Our Apprentice, Charlie! Guest writer: Allison Sutherland

There’s no doubt about it, we’re cranking up to full speed here on the Island.  We could do with having our Work Experience person ‘Charlie’ back in the fold to help out as he did such a brilliant job last week.  The thing is, he’s just too busy swatting and honing his skills at Campbell College before taking on Lord Sugar in the next series of “Young Apprentice” – fingers crossed he makes it through to the next round. 

If we’re all particularly cheery and smiley it is because we have been awarded the Gold Star Customer Service Accreditation Award which demonstrates our best practice and ethos for growth.  Well done to everyone involved for all their hard work.  Shouldn’t really boast but if we get many more awards and certificates we’ll be in need of quotes for shoring up the office walls.

There’s much limbering up going on in here, circuits completed of the car park and stretching everywhere you look.  The reason being that on Saturday we’re taking Antrim by storm by joining our friends from the Borough Council for a ten mile walk/run to help raise funds for the MacMillan Nurses in their centenary year.  All sponsorship gratefully accepted.

We’re up to our eyes in Performance reviews this week with both our M.D Jayne and Marketing Supremo Ainsley sporting “Do Not Disturb” notices.  Shhhh!!!

However, by far the best news is that “the girls” have recovered from their winter blues and are laying at a speed of knots.  Now that they have their new spring plumage they don’t stop admiring themselves in the big mirror next to their coop. Mighty fine they’re looking too.

Did you hear about the Environmental enthusiast who removed the engine from his car and replaced it with an Ostrich to power the vehicle?  Everything seems to be working well until it gets to the Motorway.  At high speed, the car breaks down so he calls out one of the emergency vehicle repair services.  The Mechanic arrives, lifts the bonnet and shaking his head says “Ere’s your problem Guv’nor, yer big ‘en’s gone!”


What we're all up to;

Our CEO Barry is meeting business consultant John McKee today for lunch and then attending a seminar delivered by Mark Reid at the Antrim Civic Centre tomorrow evening. On Wednesday he's attending a dinner at Queens before heading to Dublin for meetings all day with amongst others the NCI and Daire Coffey. On Friday he's in the office before leading from the front in the MacMillan 10 mile charity run on Saturday.

Jayne is busy with Internal meetings on Monday and Tuesday.  Then on Wednesday she will be out of the office at an Invest NI Performance Management Workshop in Bedford Street.  She’ll be rounding off the week on Friday by volunteering at St Brigids, Ballymena.  After which it’s all systems go and a swift move onto Belfast for the ReformNET Ladies Day lunch.

Scott is meeting Diane Hill of A4e today to discuss her presentation to the HR Network on 7^th February.

Scott hopes to work from home from Wed-Friday this week and will be a guest at the McGrigors’ Burns Supper on Thursday 26^th January at QUB: Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face, Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!

An’ aw tha’, etc etc. In all honesty, it’s pretty horrible scran and would be consigned to the dustbin of culinary history, like peas brose and Angel Delight, were it not for the Bard liking the stuff. The rest of us just pretend to enjoy it, like some offal emperor’s new clothes in food form. But it’s a fine excuse for a great night out.

Vanessa and Peter Fitzpatrick are off for a midday bite at the City Hall, where they will receive our Customer Service Gold Award Certificate from the Centre for Competitiveness – proving that there is such a thing as a free lunch!

Heather has a pretty quiet week in relation to being out and about.  She’ll still be up to her eyes (as usual) but based in the office.  Apart from Thursday when she is attending the Business in the Community Opening Door’s Series at Allstate.


I am attending Antrim Civic Centre on Tuesday evening to hear Mark Reid deliver a seminar in relation to Agency Workers.  Then a bit of practice before attempting Saturday's walk.


If Jacqui's tendon holds up she will be roaming Antrim with the rest of us on Saturday morning.

Our Training Centre is still proving to be the best value for money facilities in these here parts as we have guests from Schrader on Tuesday and the Institute of Licensing on Thursday and Friday.  It’s the food that does it, if you’re ever in need of a good feed come to us!