Army Cadet Heads South

Earning his stripes plus a BTEC First Diploma in Public Services paved the way for East Belfast Army Cadet Staff Sergeant Aaron Murray (pictured) to win the ultimate prize: an adventure trip of a lifetime to South Africa as part of a major Cadet expedition. The high achieving 18-year-old emerged from more than 20,000 cadets nationwide eligible to compete in the prestigious Duke of Westminster Awards to win one of nine places on an adventure packed trip. Last week, 21 hopefuls tackled the final challenge of the Duke of Westminster Awards, with judgements based on a stretching 36-hour assessment and selection event in the Quantock Hills in Somerset in an annual competition for members of the Sea Cadet Corps, Army Cadet Force, the Air Training Corps and the Combined Cadet Force.

Harp Ice Cold Big Gig Looms

Headlining the Big List April gig event is The Beat Poets - who are known as one the hardest working NI bands in a decade. They will be playing shortly after returning from the highly respected South by Southwest Festival in Texas, USA where the industry meets the best upcoming bands. Next on the line-up is Swanee River, Derry-based rockers who are easily one of the most loved bands of their ilk throughout Northern Ireland. They've appeared at the Glasgowbury festival three times, supported The Answer at their last Belfast show, and have one of the funkiest bass players the scene has ever seen. Opening the night will be Last Known Addiction, a classic rock force making big noises. The Harp Ice Cold Big Gig is on Friday April 23 in the Spring and Airbrake, admission £4. Drink promotions on the night.

Justice Scrutiny For SF

A former prisoner and 'Blanket' protestor who also undertook a jail hunger striker, Raymond McCartney, has been appointed Vice-Chairperson of the new Department of Policing and Justice Scrutiny Committee. The Sinn Fein man said: "It is important that we are now seen to be tackling the issues that affect people on a daily basis such as anti-community behaviour, death riding, burglaries and attacks on the elderly. The committee will have a particular responsibility in holding the Minister to account and to ensure that the Ministry delivers fair and proper Justice and Policing for the population," he said, yesterday.

Monitoring Business Success

A Co Antrim business, G-Care in Lisburn, has won a significant contract to supply its vital signs monitors to a major medical supplies business in Kuwait that services the country’s hospitals and clinics. It followed up an initial contact with Warba Medical of Kuwait at last year’s Medica exhibition in Dusseldorf for the global healthcare industry. The company then followed up the lead at the recent Arab Health show in Dubai. G-Care took part in Invest NI's representation at both events and was also advised by the agency’s team in the Gulf. G-Care, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marturion, a specialist in the design and provision of outsourced electronics also based in Lisburn, manufactures blood pressure monitors for hospitals and health clinics.

Farm Minister Issues Reminder

The NI Agriculture Minister Michelle Gildernew has reminded all Single Farm Payment (SFP) applicants of the changes to the entitlement usage rules. "If farmers do not activate their SFP entitlements frequently enough they may lose them. In the past, farmers had to activate their entitlements once every three years. From 2010, entitlements need to be activated at least once every two years," she said, noting that, if entitlements are not activated, they are confiscated and returned to the National Reserve. "Our farmers need to keep a closer eye on their entitlements to ensure they do not lose out under the new tighter time-limits set by the EU this year."

(BMCC/GK)