SALUD! Matthew Fitzpatrick and Chloe Wright of United Wines celebrate the launch of Spain’s best-selling draught lager Cruzcampo in Northern Ireland.

LOCAL beer enthusiasts have good reason to celebrate following the news that local drinks company United Wines is launching Spain’s best-selling draught lager Cruzcampo here in Northern Ireland.

Described as a ‘well-balanced’ lager (4.4% ABV), Cruzcampo originated in Sevilla more than 119 years ago and is one of Spain’s most iconic and beloved beer brands, with a devoted following worldwide.

Now Craigavon-based United Wines, one of the biggest drinks distributors on the island of Ireland, is giving the Northern Ireland public a chance to enjoy an authentic taste of Spain with the introduction of the country’s most popular draught beer.

Recent years has seen the demand for Spanish lager grow massively across the UK. With growth now standing at 73% year on year, one in every five pints sold across the UK is now from Spain.

Given the rapid rise of Spanish beer, United Wines Managing Director Martin McAuley is confident that the popularity Cruzcampo enjoys in its home country will be replicated in Northern Ireland.

“We are really excited to bring Spain’s number one draught beer to Northern Ireland,” said Martin.

 “Spanish beers form a vibrant part of the growing ‘world lager’ market and Cruzcampo’s commitment to quality and tradition aligns perfectly with our mission to offer our customers the very best.

 “With almost half (43%) of premium and world lager growth since Covid coming from Spanish brands, we see an opportunity to launch Cruzcampo as an affordable trade-up option for lager drinkers in Northern Ireland who love to explore new brands and discover new experiences,” he added.

In Andalucia, where it originated, Cruzcampo accounts for a staggering 70% of all draught lager sales.

The brand offers a range of beer styles to suit every palate, from its classic Cruzcampo Pilsner to its bold Cruzcampo Gran Reserva.

 Matthew Fitzpatrick, United Wines On Trade Key Account Manager, is delighted to see the brand make its debut in the Northern Ireland market, where it will be available in draught, bottle and can format.

“We are thrilled to introduce Cruzcampo to Northern Ireland and, with the increasing popularity of Spanish beers, we have hit the market at just the right time,“ said Matthew.

“Cruzcampo is part of the Heineken portfolio of brands which is dedicated to delivering exceptional products to consumers, and we’re confident that together we can help beer lovers in Northern Ireland expand their horizons with a true taste of the Mediterranean sun.

“Not only is it a lovely refreshing pint, at an affordable price, it comes in a stunning and iconic pint glass that I’m sure will be in big demand and really stand out in bars across the province,” he added.

Cruzcampo is available from United Wines in 50 litre keg, 330ml bottle, 660ml bottle and 440ml can.

GREEN FUTURE: Hospitality Ulster (HU) CEO Colin Neil MBE (front centre) is encouraging members to embrace renewable energy to save money and reduce their carbon footprint. The award-winning Dunadry Hotel, part of the McKeever Hotel Group and a HU member, has taken a major step towards sustainability and environmental responsibility through a collaboration with Belfast-based solar energy specialist Next-Gen Power. Photo by Phil Magowan / Press Eye

The award-winning Dunadry Hotel in County Antrim has taken a major step towards sustainability and environmental responsibility through a collaboration with local solar energy specialist Next-Gen Power.

Nestled on the banks of the flowing Six Mile River, the Dunadry has partnered with Belfast-based Next-Gen Power to install state-of-the-art solar panels and make a significant stride towards embracing renewable energy.

Through the installation of a 50kW Solar PV system, which includes 125 solar panels, discretely positioned out of sight on the roof of the hotel, the investment in this Solar PV project will equate to an annual saving of an estimated £15,000 per year.

The hotel, which part of the McKeever Hotel Group, also expects to reduce its all-important carbon footprint by 22 Tonnes per year.

 Eddie McKeever, Group Operations Director at the McKeever Hotel Group, said:  “As a hotel that values both luxurious experiences and responsible practices, we are thrilled to partner with Next-Gen Power to bring solar energy to the heart of our operations.

This endeavour not only aligns with our commitment to provide exceptional guest experiences but also underscores our dedication to environmental stewardship.

“With 72 bedrooms, our AA Rosette Mill Race Restaurant, indoor heated pool and thermal areas, and a modern Health & Fitness Club with fully equipped gym, we consume a huge amount of electricity so it was imperative, with current energy prices, that we reduce our electricity costs and our reliance on non-renewable energy sources.

 “Working with Graham and the team at Next-Gen has really made the transformation easy for us,” he added.

“Within four months, the entire project was completed and we are already seeing the benefits.”

The award-winning Dunadry Hotel in County Antrim, part of the McKeever Hotel Group, has taken a major step towards sustainability and environmental responsibility through a collaboration with Belfast-based solar energy specialist Next-Gen Power. Through the installation of a 50kW Solar PV system, including 125 solar panels, the hotel is expected to save an estimated £15,000 per year in reduced energy bills while also reducing its all-important carbon footprint by 22 Tonnes per year. Next-Gen Power is carving a niche for itself in the hospitality sector, and is now an Accredited Supplier of Hospitality Ulster, the non-profit organisation which represents and supports hospitality businesses across Northern Ireland.

Headquartered in Belfast with an office in Drogheda, Next-Gen Power (NGP) provides green energy solutions, powered by the sun, to businesses and households across the island of Ireland.

The company is carving a niche for itself in the hospitality sector, and is now an Accredited Supplier of Hospitality Ulster, the non-profit organisation which represents and supports hospitality businesses across Northern Ireland.

“The Hospitality sector in Ireland has been hit extremely hard by the cost-of-living crisis, as rising energy costs have caused us all to rethink how we heat and power our businesses and homes,” said Next-Gen Power COO Graham Bailie.

“We are proud to be an Accredited Supplier of Hospitality Ulster and our goal is to support its members on their decarbonation journey by providing them with solutions they can use to take control of their own electricity generation, reduce their monthly outgoings and create a sustainable future for their businesses. 

“We are currently working on projects with another 10 local hotels, each requiring bespoke solutions based on their electricity usage and their future plans to become more sustainable,” he added.

“Our aim is to provide every hotel with savings of 60 to 70% on their annual electricity costs, which should enable them to pay off their initial investment in less than four years, then ‘make money’ for the remainder of the lifespan of their solar system.

“Given the fact that our solar panels come with a product performance warranty of 25 years, this offers massive long-term savings and allows hotels to plan and build for a sustainable future.”

 Hospitality Ulster CEO Colin Neil MBE is also looking forward to a greener future.

“We are delighted to have Next-Gen Power as our Accredited Partner in our journey towards a greener future for our members,” said Colin.

“The problems that the hospitality sector has faced in recent years are well documented so we welcome this opportunity to provide members with a clean energy source that will contribute much-needed cost savings without having to compromise on quality or luxury.

“It’s great to see one of our members, The Dunadry Hotel, setting an inspiring example for the hospitality industry, showing that environmental consciousness can coexist harmoniously with exceptional guest experiences,” he added.

Next-Gen Power is an approved installer for the recently released 20% Grant for Solar PV installation through the Northern Ireland Sustainable Energy Programme.

This is a support measure to help businesses in Northern Ireland reduce the capital needed in order to create a sustainable future for their businesses.

Founded in 2013, NGP’s green energy solutions include the use of Solar Panels (PV) and/or Battery Storage to give customers a natural, efficient and cost-saving alternative to electricity from the grid.

Using the latest online technology, NGP can remotely conduct an energy survey and offer Solar PV and Battery Storage solutions to reduce electrical demand, improve energy efficiency and provide huge savings.

Last year was NGP’s best to date with installations of its solar panel and battery storage solutions increasing by a staggering 100 per cent.

The company is already well on course for another record year in 2023.

For more information and advice on Next-Gen Power’s green energy solutions, call +44 (0) 28 9145 5666, email hello@nextgenpower.ie or visit www.nextgenpower.ie.

THIS Christmas is set to be one of the biggest in years for Northern Ireland companies organizing their annual staff parties, as life gradually returns to normal after the Covid 19 pandemic.

To sprinkle a little extra festive cheer on celebrations, Lisburn-based digital accountancy specialist Exchange Accountants has come up with some ‘cracker’ ideas to help make this year’s staff party that little bit merrier for local businesses.

“Sometimes the ‘tax man’ might seem like a real-life version of infamous skinflint Ebenezer Scrooge but Christmas can be a season of goodwill if companies take advantage of some seasonal benefits on offer from HMRC,” said Gary Laverty, director at Exchange Accountants.

“Christmas can be a costly time of year for businesses with many laying on parties for their staff and buying gifts for important clients and customers.  However, there are a number of tax benefits, specific to this time of year, that many companies are unaware of but will help reduce the overall cost of Christmas to their business,” he added.

With this in mind, Exchange Accountants has put together five handy tax relief tips to help make Christmas as tax efficient as possible for NI companies…

1. The Staff Christmas Party

Christmas wouldn’t be the same without the annual staff party, but did you know that employers can spend up to £150 per head tax free on annual social functions to entertain staff. This amount should cover food, drink and, where applicable, transport, venue hire and accommodation. If employees bring guests, they will be included in the head count when checking if the £150 per head limit has been exceeded.  To qualify for the exemption, the event just needs to be something that the business intends to hold annually, rather than a ‘one-off’ event and must also be open to all staff.  VAT can also be reclaimed on costs provided the event was open to all staff and valid VAT receipts and invoices are retained, however the claim should be apportioned to exclude the VAT relating to non-staff guests.

What’s more, for Covid-conscious companies who still don’t quite feel ready to party in person, this benefit is also valid for virtual Christmas parties which are held online – with costs attracting the same level of tax relief as for a physical event. For example, if, as part of the virtual party, you provide your employees with hampers containing food and drink to be enjoyed during the virtual party, then the cost of providing these would also qualify as part of the £150 exemption.

Be careful though, whether physical or virtual, companies need to make sure that the cost does not go over £150 per head, as the FULL amount would then be taxable and not just the excess.

2. Tax-deductible Christmas presents for clients and customers

Gifts for clients and customers are tax deductible as long as the cost per year is less than £50 per person and your gift contains a noticeable promotion for your company. Unfortunately, food and drink gifts do not qualify for this particular benefit. VAT can be reclaimed provided the cost of the gift does not exceed the £50 limit.

3. Christmas gifts for staff

Gifts for employees are tax free if they cost less than £50 and are considered a ‘trivial benefit’ – in other words, not a performance-related reward or part of their contract. Again, this is an ‘all or nothing’ exemption – so if the cost of a gift exceeds £50, then the full value will be taxable for the employee under the usual ‘benefit in kind’ rules.

Unlike gifts to clients, gifts to your employees which contain food or alcohol (e.g., a hamper or bottle of wine) DO attract tax relief.  VAT can also be reclaimed in full on the cost of gifts to employees.

While cash gifts will still attract tax relief for your company, they are NOT tax-free for employees and must be taxed along with the employee’s other earnings via the payroll. Similarly, cash vouchers are tax deductible for your company but NOT tax-free for the employee and subject to PAYE and National Insurance; although a gift card for a specific retail store is acceptable.

4. End of year employee awards

If you’ve had a successful year and would like to reward particular members of staff for their contribution during the year, there are a couple of tax-free ‘cash’ awards that you can give to staff. 

‘Encouragement awards’ up to the value of £25 can be given to employees in recognition of extra special effort or good suggestions for the business. 

At a higher level, ‘Financial Benefit’ awards of up to £5,000 (subject to certain limits) can be made to staff who have played an important role or made a suggestion that has saved or earned your company a lot of money. 

These staff suggestion schemes must be open to all employees and financial awards must only be made in the event of an employee going beyond the normal call of duty or making a business-improving suggestion that is not part of their daily job (e.g., participation in a ‘new ideas’ meeting).

5. That’s Entertainment

Entertaining clients and customers is generally not tax deductible but there are exceptions to the rule which may enable your company to claim the cost against your tax bill.

One such exception is that, if by taking a particular person out, they add value or provide a benefit to your company – possibly in the form of important advice or research that will help your business – with no reward for themselves other than a free meal, then this cost is tax deductible.

“These are the most common exemptions available to NI businesses this Christmas,” said Gary Laverty, “but there are plenty of other ways in which companies can maximize tax efficiency at Christmas and throughout the year – from both a company and employee point of view.

“As always, we would advise companies to keep very accurate records of costs and event attendees (where relevant) to support their tax relief claims, in case HMRC ever requires more information on what costs have been claimed.  As long as the company can demonstrate that the event, gift or award meets the relevant criteria for tax relief, there are definitely savings to be made,” he concluded.

For more information on any of the above tax efficiency tips and on the digital accountancy services that Exchange Accountants provide,  call 028 9263 4135, visit www.exchangeaccountants.com or send an email to info@exchangeaccountants.com.

Established in 2011, Exchange Accountants provides premier accountancy services and tax advice to a wide variety of locally based SMEs and individuals. 

The past 10 years has seen the company build its reputation in the field of digital accounting, having become the first accountancy practice in Northern Ireland to be recognized as a Xero Gold Partner, and more recently achieving Platinum Partner status with the market-leading cloud accountancy software provider.

A Lisburn-based company that specialises in mobile tyre-fitting for car, commercial and agricultural customers, is celebrating its first birthday with plans to expand in year two after a wheely great year.

Lisburn Tyre Services was founded during the height of the pandemic by Lisburn tyre fitter, David Kinkead, who identified a need for a mobile tyre-fitting provider for customers wanting a hassle free, convenient service with little or no physical contact.

The company, which operates across Northern Ireland, repairs and replaces damaged and worn tyres at the customer’s home, workplace or by the roadside to ensure driver and road user safety, offering an after-hours call out service for emergencies also.

In the last 12 months, Lisburn Tyre Services has fitted over 2,000 tyres and has built up an impressive commercial customer portfolio that includes Lagan Valley Steel, O’Hare Transport and Law Commercials not to mention more than 200 car and agricultural customers across the province.

Owner David Kinkead of Lisburn Tyre Services said: “I could not be prouder of how successful the company has been in its first year. After working in the industry for over 20 years, I knew there was a gap in the market for a customer-centric mobile tyre-fitting service.

“My aim is to save customers time and money as I bring the depot to them – leaving them to get on with their day, whether that be at their home or workplace! And for commercial lorry customers I visit their fleet when parked up to get the vehicles road-worthy without the need for drivers taking time out of their busy run,” he added.

“Starting up in the middle of a pandemic also highlighted a need for a more hands-off service for customers who didn’t want to be in close contact with people at depots.

“I’m very excited now as I enter my second year which will see investment in staff, machinery and a general expansion of services to provide customers with an even better service from Lisburn Tyre Services,” concluded David.

To make a booking with Lisburn Tyre Services call 07803 762 665

BOOST SPORT, the 2^nd largest selling sports drink brand in Northern Ireland*, has announced that swimmer, Jack McMillan from Belfast, who set a new Irish Senior record at the Olympics, and Charlotte Dixon, World Indoor Rowing Champion from Ballymena, are the two NI athletes who have been named as Boost Sport ambassadors.

Jack, 21, who is a member of Bangor Swimming Club, said: “I’m so overjoyed to have set a new Olympic record for Ireland – the news is slowly starting to sink in that all the hours of dedication and determination have paid off. 

“And to be named as one of two NI Boost Sport ambassadors is the icing on the cake.  Not only is it a great accolade for myself, but Boost are massive supporters of encouraging people to get into sport from a young age, something I too am passionate about.”

Jack, who began swimming at the age of 4, has been competing against the best swimmers in the world at competitions like the Youth Commonwealth Games, European and World Championships, in places like the Bahamas, Israel, USA and Finland. 

With Swim Ireland, Jack competed at the European Aquatics Championships in Budapest in May 2021 as part of the Irish relay squad, breaking the Irish record.

Charlotte Dixon, 23, was recently crowned Indoor Rowing World Champion in the women’s U23 500m sprint, beating off experienced competitors from Denmark, Egypt and Europe. 

Charlotte, who is also a medal winning equestrian, fell into the sport by accident, after taking a 12-week rowing programme, which lead her to British, European, and then world level success in rowing.

Charlotte said: “This has been such lovely news to receive – you might say it has given me a real Boost!  I plan to continue my rowing career by working as hard as ever and with the news that a brand as big as Boost is behind me, I am as keen as ever to bring home some more medals to Northern Ireland. 

“I’m excited about the work Boost does to encourage young people into sport and I will be supporting them in various ways throughout the year.”

Boost Marketing Director, Adrian Hipkiss said: “Northern Ireland is full of amazing young sportspersons, and we are very proud to be supporting two of them.  We are so happy to announce Jack and Charlotte as our Sport ambassadors for 2021.

“They’ve already achieved so much in their young careers, and we hope to give them a Boost to achieve even more.

“At Boost, we pride ourselves on working with and supporting communities at a grass-roots level. 

“So, our support of these talented sports ambassadors is the perfect opportunity for us to give back to local stars and, in our very small way, encourage them to become the best they can be”, concluded Adrian.

Boost Drinks was established in 2001 after founder and MD Simon Gray saw the opportunity to offer consumers a great quality energy drink at a fraction of the price of other brands at that time. 

Two years later in 2003, Boost was launched in Northern Ireland and now the company owns Northern Ireland’s best-selling soft drink within the local independent convenience channel* as well as the second largest and fastest selling iced coffee brand in the province*.

Boost is available in various pack formats across seven core Energy flavours, Sport, Iced Coffee, as well as limited editions.

To find out more about Boost Sport go to https://www.boostdrinks.com/sportni

*Source is IRI NI Convenience unit sales 52we to 13^th June 2021

LEADING ferry company Stena Line has confirmed details that it will be operating a new temporary weekend service between Belfast and Holyhead, starting on Friday, June 25. 

The extra capacity on the new route from Belfast will be available until Sunday, July 18.

Stena Estrid, one of Stena Line’s newest ships, will provide the service which will accommodate a mix of freight and leisure traffic, with an estimated crossing time of approximately 8 hours.

Stena Line is currently experiencing very high demand on its Belfast routes to Cairnryan and Liverpool so the addition of the temporary service will provide much needed additional capacity to and from Northern Ireland. 

Furthermore, with present travel restrictions between Britain and Ireland in place, this new route will provide an additional travel option for people who might be considering ferry travel for the first time or who wish to visit Britain, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Lead in fares on the new service start at £130 for a car and driver with sailings departing Holyhead at 23:30hrs (Friday and Saturday nights) and departing Belfast at 09:30hrs (Saturday and Sunday mornings).

Paul Grant, Stena Line Trade Director (Irish Sea), said: “We are delighted to be able to announce details of our new temporary service between Belfast and Holyhead. 

“The much-anticipated summer rebound for travel is beginning and we are hugely encouraged by current  booking trends. 

“The current travel restrictions between Britain and Ireland have created a lot of pent-up travel demand so hopefully the addition of this new route will help provide another option for people visiting friends, relatives or taking a break as well as being an attractive option for our freight customers.”

Stena Line is the largest ferry operator on the Irish Sea, with the biggest fleet offering the widest choice of routes including, combined passenger and freight services from Belfast to Cairnryan and Liverpool, Dublin to Holyhead, and Rosslare to Fishguard as well as a freight only route from Belfast to Heysham, a total of up to 238 weekly sailing options between Britain and Ireland. Stena Line also offers a direct service from Rosslare to Cherbourg with 12 crossings per week.

NORTHERN Ireland digital accountancy specialist Exchange Accountants has achieved Platinum Partner status with market-leading cloud accountancy software provider Xero.

Lisburn-based Exchange was the first accountancy practice in Northern Ireland to be recognized as a Xero Gold Partner and the company has now been awarded the highest level of partner status, having introduced more than 500 clients to Xero’s ground-breaking software system.

Conor Walls, Director of Business Development at Exchange Accountants, believes that the company’s elevated Xero status will benefit both the practice and its clients.

“We recognised at a very early stage where accountancy was headed digitally and made a company decision to enhance our digital and cloud accountancy offering to clients,” said Mr Walls.  “That decision is now standing us in good stead as world events have rapidly accelerated the uptake of digital and cloud services – not to mention the further roll out of Making Tax Digital for Income Tax which is due in April 2023.

“As the first Xero Gold Partner in Northern Ireland, we’ve been working digitally with a large percentage of our client base for some time now, and we are now delighted to move up to the highest level as a Platinum Partner which will benefit Exchange, and more importantly, our clients.

“Working in the cloud gives business owners a real-time view of their business performance and cashflow, enabling them to manage their finances whenever and wherever they want, using any electronic device. 

“Many SMEs were worried about how Making Tax Digital would impact on their business but are now seeing the benefits in terms of speeding up the invoicing process and completing traditional chores like VAT returns in minutes rather than hours – thus freeing up resources to improve other areas of their business,” he added.

“Xero allows us to work very closely with our clients and access the financial information we need simultaneously online to give them real-time help and advice. 

“As a Platinum Partner, our expanding Exchange team are fully trained on how to use this software to offer our clients personalised and integrated solutions that best fit their business requirements, with access to all the latest updates from Xero to enhance the outstanding service that we provide to our clients,” concluded Conor.

Established in 2011, Exchange Accountants provides premier accountancy services and tax advice to a wide variety of locally based SMEs and individuals. 

For more information on the digital accountancy services it provides, click on www.exchangeaccountants.com, call 028 9263 4135 or send an email to info@exchangeaccountants.com.

KP Snacks has teamed up with Four Star Pizza to celebrate the launch of their SIZZLING new products McCoy’s Fire Pit and the Bee Sting and Korean BBQ pizzas!

From now until 2nd May a FREE packet of McCoy’s Flame Roasted Peri Peri flavour will be delivered with every Bee Sting pizza and a FREE packet of McCoy’s Flame Scorched BBQ Rib will be delivered with every Korean BBQ pizza.

This fiery offer will run across Four Star Pizza’s North, East, South and West Belfast stores as well as the Dundonald store.  

The McCoy’s Fire Pit range was launched earlier this year after an increased demand for spicy, meaty and barbecue flavours from consumers*.

The two new flavours introduced to Northern Ireland are Flame Roasted Peri Peri and Flame Scorched BBQ Rib which will be sure to bring a tangy explosion to your tastebuds. 

Meanwhile Four Star Pizza has also introduced two new hotties to its menu with the delicious Bee Sting pizza which is infused with sriracha tomato sauce, pepperoni, jalapenos, pineapple and honey drizzle, as well as the Korean BBQ pizza which is infused with sriracha tomato sauce, buffalo chicken, red onion, jalapenos and drizzled with Korean BBQ sauce! 

Pictured here in celebration of the link up is Ricky Watts of KP Snacks with Amy Finlay and Stephanie Ginn of Four Star Pizza. 

For more information search ‘KP Snacks NI’ and ‘Four Star Pizza Belfast/Dundonald’ on Facebook and Instagram.  

The NI public is being asked to help raise funds for life-saving charity Air Ambulance Northern Ireland (AANI) and be in with a chance of winning some amazing prizes.

AANI and partner Boost Drinks launched The Big Prize Competition in January and the closing date of March 31^st is drawing near meaning people have not got long left to enter. 

There are 12 phenomenal prizes up for grabs including £1000 cash, £500 food shopping voucher, 43” 4k UHD TV with 10 cases of KP Snacks treats and return travel with Stena Line.

All proceeds from this competition will go to Air Ambulance NI which brings urgent medical assistance to any location in the province. The charity operates seven days a week, for 12 hours per day and can travel to anywhere in Northern Ireland in approximately twenty-five minutes.

This Doctor / Paramedic service benefits those whose lives are at serious risk following significant injury or trauma and brings critical pre-hospital care directly to the causality at the scene.

Since its first deployment in July 2017, Air Ambulance NI has been tasked on over 2054 occasions to serious or life-threatening situations throughout the province but, to sustain this invaluable service, the charity aspire to raise £2million per year.

Entry to The Big Prize Competition can be found at www.airambulanceni.org/prizecompetition/ and costs just £1 (multiple entries are allowed).

Every entry will help the medical crew continue to deliver critical and pre-hospital medical care across Northern Ireland.

The full list of prizes available are:

• £1000 cash
• £500 food shopping voucher  
• £500 home heating oil from Scott’s Fuels
• £500 home heating oil from Lisburn Fuels
• A Texas Nimbus Gas BBQ
• £100 Hastings Hotels voucher
• Two tickets to an Ulster Rugby home game at Ravenhill and a Special edition Ulster Rugby shirt
• A framed Air Ambulance NI t-shirt signed former Manchester United and Northern Ireland hero Harry Gregg
• Garmin Vivoactive 3 GPS Smartwatch, AANI water bottle and beanie hat with Boost Drinks hoodie
• Return travel to Liverpool or Cairnryan with car and two people with Stena Line  
• Mitchell & Brown 43” 4k UHD TV from Lunney’s Electrical and 10 cases of KP Snacks treats
• A Makeup party for up to four people at S.A.K MAKEUP 

Kerry Anderson, Head of Fundraising at Air Ambulance NI, said: “Despite the pandemic the medical team have been needed more than ever, with an increase in farming and DIY accidents.  This has been combined with a dramatic downturn in fundraising caused by the health pandemic. The competition is a brilliant way for the public to support.

“There are 12 amazing prizes up for grabs and entry costs only £1 yet your contribution will make such a difference.” she added.

Boost Drinks selected Air Ambulance NI as its chosen charity for the second consecutive year in 2020 and after a difficult year for the charity is continuing its support with this initiative.

Boost Drinks Marketing and International Business Director Adrian Hipkiss said: “We are proud supporters of AANI and urge everyone to get involved as they will be helping a very worth-while charity continue to provide life-saving services. Please visit www.airambulanceni.org/prizecompetition/ to buy your entry and you will be in with a chance of winning some fantastic prizes!” he added.

For more information about AANI and this competition visit www.airambulanceni.org/prizecompetition/ 

Prizes are subject to terms and conditions.

STENA Line’s newest ship on the Irish Sea has made its inaugural crossing on the Belfast-Liverpool service.   

Stena Embla will join her sister ship Stena Edda on the popular Belfast – Liverpool route with the capacity to carry 1,000 passengers, 120 cars and with 3,100 freight lane meters. 

It will increase the Belfast – Liverpool service freight capacity by 20% and raise passenger capacity by 33%. 

Paul Grant, Stena Line’s Irish Sea Trade Director said:  “Stena Embla will make one daily return trip between Belfast and Liverpool. 

“We have now invested over £400m in our ferries and port facilities on the Irish Sea in recent years. 

“The Belfast-Liverpool route is one of the most popular Irish Sea crossings for both freight and leisure traffic so having a second vessel of the calibre of Stena Embla, with a host of high-quality passenger facilities, will further increase its appeal and expand our capacity. 

“In March 2020 we launched our new build Stena Edda onto the Belfast-Liverpool service and the feedback from our freight and leisure customers was extremely positive.

“Now we will have two ships offering identical services and facilities which will help take our service levels on the route to new heights. 

“We have real confidence in the future of our Belfast services and our Irish Sea routes in general, which is why this region has attracted three brand new ships in the last 12 months alone.”