BITC celebrates a year of impactful, business-led community action in the West Midlands
December 4, 2025
BITC celebrates a year of impactful, business-led community action in the West Midlands
Business in the Community (BITC) in the West Midlands is celebrating the significant impact its Regional Leadership Board[1] has driven in 2025, tackling some of the region’s most pressing issues through targeted, business-led collaboration.
The West Midlands is the region with the highest rate of poverty in England (27%)[2] and an economic inactivity rate of 22%.[3] BITC members working in the West Midlands have focused their efforts on inclusive employment, climate action, diversity and inclusion, and strategic, place-based community investment.
The impact driven throughout 2025 by the BITC West Midlands Regional Leadership Board includes:
BITC’s Pride of Place programme[4] in the West Midlands:in Coventry, this involved direct community engagement, including facilitating a meeting of 25 leaders from 17 community groups in Foleshill to foster community collaboration. The programme also provided £3,000 from BITC’s Community Climate Fund to the Positive Youth Foundation for a bike locker, supported by in-kind donations from Coventry City Council and Jaguar Land Rover. In Walsall, BITC continues to engage stakeholders, with the goal of securing £100,000 in annual funding over three years to drive long-term change to support a dedicated place-based programme.
Supporting jobseekers and young people: a ‘Career Inspiration Day’ was held at the University of Warwick in May to provide young people with meaningful employer encounters, aligning with BITC’s national campaigns, such as Opening Doors, encouraging inclusive recruitment,[5] and the Job Coaching programme, connecting businesses with unemployed individuals.[6]
Promoting equity, diversity, and inclusion: the Board created and offered practical resources, including factsheets and frameworks, and events to businesses across the region. These resources and events helped businesses to understand key insights and best practice, as well as helping them measure their internal processes and networks to check their efficiency.
Encouraging climate action: the Board has focused on empowering businesses to educate and engage their employees on climate action, supporting employers to create, implement, and measure effective climate action plans.
Pete Westall, Chief Values Officer at Midcounties Co-operative and Chair of BITC’s West Midlands Regional Leadership Board, said:
This year has demonstrated the power of a true place-based approach. By bringing businesses together to focus on the unique challenges and opportunities within the West Midlands, we are not just talking about change; we are actively creating it. I am incredibly proud of the tangible outcomes our members have delivered, from funding community projects in Coventry to creating practical frameworks that will help businesses across the region become more inclusive.
Sue Husband, Community Impact Director at Business in the Community, said:
The West Midlands Regional Leadership Board is an effective model of collaboration in action. Its work in 2025 directly supports BITC’s mission to build thriving communities. The progress made in Walsall and Coventry, and the development of powerful tools for businesses, shows a deep commitment to deliver economic, social, and environmental change to the region.
ENDS
Notes to editor
[1] Find out more about BITC’s West Midlands Regional Leadership Board here.
[4] Find out more about BITC’s Pride of Place programme here.
[5] Find out more about BITC’s Opening Doors programme here.
[6] Find out more about BITC’s Job Coaching programme here.
Photos of the visit are available upon request. For further information, please contact Polly Dacam, Press Officer, on 020 7566 6638.
About Business in the Community
Business in the Community is the UK’s largest and most influential responsible business network dedicated to building a fairer and greener world together, supported by His Majesty the King for over 40 years. We inspire, engage and challenge purposeful leaders to take practical action to mobilise their collective strength as a force for good in society.
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