Led by John Healy, Allstate NI and Chris Conway, Translink, businesses attended included Allstate NI, Belfast Harbour, B-Secur, Henry Brothers, SHS, The Executive Office, Phoenix Gas, PwC, Translink, Ulster Bank and Wrightbus

Led by the responsible business network, Business in the Community (BITC) in partnership with Urban Villages and supported by Allstate Northern Ireland and Translink, the businesses investigated how they can provide a more hands-on, strategic approach in helping communities through shared skills, expertise and the best use of resources.

John Healy, Managing Director Allstate Northern Ireland, and Chair of Business in the Community’s Community Leadership Team explains: “Seeing is Believing visits are one of our most effective tools to enhance business and community collaboration, and help businesses to understand the key issues facing communities on-the-ground.

“We ask each organisation being visited to think of key ‘asks’ from business that would significantly help them; encouraging businesses to work together to meet at least one of these asks per organisation post-visit. When businesses get to see the challenges community organisations are facing, they build a genuine interest and enthusiasm in trying to help them. For some time now, across Northern Ireland, we have seen a definite shift from companies who used to provide cash into communities, to more successful and mutually-beneficial partnership models being explored. Seeing is Believing visits are a great way to foster this too.”

The community organisations who presented at this visit included Poleglass Community Association, Colin Neighbourhood Partnership, TRIAX with Bogside & Brandywell Initiative, North West Cultural Partnership, Women’s TEC, YEHA and Skills North West.

If you business would like to get more involved in local communities, please visit www.bitcni.org.uk.