Category: Uncategorized

£72.3 million will begin issuing for top up grants to businesses which were allowed to remain open during the most recent restrictions. More than 13,000 businesses, which did not qualify for support during the most recent lockdown period, will now receive top up grants. Over 12,100 businesses will receive a £5,000 top up while over […]

The Revolutionary Republican Party Saoradh have praised the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign [IPSC] for organising a rally at Newry Town Hall on Saturday [May 29th] Speaking after the rally the secretary of Saoradh’s Newry craobh Eadaoin Ui Eidhin said  “Activists based at Saoradhs Newry office played an active part in the rally for Palestine at […]

SDLP Councillor Michael Savage has tabled a Motion aimed at tackling digital poverty and ensuring every child in the North has equal access to laptops, devices and affordable broadband throughout their education.  Cllr Savage said: “Every child has the right equality in education as blended learning looks likely to be with us for some time […]

Economy Minister Diane Dodds has officially opened Southern Regional College’s new £35million campus in Armagh. The project, fully funded by the Department for the Economy, involved demolition of the old building and construction of a new, purpose-built facility on the existing Lonsdale Road site. Speaking after performing the official opening, Minister Dodds said: “I am delighted to […]

A significant package of funding will be provided to schools to help them implement the new SEN Framework. The funding is for the 2021/22 financial year and follows an additional £7.5million which schools received for the period of January to March 2021.  Education Minister Peter Weir said: “I know that schools are under pressure, particularly […]

DAERA Minister Edwin Poots has confirmed that he has secured £12.4million to fund a range of Covid stakeholder support schemes throughout 2021/22, increasing the support level from his Department during the pandemic to over £60million. The Department received the allocation of £12.4million after successfully bidding as part of the Executive’s 2021-22 Final Budget and Covid-19 […]

Whether there had been a pandemic or not, a radical economic strategy for Northern Ireland was always going to be a priority, but perhaps Covid 19 has brought that into sharper focus and added a new sense of urgency. Already the business representatives, the media commentators and MLA’s from most parties have been setting out […]

Economy Minister Diane Dodds joined guests at Belfast’s Grand Central Hotel for breakfast to welcome the reopening of indoor hospitality under the recent Coronavirus guidelines. The Minister was accompanied by Janice Gault of the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation (NIHF) and Stephen Meldrum from the Grand Central Hotel to mark the day that licensed and unlicensed […]

Education Minister Peter Weir has welcomed the resumption of all Sure Start services. The Executive has agreed that all remaining Sure Start parental services can reopen on a face-to-face basis from 24 May. These include services attended by parents/ families such as parenting programmes, ante-natal support, outdoor physical activity and child developmental programmes.  Home based […]

In our fast track world we rarely take the time to slow down. We look for instant gratification constantly. We want everything NOW. In my opinion this has a lot to do with the digital landscape. Social Media, Smartphones, Emails and Digital Devices are all to blame. However, we all have the power to control […]

Huge thanks to the Southern Trust’s District Nursing Team who in addition to their usual workload, have been working hard to give housebound patients their Covid-19 vaccinations. Since the housebound vaccination programme began on 30th January – the team have administered over 3,000 vaccinations.  There are 59 District Nursing Sisters working across seven Integrated Care Teams […]

The Southern Trust Virtual Visiting Service, which connects patients with their loved ones, has celebrated making their 5000th call. This new initiative to the Trust was rolled out in July 2020 to help patients and families stay connected despite restricted visiting arrangements due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Neal Morgan (Renal Consultant and Co Virtual Visiting […]