Transition Omagh is one of just six community organisations from across Northern Ireland who have been selected to compete in The BIG Energy Saving Challenge, an exciting new initiative from NIE Energy which is giving £100,000 to communities to encourage energy saving. The Challenge team toured the country earlier this year in search of community groups who are switched onto energy saving and NIE Energy is delighted to announce that Transition Omagh is one of the six successful participants.

Transition Omagh is a group of residents who are dedicated in increasing the resilience of local amenities in the current downturn in the economic climate. They are committed to using themselves as an example to other communities on being energy efficient and saving energy and money and tackling climate change issues. They wish to greatly enhance the lives of their group as well as their health and create a community self-help initiative. The group has committed to working with NIE Energy over the next year to introduce energy saving measures into their wider communities, educate residents and save them money.

Project Coordinator Neil Coleman said, “This competition is the first of its kind in Northern Ireland and we are very excited. We recently delivered the starter pack to Transition Omagh full of energy saving devices and information as well as £7,500 of funding for their homes. For the next 12 months, we will assist and mentor the group through their energy saving journey. At the end of the year long challenge, they will each receive another £7,500 for communities, with the most successful energy saving group winning a fantastic total of £20,000!”

You can follow Transition Omagh’s progress in the BIG Energy Saving Challenge on www.nieenergy.co.uk.

Omagh Chamber members attending the launch of Omagh Business Awards from L-R: Joe Byrne MLA, Gabriel Fox (Bank of Ireland), Lorraine Griffin (Past President), Chris Kelly (President, Omagh Chamber of Commerce),Dominic McClements (General Manager, Ulster Herald) & Gerard O’Hanlon (Stredia)

Awards to celebrate business talent and success in Omagh district

Tuesday 14th June 2011 saw the official launch of the all new Omagh Business Awards. Hosted by the Ulster Herald and Omagh Chamber of Commerce, the awards aim to celebrate the success, talent and all that’s good about business in Omagh district. The BBC’s NI business and economics editor, Jim Fitzpatrick was on hand to help launch the event. The recipients of the seven award categories are set to be announced at a prestigious gala dinner in Kelly’s Inn on Friday 7th October 2011.

On offer is the Retailer of the Year award, up for grabs among retailers of all sizes displaying ambition, energy, skill and vision to scale the heights of business success. In the Excellence in Customer Service award, the judges are looking for customer focused businesses who are committed to the highest levels of service to each an every customer. The Business Practice award seeks out businesses, regardless of size, leading in terms of customer focus, innovation and business development. Businesses who have come into existence in the past two years can compete for the Best Start up business award, while gongs are also on offer for those demonstrating Excellence through Marketing and Growth through Exports. The Ulster Herald in association with the Omagh Chamber of Commerce, will recognise a total commitment to the enhancement of business life in the entire Omagh district with the highly sought after Business Person of the Year award.

Speaking on the night, the new president of Omagh Chamber of Commerce, Chris Kelly said, “The Omagh Business Awards are a recognition of the entrepreneur’s and businesses in Omagh who have made things happen. “These are firms that have excelled in, customer service, marketing, export, business practice and innovation. “They have all met their challenges head on and continue to play their part in creating a vibrant enterprise economy here in Omagh.”

Dominic McClements, Ulster Herald General Manager, said “The Ulster Herald is delighted to be organising these awards in partnership with Omagh Chamber of Commerce and we look forward to an excellent response from the general business community. “It is only right that a forum is in place for local companies to gain recognition for achievement in their area of expertise.” Any business or individual are invited to nominate themselves for any of the seven categories on offer. The awards are free to enter and open to any business in Omagh district. Entry forms are available online from the Ulster Herald and Omagh Chamber of Commerce websites [Click here for entry form] or by contacting Elaine Fyffe on 8224 9494/07734389484 or admin@omaghchamber.com.

The closing date for nominations is 10am on Friday July 29 2011. Self and third party nominations are welcome for all award categories.

Retailer of the Year Award
kindly sponsored by

This award celebrates Retailers, from all over the district, who are really going places. Applications are invited from retailers of all sizes who can show they have ambition, energy, skill and vision to really scale the heights. Applicants will be assessed on the following criteria:

• Meeting/Exceeding Customer Expectations
• General Retail Standards
• Store Services
• Customer Care
• Who is your customer base and what makes your business special
• Performance of the current business
• Future Plans for the business, and how these will be achieved

Excellence in Customer Service Award
kindly sponsored by

The judges will be looking for a customer focused business committed to offering the highest levels of service to each and every customer. This category will be judged on the following criteria:

• First Impressions
• Customer Care
• General interaction with the Customer
• Meeting/Exceeding Customer Expectations
• Telephone Manner
• Staff Training

Excellence in Business Practice Award
kindly sponsored by

This award is about customer focus, innovation and business development, not just about size or sales. Applications are invited from businesses that can demonstrate excellence in one or more of the following areas: – Customer Service, Business Development or Managerial Processes. Applicants will be assessed on the following:

• Management and system procedures recently implemented that have measurably enhanced the operation and competitiveness of your organisation
• Have you identified a customer need and/or delivered excellent customer service that is demonstrated by increased customer loyalty and retention
• Business Growth experience within business and how this has a major impact on your business
• The development of a product and/or service that has had a major impact on the growth of your organisation and has measurably enhanced the product/service offered
• Demonstrate an innovative approach to ongoing business development

Best Start Up Business Award
kindly sponsored by

This award is open to all businesses that have started within the last 2 years. The recipient will have displayed a strategic approach to business, successful implementation of a business strategy and will have good prospects for the future. Applications will be assessed on the following criteria:

• Company profile detailing products, staff, company history, customers and current market conditions
• Key business objectives since opening and steps taken to achieve this
• Business growth since starting e.g. sales, staff, market share, products
• Business competitive edge over other industry competitors
• Evidence that company will have good prospects for the next twelve months- Business Plan/Strategy/Projections

Excellence in Marketing Award
kindly sponsored by

This award explores the creative world of marketing and the recipient will have demonstrated flair, inventiveness and improvisation through the usual marketing techniques and online tools. This category will be judged on the following criteria:

• Demonstrate how marketing has assisted in the growth of your company
• Clearly show the use of digital marketing and use of social media
• Demonstrate how marketing has changed the positioning of the company
• Provide a description of how success was measured
• A comprehensive list of all the tools and techniques used

Growth through Export Award

This award offers applicants the opportunity to receive recognition for the growth in their business through export during the last two years. Judges will consider growth in export sales to countries outside Northern Ireland and Great Britain. They will also be looking at the applicants’ strategic plans to sustain this success. Applicants will be assessed on the following criteria:

• Company profile detailing products, staff, company history, customers and current market conditions
• Export sales growth over the past two years in terms of sales outside Northern Ireland and Great Britain, export markets entered, market share and how this has been achieved
• Strategies in place to maintain this export growth and further export growth
• Percentage of business that is export

Ulster Herald & Omagh Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year Award

The recipient of this award will have been nominated for their total commitment to the enhancement of business life within the District. Nominations can be made for either an individual or a private business.

• The judges will be looking for evidence of some of the following merits:
• Evidence of commitment over and above normal expectations
• Investment in the future of Omagh District
• Benefits to the business environment
• Benefits for residents and visitors to Omagh District
• Commitment to a vision for the District of Omagh
• Job creation
• Inward Investment
• Exporting

Shauna Rooney (Tyrone Office Solutions), Bernie Mc Namee (U.S.E.L) & Elaine Fyffe (Membership officer, Omagh Chamber of Commerce) at the launch of Omagh Business Awards

Launching the Omagh Business Awards (L-R) are Chris Kelly (President, Omagh Chamber of Commerce), Dominic McClements (General Manager, Ulster Herald), Jim Fitzpatrick (BBC Business & Economics Editor)& Elaine Fyffe (Membership officer, Omagh Chamber of Commerce)

1st prize – £100 cash (sponsored by Omagh Chamber of Commerce)
& £100 worth of free advertising in the Ulster Herald
2nd prize – £75 cash (sponsored by Omagh Chamber of Commerce)
3rd prize – £25 cash (sponsored by Omagh Chamber of Commerce)

Simply register your interest with Coleen McCann (details below) and get working on your window display.

Coleen McCann: Tel 8224 5321 or coleen.mccann@omagh.gov.uk

Please find full details below.

DATE: Friday the 4th March

VENUE: Silverbirch Hotel, Omagh

TIME: 12.30pm to 2pm

SPEAKER: Gillian Anderson,
Bank of England Deputy Agent

TOPIC: Bank of England Inflation Report

This event has been kindly sponsored by the Bank of England and is complimentary to Chamber Members
Guests and Non Members £20

If you would like to attend this event please contact Elaine Fyffe, Membership Officer at admin@omaghchamber.com or telephone 07734389484

Omagh Chamber of Commerce Leads Social Media Campaign

Facebook Christmas – Omagh Your Story
Omagh Chamber of Commerce is leading a new Social Media Marketing Strategy for Omagh.  The intention is to promote Omagh as an destination for shoppers in the run up to Christmas. The Campaign is a result of a number of meetings held with Town Centre stakeholders and businesses, organised by the Chamber to discuss marketing strategies for the town.  The Campaign will use the theme ‘Omagh……Your Story’ and will invite the community to share stories of Christmas past and present, posting them on Facebook www.facebook.com/omaghyourstory and the ‘www.omaghyourstory.co.uk’ website which will be launched on the 12^th November. Senior members of Omagh Youth Centre will produce videos of interviews from local dignitaries, members of the public, community groups, local characters and celebrities.

Schools Competition
The campaign will include a competition for primary and secondary schools in the Omagh District. They will be invited to produce one minute long videos of Christmas stories to be broadcast and viewers will be asked to vote for their favourite. Loraine Griffin, President of Omagh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, says ‘this is indeed a unique project as we may be the first town in the province to use such a marketing strategy. We intend to promote the “Tell Us Your Story” theme while creating a “community” of people interested in Omagh and in the long-term build a strong foundation for Omagh to develop an engaged online presence.’

Omagh Chamber of Commerce is supported in the delivery of the project by Stephen Brown and Tracy Gilpin of Fusion Online Marketing. Stephen adds “It is a privilege to be working with Omagh Chamber on such an innovative project. All those involved in the project so far have truly grasped the spirit of Social Media. They know we are at the early stages of building an online community and are happy to trust the process of conversation.”

Three training workshops have been organised for businesses that would like to develop and increase their online presence and these have been quickly booked up. The campaign will be launched on Friday 12^th November and anyone interested in more information can contact Elaine Fyffe at Omagh Chamber of Commerce, Omagh Enterprise Centre, Great Northern Road, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, BT78 5LU. Tel: 028 82 249 494. Fax: 028 82 249 451. Email: admin@omaghchamber.com

Loraine Griffin: President / Elaine Fyffe: Membership Officer:
Omagh Chamber of Commerce & Industry (OCCI),
Omagh Enterprise Centre, Great Northern Road,
Omagh, Co. Tyrone, BT78 5LU.Tel: 028 82 249 494 Fax: 028 82 249 451
Email: admin@omaghchamber.com Web: www.omaghchamber.com.

With the relocation of the schools to the Lisanelly campus, this opens up prime sites in the town centre area for development. This comes back to maintaining a vibrant town centre that has been a key element of the work of the Chamber since its inception. The release of the education grounds within the town centre boundaries can only be good for Omagh to grow as a strong retail and business hub in the west of the province. The new South West College brought state-of-the-art education to Omagh, offering local students first class facilities. With the new ethos of educating people to work and engage local businesses to become partners with the College can only be good for the town in the future. The College is excellent at engaging with businesses to gauge the supply and demand necessary for what is needed in vocational areas such as road construction, which will be very important with the development of the A5 in the coming years. The Chamber will strive to help the local education sector adapt to provide education and training to meet the needs of local employers for the future.

If it was only one or two consortia, you may think they are taking a risk, but to be getting three, four, five developers competing to be the first to secure planning to commence work and create employment locally is proof Omagh is an attractive and viable location for inward investment. There is a buzz of interest and it is clear investors see Omagh as a great place to invest with a prosperous future ahead. These are not just pipe dreams as some of these developments have already started construction. The companies behind these proposals have been spending considerable amounts of money researching and investigating the potential for development in Omagh and it is clear from these studies, Omagh and its people are a very feasible proposition. These companies do not gamble millions of pounds on a site and proposal that might work. It is a very well informed risk they are taking and bodes well for the next decade in Omagh. These extensive proposals will only help boost Omagh’s standing and create further interest in the years to come.

The Developing Better Services team are local people and they really do have the best interests of Omagh at heart, given the constraints of the Department of Health and the health budget. They are doing the best they can do, and should be helped and supported in any way possible to provide the people of Omagh with the best possible health service for generations to come.

There has been recent concern with no specific timeline being given since construction for the new £190 million Omagh Area Hospital was delayed due to finance difficulties. This is an issue we as a Chamber will continue to press the Minister and his department on, as the development of the hospital is imperative for the safety of the Omagh community. The new hospital is a key piece of support infrastructure that is imperative if business is going to be attracted to the town. People living and working here want to know there families are going to be safe. It is also essential for capital projects such as the new hospital gets off the ground to provide a well needed boost to the local construction industry.


The A5 by-pass will have a positive impact in helping to relieve congestion in the town and make Omagh a more appealing and relaxing destination for shoppers. The through-pass is at capacity at present, but when you remove the passing traffic from that, the town will become quite easy to negotiate and will become more accessible and welcoming as a shopping destination. This offers an opportunity to attract new industry to the town and Omagh has to be prepared to take full advantage.

Local companies are already bidding to gain a slice of an estimated 3,000 jobs, which are expected to be created during the course of both the preparation and construction of the new A5 route. The A5WTC project will leave a lasting legacy for future generations. This is an opportunity to improve safety and journey times on this key transport corridor and will consequently stimulate investment in the North West through development of vital links for business, trade and tourism. We have been talking about Omagh being a regional hub for a several years now and the A5 will help bring that to fruition and we have to be prepared for that. Coming out of the recession we will have a roads infrastructure in place, which will allow the town to grow and flourish and be able to compete on an even keel with the rest of the province. With the opening of the A5 corridor the northwest will be opened up and made more assessable for creating greater business connectivity.

Suddenly access to The International, The City, Derry and Dublin airports will all be less than two hours from Omagh. In Global investment terms to have four airports, as well as the various docks in Dublin, Belfast, Larne, Derry and Sligo are key elements for inward investment. Now with guaranteed, consistent travel times, no longer having to allow for time spent frustrated behind slow moving vehicles, business will become easier and travel will be much safer.

The Omagh: Towards a City Vision for 2025 document is intended to serve as a ‘road map for the future advancement and sustainable development of Omagh.’ It sets out the challenges which must be addressed and identifies what constricts development, and outlines the changes and initiatives over the next decades which will act as springboards for the future development and growth of the town.

Its key proposals include:

• Developing opportunities of Lisanelly/St Lucia MOD lands and other key land banks
• Relocating up to six schools to the Lisanelly site
• Maximising potential of River Strule so that the waterfront becomes a key feature within the town
• Ensuring successful completion of Strategic Road Improvements such as the A5 dual-carriageway project
• Embedding enterprise, growing tourism, maintaining and enhancing Omagh’s role as a centre of excellence in Public Administration, maximising the opportunities from RPA and promoting Omagh as the regional economic hub
• Securing the continuing vitality of rural schools
• An improved Quality of Life for the people of Omagh through the advancement in their economic, educational, health and general well being