Richie Wilson from Henderson Wholesale Ltd has been voted Irish Driver of the Year at the annual Export & Freight Transport & Logistics Awards.

The prestigious title, sponsored by Europa General, was handed over at a glittering ceremony at the Ramada Hotel in Belfast. 

Ritchie came out top after Chief Testing Instructor Ronnie McCabe from Transport Training Services (TTS) put all the candidates through their paces over an identical 15 mile course, which incorporated varying road conditions with some particularly tight sections. They were also asked to demonstrate their reversing skills.

The judges said the overall standard of driving was excellent with only seven percentage points separating the top six contestants, while the vehicles presented for test were impeccably turned out and were a credit to the industry.

Says a company spokesman: “Ritchie works hard in reaching both personal and company goals while offering customers high levels of service, resulting in him being a popular team member with colleagues and customers alike.”

Congratulations to Ritchie and Henderson Wholesale Ltd.

Europa General is excited to announce that from 1st August 2011 we can offer Contractors All Risks Insurance alongside our existing Employers & Public Liability product lines.

Having taken on board our customer feedback this additional product will help our clients get the cover they need under one roof.  

For further information contact the Europa General Liability Department on (028) 90320190 or email enquiries@europageneral.com

As with 2010 the field was strong and in difficult conditions the prizes were up for grabs for those who could keep their control and composure over the 18 holes. Last year’s individual winner Celine Keenan (Willis Ltd) was again in fine form however she could only manage runner up this time round. It took a great effort from Pat Eastwood (Murphy & O’Rawe Solicitors) to claim the 2011 title – congratulations to him.

The team prize this year went to Jack McIlduff (Europa General), Brendan Guinness (O’Hare Solicitors), Nigel McIlwaine (Folyle Meats) and assistant pro Eoghan Clerkin (Warrenpoint) however it was a very closely fought competition.

It was another great day had by all and Europa General would like to thank all those who took part – heres to next year!!

So what do we mean by this? I mean, it is something that has always been firmly anchored in our business priorities and we aim to deliver consistently excellent service at all stages in the customer journey. Brilliant service is important to our organisation and as one of our brand values, is already part of our day-to-day work.

We have therefore developed a Specific Recognition Programme in-house to recognise and reward achievement of outstanding Brilliant Service.

 Our Aims :

• To strive to be even better and more consistent in our approach to business
• To be able to provide an even quicker, more effective service without compromising the relationship with our customers
• To deliver on our promises and go that extra mile
• To look for opportunities to deliver a better than expected service to our customers.

 We are encouraging not only our staff to nominate each other, but also our customers to nominate our staff. To think about our colleagues who really keep our customers moving and consistently deliver Brilliant Service and ensure they get the Recognition they deserve.

In short, we want to hear from you!

Each month there will be up to 10 Brilliant Service Award winners within RSA, and through your nominations and feedback, we will take that opportunity to celebrate their Brilliant Service.

Our CSR work is continuing in 2011 with over a dozen Europa General staff participating in the Belfast Marathon in aid of our chosen charity, Cystic Fibrosis. Anyone wishing to support the team and this great cause can donate online by clicking here.

Below is a flavour of some of the activities our staff have got involved in:

Supporting Charitable Causes

• Belfast Marathon
• 300th Birthday Charity Project
• Habitat for Humanity House Build
• Give a Gift at Christmas Project

Improving Impact on the Environment

• Recycling Project
• Energy Supply Project

Supporting Local Managers, Organisations & Economy

• MLN Champion Firm
• The Journey Ahead Partner Project
• Supporting Local Passenger Transport & Tourism
• Risk Management Seminar
• Management Month

Europa General is sponsoring a unique event created for staff/managers operating in the haulage and passenger transport industries. Entitled ‘The Journey Ahead’ this free conference will feature the following top-class speakers:

Jeff Smith, Best Selling Author, Driving Sales & Profit

Hugh Daly, Professional Speaker, Steering Success

Brian Ambrose, Belfast City Airport, Managing in Turbulence

Adi Birrell, International Cricket Coach, An Unforgettable Journey

We would like to extend an invite to our clients to join us at this half day event which will take place on Tuesday 23rd November 2010 at the Lagan Valley Island Conference Centre in Lisburn from 8.30am to 1.30pm.
 

Demand for places is high so we would strongly recommend that you reserve your seat(s) immediately. To book your place email info@podiem.com or call 028 9076 1030, detailing your name, organisation and email address. For further information and to look at the brochure visit www.podiem.com/journeyahead

The enthusiasm of the trusty team of “champions” including Michelle Sullivan, Peter Styles, Wendy Cree, Catherine Boyle and Esther Brice never faltered during the eleven week period of intense fundraising, during which many different events were held and donations in kind were made. A competition element was also introduced by RSA whereby the region that raised the most money, their champions would recieve the prize of a luxury weekend in London, dining with the Group’s Executives.

With all staff at Europa General onboard the events covered included the Belfast Marathon 2010, Lottery Bonus Ball Competition, Volunteering (Housebuild Habitat for Humanity), Office Tea Trolley, Fireside Quiz, Staff BBQ, Copper Box Collection, World Cup Sweep, Donations in Kind and many more….

Europa General are proud to say that the amount raised was £4,350.50, with 1163 donations in kind and 62 hours in volunteering.

When you consider that the Group raised just under £750,000, it’s really impressive that over £100,000 was contributed by Ireland from less than 600 people. The final figures for RSA Ireland were 60 fund-raising events held, almost 900 volunteer hours and nearly 8,000 gifts in kind benefitting 28 different charities in total. The massive fundraising total was €147,520.70!!

On a glorious Autumn day 33 competitors accompanied by 11 assistant pro’s from across Northern Ireland competed for the prizes. Starting with a two-tee start, all fourballs were out on course by 12 pm and the competition got underway. At the halfway mark, the order of the day seemed to be low scores despite the excellent weather conditions!! A long summer on the courses seemed to be taking it’s toll on the so called “experienced” golfers!!

After an enjoyable round (for most) one player emerged tiumphant in the individual stakes – Celine Keenan from Willis Ltd, closely followed by Pat Eastwood (Murphy & O’Rawe Solicitors) and Gary Crabbe (Willis Ltd).

Celine also emerged a winner in the team event along with team members Billy Reid (Murphy & O’Rawe) and Michael Mullan (Dawson Whyte). Congratulations to all the prize winners on the day!!

After the competition was over, all the guests enjoyed a meal in the beautiful surroundings of Belvoir Park Golf Club and the merryment continued late on into the evening. Many thanks to all the staff at Belvoir for their hospitality once again and also thanks to Wesley Pappin for organising the Assistant Pro’s on the day. A good day had by all….

The facility, beside the former SeaCat terminal at Corporation Square, has been developed by the Federation of Passenger Transport Northern Ireland (FPTNI), with the support of Belfast City Council, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and Europa General Underwriters.

Up until now, the only parking available for coaches has been six parking bays at College Square North, a further two at Glengall Street and one for drop off/hop on at Victoria Square.

Officially opening the new coach park, the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Pat Convery said:

“The importance of tourism to our economy has never been clearer – in 2009, we attracted 9.3 million visitors, who spent £451 million, which in turn supported the equivalent of 10,148 full time jobs – and it’s vital that we do all that we can to provide the right infrastructure to support its growth.

“This essential new facility will provide secure overnight parking for visiting coach operators who play such a key role in bringing our ever increasing numbers of visitors to Belfast.”

Karen Magill, FPTNI Chief Executive, added:

‘’The new coach park is not only vitally important to local and visiting coach operators but also to the local economy and the tourism industry in Belfast. This has only been possible with the support of Europa General Underwriters, and we are delighted that they decided to partner with us in this venture. “We are also thankful to the Belfast City Council and NITB for their support in opening the coach park.”

3rd May our teams will run and walk the Belfast Marathon 2010 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. With your help, we are hoping to raise as much money as possible so that the Trust can fund the research need to find effective treatments for this life threatening inherited disease.

Please give generously, as many as 5 babies are born with this disease every week in the UK. It’s a charity that’s very close to our hearts and we would appeal to all our friends and family to support them.

Click here to donate to this great cause