The Five Million Tests Milestone: 8th November 2020
8TH NOVEMBER: THE 5 MILLION MILESTONE
We are pleased to let you know that on Sunday 8th November, Randox surpassed 5 million tests within the UK COVID-19 National Testing Programme.
That’s an incredible 5 million samples accessioned, processed and tested by our dedicated and talented staff.
Our staff are our best asset and have risen to the challenge this pandemic has created.
They have worked hard and flexibly, been creative and innovative, and pulled together as a team to make an impact in the fight against COVID-19.
We are very proud of their efforts and teamwork.
Let us once again say thank you to each and every member of Team Randox, for the efforts they have made in 2020.
What we do at Randox remains vital to the national and global management of COVID-19 and our work is making a real and positive difference.
We continue to work hard and improve, for the sake of our family, friends and communities.
For further information please email randoxpr@randox.com
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We Are Randox | Sean Mills named Randox Employee of the Year at 2020 Manufacturing Awards Dinner
Randox Freeze Drying Production Supervisor Sean Mills has been named Randox Employee of the Year.
Sean’s award was announced on Friday 7th February 2020, when all Randox manufacturing departments gathered together at The Hilton Hotel in Templepatrick, to connect with colleagues and celebrate the success of their teams at the annual Randox Manufacturing Awards Dinner.
Pauline Bradley, Operations Manager began the evening with an opening address, and thanked all attendees for their hard work;
“Each year our manufacturing department grows in strength and this is thanks to the people working in it. I am proud to be standing here to recognise our collective capabilities as a team and to celebrate our hard work – with good food and great company.”
An overview of the year’s manufacturing successes were shared, and everyone looked forward to the activities for the year ahead.
A selection of awards that were announced on the night are included below;
- Newcomer of the Year was awarded to Katarzyna Bronisz by Manager Debbie Moses
- Adherence to company procedure was awarded to Kyle Westwater by Manager Eamon Morris
- Excellence under pressure was awarded to AJ Gorman by Manager Pauline Bradley
Following the presentation of these awards, all attention turned to Operations Manager Pauline Bradley to announce the prestigious Employee of the Year Award.
We are delighted to be able to share that this award went to Sean Mills of our Freeze Drying Production Department.
Sean commented;
“I’m really proud to be able to say that I am Randox Employee of the Year. I work in such a talented and hard-working team at Randox, so I know there must have been fierce competition. It was a real pleasure to be able to receive this award surrounded by my colleagues and friends as we enjoyed a lovely evening together and I would like to thank everybody who has congratulated me over the past number of days. All the work we do at Randox is truly a team effort and so my award is as much for my team members within the Freeze Drying Department as it is for me. I wouldn’t be able to do my job without them.”
Sean’s Manager Eamon Morris closed the night by congratulating Sean, and saying;
“I am delighted that Sean’s efforts and excellence were recognised on the night of the Manufacturing Awards. I know of nobody who has a dissenting word about him and I think that speaks volumes about the way he conducts himself at work – very professional and always with a smile. He absolutely epitomises someone who ‘goes the extra mile’ and over the years has proved to be a real asset to the Production team. He has a fantastic work ethic and strives daily to learn and improve.”
For more information about the Manufacturing Awards please contact Randox PR by email: randoxpr@randox.com or phone 028 9442 2413
We Are Randox | Randox Men’s GAA team win Junior Shield at Inter-Firms competition
Randox Men’s GAA team win Junior Shield at FinTrU Ulster GAA Football Inter-Firms competition
After the success of the Randox Ladies GAA team in reaching their shield final at the FinTrU Ulster GAA Football Inter-Firms competition, Randox fielded two teams in the men’s competition which took place at Queen’s University Playing Fields Dub Pavilion on Saturday 26th October.
The men’s teams were pooled in separate groups with strong opposition facing both teams.
John James Fallon, Randox Electrical Engineer and Bainisteoir / Coach for Randox GAA commented;
“As soon as the day began the Randox men battled hard. With some fantastic individual performances and a relentless team effort we both recorded wins in our opening matches.
“Randox two lost out narrowly to solid Deloitte and CITI teams but bounced back in their last group game to win against Global Payments.
“Randox one continued strongly throughout the group stages impressively winning all but one of their group matches which saw them qualify for the shield final against Deloitte.
“The final was an even contest with both teams exchanging some fantastic scores in a very competitive game, but it was Randox who edged it and won the Junior Shield.
“What a great year for the Randox men and women. Many were playing GAA for the first time and both reaching the finals of their respective competitions. We fielded players ranging from experienced to novice and together what we achieved has been exceptional.
“On behalf of the organising committee I would like to say thank you to sponsor FinTrU and Ulster GAA for organising another fantastic day out, to Dr FitzGerald and the company for their continued support, but most importantly thank you to everyone who registered for this year’s competition.
“To everyone who played with such grit and determination, you have done yourselves and the company proud. A massive congratulations is in order for everyone, and in particular for Shay McStravick who captained the team on their win and lifted the Shield for Randox.”
Shay McStravick, Randox Men’s GAA Captain commented;
“I would like to congratulate all the men and women who took part in a hugely successful year for Randox GAA. Over the course of a couple of months we have built a great sense of camaraderie among the group and it was great to achieve some silverware to show for it.
“I would like to reiterate everything John James has already touched on and also take this opportunity to extend a huge thank you, on behalf of the team, to John James for all his hard work and commitment to help get Randox GAA on its feet. Here’s to 2020.”
We are all looking forward to next year already!
If you are interested in joining a Randox GAA team or helping out, please send your name and contact details to John James Fallon in our engineering team: johnjames.fallon@randox.com
Want to know more about Randox?
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We Are Randox | Ladies GAA team reach final of Inter-Firms Tournament
Randox Ladies reach final of FinTrU Ulster GAA Football Inter-Firms Tournament
Early on the morning of Saturday 12th October 2019, Randox Ladies GAA team took to the field at the Mid Ulster Sports Arena, to compete in the FinTrU Ulster GAA Football Inter-Firms competition.
With teams made up of eight players, the format of the competition saw the ladies play five group games with the chance to qualify for the cup and shield finals.
Could they match or even beat their record from last year, having reached the 2018 semi-finals?
In the commentary below, John James Fallon, Randox Electrical Engineer and Bainisteoir / Coach for Randox Ladies GAA Team provides a match report from the big day.
John James commented;
Five consecutive games was a big ask for a squad that was relatively small when compared to other firms competing on the day. Nevertheless, our Randox GAA Ladies rose to the challenge and won their first match comfortably against Mallaghans.
The next game saw Randox face last year’s winners FinTrU, whose squad had some very experienced GAA players, and in the following match we competed against The GAA Store Team. Randox, who had grown in confidence after their first game, gave absolutely everything on the field but just came up short in two super games of football. This effort was not without cost as the ladies picked up a few injuries along the way but battled on regardless.
The ladies then showed great character and hunger to bounce back and defeat Options IT, a victory which saw them reach the shield final against our previous opponents Mallaghans.
From the first whistle the ladies put everything on the line, running themselves into the ground despite injury and fatigue. The first half was anyone’s for the taking but it was the fresher Mallaghans who took advantage of their bigger squad to take the early lead and went into half time with a 5-point advantage.
Our Randox Ladies were not about to lie down and accept defeat however, and an early goal and a point swung the balance of the game back in our favour.
During such a tight and dynamic game however, the leading team continued to change, and against the run of play Mallaghans went down the field to score a goal.
In these circumstances a lesser team may have conceded the game, however our ladies immediately responded with a goal and with only seconds remaining looked like they could emerge victorious.
Unfortunately though, despite a courageous effort, we could not find the breakthrough. Congratulations to Mallaghans who went on to win a very entertaining game of football, and subsequently the tournament shield. Thank you to FinTrU and Ulster GAA for organising another fantastic day out.
What a fantastic achievement for this small group of dedicated and enthusiastic players in reaching the final, some of whom had never played Gaelic football before and only had three training sessions before fielding on Saturday. The ladies should be extremely proud of themselves and with the men’s competition only two weeks away, the bar once again has been set extremely high. Well done Randox Ladies!
There are still spaces available on the Randox GAA Men’s team who play their competition on the 26th October at Queen’s University Malone Playing Fields Dub Pavilion.
If you are interested in joining a Randox GAA team or helping out, please send your name and contact details to John James Fallon in our engineering team: johnjames.fallon@randox.com
Want to know more about Randox?
Contact us or visit our homepage to view more.
Our Randox Products and Services
REAGENTS
RX SERIES
ACUSERA
BIOCHIP
We Are Randox | Celine and Kenny dive into fundraising for AWARE NI
We’re passionate about celebrating the kindness and generosity of our Randox employees. Each have their own unique and interesting story to tell and many give up their spare time to support their local community and help those in need.
Their compassion and commitment is what makes Randox the successful company it is today, and this month we have two Randox employees whose bravery and dedication emulates this perfectly.
Céline Hasson, Randox Customer Relationship Executive, and Kenny Galloway, Business Relations Manager are both taking to the skies on Saturday 18th May for a charity skydive in aid of one of our official charity partners, AWARE NI.
Below they both explain why they wanted to take part in the charity skydive, and what it means to them to be able to raise funds for the main depression charity for Northern Ireland.
Kenneth Galloway, Randox Health Business Relations Manager, commented;
“This year in 2019 so far we have already seen so many people take their own lives here in Northern Ireland. It’s so terribly heartbreaking and let’s face it, avoidable. Our help is needed more than ever which is why I have decided to conquer my fear of heights and hurl myself out of an airplane at 10,000 feet. I want to be able to raise awareness of this charity and to raise money to allow other people to benefit from what could be, to many, a life-changing service.
“Together we can make a difference, so I humbly ask you today to be a part of this great cause, by making a donation big or small.”
Céline Hasson, Customer Relationship Executive, added;
“People with mental health conditions deserve as much support and compassion as those will physical health conditions. So with this in mind I have signed myself up for a skydive in May with a goal to fundraise £500+ for AWARE NI.
“I’m sure every person reading this has either suffered or knows someone who has/is suffering from depression, so please donate to a great cause like AWARE NI. Let’s support them to help support others.”
Did you know?
- 1 in 4 people will experience some kind of mental health problem each year
- Anxiety and depression are the most common mental disorders
- Overall prevalence of mental health conditions in Northern Ireland is up to 25% higher than in England
- 9 out of 10 people with mental health problems experience stigma and discrimination
What can you do?
Whilst Céline and Kenny have committed to a skydive with Moonjumpers Sky Diving, you have the easy part.
Simply make a donation and contribute to the very worthy AWARE NI, which has an established network of 24 support groups in rural and urban areas across the county, and also delivers mental health and well-being programmes into communities, schools, colleges, universities and workplaces.
To view Kenny’s JustGiving page please visit; https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/kenny-jnr
To view Céline’s JustGiving page please visit; https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/celine-hasson1
For further information about Randox’s charity work with AWARE NI, please contact the Randox PR team by emailing randoxpr@randox.com or phoning 028 9442 2413.
We Are Randox | Armagh GAA forward Stefan Campbell
One of our favourite things about our We Are Randox series of staff interviews is the opportunity we are given to find out about the unique and interesting talents of our colleagues.
From creative bakers to melodious musicians, motivated Girl Guide leaders to athletic sportspeople, many of our staff are just as busy outside of the office as they are in it.
Take Tender Coordinator Stefan Campbell for instance. By day Stefan spends time identifying potential business for the company – conducting local and global searches, collating technical specifications and compiling financial information – but in the evenings and weekends he’s impressively one of the forwards for the Armagh Senior Footballers, a Gaelic Football team that competes at an all-Ireland level.
We caught up with Stefan to find out about his intense training regime, his goals for the future of his GAA career, and of course his advice for the newly-formed Randox GAA team!
Here’s Stefan’s story.
I suppose Gaelic Football has always run through the different generations of my family so it was only natural that I began playing at a young age. My brother John played for our local club Clan Na Gael, so after having played for St. Pauls Lurgan, I then moved to Clan Na Gael where he played. I’ve now been a member there for 16 years.
Our County Club, Armagh, then won their first All-Ireland Championship in 2002, with a team that included two players from Clan Na Gael, and so I was inspired to try out for my county myself. The rest as they say, is history.
I’m currently in my 7th season with the Armagh Senior Footballers, after having played for the U18 and U21 squads. My position is usually full forward, alongside two other team mates, however I do often rotate amongst the total line-up of 6 forwards.
Obviously being a forward I am expected to score in each game, and to give you an idea of figures I have had two games in the last week in which I scored 8 points against Antrim and 3 points against Monaghan. I therefore have to make sure to refine my skills in terms of scoring, passing, and timing of the tackle, but there is also quite a lot of emphasis on just simply working hard and putting in the effort to train, as it is an incredibly physical game. Typically, a county team trains 4 nights a week with 2 sessions being in the gym and 2 on the field, at the Callanbridge facility in Armagh.
I’ve played in the opening 3 games of The Dr McKenna Cup (a Gaelic Football competition between counties and universities in Ulster) thus far, and need to make sure I keep up my training so that I remain in the team for the upcoming matches. There is a lot of pressure coming from other very talented squad members, looking for their opportunity to impress, so I have to be on top form.
In the short-term, we have The Dr McKenna Cup Final against Tyrone this Saturday (in which I’m obviously hoping for a win!) and in the longer term I’m really hoping I can win an Armagh Championship with Clan Na Gael. I would also love to secure an Ulster Championship win with Armagh, which is a title I’m still searching for, even though I won the Railway Cup in 2017 playing for Ulster.
The Railway Cup is an annual tournament steeped in history, as it dates back as far as 1927. There is such a large pool of players to choose from when forming an Ulster team, so I know my family was very proud when I was selected, and even more so when we went on to defeat Connaught in the final. I loved the opportunity to play alongside teammates I’m usually competing against.
Another highlight of my GAA career was when I played Gaelic Football in New York, over the course of two summers. Although GAA is an Irish organisation, Gaelic Football is played all over the world in countries such as Dubai, Hong Kong, Australia and the USA, albeit at a lower level than it is played back home. Local players are poached and asked if they would be interested in playing for a particular team in the summer, while they set you up with a job and accommodation. In 2015 I was asked to play for Kerry New York and in 2017 for Westmeath New York, and I found the temptation to spend 3 months abroad, basically free of charge, too good to turn down.
For the record though, GAA is an amateur organisation and therefore as players we don’t get paid to do what we do. Don’t get me wrong, it has its perks, like the unique opportunity to play live on Sky or on the BBC, but ultimately, we play for the love of the sport, while representing our families and communities. It’s this passion that drives me each week to train consistently and improve my skills, even after a day’s work at the Randox office. I do often have long days during which I leave work, go straight to training, and arrive home at about 10.45pm, but it’s something I’m used to and prepare for accordingly. I will say though that it’s extremely difficult to get out of bed on Mondays having played a game the previous day!
As luck will have it, joining Randox means that I now have the opportunity to bring my two careers together, as the company has recently established its own GAA team, which recently competed in the FinTru Ulster Inter-Firms Competition. I don’t see any reason, that with a bit of luck, and the experience we now have from last year, why we can’t get bigger and better and reach this year’s final.
My advice would be to get the squad together as often as our other commitments will allow, to give us more time to polish up our skills, but also, importantly, to become more familiar with our teammates from other departments. I have often found that the most successful teams are not always the most talented, but those with a tighter bond – as they understand their fellow players, can anticipate their game play, and are willing to work that bit harder for one another.
For more We Are Randox stories about our amazing colleagues, make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and follow the hashtag #WeAreRandox.
For further information please contact Randox PR by emailing randoxpr@randox.com
We Are Randox | ‘Tis the Season of Giving at the Christmas Raffle 2018
This year our much-anticipated Christmas Raffle took place on Monday 24th December 2018, in aid of our official charity partners, AWARE NI and Mind Your Mood.
The main depression charity for Northern Ireland, AWARE has an established network of 24 support groups in rural and urban areas across the country, and also delivers mental health and well-being programmes into communities, schools, colleges, universities and workplaces. Mind Your Mood is an initiative designed and managed by students at Ulster University to help break down the stigma of mental health and encourage students to access support.
Did you know that the prevalence of mental health conditions in Northern Ireland is up to 25% higher than in England, with anxiety and depression being the most common mental disorders? We’re proud therefore to be supporting both AWARE and Mind Your Mood with a range of fundraising initiatives this year, including now the Randox Christmas Raffle 2018, at which, we are delighted to announce, we raised more than £2500 – with the official total still to be counted!
Congratulations to all our prize winners from this year’s Christmas Raffle, and in particular to the lucky winners of our most coveted prizes – a 55″ Ultra HD 4K Sony Bravia TV and an extra day of annual leave!
We Are Randox | Randox Ladies reach FinTrU Ulster GAA Inter-Firms Semi-Final
On Saturday 10th November 2018, Randox Ladies GAA team took to the field at the Tyrone GAA Centre of Excellence, Garvaghey, to compete in the FinTrU Ulster GAA Football Inter-Firms competition.
Catering for all levels of skills and fitness, the Inter-Firms competition is a tournament open specifically to workplaces across Ulster, in which teams can represent their workplace in Gaelic games.
On the day of the tournament, the Randox Ladies were placed in a group alongside Premier Electric, Options IT and FinTrU, and the first 7-a-side group match saw the ladies up against Premier Electric, who from the start proved to be very tough and experienced opponents.
Team Randox met the challenge head on however, and were leading the game from start to finish until a second goal against the run of play narrowly denied the Randox Ladies the win in the last minute of the game.
For their second match of the tournament, the Randox Ladies showed great character and hunger to bounce back and defeat Options IT 2-6 to no score, in what was an outstanding performance. This victory was not without cost though, as the ladies were forced to battle on in spite of a few injuries.
The final group game against financial services company FinTrU proved to be the toughest match for the Randox Ladies. Having played two games back to back, with numerous injuries gained along the way, the game was always going to be a difficult one, but once again the ladies showed a fantastic attitude, battling hard in all areas.
With their exceptional performance in the group stage, the Randox Ladies found themselves in the semi-final of the cup competition against last year’s winners South West College. From the first whistle, the ladies put everything on the line, running themselves into the ground despite injury and fatigue.
SWC picked up a few early points and then scored two goals against the run of play which would have finished off any experienced team, but with minutes remaining Randox admirably battled up the field to score two goals of their own to bring the game to within a score. In the end though the SWC ladies survived to hang on for a narrow win and went head-to-head in the final against eventual tournament winners FinTrU.
Randox Ladies emerged from their GAA début in an impressive third place.
John James Fallon, Randox Electrical Engineer and Bainisteoir / Coach for Randox Ladies GAA Team, commented;
“What the Randox Ladies have done in such a short time is a fantastic achievement. Most have never played Gaelic football before so for them to go out and to be able to keep up with the pace of very experienced players is nothing short of amazing. They should be extremely proud of themselves and with the men’s competition this Saturday the bar has been set extremely high indeed. Well done team!”
The 2018 FinTrU Ulster GAA Football Inter-Firms Junior Men’s Competition will take place on Saturday 17th November at the Tyrone GAA Centre of Excellence. We wish our Men’s team all the best!
For further information about Randox GAA, please email johnjames.fallon@randox.com
Left to Right: Christine Maybin, Ciara Shaw, Ashleigh McKinstry, Maria McLaughlin, Rachel Walls, Rebecca Molloy, Maeve McAllister, Rachel McCloy, Amy Best
(Team members missing from photo; Claire Donnelly and Jeanette Doherty)
We Are Randox | Christmas Raffle raises £4030 for Cancer Fund for Children
This year our much-anticipated Christmas Raffle took place on Friday 22nd December 2017, in aid of Cancer Fund for Children.
Every week in Northern Ireland, another three children, teenagers or young adults, aged between 0 and 24 years old, are diagnosed with cancer.
Cancer Fund for Children helps families cope with the impact cancer has on their lives, and they support them through life, both during and after treatment, by offering a range of free short breaks for families coming to terms with a cancer diagnosis.
We’re delighted to let you all know that we raised a mammoth £4030 from this year’s Christmas Raffle. This money will go a long way in providing families dealing with cancer in Northern Ireland the opportunity to relax far away from the pressures of gruelling cancer treatment and hospital visits.
Congratulations to all our prize winners from this year’s Christmas Raffle, and in particular to the winners of our most coveted prizes – a 55″ Ultra HD 4K Curved Samsung TV, and an extra day of annual leave!
