Yesterday Learning Pool hosted a visit from Northern Ireland Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Arlene Foster.  In case you missed it, at the end of 2011, Learning Pool was announced by Deloitte as the fastest growing technology company in Northern Ireland (as well as 6^th in Ireland, 26^th in the UK & 139^th in EMEA) based on revenue growth over the past 5 years.  They confirmed our growth to be a whopping 1,100% (gasp!).  The Minister expressed an interest in finding out more about the company so we invited her to call in.

We were a little apprehensive about her visit I guess.  As entrepreneurs we don’t have an awful lot to do with politicians (although maybe that needs fixing).  We didn’t really know what to expect from our allotted hour.

We needn’t have worried.  The Minister was friendly, personable, engaged & knowledgeable.  She spent the first half hour circulating around “Pool Heights” (our Derry HQ), chatting to our team and asking plenty of questions, her PA at her elbow jotting down a few notes.  The Learning Pool team are always keen to perform in front of an audience so they were in their element and there was a good bit of laughing and joking going on – especially when the Minister realised that we have two Americans on board (she asked them how come they live in the North West – you can guess the answer yourselves).  As we climbed through the floors of our building we watched members of the team showcase our new online finance training for government, demo some bespoke content and show the Minister a new set of graphics that are still work in progress.

Paul & I spent the last half hour in private conversation with the Minister while we all had a nice cup of tea (see photo).  Some of what we discussed was – the issues SMEs like us have in winning work with government, how we think procurement processes could be improved, some of the work we both do with Young Enterprise and our various digital interests (Paul with Digital Derry, me with Digital Circle), the role start ups play in creating a vibrant Northern Ireland economy and the work we both do with micro businesses, ideas around addressing the skills shortages we as a region are facing (we were glad the Minister brought that up and was well informed about the situation).

Thanks for coming by Minister, your new friends at Learning Pool are all fans!

The photo above was taken at Friday’s City of Culture celebratory gathering in Derry’s Millennium Forum.  The guys gathered around me need no introduction but just in case they are Phil Redmond, creator of Grange Hill etc, Ed Vaizey, Tory Culture minister and the fabulous Mark Durkan, our local Derry MP, thoroughly good egg & supporter of small, local business.

I know you’re all wondering what on earth I’m saying to them.

There are 3 things that I’ve been wondering about since the City of Culture 2013 announcement was made.

The first is a hope that the City receives a new name.  Derry/Londonderry – leading to the plain daft Stroke City – is just too controversial.  My suggestion – and I’d love to hear yours – is St Columcille-ville.  It builds on the city’s heritage & has a vaguely Europop vibe.

The second is how much easier our lives would be if our local airport operated within the usual parameters common to airports and had flights to places we need to go to – e.g. London – so that we could get there & back in a day.  Novel idea I realise.

Third is how much we in Derry love the Giant’s Causeway but what a pain it is to get to – we’re hoping that can be simplified as part of the 2013 preparations – indeed if it could be relocated to the mouth of the River Foyle so that we could visit in our lunch breaks that would be perfect.

So – take your pick from any of the topics above.  Of course, I could have just been pontificating about how marvellous it is to be part of a tiny little company based in Clarendon Street, Derry that manages to deliver cost-effective & comprehensive online services to most of local government and increasingly central government right across the whole of the UK.

Snapped this pic of my friend & colleague Siobhain tonight seconds after the UK City of Culture result was announced in Derry’s Guildhall.  Her face says it all.

Everyone was screaming & cheering, I was shaking & crying, the atmosphere was incredible.  I know every city probably thinks they need something like this, but believe me - our city really needs a break like this.

Derry’s a great place and we’re proud that it’s our city and the place we’ve chosen to locate our business, Learning Pool.

I work a few streets away from Pump Street where my grandmother worked in one of the infamous shirt factories in the early years of the 20^th century.  I can see the River Foyle, where so many ancestors & others left Ireland for America, out of our office window.  I serve the Millennium Forum as a non exec director and there we strive to provide accessible culture & entertainment to everyone and anyone that wants it.

Tonight we are overcome with emotion and excited about what this may mean for us – and we’re proud to be part of Legenderry.