Business Leadership Networks

The Network is focusing on education and enterprise in 2008-2009, by providing strategic assistance to Belfast communities. This involves building partnerships with agencies and local groups. The network will also be involved in a number of volunteering challenges, ProHelp and Social Enterprise development. 

Belfast Team

The Belfast Business Leadership Network wanted to give back to their community and demonstrate their commitment to acting socially responsible. At January’s BLN meeting North Belfast Women’s Initiative and Support Project (NBWISP) presented to the team.

NBWISP was established in response to emotional and mental health problems which exist amongst the women members of the Upper Ardoyne community.  It aims to promote and deliver health awareness prevention for women who were dependent on prescribed and un-prescribed drugs and alcohol as a means of dealing with bereavement, stress, fear and depression.

NBWISP became a registered charity in 2006 and in 2007 launched their social economy project JJ’s.  JJ’s is a health and beauty centre providing services to the local community.

NBWISP realised that in order to survive it needed to become more business focused.  Following NBWISP’s presentation to the Belfast BLN, John Barrons from the BLN stepped in to help them achieve their objectives by carrying out pro-bono work for the organisation.  Following John’s recommendations BITC brokered pro bono support from a Solicitor to review the business documents and provide legal advice. 

South and East Belfast

Action challenge in Taughmonagh Primary School, Belfast

Taughmonagh Primary School is waiting for work to start on a new school building. The S&E Network helped provide a much needed makeover in the meantime. The pupils loved seeing their school being updated in bright yellow, with one or two taking home a few mementoes on their clothes.

North and West Belfast

Action challenge in Rethink, Belfast

Rethink provides over 85 communities with support services, offering people with severe mental illness the support and help they need to regain confidence to engage in everyday social and workplace activities.

When Rethink highlighted that they needed assistance with some redecorating, the Network sprung into action and painted a number of rooms which were in need of attention.

Ballymena/Larne

The North East Business Leadership Network, Chaired by Shuana Du Preez HR Manager of Patton Group, has fully embraced our Adopt-a-school programme by pledging support to 5 local schools within the Ballymena neighbourhood renewal area. 

Devised to raise the issue of employability, the programme enables pupils to make real connections between their education and the world of work. 

One member of the network is Michelin Tyres Ltd. They have provided 4 employees to act as student mentors in Ballee Community High.  The mentors will focus on the qualities associated with good work ethics such as reliability, taking initiative and developing good communication skills. 

The purpose of the mentoring is to increase student’s confidence and self esteem by helping them recognise their strengths and skills.  It will assist the pupils preparing their personal statement for their record of achievement and receiving a reference from their mentor.

Wrightbus, Patton Group and the Housing Executive are among a number of members that will be providing further assistance and resource to this exciting project.

This Network will provide:

•  Strategic direction to the NW Business in the Community Office and assist with the development of the newly formed NW Employers Forum and local Social Enterprise initiatives.

• Assistance with the development of links with the NW DSD Development Office for business engagement in local Neighbourhood Renewal projects

• Practical help for community based activities such as student mentoring and Pro-bono assistance for Social Enterprises
  

Newry/Mourne & Craigavon

The focus is on education and employability. The team will be undertaking Adopt a School in the local areas and employability projects with the potential of providing employment and training to long term unemployed people from the local area.

Action challenge in Daisy Hill Wood 

An extensive challenge took place on Wednesday 5 November in Daisy Hill Wood in Newry in conjunction with Groundwork NI. The team worked tirelessly under the leadership of Mark Esler from M&S to complete environmental tidy up of the Daisy Hill Wood area. UTV Environmental correspondent Brian Black was there to record the great work that took place and interview the team.

Action challenge at Simon Community

A challenge took place on Wednesday 23 July in Simon Community in Lisburn with Robert Abrahams from the Lurgan Mail and David Leeper from Montupet acting as team leaders. The challenge was to paint and redecorate the communal rooms in the hostel to make it more comfortable and welcoming for the people using it.

The Simon Community highlighted the impact of the challenge when it said:

" It would have cost upwards of £500 to fund this ourselves, your help has made a great difference to us. We greatly enjoyed your company and enthusiasm. Thank you all so much."

Omagh/Enniskillen

Seamus McCaffrey of SP McCaffrey Accountants in Omagh Chairs the Western Network and the teams focus has been on enterprise.

Meeting local needs with local enterprise solutions has really struck a chord with the team in supporting Mullaghmore and Castleview Community Association (MACCA) and their community garden based in a Neighbourhood Renewal area.

They have developed a business plan to help assess the sustainability of a local food produce initiative which will also support education and those living with disability in the local area.  The teams local knowledge and experienced judgment has been integral to creating a viable future for the project and will hopefully secure funding for the group.

The team will now focus on education and have adopted St John’s High School in Dromore.  The school specializes in business and aims to increase standards not just in that specialist area but across the whole curriculum with business support. 

An action plan has been developed with the school which will utilize the expertise of the local business community for the enrichment and improvement of the education provision in Dromore.

If you want to find out more information please contact Jill O'Neill on 9046 0606.