It is hard to believe that we are coming to the end of January already. I have spoken to many members over recent weeks and the overall feeling is one of optimism despite the challenges faced.
Members want to move their businesses forward and the Chamber will be focused on supporting you. We will be shortly launching our full 2022 plan and look forward to sharing this with you.
We are gearing up for a busy period of events and you can now register for some of our upcoming events including a webinar tomorrow via the links below.
WEBINAR: Accelerate You In 2022
Fri 21st Jan 2022, 8am – 9am, FREE – REGISTER NOW
CONFERENCE: NI Digital Marketing Conference 2022
Thurs 24th Feb 2022, 8am – 1pm, FREE – REGISTER NOW
CONFERENCE: Cross-Border Conference 2022
Wed 9th March 2022, 9am – 1pm, FREE – REGISTER NOW
In this update, I have also included information on:
- NI Digital Marketing Conference 2022
- Post-Brexit Conference 2022
- Covid Recovery Funding Programmes For Organisations
- Update: Coronavirus Omicron Hospitality Payment
- NI Labour Market Statistics
- The SRC BIG Apprenticeship Event
- NMD Business: Introduction To Digital Marketing Programme
- Invest NI: Energy Efficiency Business Survey
- MaPS: Beat The Blue By Focusing On Financial Wellbeing
I would also encourage all of our members to complete and reply to this important survey on the All-Island Strategic Rail Review HERE. It closes tomorrow at 5pm.
Tony McKeown
Chief Executive Officer
Newry Chamber of Commerce & Trade
NI DIGITAL MARKETING CONFERENCE 2022
DATE: Thursday 24th February 2022
TIME: 8am – 1pm
VENUE: Canal Court Hotel & Spa
COST: FREE – Members, £35.00 – Non-Members
Newry Chamber has launched our first ever NI Digital Marketing Conference supported by NMDDC and SRC.
The conference is aimed at marketing professionals at all levels, those who are responsible for marketing and business owners/managers.
The stacked programme will cover:
- Marketing Programmes & Apprenticeships
- Do’s and Don’ts of Google Advertising
- How An Inbound Marketing Strategy Can Help Your Business
- How To Use TikTok To Grow Your Brand In 2022
- The Videos You Should Be Making In 2022
- How To Optimise Your Website In 2022
- How Influencer Marketing Can Play A Role In Your Business
- How To Supercharge Your Digital Content
- How To Get The Best Results From LinkedIn
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR PLACE.
POST-BREXIT CONFERENCE 2022
DATE: Wednesday 9th March 2022
TIME: 9am – 1pm
COST: FREE
ZOOM: VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
This year’s Newry and Dundalk Chambers’ Annual Cross-Border Conference will focus on sustaining and building cross-border cooperation and trade. Both Brexit and Covid-19 have brought unprecedented change to the global trading environment.
Key government representatives, policy officials and business advisors will set out the shape of future cross-border cooperation and trade for businesses.
Case studies will demonstrate how businesses, both North and South have overcome significant challenges, using the supports available to navigate the changes in trade flows and identify opportunities for growth.
InterTradeIreland will highlight the opportunities and areas of growing importance for cross-border trade and an overview of Brexit supports available to businesses.
Other confirmed speakers include Oliver Mangan, Chief Economist at AIB, who will provide an overview of the all-island and global economic outlook.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR FREE PLACE.
COVID RECOVERY FUNDING PROGRAMMES
Funding schemes to address eligible organisations operating deficits that have arisen in the 2021-22 financial year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Department for Communities (DfC) has launched the Covid Recovery Programme for Organisations, which has been co-designed with seven sectoral bodies that will deliver the scheme. Eligible organisations can apply for awards of up to £50,000 and more in some exceptional circumstances.
The programme’s overarching aim is to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on not-for-profit organisations in the culture, arts, languages, heritage, sports, charities and social enterprise sectors.
All organisations across these sectors should consult their relevant delivery partners’ websites for further information on pre-application information, eligibility and assessment criteria, guidance and application forms.
PLEASE NOTE:
The application deadline for the majority of these funding schemes close on Friday 28th January 2022.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.
UPDATE: CORONAVIRUS OMICRON HOSPITALITY PAYMENT
Land & Property Services (LPS) sent an email yesterday to eligible hospitality businesses which received support from Localised Restrictions Support Scheme (LRSS).
These businesses should check their mailbox for this email, including junk mail folders. The email will be sent to the business email address that was used for LRSS. The subject line of this email is “Omicron Hospitality Payment: Apply Online”.
If your business is a hospitality business which received LRSS payments and you have not received this email by TODAY, please contact: OHP@finance-ni.gov.uk
Hospitality businesses which did not receive support from the LRSS who would have been eligible for LRSS based on their circumstances at 21st December 2021, can apply for the Omicron Hospitality Payment by completing the 3 steps below:
- Step 1: Complete the OHP application form
- Step 2: Gather any supporting documentation
- Step 3: Submit completed form and supporting documents to OHP@finance-ni.gov.uk
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.
NI LABOUR MARKET STATISTICS
The labour market statistics were published this week by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.
KEY POINTS:
- Payrolled employees now higher than pre-COVID for the sixth consecutive month.
- The NI Claimant Count decreased for the tenth consecutive month.
- The lowest annual total of proposed redundancies since 2011.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.
THE SRC BIG APPRENTICESHIP EVENT
The SRC BIG Apprenticeship Event will be launched during Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Week (NIAW22) which takes places from the 7th – 11th February 2022.
SRC’s theme this year is ‘A Conversation With’ and students can register to have a conversation with employers offering HLA/Apprenticeship Opportunities.
This is a great opportunity for students to get in front of an employer, one-to-one for a conversation outside a formal interview setting. Students can register now to avail of this great opportunity by clicking HERE.
Employers will organise chats directly with students who are registered between 14th – 25th February 2022.
There will be lots of other activities happening on SRC’s website during Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Week including a live Apprenticeship Q&A and a chance to hear from local companies and apprentices including Thompson Aero Seating and McGuinness Plumbing.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.
NMD BUSINESS: INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL MARKETING
As more and more business and sales related activity moves online, SMEs need to be able to promote their products and services using Digital Marketing.
This new programme, as part of NMD Business Growth, will provide participants with the skills and knowledge to reach new customers and grow their business using online and social media.
Sign up for FREE today, if you are:
- Based in NMMDC Area
- Employ less than 50 people
- Haven’t taken part in NMD Business programmes
Please email Curtis before Friday 4th February 2022 for further information via: curtis@fullcircle.eu.com
INVEST NI: ENERGY EFFICIENCY BUSINESS SURVEY
Invest NI is working with Department for the Economy to undertake a gap analysis and review of energy efficiency in business.
The adoption of greater levels of Energy Efficiency is the practice of using less energy to deliver the same amount of useful output which can offer a range of economic and environmental benefits (e.g.) increased competitiveness through cost and carbon savings.
To help inform future policy and delivery, Invest NI is keen to gain an understanding of the historic levels of adoption of energy efficiency measures by businesses in Northern Ireland and their requirements for support to implement these measures moving forward.
With this in mind, Invest NI would be grateful if you could take the time to complete a short survey. The survey should take no longer than 10 minutes to complete and will remain open until Monday 24th January 2022.
CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE SURVEY.
BEAT THE BLUES BY FOCUSING ON FINANCIAL WELLBEING
On Blue Monday, the gloomiest day of the year, new research from the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) revealed it’s not what people earn, but their relationship with money that is more likely to help their happiness.
According to their latest Financial Wellbeing Surveyof more than 10,000 UK adults, people who have ‘high financial wellbeing’ (feel secure and in control of their money) are amongst the most content in society.
In fact, people with high financial wellbeing were more satisfied with life than those in households with income over £50,000 per year (61% versus 48%), proof that money alone doesn’t necessarily buy you happiness.
The survey found that across the UK 16 million adults (31%) have low financial wellbeing and more than a third (36%) admit to feeling worried when thinking about money matters.
To help people lead a happier 2022, MaPS is urging people to start the new year with a financial health kick and try ‘Couch to Financial Fitness‘ – a free and flexible online programme to improve financial wellbeing week by week on its MoneyHelper website.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.