Latest news with #RossMurray
Irish Independent
24-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
IT services company FutureRange acquires division of DigitalWell as it eyes expansion
No financial details of the deal were disclosed. FutureRange, which is part of the accountancy and consultancy HLB Ireland Group, says that it will now create 10 jobs to accompany the corporate move. The acquisition is the first since HLB and FutureRange received an undisclosed investment from the Irish private equity firm Cardinal Capital in March. 'This acquisition deepens our technical expertise and broadens our regional reach,' said Danny McEntee, the managing director of FutureRange. The company says the deal helps to expand its coverage to Dublin, Cork and Limerick. 'This strategic divestment enables us to fully focus on our core growth areas, business transformation services spanning customer experience, digital innovation, AI, communications and secure connectivity where we see significant market opportunity.' said Ross Murray, CEO of DigitalWell. 'We have been very deliberate in choosing FutureRange as the right home for our managed IT services clients and team. They are not only a strong cultural and technical fit, they also share our commitment to excellence and to building long-term, trusted relationships.' The deal comes after a 50-year-old accounting, tax and business advisory firm based in Cork plans to create an ambitious 400 jobs during the next three years. Ifac has four offices across the county in Bandon, Blarney, Mallow and Skibbereen, and has 30 offices across Ireland with over 30,000 clients. Ifac expects to reach €50m in revenue, according to the company.
ABC News
18-07-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Mid North Coast community traces Manning River flood history
For residents living on the New South Wales Mid North Coast, the recent record-breaking flood event may be the worst natural disaster they have witnessed in their lifetime. In May, the Manning River reached a record high of 6.44 metres at Martin Bridge, submerging Taree and large stretches of the coast. The flood surpassed the previous record of 5.9 metres set in the 1929 flood, but for some in the community, there is a sense of history repeating itself. Ross Murray has traced his family roots in the region back hundreds of years, discovering a deep and tragic connection to floods. Birpai elder Russell Saunders' connection to the country stretches back even further, as his ancestors were traditional custodians of the land for tens of thousands of years. From his house in the high ground of Tinonee, Uncle Russ, as he is known by his community, watched the most recent floodwaters rise across the plains where, as a child, he would fish with his father. "It looked like a big lake," Uncle Russ said. Uncle Russ is an artist and language teacher and has long been a custodian of cultural knowledge. He learned to spot the signs of a coming flood from his father and the elders of his community. "Dad taught us a lot of signs and wonders about reading the river," he said. "I remember one time I saw carpet snakes near the bank, first one, then another, about a dozen all up. He said when they saw the black cockatoos flying over as kids, the elders used to always tell them that rain was coming. "When you see the ants pile up their nest like a little volcano, that's a sign of floods coming," he said. Uncle Russ's eldest brother, Ray, has been a licensed fisherman since 1975, and this cultural knowledge has helped his craft. "White ants start flying out of the forest looking for holes in trees to move into another nesting area — they called them storm ants. "Wild ducks gather on the banks of the river when spring water from aquifers starts flowing — small fish swim upstream feeding on nutrients rising to the top of the water when this occurs on the water." This May was the worst flood Ray had ever seen, but he remembers his elders recalling big floods before 1929. "He said to the elder about the 1929 flood, 'This is a big flood,' and the elder said, 'No, we've had bigger ones than this.'" Perhaps, the elders were referring to the 1857 flood. Ross Murray's roots run deep in the region, and he discovered newspaper clippings with details about earlier floods while researching his Scottish ancestors for a book he wrote about them. "Our greatest catastrophe" reads one of the many weathered newspaper clippings from Mr Murray's father's archive, detailing floods from as far back as the 1800s. The 1857 floods were also a catastrophe for the Murray family, with one of Ross' ancestors killed while trying to save livestock. The Murrays had travelled from Scotland to Australia in the 1800s and established farms in the Manning district, between Wingham, Oxley Island and Darawank, and Tinonee. The newspapers from 1857 revealed how his ancestors were impacted by floods. "The public punt at Tinonee has gone, and also the pub man's house with its entire contents. One storekeeper at Tinonee lost not less than 2,000 pounds." the newspaper clipping read. "The reference to the Ferry Inn in Tinonee, which was my great-great uncle's business — George Murray — was entirely submerged, the family barely having time to escape with their lives," Ross said. "No-one ever really expected that that 1929 flood peak would be exceeded, and, of course, that's exactly what's happened." A newspaper from 1929 recorded the seven-day rainfall total as the equivalent of 822 millimetres. Ross said, looking through the 1929 reports, there were many features of the floods that didn't seem to change. "Isolation caused by high water levels and the washing away of bridges and culverts was a huge problem in 1929," he said. "Residents at both Croki and Old Bar reported continuous streams of furniture, vegetables, cattle carcases, hay and other items carried by the torrent. " Ross said he wondered what his ancestors would think about the latest floods. "I think they'd be amazed at how far it came up," he said. Uncle Russ said that when a flood was coming, the once nomadic people would move to high ground and camp up in the hills. "We used to move with the seasons. Now we're fixed in one place," he said. Uncle Russ said the landscape had also changed since he was a child and, as such, the damage from floods was more extensive. "We see the damage now because I look across the farmland now, and all I see is roofs of houses and water," he said.
Daily Record
17-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
New Dumfries golf simulator business offers chance to take on world-famous courses
CL Golf is the brainchild of Ross Murray and caters for all ages and abilities. A new golf simulator business has opened in Dumfries. Champions Links Golf (CL Golf) offers people the chance to test their skills on world-famous courses. The three-bay venue on Academy Street caters for all ages and abilities, with a variety of fun-focused games. CL Golf is the brainchild of golf enthusiast Ross Murray and has been made possible thanks to a £15,000 loan from DSL Business Finance through the British Business Bank's Start Up Loans programme. Ross said: 'There's nothing quite like the feeling of hitting a great shot, and I wanted to create a space where people could enjoy that – regardless of experience. 'Whether you're just getting into the game or have been playing for years, CL Golf is about enjoying it your way. 'The simulators are incredibly accurate and give personalised feedback in a relaxed environment, which takes the pressure off. It's the perfect place to practice what you've picked up from YouTube or just come along for a bit of fun.' Ross was inspired by a lifelong love of golf to swap his career as a store manager in retail to launch the venture – which is all about playing for fun. The AI powered Trackman i0 system provides incredibly realistic graphics, instant feedback on swing data and the chance to virtually play more than 300 iconic courses – including Open venues Royal Troon and the Old Course at St Andrews. There are also interactive mini-games, making it ideal for casual players, families and groups of friends. Ross's use of AI puts him ahead of the curve, with new research by Start Up Loans, conducted by YouGov, revealing that just 36 per cent of microbusinesses currently use AI tools, and only a third of smaller business owners have even a basic understanding of the technology. Loan officer at DSL Business Finance, Lindsay Hamilton, said: 'It was a pleasure working with Ross to help him achieve his dream. 'He is clearly passionate about golf and it's great that DSL Business Finance have been able to support him to develop this passion into a business that will definitely bring something new and different to the local community.'
ITV News
28-05-2025
- Politics
- ITV News
Dads in Oxfordshire campaign for better paternity leave
New fathers in Oxfordshire say current paternity rights are outdated and need to be changed to support working families. Currently employees are eligible for up to two weeks statutory paternity leave and statutory pay of just over £187 a week - if they've worked for at least 26 weeks. There's no entitlement for self-employed fathers. Statutory maternity leave on the the other hand is 52 weeks. Now campaign group, The Dad Shift, is calling for change. They say they want longer, affordable and equal leave for both parents in every relationship - same sex, heterosexual or adoptive. They also want paternity rights for self-employed people. Co-founder of The Dad Shift, Alex Lloyd Hunter, from Oxford, said that paternity leave in the UK is a lot shorter than in other counties. He said: " It's also really poorly paid. It's about 40 per cent of the minimum wage, which is below the poverty line if that was your salary. "It's not enough for people to live on, so that means you find that about a third of people take no paternity leave at all. About half of those who do, end up in financial hardship as a result, and it has problems short term for families and long term. "In the short term it means mothers are left with no support while they are still recovering from birth, perhaps if they had a C-section that could take six weeks, and they are left on their own after two, and also when they are most at risk of post-natal depression. "It also robs fathers and non birthing parents of the time they need to bond with their child. and that has long-term repercussions in terms of how the family parents, in terms of how strong that relationship will be between fathers and their children, and the children, if they have that strong relationship, there's loads of evidence that they'll grow up to be happier, do better at school and will basically be well-rounded people if they have that close relationship with both parents. " New Dad, Ross Murray from Wallingford, started a new job shortly before his daughter Lydia was born and so he wasn't entitled to statutory paternity leave and pay. He said: "In my case because I started a new job I wasn't eligible for paid paternity leave. I took two weeks unpaid but for some other people that wouldn't be an option. "At the moment things aren't equal. So, my wife was entitled to 12 months and I was entitled to two weeks. I would like to be as much of a parent to our daughter as she is able to be, but the policy stops there at the moment." Many companies offer enhanced paternity benefits and couples have the option of shared parental leave. A Government spokesperson from the Department for Business and trade said: 'Our Plan for Change is on the side of working parents, which is why we are making Paternity Leave and Unpaid Parental Leave day one rights under the Employment Rights Bill. 'We're also committed to carrying out a review of the parental leave system to ensure it best supports working families.' The day-one reform will cover leave, but not pay. It's expected to come in in 2026 and the Government said consideration will be given to businesses that might need more time to prepare for change. Alex Lloyd Hunter said: "It's welcome. There are tens of thousand of people who'll get that time who don't have it now but that leave without pay is not much good because it locks the vast majority of people out. "It's a positive step but we need the Government to go much further and make paternity leave longer and better paid." On 11th June The Dad Shift is holding a Dads' Strike. Fathers and non-birthing parents and supporters are invited to join a picket line or simply do the school pick-up to highlight their campaign.
Scottish Sun
26-04-2025
- Scottish Sun
CCTV image of man released by cops after child attacked in Scots city
Man cops want to trace was wearing a dark coloured zip-up bomber jacket with a hood, dark coloured tracksuit bottoms, and black and white trainers. POLICE PLEA CCTV image of man released by cops after child attacked in Scots city Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) COPS have released an image of a man they want to trace after a child was attacked. The youngster was assaulted in Cultins Road, Edinburgh, on Tuesday. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Cops are appealing for help to trace man after a child was assaulted in Edinburgh Credit: Alamy Police said the crime happened at around 3.45pm. And they want to speak to the man pictured. It is hoped he can help with their probe into the crime. The man is described as white, 5ft 7in tall and of a slim build. He is around 30 years old with blue/green eyes, short light brown hair and a light beard. He was wearing a dark coloured zip-up bomber jacket with a hood, dark coloured tracksuit bottoms, and black and white trainers. Constable Ross Murray appealed for help in tracing him. He said: "The man pictured is believed to have information that could help with our enquiries into this assault. "If this is you, or you recognise the man, please get in touch." Anyone who can assist is asked to contact Police Scotland on 101. Police raid homes of gangsters in Edinburgh They can also call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 anonymously.
