November 2024 has been another busy month for Newry Chamber with our 10th Annual NI SME Business Conference & Expo taking place at the Canal Court Hotel and we also held our highly successful Inaugural International Men’s Day Event at Newry City AFC Social Club.
The Chamber reflected on a busy and active year at the Annual General Meeting at Newry and Mourne Co-operative & Enterprise Agency on 28th November.
December will see our city and district move into festive spirit and the Chamber will host a Members Christmas Reception in The Whistledown Hotel on 12th December, so look out for further information on this event in the coming days.
In this month’s newsletter, we have included information on:
- Newry Chamber Annual Report 2024
- NI SME Business Conference & Expo 2024
- Chamber Hosts Inaugural International Men’s Day Event
- 24 NI Business Groups to Call for Rates Relief for High Street Businesses
- Chamber Discuss Need to Upgrade to Greenbank Wastewater Treatment Plant
- Newry, Mourne and Down Labour Market Partnership Careers Fair
Michael Savage
Chief Executive Officer
Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade
NEWRY CHAMBER ANNUAL REPORT 2024
Our Annual Report 2024 & Accounts Review 2023 is now available to view by clicking on the link below.
It provides a record of the year with membership levels increasing to a record 340+ organisations and increase in our Corporate Patrons Programme to 40 businesses and continuing financial stability for your Chamber.
Attendees at our events was also up this year to 2,500+ with over £10,000 raised for a number of local charities and an increase in social media followers to 20,000+.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our Corporate Patrons, Members, Sponsors and Partners that have supported our work throughout this year.
We will continue to represent the priorities for you, our valued members at a local, regional and national level to very best of our abilities and provide you with even more networking opportunities through our events in 2025.
VIEW ANNUAL REPORT HERE
NI SMEs THE FOUNDATION OF OUR LOCAL ECONOMY
THE KEY MESSAGE FROM NI SME BUSINESS CONFERENCE
The vital role of Northern Ireland’s small business sector to the local economy, was the key message from this year’s NI SME Business Conference & Expo, held on Thursday 14th November in the Canal Court Hotel and attended by over 200 delegates from across NI.
The annual conference, organised by the Chamber is in its 10th year and supported by Principal Sponsors, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council alongside our Supporting Sponsors, Federation of Small Businesses, Southern Regional College and IRP Commerce.
Edwina Flynn, President of Newry Chamber said:
“We regularly engage with our members to better understand what the current challenges they face and the opportunities they see. This conference is about connecting our SME business community with each other and with organisations that can support them.”
“The Greater Newry Area is a vibrant business region. Despite the challenges of rising interest rates, high inflation, skills and staff shortages, there is a still a huge ambition for growth. The conference allowed businesses to learn from each other and raise awareness of what supports are available to them.”
“We are extremely grateful to our sponsors, without their support we could not run this important annual event.”
READ MORE HERE
NEWRY CHAMBER HOSTS HUGELY SUCCESSFUL INAUGURAL
INTERNATIONAL MEN’S DAY EVENT AT NEWRY CITY AFC
Newry Chamber held its inaugural International Men’s Day Event at Newry City AFC on Friday 22nd November.
The full house event, sponsored by Duality Healthcare was a huge success and enjoyed by everyone who attended with the consensus that it will now be an annual event in the Chamber’s calendar.
Two panels of well-known businessmen and men from the world of sport and endeavour took to the stage with MC for the day, Kevin McAllister to speak openly about the pressures facing men in today’s world.
There were many magic moments throughout the panel discussions with each of the panellists showing a deep sense of humour that had the audience in stitches on many occasions and also displaying raw emotion and honesty around issues that all men face across family, work, performance and physical and mental health.
The event also raised £1,100+ for two charities that deal with men’s mental and physical health, PIPS Hope and Support and Prostate Cancer UK.
Many of those who attended Friday’s event did not know what to expect with they arrived at the event but every one of them left the Chamber with a clear message that they enjoyed the experience immensely and insisted that it needs to become an annual event that continues to keep men talking.
READ MORE HERE
NEWRY CHAMBER JOINS 23 BUSINESS GROUPS IN CALLING
FOR URGENT RATES RELIEF FOR HIGH STREET BUSINESSES
Newry Chamber and 23 other business groups across NI have written an open letter to every MP and MLA to Call for Urgent Rates Relief for High Street Businesses.
The combined call comes after the recent UK Budget hiked Employers National Insurance and Living Wage but provided 40% Rates Relief for independent retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England which is not being applied here in NI to offset the increases.
Our businesses in retail, hospitality and professional services need this relief urgently to offset already high operating costs and the recent increases announced in the Autumn Budget and our city businesses need this support now.
Newry Chamber has signed the open letter alongside our colleagues in Newry BID, Business Organisations, Chambers of Commerce and Business Improvement Districts, covering businesses in every local village, town and city across NI.
READ THE OPEN LETTER HERE
CHAMBER MEETS WITH NI WATER TO DISCUSS NEED TO
UPGRADE NEWRY WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT
Our CEO, Michael Savage recently held a meeting with Ronan Larkin from NI Water to discuss how the huge challenge of addressing the urgent need to upgrade the Wastewater Treatment Plant at Greenbank, Newry and the impact the delay in its upgrade is holding back development in the Greater Newry Area.
Discussion took place around the funding model for the recently completed Wastewater Treatment Plant in Warrenpoint which attracted cross-border funding due to the plant’s impact on the water quality of Carlingford Lough.
It was agreed the Greenbank plant could meet potential criteria for cross-border funding due to its proximity to Carlingford Lough shared waterway.
Ronan is supportive of Newry Chamber lobbying the Irish Government and Shared Island Unit to provide shortfall funding to ensure the treatment plant is developed at Greenbank given the Shared Island Unit’s Ecology Brief.
Michael and Chamber Board Member, Conor Patterson are meeting with Eoghan Duffy, Principal Officer at the Shared Island Unit at Dublin Castle on 4th December to discuss potential funding options.
NEWRY, MOURNE AND DOWN LABOUR MARKET PARTNERSHIP
CAREERS FAIR AT NEWRY LEISURE CENTRE IN JANUARY 2025
Newry, Mourne and Down Labour Market Partnership are calling for employer exhibitors for their Careers Fair in Newry Leisure Centre on Tuesday 21st January 2025.
The Careers Fairs is aimed at 5th year students from all post primary schools across the Newry and Mourne Area and organised in association with the Newry & Mourne Area Learning Community.
The benefits for employers exhibiting include:
- Raising company profile to future employees
- Promoting current and future employment possibilities
- Providing the opportunity to highlight potential suitable opportunities in your organisation, including availability of Apprenticeships
- Gaining an opportunity to make positive links with local post primary schools
- Promote the local area as a great place to live and work to future generations
If you or you are interested in exhibiting at the event, please complete the expression of interest form below and return ASAP to business@nmandd.org.
VIEW EXPRESSION OF INTEREST FORM HERE