November Business First

Top VA is a finalist for the UK-wide
Virtual Assistant Awards
L
ocal business owner Michelle Shaw and
her virtual assistant company Top VA
have been shortlisted as a finalist for the
UK wide VA awards.
The awards are to recognise the high
standards within the VA industry and to
promote the value that virtual assistants
bring in supporting business entities from
entrepreneurs and start­ups to multi­national
companies and PLCS.
Michelle is in the running for the Best
Newcomer UK when the finals take place on
Thursday 17th November at The Great British
Business Show in London.
Top VA was set up in September 2015 to
provide expert marketing support for small
business owners and entrepreneurs across
the UK.
Since its start up Top VA continues to grow
and its client list includes a global training
company, a national marketing company and
various small businesses across a wide
variety of industries.
Working from her home office in Bangor,
Michelle assists business owners throughout
the UK with Social Media Marketing, Lead
Generation, Business Development as well as
the day to day admin needed to drive her
clients marketing campaigns forward.
Commenting on being shortlisted the Top
VA owner says that “I am delighted to have
reached this stage, these awards are highly
New partnership to grow charitable giving
wo Northern Ireland organisations
dedicated to promoting charitable
Tgiving have launched a new partnership
to boost philanthropy over the next three
years.
Giving Northern Ireland and Belfast
Charitable Society will be working
collaboratively on a series of events and
projects looking at ways to increase
awareness of giving for both businesses and
individuals.
Belfast Charitable Society is the oldest
philanthropic organisation in Northern
Ireland while Giving NI is the youngest,
started just three years ago. The new
partnership brings together a shared skillset
with the aim of driving strategic giving
forward.
Paula Reynolds, CEO of Belfast Charitable
Society said: “The Society is delighted to work
closely with Giving NI to help encourage and
promote philanthropy in today’s world.
“We have benefited hugely from others’
generosity since 1752, and in turn this has
allowed us to help many others; from running
the Poor House and Outdoor relief schemes to
tackling disadvantage today.
6 www.businessfirstonline.co.uk
regarded within the VA industry and it is an
amazing achievement to have been selected
for the shortlist,
“I am passionate about helping my clients
grow their business and always give 100 per
cent to any work I complete for them.
“Im now looking forward to the finals and
will be keeping my fingers crossed that I
bring the award back to Northern Ireland”.
To find out how working with Top VA could
benefit your business, call Michelle on 0786
730 9705 or email michelle@topva.biz or
visit www.topva.biz
Pictured with the Belfast Charitable Society’s minute book dating back to 1752 are Belfast Charitable
Society Chairman David Watters and Giving Northern Ireland Chairman Gary Mills
The partnership programme will include
practical seminars and informative events
about strategic giving.
Due to austerity measures, in recent years
there has been a major shift in the availability
of government funding for charities; in the
years to come this may be compounded by
the effects of Brexit, with uncertainty
currently on what this will mean to the
George Best
Belfast City Airport
helps Shortcross
take off worldwide
G
eorge Best Belfast City Airport has
facilitated a relationship between one
of the world’s leading travel retailers
and a local distillery for it to supply its
awarding winning craft gin to a number of its
stores.
Shortcross Gin has arrived on the shelves of
World Duty Free in Belfast City Airport as
well as further airport outlets across the UK
including London Heathrow, the busiest
airport in the UK and Ireland and one of
busiest in the world, London Stansted,
Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester and
Edinburgh.
voluntary and community sector.
Sandara Kelso­Robb, Strategic Advisor for
Giving NI said: “We live in changing times and
so it’s increasingly important for charities to
look for support from individuals and
corporates and not to rely on public funding
from government or the EU. This project
between will allow us to really focus on
private giving.”