The Lord-Lieutenant of County Antrim, Mr David McCorkell, would like to congratulate the three winners of the coveted Queen's Award for Enterprise from County Antrim.

The winners were announced today by The Gazette and are:

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• Environmental Street Furniture was established in 2012. Based in Newtownabbey, the company designs and manufactures a range of innovative outdoor furniture  which is solar powered to offer IOT reporting, mobile phone charging and LED lighting. It has recently also launched a range of perimeter security products to protect pedestrians and buildings from terror attacks. The company had previously manufactured conventional outdoor furniture and had established a sales network across the world. It now sells in 26 markets worldwide and its top five markets are UAE, Hong Kong, Kazakstan, USA and Spain. Overseas sales have grown year on year  over three years by a total growth of 415%; and the percentage exported has risen from 40.5% to 78%. The company wins the Queens Award for International Trade  for Outstanding Short Term Growth in overseas sales over three years.  

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• InspecVision Ltd is based in Mallusk, Northern Ireland and started trading in 2003. They develop, manufacture and sell 2D and 3D measurement systems for inspection of manufactured  components. Their core sector is the sheet metal industry with customers producing components for the automotive, aerospace, defence and communications sectors. Customers feedback found a gap in the market for lower priced entry level machines which they developed, launched and now represents 25% of sales turnover. Their main competitors are multi-national companies with significantly greater resources in terms of finances, staff and brand awareness. Overseas sales have more than doubled in the last three years with customers in the United States, China, Germany, Mexico and Republic of Ireland. They reinvest back into the business on R&D into new products, product improvements and placing additional demonstration machines in customer showrooms. The company wins the Queen's Award for International Trade for Outstanding Short Term Growth in overseas sales over the last three years.

 

• Texthelp Ltd was established in 1996 and is based in Antrim, Texthelp Ltd is a software company that creates software tools to help people with Literacy and Understanding by making software for students and adults with dyslexia, and for people learning or working in a second language. It believes that everyone's entitled to the best possible learning and language support on their own personal journey from literacy to life.' The company has offices in Antrim, Boston USA, and in Brisbane Australia. Over the past few years it has had 32 million users of its education software products. Its overseas sales have grown over the last six years by 215%; and the percentage exported has risen to 68%. The USA and Canada are its main markets and it has established new markets in the last six years in: Australia, UAE, Qatar, The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, and Mexico. The company wins the Queen's Award for International Trade for Outstanding Continuous Growth in overseas sales over the last six years.

Please click here to see the full publication in the Gazette.

The Lord-Lieutenant of County Antrim, Mr David McCorkell, has now signed the Books of Condolence with all four Councils in County Antrim, following the passing of HRH The Duke of Edinburgh last week. Due to COVID19 restrictions, some of the books of condolence were virtual. A list of the books signed below:

 1) Mid & East Antrim Borough Council, to sign their virtual book of condolence, please click here

2) Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough Council, to sign their virtual book of condolence, please click here

3) Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council,  to sign their virtual book of condolence, please click here

4) Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council,  to sign their virtual book of condolence, please click here

The pictures below correspond to the order of Council's listed above. 

Buckingham Palace have released details for HRH The Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral:

• It will be a Ceremonial Royal Funeral, not a full State Funeral. 
• It will be held in Windsor, at St George’s Chapel, on Saturday 17th April at 3pm.
• The service will begin with a National minute’s silence in remembrance at 3pm.
• Following the funeral there will be a ceremonial procession within the grounds of Windsor Castle. 
• There will be a National period of mourning until 8am of 18th April (the day after the funeral).
• The Royal Family will be in an extended period of mourning until 22nd April. 
  
  

For further details of the funeral please click here to view the Palace’s full statement, or copy the following link:

https://www.royal.uk/funeral-duke-edinburgh-0

"It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. 

His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle.
Further announcements will be made in due course.  
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The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss."   

​To view the full statement released by Buckingham Palace, please click here

​The Lord-Lieutenant's Message of Condolence
 
"On behalf of the people of County Antrim, I would like to express my deepest sympathy to Her Majesty, The Queen and the rest of The Royal Family on the passing of His Royal Highness, The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
 
His Royal Highness will be first and foremost remembered as a family man and for his life of duty, purpose and devotion to Her Majesty, The Queen.  We also remember his significant contributions in many areas; in particular his service during The Second World War and his commitment to young people through the founding of The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme."
 
David McCorkell KStJ
Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of County Antrim