Pupils from six local primary schools had their work on exploring their local townlands commended by the Chairman of Omagh District Council, Councillor Martin McColgan at the opening of the annual Schools Place Names Project exhibition at Strule Arts Centre on Monday 8 June 2009. Key Stage 2 pupils from Drumduff Primary School, Gibson Primary School, McClintock Primary School, All Saints Primary School, St Teresa’s Primary School Loughmacrory and St Patrick’s Primary School Eskra, have spent recent weeks researching the names of the townlands in which they live and go to school, exploring their history, interesting or historic features and well known people or personalities who lived in their locality in the past.Speaking at the launch of the Place Names exhibition, the Chairman of Omagh District Council, Councillor Martin McColgan commended the schools on the enthusiasm with which they participated in the project and congratulated the pupils on the excellence of the research they carried out which contributes to the vital work of preserving and promoting this rich part of our heritage. “Omagh District Council places great value on the rich cultural heritage which our place names and townland names provide.  Your cultural heritage defines who you are and I see the townlands and placenames as being central to that sense of identity.  These projects are a reminder of the rich culture and history associated with the town lands and place names of the Omagh District and I hope they have given you a greater understanding of and interest in where you come from”, he added.The Schools Place Names Project is organised by the Arts & Tourism Department of Omagh District Council and the exhibition will continue until the 30 June 2009.

Enterprise Minister Arlene Foster recognised the positive impact businesses have on Northern Ireland society, at the Business in the Community annual awards.Business in the Community, (BitC) seeks to help business become socially responsible and it supports companies by developing campaigns and programmes focused on the environment, the workplace, and social and economic impacts.The Minister congratulated the winners at the fourth annual BitC awards in the Waterfront Hall and said: “By adopting socially and environmentally responsible behaviour, businesses can make a significant contribution to boosting wealth creation and employment, fostering social justice and protecting the environment.“Corporate Social Responsibility should be on the agenda of every company and the BitC awards are evidence that this is increasingly the case in Northern Ireland.”Commenting on the economy Arlene Foster said: “In the current global economic downturn the Executive is working to support businesses in Northern Ireland. The £15million Short Term Aid Scheme that I announced last month will help viable companies that are experiencing short term pressure to prepare for the upturn when it comes.Arlene Foster recognised the important work of BitC and concluded: “BitC, not only, contributes directly towards achieving economic growth, our top priority in the Programme for Government but also towards the promotion of tolerance, inclusion and well being, as well as the protection and enhancement of our environment and natural resources.”

SDLP Mid-Ulster MLA Patsy McGlone said it is increasingly clear that the culture of paying large bonuses to civil servants is beyond the control of the ministers to whom they are supposedly answerable.A series of Assembly questions put down by Mr McGlone established that senior civil servants are receiving more than a million pounds a year in bonuses.He said: “Top civil servants who can earn up to £200,000 a year are getting many thousands in bonuses, and the amounts are decided by other top civil servants. Many of the ministers in the Executive disagree with the whole bonus culture but they can do nothing about it, because the number and rate of bonus payments is set by Nigel Dodds’s Department of Finance and Personnel. Peter Robinson was previously responsible, but now even the First Minister and Deputy First Minister are now calling for a review.“Neither elected representatives or the public have any idea what these bonuses are for, over and above the work the individuals are already paid large salaries for. Ministers are aware of the public anger on this issue and clearly it should be aimed in the right direction. Nigel Dodds needs to come out from behind the civil servants and either explain and defend these bonuses or else agree to the review that ministers are calling for.“We need a transparent system of payments for top civil servants just as much as we do for MLAs and MPs, but bonuses should motivate exceptional effort and success. It can hardly be said that only those at the top need motivation.”

Returning Conservatives and Unionists MEP Jim Nicholson has welcomed his re-election to the European parliament. “I am delighted to see that the Ulster Unionist Party’s percentage has increased since 2004, and indeed since the last Assembly election“I would like to thank the solid core who have remained with this party, and also those who have come to us for the first time. “A lesson has been learned – the Conservatives and Unionists are now a political force to be reckoned with.“I will return to Europe with the full force of a national party behind me, offering Northern Ireland better and stronger representation.“To those who knocked a ‘vote for change’ this has been a salutary lesson. Through the rebuilding of the Ulster Unionist Party, side-by-side with the Conservatives, we have created a new, dynamic force.“The Conservatives are now the only party with representation in every region of the UK, and are committed to strengthening unionism across its parts.“Indeed the Conservatives and Unionists grouping will easily form the largest grouping in Europe, bringing UK issues to parliament and providing a real vehicle for change.“The DUP have hurled accusations of vote-splitting, when in fact they have been instrumental in bringing unionism to a dangerous place.“We as a party have always sought to work together for the good of unionism - they are now reaping the rewards of their dynasty-building.”

Rural Development Minister Michelle Gildernew MP, MLA has officially launched a new Rural Childcare Programme during a visit to Eskra Childcare Centre in Co. Tyrone.Praising the work of the childcare centre, the Minister said: “Every child has the right to be cared for in a stimulating and safe environment and the childcare facilities offered here in Eskra are exemplary. The centre provides a complete day-care service for working parents and it is a wonderful example of a rural childcare facility that strives to meet the needs of families in the local community. I would like to congratulate the staff for demonstrating great imagination and creativity in providing such excellent facilities.”The Minister continued: “Ensuring families have access to affordable, high quality child care for their children helps increase opportunities for the entire family. It means that children benefit from a quality early learning environment and it helps parents balance the demands of work and family.”“It leads to increased choice for parents from rural communities, especially for rural women who are traditionally restricted as a result of family responsibilities. It helps children integrate and develop at an early age and also helps alleviate poverty in rural areas by enabling parents to avail of employment opportunities. Childcare also plays an important role in contributing to the economic and social development of rural areas.”Colette McCaffrey, Eskra Childcare Centre Manager said: “We as childcare providers are delighted that the barriers experienced by rural communities and the value for childcare, have been recognised by the stakeholder group. We hope that the programme being launched today will go some way in tacking these issues “During the visit, the Minister announced that, in response to recommendations from both the recently developed DARD Anti-Poverty and Social Inclusion Framework and the Rural Childcare Stakeholders report, the Department is launching a new innovative Rural Childcare Programme.The overall objective of this programme is to improve childcare provision in rural areas. It aims to provide solutions that address the distinct challenges faced by rural areas in relation to the delivery of and access to rural childcare services.Applications to the Rural Childcare Programme are currently sought for pilot or demonstration projects run by community organisations or NI wide representative organisations that address the priority areas of access, early years integration, quality, sustainability and affordability in a rural context.The Rural Childcare Programme is administered from the Rural Development Division, 21 Hospital Road, Omagh, County Tyrone. Application packs are available from today and can be obtained by contacting RDD Omagh, tel 028 8224 7727 or emailing rural.childcareprogramme@dardni.gov.uk. The deadline for receipt of completed applications is 5.00pm on 30 June 2009. 

SDLP Councillor Mary Baker has expressed her remorse at the loss of two young lives on the Ballymulligan Road near Moneymore on Tuesday.Ms Baker is a neighbour of the deceased and knew them since they were children.She said: “This is just a horrific accident and I’m so sad that two young lives have been lost on the roads yet again.“They were so full of life, just like everyone at that age and full of personality. It’s a terribly sad loss, just the worst kind possible. It’s hard to express in words just how awful this is.“I express my deepest, deepest sympathies to their family, and their large extended family.”

A new campaign Physical activity: it all adds up! was launched today by the Public Health Agency to encourage parents and carers to ensure children are active for at least 60 minutes every day. Research shows that primary school children in Northern Ireland have low levels of physical activity, with less than a quarter (24%) of 8–12 year olds surveyed taking part in the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity a day.¹There is also limited awareness among parents about the physical activity guidelines. When asked about the minimum amount of time that children should be active each day, only 8% of parents of 5–11 year olds correctly stated a minimum of 60 minutes a day, seven days a week.2The campaign highlights that the activity does not need to be carried out in one go but can be spread across the day in bursts that must be at least 10 minutes long.Speaking about the campaign, Dr Carolyn Harper, Director of Public Health for the Public Health Agency, said: “It is important that children get a minimum of 60 minutes moderate or vigorous physical activity every day. Physical activity levels among children here are low and have declined as a consequence of our modern lifestyle, particularly greater use of cars and children spending more time watching television and sitting at computers. This has all contributed to the decline in physical activity.”Dr Harper continued: “We hope the campaign will encourage parents and carers to get children more active. Active children have stronger muscles and bones, a healthier heart, more normal weight, positive mental health and more opportunities to mix with other children and make friends. The campaign shows how easy it can be for children to get 60 minutes physical activity a day whether that is swimming, playing football, dancing, walking, cycling or playing games in the park – it all adds up. The key message is that being active should be fun and it doesn’t have to be done all at one time – build it up during the day with a range of activities.”David Mayne, Community Sports Coordinator at Clarendon multi-sports facility, said: “As a community sports coordinator I very much welcome the ‘It all adds up’ campaign. At a time when childhood obesity is rising at an alarming rate, it is essential that kids get more physically active. This campaign aims to make children and parents aware of the importance of being active every day. The campaign also offers plenty of support and guidance on how parents and carers can include physical activity in the daily lives of children.”The campaign includes television, radio and poster advertising which begins today. An activity log book for children to record how much activity they do over a week will also be distributed to primary schools as part of the campaign. Posters and New You, a magazine for parents packed with health information, will be distributed to GP surgeries, dental practices, community groups and Health and Social Care facilities.For more ideas on how keep children active for at least 60 minutes a day visit: www.getalifegetactive.com

More than half of language teachers in the UK are frequently using technology-based tools to support their lessons, with 85 per cent opting for computer-based language-learning programs that can be integrated into classroom teaching, according to a survey by Rosetta Stone (UK) Ltd.Nearly three quarters of these technologically savvy teachers would vouch for the positive impact of computer-based learning tools on their students’ engagement in the language learning process (74 per cent) and their ability to increase the levels of student participation in the classroom (72 per cent).Over two thirds of respondents (67 per cent) also felt that technology offered the additional advantages of encouraging students to learn independently and allows them to progress at their own pace. The poll was commissioned by Rosetta Stone to gain an understanding of the role of e-learning in the language education field, and the impact technology-based learning tools have on student engagement, and surveyed teachers in both Modern Foreign Language (MFL) and English as an Additional Language (EAL) departments throughout the UK. French proved the most commonly taught language amongst the surveyed teachers, with nearly half of respondents (46 per cent) specialising in the language. Spanish (18 per cent) and German (16 per cent) were other taught languages in the MFL arena, and 13% of respondents were specialists in the EAL field.Jon Gilbert, Training Manager at Rosetta Stone, said “Student engagement in the language-learning journey is an increasingly relevant issue for schools and colleges, and computer-based tools that allow pupils to interact with the target language and compare their pronunciation against native speakers form a valuable part of the blended learning solution.”Rosetta Stone® Classroom Edition Version 3 is available in the UK in the 25 most popular languages offered by Rosetta Stone.Millions of learners in more than 150 countries have already used Rosetta Stone language-learning solutions to gain the confidence that comes with truly knowing a new language.

TC Autos in Omagh was one of three Northern Ireland Renault dealers to scoop one of the top prizes in Renault’s Global Quality Award Programme.In line with Renault Commitment 2009, the company’s three-year growth plan aimed at improving quality, profitability and sales, Renault’s Global Quality Award is held annually to recognise the active contribution of dealers to its customer service quality.In the 2008 awards, TC Autos of Omagh came first in the “Best Customer Service” category for the highest quality score of 93.29%. The dealership was also an award winner in 2007 and recently won Renault’s “Dealers of Excellence” award, presented to the top performers in the Renault UK Network for new car sales, parts sales and customer satisfaction scores.Damien Maguire, Dealer Principal at TC Autos, received a framed certificate from Renault UK Directors including Managing Director, Roland Bouchara, who visited the dealership to make a special presentation.Mr Maguire said: “We’re thrilled to receive this award once again. It’s reassuring to see that in such a difficult economic climate we can still manage to meet what’s expected of us by Renault and our customers.“We’re a small family-run firm and I think we continue to succeed because of the mixture of good Renault products added to quality TC Autos service.  We are very close to the customers and know them very well.  We have built up a huge level of customer loyalty as we are personable and friendly, and we establish a rapport with our customers, and as we live in small rural community, customers who are happy with our service, refer their friends and families.“It is testament to the dedication of our team that we have won this award and the Dealers of Excellence for 2008. I am glad that our staff have received this award as recognition of their hard work.”Roland Bouchara, Managing Director of Renault UK said: “We’re delighted once again to have announced the winners of Renault’s Global Quality Award Programme. The top four dealers in the UK have attained the highest standards of customer service measured by customer feedback and have proved themselves to be a showcase for the network. Our brand’s made huge steps forward in terms of quality and customer service in recent times thanks to the implementation of Renault’s ‘e4’, programme and we’re delighted to be able to reward such positive contributions.“’e4’ stands for Excellence, Everywhere, Everyone, Everytime, and has been designed to ensure the quality of service so that every customer has a positive experience at every dealership in the network.“In addition to the quality of customer service within the dealership network, the quality of Renault products has also made significant progress.  The German equivalent of the AA, ADAC, recently praised our Twingo, Clio and Modus models in its latest reliability survey.”For more information on TC Autos visit the dealership on Cookstown Road, Omagh (0288 224 3451) or click onto www.tcautos.biz

Among the biggest victims of the recession are not those who suffer redundancy – but their parents, according to new research from online broker, Selftrade.

At a time of economic slowdown, there has been a resurgence of the multi generation home – couples taking in their elderly parents and also putting a roof over the head of their adult children who are returning home to live.  Whilst most couples are worrying about adapting their own finances to today’s grim economic conditions, the breadwinners of multi-generation homes have two or three generations of family members to provide for.

When Selftrade polled more than 2,000 adults about how the recession had affected their lifestyles, it was those running multi-generation homes who were most acutely impacted. Specifically:

* 77 per cent of multi generation households said they had been forced to make sacrifices as a result of the economic slowdown.

* More than one in three (36%) couples running a multi generation home had postponed plans for a family holiday as a result of the economic slowdown.

* In addition, this group was most likely to have traded down their car in recent months (10%) – swapping their family motor for an older, cheaper – if bigger – model.

* Nearly two in five (39%) said they had ignored the January sales to keep spending down and seven per cent had cancelled social plans so that they could work a longer week to boost income through overtime.

* Whilst these people have taken on bigger financial commitments by looking after adult children or elderly relatives, they have very limited financial reserves to get themselves through a tough time.  Just three per cent said they had been able to save money since the economic downturn.

Dr Stephen Barber, Head of Research at Selftrade comments:

“This latest survey forms part of our ongoing probe into Plan B Britons – people who find their adult lives taking a new and unforeseen direction and have had to re-plan accordingly. Most of these parents have reached their 50s or 60s and are looking forward to their independence and financial freedom. When, suddenly, their adult kids come back home, the financial world of their parents is turned upside down and their financial mastery is tested to the full.

It’s important for people to make sure they have financial control and financial reserves should their lives undergo an unexpected change. Selftrade offers a range of products to suit every life stage – from saving for children to saving for retirement and everything in between.  We understand that not everyone has been able to build up a reserve however Britons can make regular investment payments, through vehicles such as our Regular Investment Service, which will help a nest egg to gradually grow.”