Page 20 - Sligo X North West

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Artwork specially commissioned by AIB for its new IT Sligo branch
Backing green shoots
It’s been a tough few years but AI B in Sligo is seeing positive trends. There’s also a dedicated new student branch.
AIB staff welcome AIB Youth ambassador and Kerry GAA star Colm Cooper to AIB’s new branch at IT Sligo
the young; this year AIB secured an eight- year contract to provide banking services at IT Sligo, the biggest third-level institution in the North West.
AIB created a new space for the IT Sligo branch that is open every day between 10.30am and 1.30pm and run by campus manager Carmel McGuinness
The automated services are available all day.
Launched by AIB’s Youth ambassador Kerry GAA star Colm Cooper, the IT Sligo win is a big deal for AIB, with a potential market of 4,500 people.
“It’s a significant development for AIB Sligo,” says Fran. “We know if we help younger customers, they will stay with us. You cannot put a price on loyalty.”
Back at the town branch, plans are afoot for a successful 2015. “It’s very exciting to see the positivity. We are looking forward to helping to create more success stories,” adds Fran.
Ciaran Byrne
“When I look back, things have been really tough
and success in business
has been just staying alive, it was about survival,” recalls Fran
Faulkner, the branch manager of AIB Sligo. This year, it’s another story. People are
being brave and the bank is backing them. The bank has a smart new national cam- paign with a local focus.
Fran and her team hope to have helped over 100 new businesses in 2014 to take the first steps on the road to success with finance and start-up support.
With the economy returning to some semblance of normality, confidence is back on the table.
“People are having the courage to open up new businesses. Here in Sligo we are seeing between four and five start-ups coming in to talk to us every week.”
Of those, says Fran, about two a week go on to open accounts and with transaction
free banking for all new businesses guaran- teed for two years, the future is promising.
“It’s particularly striking to see the range of businesses we have assisted this year,” she adds.
In the type of sectors she reels off, you can see what it is about Sligo that has so many people excited about the county’s future potential.
The branch’s new customers work in wind energy, crafts, agri and food produc- tion and hospitality.
There are also extreme sports, education and training, business consultancy, engi- neering, retail, childcare and media.
Fran says: “Our key point is support when you need it – and we make sure that we are out and about meeting people all of the time.”
Sligo’s burgeoning start-up culture has ensured a successful 2014 and next year the branch expects its 28 staff to be even busier.
AIB Sligo serves a customer base of
almost 13,000 people and, across the board, the branch is nurturing some very definite green shoots.
In housing, demand for new builds is increasing again and mortgages are being issued in bigger numbers.
“We are very busy with mortgages as first-time buyers continue to try and get on the property ladder,” says Camilla Kerins, Sligo’s retail manager.
Purchasers are predominately first-time buyers, many wanting to build on family land or looking for the right property in the right location.
Sligo has a strong record of volunteerism and community, and these are values the bank embraces.
They are perhaps embodied by Eddie, AIB’s friendly porter at 26 Stephen Street. Four evenings a week he drives his mainly elderly passengers to different bingo ven- ues around Sligo.
The Sligo branch is also reaching out to
SLIGO CO COUNCIL: A
BETTER 2015 AHEAD
Sligo County Council will focus its efforts in 2015 on backing a string of showpiece initiatives it believes can have a lasting imapct on the town and county.
“2014 has been a good year,” says Ciaran Hayes as he reflects on his almost first 12 months as chief exectutive of Sligo County Council.
“Sligo is a vastly different place, there has been alotofchange,alotofpositivechange.”
Hayes said people could rightly celebrate the many cultural offerings that took the country and
Sligo by storm this year including the national Fleadh Cheoil, Sligo Live and a successful Choral Festival.
And he points to 2015 when there will be even more happening – a truly big year for Sligo with Yeats 2015, the return of the Fleadh and the continuing success of the Wild Atlantic Way, the tourism initiative which has caught the imagination of visitors and locals.
Depsite a challenging fianancial outlook in 2014, Hayes is confident the council can look forward to a bringter 2015. “What I inherited here was a legacy of some difficult situations and many of these issues have been resolved.
“Over the last year the members and the executive have been working together for the good of Sligo.
“2014 saw an arrest of those difficulties. Budg- ets are coming under control though we will still havetoextractsomemoreefficiences.”
The council will once again play a key role in assisting the organisation of Fleadh Cheoil, the biggest global ferstival of traditional Irish music, which is excpected to return in the summer after its stunning 2014 success.
“The Fleadh had such a positve impact, the kind of imapct that gave Sligo a profile that went way beyond the boundries of the county.”
Hayes cited the success of the Hawk’s Well thea- tre, the Model Arts Centre and the other initiatives driven by volunteers such as Sligo Tidy Towns.
“What we have seen is the silent majority finding a voice in an way that can only benefit Sligo.
“It has all had the effect of raising the reputa- tional stock of Sligo.”
Hayes has no doubt that Sligo works best when everyone works together and highlights the Fleadh as a shining example.
“2014 was a clarion call around which came the community, the council and businesses to collaborate and put our best foot forward,” he said.
Irish Independent
26 November 2014