The outbreak of COVID-19 around the world is a complex, fast-moving situation filled with uncertainties. All of us want to be responsible with our business actions and our care for each other at this difficult time.

We appreciate that you are all dealing with this unique set of circumstances within your own organisations and all of us are working through contingency plans for our businesses.

Your health, and that of the wider public, is of paramount importance and we must demonstrate strong and responsible leadership in the decisions we make as businesses.

With this in mind, we have made some difficult, but important decisions:

• We have postponed all of our physical events from now until the end of June. This will be reviewed again in April and May. Please continue to check our website for date changes. We will continue to communicate with you on forward planning.
• We have postponed all volunteering initiatives and are asking all of our valued volunteers to cease activity until we are in touch about programmes recommencing.
• As a fully cloud-based organisation, Business in the Community will continue to work with all of our stakeholders using remote technology, including phone calls, emails and video conferencing. Much of our support and guidance can be accessed online. We will continue to build our online responsible business resources and keep members updated on emerging initiatives and ideas.
• We have developed a toolkit for small to medium sized businesses who are struggling at this time. For a FREE copy, please visit our website

The end of this situation is not yet in sight for us in Northern Ireland. We are more determined than ever to support our members to hold fast to the principles of responsible business. It is encouraging to see so many of you doing just that. We must pay tribute to our members who are working on the frontline in providing critical health care and to those in the retail sector as they too are providing essential services as the situation progresses. Many other businesses are looking for innovative solutions to help both the public and their own employees. Every responsible action is vital.

As we work together to take action on the biggest public health issue of our time, please be assured of our very best wishes. Look after yourselves, your teams and your loved ones.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us on info@bitcni.org.uk, or call (028) 9046 0606 and you will be diverted to a member of our team.

General COVID-19 guidance

• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water – including thumbs, backs of hands and under nails – for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
• Catch all coughs and sneezes in a tissue – which you must dispose of in a bin. If you do not have a tissue to hand, it’s advisable to cough or sneeze into your elbow. Always wash your hands afterwards or use a hand sanitiser