I hope you are enjoying the summer and I would like to thank all our members who submitted an entry for this year’s Greater Newry Business Awards.
All entries are currently with our independent judging panel who have the unenviable task of assessing over 200 entries and agreeing on a SHORTLIST which will be announced on Thursday 28th August so please keep your eyes peeled for that as we look forward to a packed house in the Canal Court Hotel for the BIG AWARDS NIGHT on Friday 19th September which you can now book tickets for HERE.
In this month’s newsletter, we have included information on:
- Chamber Welcomes Wastewater Innovative Pilot Scheme
- Register Now: PSNI Roadsafe Roadshow in Newry
- Save The Date: ‘She Leads’ Afternoon Tea Charity Event
- Go Succeed: NMD ‘The Ultimate Pitch’ Competition
- FREE EU Sustainability Webinar for UK Businesses & Exporters
- £100,000 to Support More Employee Owned Businesses in NI
- Thought Leadership Articles from AAB Group
- Upcoming ‘Skills Focus’ Training Courses at SRC
Michael Savage
Chief Executive Officer
Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade
CHAMBER WELCOMES WASTEWATER PILOT THAT
RELEASES CAPACITY FOR DECADE OF DEVELOPMENT
Newry Chamber has welcomed the news that Newry is to get a new Innovative Wastewater Pilot Scheme to release urgently needed capacity to free development across the city over the next 5-10 years.
Infrastructure Minister, Liz Kimmins MLA announced the scheme this week which represents potential investment by NI Water and the Department of up to £25 million.
Edwina Flynn, President of Newry Chamber said:
“In May, Newry Chamber met with Minister Kimmins and NI Water to highlight the critical need for a wastewater strategy that addressed immediate capacity constraints and longer-term infrastructure investment, particularly the upgrade of the Greenbank treatment plant.”
“The Minister has listened to Newry Chamber’s strong lobby on this issue, worked with NI Water and engaged with some of our members within this sector, to come up with an innovative 21st Century solution that will free up capacity for development over the next 5-10 years while funding solutions can be found for a major upgrade to the treatment plant.”
“This is welcome news at a crucial time for Newry and will allow commercial and housing developments that have been at a standstill until wastewater capacity could be found, to go ahead and will open up the area for development over the next 5-10 years at a time when our city is entering a period of real transformation.”
READ MORE HERE
REGISTER TO ATTEND NOW: PSNI ROADSAFE ROADSHOW
FRIDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER, CANAL COURT HOTEL
DATE: Friday 5th September 2025
TIME: 10am – 12 noon
VENUE: Canal Court Hotel, Newry
COST: FREE TO ATTEND
REGISTER to attend this really important upcoming, PSNI Roadsafe Roadshow which will take place on Friday 5th September in the Canal Court Hotel, Newry in association with NI Road Safety Partnership and the Share the Road to Zero and kindly sponsored by AXA Insurance Northern Ireland.
As business leaders and road users, we all have a responsibility to keep ourselves, our employees and our customers safe.
Sadly, the latest statistics show that Newry, Mourne and Down has the highest annual rate of people who have been killed or seriously injured in collisions caused by speeding so this is a really important event for everyone in our local business community.
REGISTER TO ATTEND HERE
EVENT: ‘SHE LEADS’ AFTERNOON TEA CHARITY EVENT
FRIDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER, THE FAIRWAYS HOTEL
DATE: Friday 5th September 2025
TIME: 1:30pm – 5pm
VENUE: The Fairways Hotel, Dundalk
COST: £40.00 per ticket
6 Chambers. 6 Female Presidents. 1 Powerful Collab.
Newry Chamber is delighted to be partnering with our friends and colleagues from five other Chambers from North & South for an unforgettable Afternoon Tea in The Fairways Hotel, Dundalk.
Led by 6 Female Chamber Presidents, this unique event is by Women in Leadership for Women in Leadership and will include inspiring conversation and cross-border connection, all in support of an incredible cause!
This event is in partnership between:
- Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade
- Dundalk Chamber of Commerce
- Drogheda & District Chamber
- Lisburn Chamber of Commerce
- County Meath Chamber
- WBR Chamber of Commerce
BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE
GO SUCCEED: NMD ‘THE ULTIMATE PITCH’ COMPETITION
Go Succeed: The Ultimate Pitch is back for a second year. The competition will provide entrepreneurs with the opportunity to win up to £6,000 in investment for their business idea.
The Ultimate Pitch competition, first launched in 2024 by the government-backed enterprise support service, is open to individuals, businesses and social enterprises of all shapes and sizes and in every sector.
The local Newry, Mourne and Down District Council heat will take place on Wednesday 15th October in the Slieve Donard Hotel with entrants making the ‘ultimate pitch’ to an esteemed panel of expert judges.
The winner will progress to a region-wide final, joined by heat winners across all 11 councils in Northern Ireland, with an overall winner announced at a special event in Seamus Heaney HomePlace in Bellaghy.
In addition to an overall winner who will receive the Go Succeed Ultimate Pitch Award, individual prizes will include the Go Succeed Impact Award for Best Social Enterprise, the Go Succeed Inclusive Entrepreneurship Award, and the Go Succeed Rising Star Award for the most inspiring 16-25 year-old entrepreneur.
Meanwhile, the public will have the chance to vote for their favourite finalist to win the People’s Choice Award.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS:
Monday 18th August 2025
APPLY NOW HERE
FREE EU SUSTAINABILITY WEBINAR FOR UK FRIMS & EXPORTERS
DATE: Wednesday 27th August 2025
TIME: 11am
DURATION: 30 minutes
COST: FREE TO ATTEND
With the EU’s CSRD reporting framework and Voluntary SME (VSME) sustainability standards, buyers, partners, and procurement teams across Europe are starting to request more structured ESG information from their UK suppliers.
Whether your business is looking to grow exports, renew contracts or secure new EU tenders, aligning with VSME standards is fast becoming a competitive advantage.
ENSO are running a free webinar on 27 August at 11am where they will cover:
- A quick overview of the EU-UK trade deal and why sustainability reporting now matters more than ever
- What the EU VSME framework is, and how it fits with broader regulations like the CSRD
- The difference between Basic and Comprehensive modules, and how to know what applies to you
- What kind of ESG data EU clients might request and how to start gathering it
- Practical steps to begin aligning with VSME standards today, without heavy investment
Whether you’re already exporting to the EU or planning to enter new EU markets, this webinar will help your business stay competitive, credible and trade-ready.
REGISTER TO ATTEND HERE
£100,000 IN FUNDING TO SUPPORT MORE
EMPLOYEE OWNED BUSINESSES ACROSS NI
Economy Minister, Caoimhe Archibald MLA announced £100,000 funding to help support more employee owned businesses in NI on a recent visit to Chamber Corporate Patron, S&W Wholesale.
In January 2023, Newry-based S&W Wholesale became one of the largest known businesses in Northern Ireland to move to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) model of ownership.
The £100,000 of funding to Employee Ownership Ireland will be used by the newly established business board to raise awareness of the employee ownership trust model in Northern Ireland and to support those businesses who are in the process of or interested in transitioning to employee ownership through funded feasibility studies.
The Economy Minister took part in S&W’s celebrations for Employee Ownership Day aims to empower the EO community and its supporters. This year saw the biggest celebration to date of EO Day in NI as more and more businesses have transitioned to the business model which brings many proven benefits to firms, employees and the local economy.
This represents over 1,000 employee owners now in NI and is in line with Employee Ownership Ireland’s aim of creating 10,000 employee owners by 2030. The model is a transformative approach to business where employees hold a substantial financial and decision-making stake in the organisation.
READ MORE HERE
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP ARTICLES FROM AAB GROUP
Please view all the latest Thought Leadership Articles from our Corporate Patron, AAB Group.
UK Whistleblowing Protections by Sean McAuley
READ ARTICLE HERE
The EMI Share Scheme by Liam Hosie
READ ARTICLE HERE
FRS 102 Revenue Recognition by Alexandra Wheelan
READ ARTICLE HERE
Is Dubai the Top Escape by Lynn Gracie
READ ARTICLE HERE
Business Valuations Value by Paul Turner
READ ARTICLE HERE
New Merged R&D Scheme by Chris Webster
READ ARTICLE HERE
HMRC Enquiries for Online Sellers by Kerry McGee
READ ARTICLE HERE
UPCOMING ‘SKILLS FOCUS’ TRAINING COURSES AT SRC
Southern Regional College are have opened applications for their wide range of upcoming ‘Skills Focus’ training courses, which include:
- Audio Visual Media Skills – Video Production: Level 2
- Digital Marketing Business Principles: Pearson BTEC Level 3
- Barista Skills: OCN Level 3 Award
- People Management: CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma
- City and Guilds Welding Skills (MIG): Level 2 Award
- Developing Machine Learning Solutions (AI): Level 4 Certificate