North West
North West
Each of Business in the Community’s (BITC) regions are led by a team of senior executives who provide strategic guidance and support us in achieving our agreed objectives. Business in the Community is working at pace in the North West to transform communities and help people and planet thrive.
Our regional priorities in North West England
Helping to end homelessness
Raising awareness of hidden homelessness and its impact on the North West and using this knowledge to create more inclusive workplaces where everyone can thrive.
Building Community Pride and Climate Resilience
Working collaboratively with key stakeholders to create and deliver a collective vision for a more resilient, thriving and sustainable future.
Strengthening Responsible Business
Supporting businesses in the North West to develop and implement a collective vision for a fairer and greener future.
Developing Pathways into Employment
Ensuring that every young person and jobseeker feels supported and has clear pathways into employment
Pride of Place in North West England
In communities across the UK that have long endured hardship, BITC’s Pride of Place programme unites people from all walks of life around a vision for a better future, nurturing collaboration, sustained investment and self-belief to drive action so that millions can thrive in a place they call home. Pride of Place Place currently supports two Places in the North West, Rochdale and Blackpool.
Rochdale
Our place-based regeneration project in Rochdale is building momentum through a committed cross-sector leadership group. We are working on three objectives, firstly to build and deliver skills programmes underpinned by an evidence base for local market needs, ensuring inclusivity.​ Secondly, to work with businesses and communities to design manageable ways to tackle climate change and meet the carbon net-zero target.​ Finally, we commit to focus on health and wellbeing both in the workplace and in communities.
Blackpool
By thinking differently and challenging the status quo, we have successfully started to regenerate Blackpool and restore a sense of pride in the town. We continue to develop the economy and tackle deprivation. Established in 2017, the Blackpool Pride of Place Board has broken down long-standing barriers between communities, businesses and the council. In 2019 the board supported the town to secure a £39.5 million Town Deal, the largest single town deal awarded.
Activity in North West England
Alongside the Pride of Place programme, Business in the Community (BITC) delivers a range of initiatives aimed at promoting equal opportunities throughout the North West. By fostering connections between businesses and local communities and sharing best practice through our regional networks, we strive to accelerate meaningful change across the region.
North West Community Impact Showcase
Join Business in the Community’s North West Regional Leadership Board to celebrate the strong links between businesses and communities in our region. Hear about successful collaborations, understand the work that goes on to achieve this from both charities and businesses, and connect together to improve responsible business practices across the North West. Hosted at Manchester’s innovative new workspace Island, this event will bring business professionals and community leaders together to showcase the art of the possible.
North West Board Meetings
BITC’s North West Regional Leadership Board meets quarterly. Our meeting in March 2025 set the agenda for our work in 2025/26. We collaborated on focus issues, challenged each other on progress, and defined our goals for the next 18 months. Our 2026 goals include tackling hidden homelessness in the North West, developing pathways into employment, supporting the region’s transition to net zero with community impact in mind, and continuing to support the growth of responsible business in the region.
Salford Community Conversations
We brought together 26 attendees from a range of organisations across Salford, all of which are dedicated to working with and for the community. The event focused on exploring how a Just Transition Hub in Salford could help organisations tackle the cost of living and climate crises, and provided a space for open and meaningful discussions about the challenges and opportunities the organisations face. It also offered a valuable chance to connect, share ideas, collaborate, and work together on problem-solving.
Rochdale See It Be It
Supported by Aviva and in collaboration with a diverse range of stakeholders and partners, Business in the Community (BITC) is expanding the “See It Be It” programme to Rochdale in 2025. The programme’s primary aim is to connect schools with businesses to improve academic attainment, attendance, aspirations, social mobility, and the local economy. The provision of careers advice and business engagement in the UK has been increasingly recognised as crucial to helping young people and job seekers navigate the evolving job market. As the economy continues to shift with technological advancements, the impact of the pandemic, and changing industry demands, high quality careers advice is crucial to ensuring that young people make informed decisions regarding their employment and career options. Furthermore, business engagement, where companies actively participate in guiding and developing future talent, plays a critical role in bridging the skills gap and improving employability.
North West Insights on Race
These regional insights on race provide a fresh opportunity to understand the changing representation of ethnically diverse communities, supplying employers with data that can be utilised to understand better the communities they operate in and to measure whether their workplaces truly reflect the local community.
Skills and career guidance
We’re committed to helping young people build the skills they need for the future. That’s what our North West Leadership Board recently set out to do with Year 9 pupils at Holy Family Roman Catholic & Church of England College in Rochdale, delivering a career skills and guidance session. Board members shared the qualities they value most and pupils had the chance to ask direct questions about career journeys and workplace expectations. Experiences like this show just how valuable direct insight can be in helping pupils feel ready for the opportunities ahead
The King’s Seeing is Believing in Rochdale
Rochdale and its people face many challenges, including a lack of opportunity for young people, food insecurity, and other inequalities, but the borough is increasingly willing and ready to position itself at the forefront of innovation, regeneration, and resilience.
As part of our flagship The King’s Seeing is Believing programme, senior business leaders from United Utilities, Sodexo UK and Ireland, Siemens, Rochdale Development Agency, Willmott Dixon, DWF, Palladium: Make It Possible, Casey, KPMG UK, Simkiss Control Systems Ltd, MWH Treatment, Anchor, and Agent Academy were brought together in Rochdale to understand the economic and regeneration opportunities available in, and coming to, Rochdale and the need for immediate action so that communities are not left behind.
Led by Louise Beardmore, Chief Executive of United Utilities, the visit enabled business leaders to explore how they can turbocharge the borough’s future growth.
North West Leadership Board
Regional Leadership Boards bring together senior leaders from across the region to learn, explore and collaboratively take action on key societal and regional priorities. They act as a vehicle for business to drive regional and local impact. Each Board takes a regionally relevant approach to delivering BITC’s Strategic Impact Goals. Regional Leadership Board members aim to learn about the priorities and needs of communities across the region , work collaboratively to address key societal issues and challenges, set measurable impact targets and outcomes, draw on the skills, experiences and resources of Board members to drive action towards shared goals, and develop their own learnings to upskill others and advocate for increased responsible business practice across the region
Rachel Macfarlane
General Counsel, Coventry Building Society
Helen Norris
Stakeholder Engagement Manager, ENWL
Mark Wood
Social Sustainability Lead,
Siemens
Work with us to make a bigger impact
Connect with Business in the Community’s Regional Teams and explore how your business can drive impact into your local community.