this also supported my development professionally.”

Maria McColgan: Product Manager (Allstate)

Alongside her role as Product Delivery Manager, Maria is also as an ‘Inclusion Champion’, ensuring training is available for all employees and that everyone is happy coming to work. As well as this, Maria is an advocate for Women in Technology at Allstate, “I feel that as a female in IT that there is so much opportunity for which we need to make the next generation aware of.”

Looking to the future, Allstate aims to keep on top of technological advancements by looking for new talent and skillsets in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Robotic Process Automation and Cyber Security.

The company have embarked on an ambitious investment in re-skilling existing employees in these areas and identifying the next generation of talent, through their 3-year graduate development programme.

At least 100 graduate positions are expected to be filled this year with successful candidates being put through a journey of continuous professional development at Allstate, exploring roles in the skillsets identified such as AI, machine learning, production support and product testing. “The talent, skills and connectivity found in the North West is a major draw for Allstate to grow our talent centres,” comments Alan.

The company offers a flexible hybrid working policy, allowing employees to design a work schedule appropriate for their needs, while also helping to achieve the perfect work-life balance.

When touching on their experiences of living and working in the North West, the benefits were clear. Living in Carndonagh and working in the Calayst building in Derry, Maria comments that her commute through Donegal to work is “way more appealing that a 30-minute sit in traffic.”

“I suppose the major bonus is working in a close-knit community that the North West region provides”, Maria concludes.

“For me it is being able to have a global career in a unique location. I have been able to work in both Donegal and Derry for some of the biggest companies in the world” says Alan.

He also delves deeper into the ecosystem of collaboration between multinationals and high-quality educational institutions as Talent Acquisition manager: “I have built academic partnerships with the University of Ulster, North West Regional College and Atlantic Technological University to name a few and it has been great to see exciting job opportunities being created in the North West region.”

“The fact the region has been voted the best place to work in Northern Ireland shows we are heading in the right direction.”

With the MIT Innovators Under 35 Event set to take place in the gTeic @ GaothDobhair this week, showcasing the vast array of talent of young people across Europe and the North West City Region, it’s assuring to see that investment in the talent of tomorrow is fundamental to Allstate’s operations within the region. 

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FinTrU wins Queen’s Award for Enterprise 2022 for International Trade

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FinTrU, a technologically enabled regulatory solutions company, has been honoured with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise (International Trade) in 2022.

The company won the Queen’s Award for International Trade for ‘Outstanding Continuous Growth’ in overseas sales over the last six years.

Headquartered in Belfast, FinTrU has rapidly expanded in recent years with additional global offices in Derry/Londonderry, New York, London, Dublin and Maastricht.

FinTrU Founder & CEO, Darragh McCarthy, said “It is an absolute honour for FinTrU to be recognised in this way. The Queen’s Award for Enterprise is an incredibly prestigious accolade with a vast array of highly respected winners over the years. We are delighted at FinTrU to see the hard work of our employees rewarded with this fantastic achievement.”

Employing over 1,000 people, FinTrU was founded in 2013 and provides technologically enabled Regulatory Solutions for Investment Banks – specialising in the areas of KYC, Compliance, Legal, Risk & Controls and Operations.

Now in its 56th year, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the country, with winning businesses able to use the esteemed Queen’s Awards Emblem for the next five years.

Source: Written from press release.

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Pop Up Shop scheme to showcase top new talents

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Some of Derry and Strabane’s finest new entrepreneurs were unveiled today as the winners of the RE:IMAGINE new Pop Up Shop initiative, offering a platform to showcase the very best new products on the market.The six successful candidates battled it out for places in a prime retail space in Foyleside, Derry and the Pagoda Strabane, following a Dragon’s Den style pitching event to sell their ideas to a panel of expert judges.RE:IMAGINE is organised by Derry City and Strabane District Council, and delivered by The Fashion & Textile Design Centre (FTDC) in Derry and BID in Strabane.The initiative is part of the new Start Up Accelerator Programme being rolled out by Derry City and Strabane District Council, Enterprise NW and Strabane Enterprise Agency, with £240,000 secured to assist individuals who have participated in the Go For It Programme, to take their business ideas further and develop their business skills. The programme is funded by the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund.The brands which will be showcasing their latest products are Coalesce Wearable Art; Koto Candles; VS – Mend and Make Do, Oh Sew Design Co.; Scottie Paws; Connie Ann. Each enterprise will be able to show their products in a busy trading space providing a launch pad for up and coming start-ups.

the entrepreneurs were congratulated by the Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Alderman Graham Warke, who met up with them to find out more about their exciting new brands. Mayor Warke said the scheme presented a fantastic opportunity to profile new talent keen to get established in the local marketplace. “I was so impressed by some of the products and designs which I’ve seen today,” he declared. “The Pop Up Shop space will really help to connect these top new entrepreneurs with new audiences, and raise the profile of their brand. “We have a fantastic local business community but every successful economy relies on fresh new talent to stay on top of new trends. The winners here today all demonstrate the creativity and innovation that will keep our economy driving forwards. I want to congratulate them all, and wish them every success on their business journey. I look forward to seeing them all become regular fixtures on our high street for many years to come.”The pop up shops will run until June, with five spots in Derry and one in Strabane. The entrepreneurs will also avail of a comprehensive package of wider support including bespoke mentoring, promotional marketing campaigns and technical assistance.  Council’s Head of Business, Kevin O’Connor said: “I am delighted to see six exciting new companies take the next step with the support of the Start Up Acceleration Programme and the Pop Up Shop Scheme. The local economy thankfully is beginning to turn a corner and as we look ahead to more positive times, it’s exciting to see new talent enter the market. I look forward to working with all the successful companies, and to watching their brands grow and develop over the coming months.”Deirdre Williams, Business Development Manager at the Inner City Trust’s Fashion & Textile Design Centre, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for up and coming entrepreneurs just setting out on their business journey. The costs associated with any new business can be prohibitive, so this wraparound package of support will make a major difference to all the successful candidates.  “I’m delighted at the standard of the entries, there are some extremely impressive new local brands which will add to the retail offering at both locations. I’m looking forward to working with them all and to have this opportunity to develop and profile such an exciting array of new talent.”

Meet the Winners

Elaine Duffy, Vintage Star – Mend & Make Do

Elaine Duffy lives and breathes vintage fashion.

For decades, she’s been hunting down the best preloved pieces to recreate classic looks from the 1930s, 40s and 50s – and now you can get some vintage va-va-voom too!

Vintage Star – Mend & Make Do stocks original vintage items and handmade, retro-inspired clothing and jewellery.

Whether you’re after a beautiful 1950s item, some rockabilly daywear, or a fabulous pinny to sprinkle some chic into your cooking, you’ll find it – and so much more – when you visit Elaine and her fellow start-ups at the RE:IMAGINE Pop Up, Foyleside Shopping Centre.

www.instagram.com/vintagestar304050s

Bridgene Graham and Niall Lynch, Coalesce Wearable Art

Meet Bridgene and Niall. A match made in fashion heaven.

During lockdown, designer Bridgene and her partner, tattoo artist Niall, had to close the doors of both their businesses.

Niall began drawing up some Japanese-inspired artworks, and Bridgene decided to print them onto streetwear and luxurious silk kimonos.

And so, Coalesce – meaning to grow together and unite as one – was born.

See their beautiful wearable art – and discover more brand new local designers – at the RE:IMAGINE Pop Up, Foyleside Shopping Centre.

www.instagram.com/coalesce_wearable_art

Catriona Hutton, KOTO Candles

Catriona Hutton is a self-confessed candle addict, who has always loved lighting one at home after a long day.

But here comes the science bit: “I soon realised that they contained things like paraffin wax, which is a by-product of petroleum oil, and other toxic chemicals,” says Catriona.

“I decided to create something that I would be happy to have in my home, and so KOTO Candles was born.”

KOTO’s handmade candles, diffusers and wax melts use planet-friendly raw materials, with aromas such as soothing lavender, and zingy lemongrass.

See – and smell! – them for yourself at the RE:IMAGINE Pop Up, Foyleside Shopping Centre.

https://www.instagram.com/kotocandles

Laura Miller, Oh Sew Design Co

Banish all memories of those scratchy wool jumpers your granny used to make for you. These days, crocheting, knitwork and embroidery are the epitome of cool.

After watching her grandmother and mum knit as a child, and with a little help from YouTube, Laura Miller has mastered these traditional skills to create Oh Sew Design Co.

Think pretty wall hangings, personalised embroidery, and crocheted tote bags.

Laura’s delighted to stock her products alongside other local start-ups in the RE:IMAGINE Pop Up in Derry’s Foyleside.

“Selling online is great, but you don’t have the same community. And for customers, it’s so nice to experience a handmade product in real life,” she says.

“Every stitch is different from the rest. It’s a unique product every time.”

www.instagram.com/oh_sew_designco

Shannon McCafferty, Connie Ann

“I want my designs to be passed down the generations; timeless, beautiful pieces that never go out of fashion.”

Meet Shannon McCafferty, founder of Connie Ann.

A love of fashion runs in the family for the Derry designer, with great grandparents who worked in  the shirt factory, and a style-conscious mother who’d save her lunch money to buy clothes.

After studying fashion design in Liverpool, Shannon returned home and began creating Connie Ann clothing and accessories, inspired by her love of 1970s fashion and Indian fabrics.

So take a trip back in time, transport yourself to India, and see the amazing range for yourself at the RE:IMAGINE pop up In Foyleside Shopping Centre.

Jenna Mitchell, Scottie Paws, Strabane Pagoda

Do you have a four-legged fashionista?

Thanks to Scottie Paws, you can kit out your pet in the coolest of clobber – such as leopard print bandanas, tartan bow ties, and cupcake-emblazoned leads in a variety of sizes.

Founder Jenna Mitchell, who also runs a horse-riding stables and equine fashion brand, has her very own brand ambassador and model: her Jack Russell, Chase, who turns heads in the park with his bright, bold accessories.

Visit her RE:IMAGINE standalone pop up shop in Strabane’s Pagoda, and turn every dog walk into a fashion catwalk. www.instagram.com/scottiepawspets

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Swedish Ambassador meets with Mayor and city business leaders

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Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Alderman Graham Warke, this week met with the UK Ambassador for Sweden, HE Mikaela Kumlin Granit during a special visit to the city.The meeting, which was arranged in partnership with the NI Executive Office, was part of a wider visit by the Ambassador to the region.During her visit to the city she met with the Mayor and senior Council representatives to get an overview of the exciting City Deal plans before meeting with the wider City Deal partners and business leaders to discuss a range of issues including City Deal, international students, business and trading issues and the NI protocol.Speaking following the meeting, Mayor Warke said it was a huge honour to welcome the Ambassador for Sweden to the city and give her an insight to some of the exciting plans being developed for the city and district.He said: “It was a huge honour to welcome the Ambassador to the Guildhall so she could hear at first hand the excellent work we are doing to invest and promote our region and also to give her an insight into some of the challenges we face. 

The Mayor of Derry and Strabane District Council, Alderman Graham Warke, with Swedish Ambassador Mikaela Kumlin Granit at a reception in the Guildhall. Photography Lorcan Doherty

She was very interested in hearing about our City Deal investment in research and innovation and how it will really drive and transform our regional economy. The visit was an excellent opportunity for us to promote the work we are doing in termsThis is the second visit by the Swedish Embassy Team to the Derry City and Strabane City Region, where they have met with city stakeholders to learn more about the city region deal and the challenges and opportunities regarding BREXIT and the NI Protocol. The Mayor previously met with Mr. Magnus Stuxberg (Deputy Head of Mission Political and European Affairs) and Mrs Åsa Theander from the Swedish Embassy Team in June 2021. 

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Alchemy Technology Services becomes the first Podium Partner with the Mary Peters Trust

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The Podium Partnership is a new initiative by the Trust to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Lady Mary Peters winning her Olympic Gold Medal in 1972.  

The Podium Partnership will last for three years working together with benefits to both parties. There will be a collaborative partnership with both parties exchanging skills, time and talent.

Barry Funston, chairman of the Mary Peters Trust, said: “We are delighted to announce Alchemy Technology Services as our first Podium Partner in the 50th Anniversary year of Lady Mary’ s famous Gold Medal victory in Munich. Alchemy’s innovative ground-breaking approach to staff development mirrors that of the sportsmen and women we support here at the Trust. Their support will enable us to continue to help young people, both disabled and able-bodied, achieve their sporting dreams and ambitions.” 

CEO and founder of Alchemy Technology Services, which employs over 140 people in the North West city region, John Harkin, added: “Partnering with the Mary Peters Trust is a natural fit for us. Alchemy’s values closely align with the Trust, we encourage our people to be the best versions of themselves, adopt a winner mindset and to “Go for Gold”. For 40 years the Trust has been providing invaluable support to athletes across Northern Ireland and we are committed to assisting this important mission into the future.”

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Ryan Williams, founder of The AMP business incubator

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Ryan Willams founder of The AMP

Ryan Williams is founder of The AMP, the North West’s first privately funded business incubator and co-working space, which recently opened a new site in Derry’s Ebrington Square. He is also director of Connected Health, a tech-enabled homecare company with around 1,100 staff in the UK and Ireland. Originally from Armagh, Ryan has lived in Derry for 20 years and is also co-founder of the LAB Fund, which has supported more than 40 local businesses and projects.

You moved to Derry 20 years ago. How has it changed since then?

I think the biggest change in the city since I’ve been here was probably the City of Culture in 2013, when people really started to realise they could do great things. It’s not that Derry hadn’t done great things before then, but I think that year, people sat up and went, ‘We can be great’, and ‘Let’s celebrate what’s really good about Derry’.

And I think in the last four to five years that’s been turbocharged. The city looks amazing for a start. We went to Ebrington because we knew that it was the new Cathedral Quarter for Derry, a place where there’s going to be hundreds of people living and working, tourists in and out of the place, it’s really going to come alive and be a new hub for the city. We have 85% of the new AMP building full, with people in tech, digital marketing, digital media, and it isn’t officially opened yet. Entrepreneurs are springing up because they see confidence, and they see other people being successful.

Tell us a bit more about The AMP?

AMP’s not a single building, it’s a theme for how incubators should operate and create that local ecology of entrepreneurs who all think in similar ways and want the same kind of things out of their space or working lives. The Ebrington building has capacity for about 40 to 45 people. We’re already looking at AMP 3, so we’re already looking at where we might go with another building. We’ll hopefully have some news on that in the New Year.

The place is looking brilliant. We’ve a few murals going up shortly, which are all going to be about Derry slang and business motivational quotes. It’s going to be really cool. We’re not interested in celebrating Elon Musk and Warren Buffett, we wanted this to feel like a Derry-owned entrepreneurial tech hub.

Have you had feedback from people who want to move home?

There are people going, ‘the house that I’m looking at is three times the size and half the cost of what I pay in London’. We have one of the best school systems that you’ll see in any part of Europe, with award-winning educators. We’ve got Benone Beach and Donegal on our doorstep. Why would you not want to live and work here!

I think we need to tell our 17 and 18-year-olds that you don’t need to go to Liverpool or London, if fact your quality of life here will be better, your job opportunities will be better in many cases, don’t think that you need to leave. And we’ve got to keep that talent and that wealth locally where we can. Earning £40k a year in London and earning £30k a year in Derry, your lifestyle is completely different.

Where did the idea for the LAB fund come from?

Four and a half or five years ago, we came up with this concept called Your Derry to celebrate global success stories, individuals and businesses. There are now 16,000 people on that Facebook platform, including diaspora around the world. But what we realised really quickly was look, that’s all fine, but how do we help people to get going, create social enterprises, give them a few quid to do something positive in the city, help small entrepreneurs to get started? If you look at Elemental’s success story in Derry, the founders started with £500. Now it’s a multi-million-pound business. So, we thought, we really need a fund. What if we get £20.24 a month off local people and businesses, less than a gym membership, put it into a pot and we give it away every quarter? We’ve supported 42 SMEs, local entrepreneurs, social enterprises, community projects including the likes of Storefront NI streetwear and Devine Scents. It’s not a fortune, it’s between £500 and up to £2000. It’s also quite supportive, we can match people up with mentors. I think it’s a lovely thing. A small amount of money that makes quite a bit of difference.

The pandemic was a challenging time for homecare providers. How did Connected Health cope?

We grew by 30% during Covid. A lot of our competitors pulled the shutters down; we said, we’re actually going to recruit, because homecare is going to be one of the last bastions that older and vulnerable people have. We also came up with things like Covid dedicated teams. The incidence of Covid in homecare was miniscule in comparison with care homes. So if I looked at the peak 12 months of Covid, we had 52 staff infections out of 1,100 staff. We had really good PPE adherence. We got PPE in January 2020 knowing this was coming. We also had dedicated Covid carers who only looked after Covid positive patients. Our two Irish Carers of the Year [Limavady sisters Lauren and Chloe Kelly] moved in with one of our vulnerable clients for two and a half weeks, when she got Covid. That’s the kind of carers we employ and keep. That’s how staff step up.

What do you do in your spare time – if you get any!

I did an Ironman in September in Spain. I’ll certainly do more triathlons, but I wouldn’t be rushing back to do another Ironman. It’s just excruciating! Danny Quigley, who completed 10 Ironmans in 10 days for charity, was my coach, so you can’t get a better coach. Swimming is my favourite part of triathlon, so I swim a lot and do a lot of open water swimming. I call myself a failing triathlete and a marginally successful swimmer.

Find out more about AMP at https://ampincubator.com

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Halloween homecoming for North West expats

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Derry’s Millennium Forum was the stage for a special cultural showcase for returning expats in October.

The event, sponsored by new diaspora association, Futureproof Northwest, featured snapshots of the region’s music, literature and art.

It included a choral recital, hosted by Maurice Kelly of Allegri and guests, a new exhibition of paintings of Derry street-scenes from the last century, by Bridget Murray, and the launch of the late John Bryson’s historical reference guide to the city, Derry’s Streets: 521-2021.

Futureproof chair Sean Downey said the diaspora group, which was inaugurated at Dublin’s Mansion House in 2019 and is made up of expats from Derry, Donegal and Tyrone, aims to support conversations that will help the region.

He added: “We want to encourage the diaspora of the North West to connect, share ideas and experience, exchange contacts and create opportunities. As part of this, we plan to organise activities and events to promote networking and relationship-building, and strengthen the community of Northwesterners across the islands and further afield.

“We also hope to provide support through the network to people in the North West and the diaspora across these islands and further afield seeking to develop business, promote culture and foster educational opportunities.”

Further information on the group is available at futureproofnorthwest.com 

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Derry bookstore crowned regional bookshop of the year

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Little Acorns Bookstore in Derry has been named Regional Bookshop of the Year at The An Post Irish Book Awards. 

Established in 2011, Little Acorns Bookstore has an overall stock of more than 40,000 books and specialises in Irish-related subjects, authors and publishers. 

The Foyle Street shop was named Ulster winner of the competition, with the other regional prizes awarded to Kennys Bookshop in Galway, The Company of Books in Dublin, Kerr’s Bookshop in Cork and The Maynooth Bookshop in Kildare.

Jenni Doherty, owner of Little Acorns Bookstore said: “I really am totally shocked, I feel so, so honoured and this is as much for the wonderful folks of Derry and Donegal who have ensured I kept going through the pandemic. They have all shown me fantastic support and loyalty and are all legends.”

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