Issue No 42 | 18th November 2020
KILKENNY CHAMBER CORPORATE MEMBERS
Kilkenny Gift Vouchers - #ShopKilkenny
Our retail and hospitality businesses in Kilkenny are experiencing difficult times at the moment, but you can support them by buying Kilkenny Gift Vouchers for your friends and family. They can be spent (like cash) in over 150 outlets at any time after purchase, so the money stays in Kilkenny.

It's a great present, and supports the #ShopKilkenny campaign. You can buy them online here or call in to St. Canice's Credit Union or Graham Shoes on High Street. Also, email admin@kilkennychamber.ie to place your order with us. #shopkilkenny #tastekilkenny #shoplocal
Kilkenny Business Awards 2020 - the Winners!
President Colin Ahern announced the winners of the 2 awards in the gift of the Chamber on KCLR Live on Wednesday morning. The Kilkenny People have also published a dedicated supplement on the same day.

“The President’s Award is an accolade that has been presented annually, since 2012, by the Chamber President, to someone who is well-known, has a connection to Kilkenny and has made an important and significant contribution in business and community, in Kilkenny and nationally. This year’s recipient is Bobby Kerr.”

Bobby is a proud Kilkenny man who has always maintained strong links with his native City. He learned about hospitality from his father, who had led the consortium that built the landmark Newpark Hotel, Kilkenny’s first Grade A hotel. These days Bobby is best known for his roles in Insomnia and Newstalk. His media career began as a ‘Dragon’ where he participated in the first four series of Dragon’s Den and still retains an interest in eight businesses that he backed on the show.
“It is the Chamber's pleasure to announce that the Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Kitty Donohoe of Goresbridge Horse Sales.

Kitty Donohoe was the driving force behind the family business, Goresbridge Horse Sales, which was started in 1968 by her husband, Ned. His untimely death in 1978 placed her, a non-horsey 42 year old mother of nine children with another baby on the way, at the helm of what has become Europe's largest auctioneer of sport horses. Kitty was the first woman appointed to the Irish Horse Board. She drove the business forward, while raising her young family, displaying a model of can-do attitude to all who did business with her.
Listen in to KCLR96fm on Thursday 19th November at 6pm for an hour long programme presented by John Purcell, celebrating the Kilkenny Business Awards, and catching up with both of our winners.

Pick up this week's Kilkenny People also for a full 12 page supplement on past winners of the Business Awards.

Kilkenny Chamber has partnered with the St. Vincent de Paul as its charity for this year, and would ask that in lieu of your tickets to the Awards night you would consider donating to help them in this very difficult year. Please contact them here.

We look forward to welcoming Kilkenny's businesses back to the full Business Awards next year in the Lyrath Estate Hotel.
Chamber Chat - Thursday 26th November at 1.00 pm
Email admin@kilkennychamber.ie to register for your invitation to attend.
Kilkenny Chamber Diary 2021 - Members Offer
Following the very popular response to last year’s edition, we are now preparing our Kilkenny Chamber Diary & Membership Directory for 2021. 

This will contain a select number of advertising options exclusively for our members only. The Diary will be A5 size and contain one page per day format.

We will produce a quantity of 400 which will be distributed free of charge to our membership.

A limited number of advertising opportunities for half page (€390 + VAT) or full page (€680 + VAT) entries are available.

Please contact us if you would like to avail of one of these options – but hurry as spaces are limited and it will have to be first come first served! Email admin@kilkennychamber.ie or telephone 056 7752767. 
Irish Water announce works in Kilkenny for 28th November


Irish Water, working in partnership with Kilkenny County Council wish to advise customers in Kilkenny City, Freshford and surrounding areas that as part of our water main improvement works being delivered in Talbotsinch, Freshford Road, there will be disruption to water supply from 00.00 to 22.00 on Saturday 28 November 2020. 

To read more about this, click here.
Businesses and community groups urged to register now for free online energy information session with experts, 3cea
BUSINESS owners, community groups, GAA clubs, crèche owners, schools and more interested in receiving 30-50% grant aid for energy projects are invited to register now for a free, online information session next week on https://3cea.ie/2020/11/16/better-energy-communities-grant-2021-online-information-event/ 

Energy experts at the 3 Counties Energy Agency (3cea) are hosting the no-obligation, online event on Tuesday next, November 24, at 11am and urge interested groups to join and get the information and support they need to get their Better Energy Communities (BEC) grant programme application over the line ahead of the December deadline for the next funding round. 

For more on this, click here.
CF Pharma working with Kilkenny city centre businesses to be ready to re-open on 1st December.
A local pharmaceutical company, CF Pharma and Kilkenny City Centre Task Force are working together to get Kilkenny city centre business ready to reopen their doors on 1st December, by providing, free of charge, a reopening sanitisation pack, which includes a foot pump, sanitisation station and sanitiser products.

The ‘Back to Business’ sanitation pack includes:

  • A Foot Dispenser,
  • A Table-top Dispenser,
  • 2 litres of ‘CleanRite’ product, 
  • A 500ml atomizer spray bottle

Sanitisation packs for city centre businesses can be collected from CF Pharma in the Hebron Industrial Estate between 12pm and 3pm daily on the 24th to 26th of November. For further information please email sales@cfpharma.ie or call us on 051 439010. 
*One sanitisation pack per business

Pat Crotty, Chair of the City Centre Task Force has welcomed the initiative by CF Pharma and thanked them in assisting business in the City Centre to reopen. “This is a huge gesture on behalf of CF Pharma in supporting business during this stressful time. A lot of work has been happening through the work of the City Centre Task Force and this will provide an additional much needed support. We would encourage all our city centre businesses to avail of the opportunity and we would also ask you to support our local business this Christmas by shopping locally and online from local business. On behalf of the Task Force, we want to thank CF Pharma for their support”. 
Kilkenny Online Christmas Market


Kilkenny Tourism recently launched their Online Christmas Market, as they seek to recreate the atmosphere of a real Traditional Christmas Market including everything you'd expect from an in-shop experience. It showcases what a wide range of fantastically original products are available right here in Kilkenny.
Marketing Done Smart
South East Marketing Forum are delighted to announce our second webinar event in the ‘Marketing Done Smart’ series, titled “Social Media Marketing on Zero Budget”. Presented by expert panel of Danny O’Brien – Digital Marketing Manager at ICHAS College and Lecturer in Marketing and Enterprise & Innovation at Griffith College; and Dr. Anthony Foley – senior researcher at RIKON and lecturer in marketing at Waterford Institute of Technology.

The event will take place on Thursday, November 26th at 7pm and will provide business owners and marketing professionals with the insights on how to conduct cost-effective marketing practices through social media, whilst maximising the return on investment and reaching your desired customer segments. Delivered by a social media marketing expert Danny O’Brien, important factors such as best practice, common mistakes and the importance of planning will also be discussed on the night.

Registration to attend the event is currently open and completely free, but places are limited, so book your place at the webinar now. Registration closes on November 25th at 8pm.
Brexit Resources

If you have a specific query in relation to Brexit and customs matters, please email brexitqueries@revenue.ie
Irish Water Non Domestic Water Charges
The CRU announced on Monday, 2 November 2020, that the new tariff framework will now be introduced on 1st May 2021. Irish Water will write to all customers in early 2021 outlining what the changes mean for them. Read their statement here.
Guidance for Working Remotely
The DBEI's webpage on Guidance for Working Remotely has been updated following the results of its public consultation on the topic. The updated guidance includes a checklist for employers who are considering adopting remote work practices in the long term. The webpage will be regularly updated as new guidance is developed to support workers and businesses alike, both in response to COVID-19 and also in the longer term.
Kilkenny Local Enterprise Office
Kilkenny's Local Enterprise Office provides a wide range of free training and mentoring, particularly for businesses seeking to re-open following the easing of restrictions. If you have any queries you can contact them on 056 7752662 or email info@leo.kilkennycoco.ie You will also find all information on their website at www.localenterprise.ie/kilkenny in relation to business support, advice, mentoring and courses. 
Free Online Retail Digital Marketing Training
Retail Ireland are willing to make available free of charge to the members of the Chambers of Commerce in the South East their online retail digital marketing course. To register candidates, simply email: admin@kilkennychamber.ie
 
For more details of the course see here (but you must register through Kilkenny Chamber to avail of the free training). 
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