Derry and Strabane’s fantastic
eateries and artisan producers are taking centre stage with the unveiling of
the LegenDerry food and drink brand.
The brand, launched by the local Food
and Drink Network and supported by the Council, brings together our finest food-focused
talent and puts the City and District firmly on the foodie map for locals and
visitors alike.
Our innovative, authentic producers, growers, chefs, brewers and restaurateurs are celebrated on the new LegenDerry food website and in marketing material, including this video.
Derry City and Strabane District Council, alongside funding partners
North West Regional College and Ulster University, held the world’s first
Virtual Learning City Festival on Wednesday and Thursday.
Over 50 online events took place during the two-day programme in the
form of information sessions, live presentations, short films and live chats
exploring key areas such as Jobs & Skills, Health & Well-Being,
Arts& Culture and Technology & Science.
In total, there were 40,000 engagement views on Facebook and other
social media platforms during the two days.
In addition, there was over 9,500 visitors to the bespoke
Learning Festival website, including views on
Youtube coming largely from the UK and Ireland, but also due to
the nature event and associated global conference which launched the
festival, recorded traffic also came from Europe, Ukraine and Japan and
Brazil.
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Brian Tierney joined
speakers from Colombia, Seoul, Bangkok, Cork, Hamburg, USA and Derry to open
the festival, and he said he was delighted to see so many had enjoyed the
programme on offer.
“Achieving the UNESCO Learning City status for the Derry and
Strabane region was an important moment for our district, it was brilliant
to see it celebrated in virtual format.
“The wide variety of topics covered meant that there was something
to attract everyone’s attention, and it really captured the essence of
what learning is about – picking up new skills and information.
“Thanks to our Council team, to North West Regional College and
Ulster University, and to all those who delivered workshops and interactive
sessions across the two days without this collaboration we could not have
run a virtual event.”
Malachy Ó Néill, Provost at Ulster University’s Magee campus said:
“Ulster University has been privileged to collaborate once again with our
neighbours Derry City and Strabane District Council and North West Regional
College to acquire UNSECO Learning City status for our city and to host the inaugural
Virtual Learning Festival. Well done and thank you to all involved.
“It has been inspirational to see and hear so many people come
together to learn. As our thoughts turn to enabling the cultural and tourism
sectors in the North West post COVID-19, we look forward to building on this
initiative in the future for the good of the people of the city and
region.”
Leo Murphy, Principal and Chief Executive of North West Regional College
said: “This was a fantastic festival and all at NWRC were delighted to be
part of such an innovative event in this new era of learning through a virtual
format.
“We continue to support career ambitions across the region and look
forward to continued collaboration with the partners of the festival in the
future.”
Padraig Canavan, Chair Learning City said: “It was an honour for us
to attract so many distinguished speakers from around the globe to our opening
seminar.
“With ‘Lockdown Learning’ as the theme we heard about individual,
community and nationwide learning initiatives like ‘Classrooms without Walls’
and the new libraries – ‘Smart Learning Civic Centres’. A great first for
Learning Cities and for Derry and Strabane.”
If you missed the festival over the last few days you can watch all of
the LIVE Zoom recordings and premiered events at the Learning Hub.
Learning City’s is delighted that this Learning hub can be now used
and shared. It is a valuable resource for people of all ages to enjoy at
any time, over and over again available at https://www.derrystrabane.com/LearningFest.
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpg00Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2020-10-19 13:38:292020-10-28 15:30:56UNESCO Celebrates the first Learning City Virtual Festival in Derry and Strabane
A leading Derry/Londonderry-based financial services firm has enjoyed its best quarter to date, despite the global COVID-19 crisis.
Executive Director and Head of FinTrU North West, Greg McCann
Since the
coronavirus lockdown, FinTrU has acquired two major new clients, and made 75
new hires for its bases in the North West and Belfast.
The award-winning
company’s Financial Services Academies have also continued virtually, with the
latest cohort having been trained remotely and now working in a variety of
roles.
Executive
Director and Head of FinTrU North West, Greg McCann, said the firm was looking
forward to a “very healthy pipeline of new business opportunities”, and recommended
the North West as an excellent location for other investors.
In
mid-March, FinTrU took swift action and decided all 450 employees, including
more than 120 staff in the Derry offices, should switch to remote working
during the Covid crisis.
“It was a
very busy few weeks getting everyone set up at home and making sure they had
the right equipment, but the connectivity has been great in the North West, and
we’re fortunate to work in a sector that has been quite robust during this
period,” said Mr McCann.
“We’ve
continued to grow, and keep doing what we do best. We haven’t had to avail of any
government aid or furlough any staff.”
FinTrU was
founded in 2013 and opened its North West site two years ago, attracted by the
excellent pool of talent in the region, including graduates from local
institutions such as Ulster University’s Magee campus and the Letterkenny
Institute of Technology.
It plans
to have 305 staff in the city over five years, and is ahead of track to meet
this target. Hiring has also continued during the pandemic, with FinTrU working
hard to ensure that new recruits working from home feel welcome, through
virtual coffee breaks, ‘buddying up’ with existing employees along with other
online internal networking activities.
“We aim
to have 600 people working at FinTrU in Northern Ireland by the end of this
year. We’re well on schedule, and Covid-19 hasn’t changed that,” Mr McCann
added.
The
Limavady native also praised the North West as a great place to invest.
“Every
academy we’ve run, we’ve been oversubscribed and we’ve always been able to
select the right people because there are a lot of high quality graduates from
the local universities and colleges,” he added.
“We’ve
had no technical issues during Covid-19; the connectivity has been good. I
think after lockdown, people will be thinking more than ever about quality of
life – which is excellent here, with beaches and beautiful scenery on our
doorstep.
“This
access to the outdoors in the North West has also been great for staff
wellbeing during the pandemic – it’s something you just don’t get in more
built-up cities.”
As well
as a societal shift towards more home working, Mr McCann said the City and
District may benefit from businesses deciding to ‘reshore’ outsourced functions
back to Northern Ireland.
“We’re
aware that clients have had issues in some parts of the world that haven’t
responded as well to Covid,” he added.
“We’ve had
lots of fantastic feedback from clients; we’ve had no drop off of our service
to them, we’ve been able to respond rapidly, with great connectivity. We’re
hoping to see the benefit of that going forward.”
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpg00Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2020-10-19 13:24:062020-10-28 15:32:49FinTrU continues to experience growth during lockdown period
The head of Northern Ireland’s largest IT company has paid tribute to hundreds of staff in the North West for helping ensure the firm’s continued success during the COVID-19 crisis.
Allstate NI, Managing Director: John Healy
Allstate NI was established in 1998 to provide high quality software development services and business solutions in support of its US-based parent company, the Allstate Corporation.
It employs 900
people in its Derry and Strabane offices, and a further 1500 staff in Belfast,
and is one of a number of North West firms who have managed to thrive despite
the challenges posed by the crisis.
The firm took the decision to move all 2400 staff to virtual working in mid-March. Since then, Allstate has managed to maintain productivity levels and a steady order book – an achievement Managing Director John Healy attributes to the talent, skills and connectivity found in the North West, and Northern Ireland in general.
“I’m hugely proud
of how the workforce has responded to this,” Mr Healy said. “As I talk to the
leaders back in the US, they are incredibly happy with what we’ve managed to
achieve here.”
“We already
have a culture within the business of people working from home; we have the
infrastructure to allow that to happen, and we periodically test it. But
whenever you’re doing it for real, to watch how people respond, now for over 11
weeks, it’s just been amazing.”
Staff from
the Derry and Strabane sites were “incredibly busy” as Covid-19 unfolded, with
part of Allstate’s technology helpdesk functionality run in these locations.
“During the
initial weeks of the crisis, those teams in the North West helped our
colleagues right around the globe to move quickly and safely to working from
home,” said Mr Healy.
“The
volumes have now come back down to normal levels, but definitely they were key
to the success of the corporation as a whole as we all move to new ways of
working.”
As a major
centre for innovative software development, covering the full lifecycle from
design to maintenance and support, the local wealth of talent and experience
was a huge draw for Allstate.
Asked what
message he would give to other investors who are considering the North West as
a location, Mr Healy said: “The initial set-up of Allstate in the North West
was around getting access to a deep talent pool, not just in Derry and Strabane,
but also from hinterland such as Donegal.
“What we’ve
managed to achieve over the years that we’ve operated out of the North West
shows that decision was absolutely spot on. These are really talented
individuals who are making a great contribution to the success of all of our
businesses.
“And the innovation,
the resilience, the ingenuity of the people who are making it work, from home,
in recent weeks has been great.”
Mr Healy
predicted longer term changes to working practices for many businesses,
including Allstate NI.
“We’ll
still have the office and we’ll still have people who are calling in to work
with colleagues and interact with others, but I think it will definitely change
our perception around how much we need to be in the office and how that space
is used,” he said.
“Whenever
you’re working in a hi-tech environment like ours, as long as you’ve got your
laptop and a connection to the internet, you’re able to connect onto the Allstate
infrastructure and do your job from wherever you find yourself.”
The
broadband infrastructure in employees’ homes has been holding up “incredibly
well”, Mr Healy added.
“We’ve had
very few issues with connectivity for our employees when they’ve been working
from home.
“It’s
fantastic that we can have everybody at home, safe and secure, at a time of
crisis.”
The firm have
even recently completed another successful recruitment drive for Service Desk
Analysts in the North West – initially working from home but based out of their
Derry and Strabane offices when it is safe to return.
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/8eWQaAOJ_400x400.jpg400400Adam Goodallhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgAdam Goodall2020-10-19 13:17:052020-10-28 15:36:20Allstate NI’s Continued North West success
InterTradeIreland’s Fusion programme has awarded “Exemplar” status to five businesses across the island, two of which are Northern Ireland based.
The Fusion initiative supports business development by collaborating companies with a research institution and a graduate project manager, funded by InterTradeIreland.
The graduate then works directly with the business to deliver new products or improved processes over 12 to 18 months.
Operations manager Alan Morrow said: “All of these Fusion projects were in very different areas. However, all of the companies involved were open to new products and processes. This is what the Fusion programme is about – giving firms the tools to boost their business through innovative collaboration.”
The five businesses have reported sales of more than £2.2m between them and savings of over £150,000 during their Fusion projects.
They have combined anticipated sales upwards of £14m and savings of £400,000 over the next three years.
Belfast medtech Axial3D makes custom 3D printed replicas from medical scans, to improve outcomes for patients through better surgical planning.
The company started its Fusion project to improve its capability of printing paediatric cardiac anatomy in 3D. It paired with Professor Kathleen Curran in University College Dublin and graduate James Fitzpatrick.
It has now developed new technology, entered a new market its staff has grown from 14 employees to 24. The company was also recently named ‘Health Technology leader’ in the 2020 Global Digital Health 100 list.
Hawthorn Heights in Eglinton, Derry/Londonderry specialises in the design and installation of play parks, sports pitches and landscaping.
It worked with Sligo Institute of Technology and graduate Ciaran Farren. The company said it has since doubled its turnover and has had to move to bigger premises.
Margaret Hearty, Director of Operations at InterTradeIreland concluded: “All of these companies have showcased the success and commercial benefits that come from collaboration. The results speak for themselves and we would encourage other SMEs who want to build innovation into their business to apply for our Fusion programme.”
On 28th Jan 2020, 7 students and 2 teachers from the Changchun City, Jilin Province, China traveled to the Derry City and Strabane Region to learn more about our culture; education techniques and to improve their English language skills.
International Language Students from Changchun City, Jilin Province, China, meet with the Mayor of Derry City & Strabane District Council
Working in partnership with the Mandarin Speakers Association in Derry, a number of students traveled to Derry to undertake an intensive English Language course and learn more about our culture. This year’s students from the city of Changchun/Jilin Province spent 3 weeks in the city undertaking lessons at both Ulster University and North West Regional College. The students and staff also integrated into 2 primary schools (The Model Primary School & Oakgrove Integrated Primary School) during their time in the city and hosted the Mandarin Speakers Association Chinese New Year Celebration in Ulster University on 26/01/20.
These students then returned to China and act as informal ambassadors for our city. The visit of the international students takes place annually and is part of Derry City and Strabane Council’s ongoing international engagement in China.
There is a growing sense of optimism among Derry City fans
after Declan Devine’s return to the Brandywell hot seat yielded a fourth place
League of Ireland Premier Division finish last month and with it European
football for 2020.
The club were at one of their lowest ever ebbs when the
former goalkeeper returned for a second spell in charge at the end of the 2018
season having narrowly avoided relegation with an eighth place finish in the
ten team league.
With a limited budget, the persuasive Creggan man made some
shrewd pre-season signings including UCD midfielder Greg Slockett and the
return of Ramelton man Barry McNamee.
They were expected to struggle though following Aaron
McEneff’s switch to Shamrock Rovers and the departure of long term custodian
and club captain Gerard Doherty.
The new look side rallied however and, playing a high tempo
brand of possession football, they got their fight back, conceding just 34
goals in 36 games and netting 56 with striker Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe
bagging 34 goals in 34 games.
The lure of bigger wages from clubs south of the border, and
indeed the Irish League, means it has been a losing battle to keep the best
local players at the club and it is hard to see them challenging for a league
title until they can offer local talent a competitive remuneration.
Last month’s FAI Cup Final between Shamrock Rovers and
Dundalk was a case in point where North West players McEneff, Danny Lafferty,
Michael Duffy and Georgie Kelly all had pivitol roles.
What City can offer however is a proven gateway for younger
players to move to full time football in England and Scotland and the chance to
emulate the likes of James McClean, Stephen McLaughlin and Ronan Curtis.
With participation numbers strong in the Youth Leagues of
Derry and Donegal and Devine’s experience in nurturing emerging young talent, a
higher league position and a group stage win in Europe is within their grasp in
2020.
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Derry-City-v-Finn-Harps-25-Oct-2019-018.jpg300822Jackhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgJack2019-12-19 09:51:172019-12-19 09:51:18Attracting players still the biggest challenge for Devine and Derry
We’ve made a list (and checked it twice) of some of the finest
things to enjoy in Derry and Strabane this festive season. Whether you’re
returning from overseas or based here, we’ve got Christmas wrapped up for you.
To buy
Made Here – You’ll find beautiful creations from some of the
district’s most innovative designers in Made Here on Shipquay Street,
Derry-Londonderry, including In Chlomo, from Strabane’s Chloe McColgan.
Velveteen Handmade – Rachel Kelly’s beautiful embroideries –
from storybook-inspired pictures to appliqued cotton purses – make excellent
Christmas gifts. View her pieces at the Craft Village’s Walled City Crafters.
Little Acorns Bookstore – Jenni Doherty’s independent book
shop in Derry-Londonderry’s Society Street is a treasure trove of new and old
books. You’ll also find local arts and crafts, literary gifts and must-have
Derry Girls mugs.
To eat
With Love Recipes – Overindulged this festive season? Strabane
woman Sharron McCormick’s range of guilt-free desserts, sauces and more are a
delicious, healthier way to continue the celebrations.
Dart Mountain Cheese – Julie and Kevin Hickey’s
award-winning range of artisan cheeses are handcrafted in the Sperrins and
include the Banagher Bold local ale washed cheese and the creamy, flavoursome
Sperrin Blue.
Grainola Goddess granola – Made using upcycled spent grain
from the Walled City Brewery, Grainola Goddess’ delectable range includes
Bountiful Berry (with dried cranberries, apricots and cherries), Scrumptious
Spice, and Gorgeous Gluten Free.
Ukulele Chocolate – This Derry-based chocolate, from husband
and wife team Donal and Sinead, is organic, melt-in-the-mouth, and oh so
moreish. Even better, it’s made from sustainable, planet-friendly ingredients.
Guilt-free chocolate… What’s not to love?
To drink
Foyster – This creamy new oyster stout showcases our native,
sought after, Lough Foyle Irish Flat Oyster. A collaboration between the
LegenDerry Food and Drink Network’s Walled City Brewery and Sippy Fest, it uses
leftover oyster shells to make a delicious, old-style stout with a hint of
saltiness.
Quiet Man Irish Whiskey – This award-winning, Derry-Londonderry
based craft whiskey is expertly distilled in small batches and the ideal tipple
to relax with on a cold winter’s night.
Rough Brothers – This handmade beer is brewed in
Derry-Londonderry and the product range includes pale ale and red ale. You can
also try its specially created Mekong Street Beer at Mekong Street Food (and a
Beer 57, for Pyke ‘N’ Pommes, is also in the pipeline).
To do
Christmas Winterland Markets – Soak up the atmosphere, meet artisan traders selling local arts and crafts, taste seasonal delights and relax over a mulled wine at these markets in Derry-Londonderry’s Guildhall Square. Dec 12th to Dec 15th.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs pantomime – Enjoy
the classic fairytale with some modern local twists – and plenty of gags for
the grown-ups – at the Millennium Forum from December 4th to 29th.
The Snowman and Other Christmas favourites – Join
the Allegri choirs and the recently formed Orchestra North West symphony
orchestra as they present The Snowman and a host of Christmas classics. The
Guildhall, December 15th.
Far and Wild Adventures – Treat yourself or an
adventurous loved one to a moonlight kayak tour, archery, a foodie cycling
tour, boom board adventure or urban mountain biking with Derry-Londonderry’s
Far and Wild Adventures. Gift vouchers are also available.
Christmas Day dips – Feeling brave? Why not unpeel
yourself from the sofa (and get out of Christmas dinner duties) and take part
in one of the Christmas Day charity swims taking place on beaches around the
North West.
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/1234_Paddle-Boarding-2.jpg500822Jackhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgJack2019-12-17 15:53:422019-12-17 15:53:4312 Days of Christmas – what to eat, drink, buy and do
A Women in
Tech-themed event and startup pitching competition have been announced as part
of the upcoming Derry-Strabane Enterprise Week 2020.
The 5th
March event, hosted by leading startup community and platform Startacus, will focus
on the wider themes of diversity and inclusion, and aims to inspire and
motivate attendees through discussions, key-note speakers, workshops, a women in
tech startup pitch competition and an evening social and networking event.
The pitch
competition will invite shortlisted female-led tech startups from across
Ireland to the stage to pitch their businesses to a panel of industry leaders
and enterprise experts. The overall winner will be announced at the evening
social event and the winning startup will receive a prize package.
Alastair
Cameron, Startacus co-founder, said: “As well as inspiring and empowering
attendees, we see this as a great opportunity to showcase innovative startups
in the local area, bring standout keynote speakers to the city, and in turn
encourage more people to embark on their own entrepreneurial journeys.”
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Women-in-Tech-launch-1.jpg500822Jackhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgJack2019-12-13 09:41:062019-12-13 09:41:06Women in tech championed at Enterprise Week 2020
The North West region’s unique
strategic cross-border location and pipeline of talent were the key messages to
potential US investors during a recent trade mission to Philadelphia and
Boston.
A number of focused engagements
with industry specialists, foreign direct investment executives and venture
capitalists took place during the weeklong Ireland North West trade and investment
mission, led jointly by Derry City and Strabane District Council and Donegal
County Council to showcase the northwest city region’s compelling investment
proposition.
Potential
investors heard how they could take advantage of the unique combination of
benefits the region has to offer, including an accessible, connected and
business-friendly gateway region (with a foothold in both EU and UK markets)
and a compelling vision for greater international impact, a talented and
educated workforce, superb quality of life and a supportive business
environment.
The delegation
also met with the Mayors of Philadelphia and Boston who outlined their
commitment and support for the work being done by the two Councils.
Boston Mayor Marty
Walsh spoke about his ties with the North West and outlined his commitment to
build on the positive work being done to promote strong communities and shared
prosperity, while Philadelphia Mayor Senator Jim Kenney vowed to continue to
work to celebrate our connections and build on the existing relationship.
The delegation
included Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council Cllr Michaela Boyle,
An Cathaoirleach of Donegal County Council Cllr Nicholas Crossan, and local
businesses from a range of sectors who met with potential clients and business
partners.
The trade and
investment mission also involved engagement with educational institutions from
across the region, and saw the launch of a research project with Harvard
Graduate School of Design, exploring how the cross-border northwest city region
could be shaped in light of the economic, political and social realities of
Brexit.
https://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Golden-Bridges-Award-Seaport-World-Trade-Center-2.jpg500822Jackhttps://investderrystrabane.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/InvestDerry_Strabane_logo_small-003.jpgJack2019-12-13 09:39:202019-12-13 09:39:21NW is gateway to UK and EU markets, US investors told
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