Archives: 2016

Ulster Bank Skills and Opportunities fund to award grants worth a further € 290,000 in its second year

You don’t need us to tell you what great work you do in our local community; but we can tell you about how Ulster Bank is making a difference to communities across the island of Ireland.

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CSR Trends 2016 Part 2

Welcome to the second part of CSR Trends 2016 providing you with the top key insights from our Senior CSR Advisers.     If you are a member company please remember to login in the member area to see a more detailed feature with further insights and tips on how you can apply some of

Improve the literacy of Ireland’s young children with our Time to Read programme

Would your company like to be involved in a fantastic programme designed to improve the literacy of Ireland’s young children whilst engaging your workforce? Time to Read is a reading programme for children in second class which increases their enjoyment and confidence in reading.

CSR Trends 2016 Part 2

Members, welcome to the second part of the CSR Trends 2016 article . Review what your business should look out for this year and contact your Account Manager if you wish to receive further support on any of the actions recommended.

Diageo’s Learning for Life takes centre stage at recent Government event

13th January was a big day for Diageo’s Learning for Life programme in Ireland after it was chosen by the Government as a centrepiece to launch its new national plan to provide training and education opportunities for the long-term unemployed. Taoiseach Enda Kenny, Tanaiste Joan Burton, and three other Government ministers came to the Guinness

Primark and DFID UK join forces to improve the wellbeing of garment workers in developing markets

Primark has announced the start of a new partnership with the Department for International Development (DFID) in the UK to improve working conditions for garment workers in developing markets. The partnership will combine the presence, networks and expertise of both organisations to improve the health and wellbeing of local workers, bolster national economic development and

Ulster Bank announce its new three year partnership with Young Social Innovators (YSI)

On 20th January Ulster Bank announced its new three year partnership with Young Social Innovators (YSI). The lively event in Chq, Dublin featured a keynote address from An Taoiseach together with guest speakers Baroness Thornton of the Young Foundation and Sister Stanislaus Kennedy, co-founder of YSI. Young Social Innovators is the biggest civic and social

Sodexo Promoting Workplace Diversity

Sodexo has a proud history of making the workplace accessible to people who may experience barriers to finding and maintaining paid employment, or actively playing a part in the workplace. Outlined below are examples of how Sodexo’s team in Ireland works with a range of charities to uncover the kinds of jobs people would like

CSR Trends 2016 Part 1 What should businesses look out for?

At Business in the Community Ireland, we work with a multitude of stakeholders, from our participation in the government National Action Plan on CSR to our partnerships at international level with CSR Europe, the World Business Council and others. These key relationships enable us to be informed on the global CSR landscape, providing insights into

CSR Trends 2016 Part 1 What should businesses look out for?

At Business in the Community Ireland, we work with a multitude of stakeholders, from our participation in the government National Action Plan on CSR to our partnerships at international level with CSR Europe, the World Business Council and others. These key relationships enable us to be informed on the global CSR landscape, providing insights into

Annual Member Network Meeting Report and video

On the 16th December 2015, Business in the Community Ireland held its Annual Member Network Meeting hosted by Diageo in the Guinness Storehouse Dublin.The meeting focused on international trends, together with global and local challenges, and discussed how they inform company plans in 2016.

The Business case for Corporate Social Responsibility

The business case for CSR is undeniable, the drivers for companies to act ethically and with integrity is now crucial for their reputations when dealing with informed employees, consumers, communities, investors and other stakeholders. The direct benefits of Corporate Social Responsibility are many, it is shown to: drive innovation, trust and transparency boost long-term profitability

In Conversation with CSR Professionals: a round-up

In 2015 we decided to launch this series of interviews with leading CSR practitioners in order to understand how they found their way into sustainability careers, learn about what inspires them and gain insight into their achievements and challenges. The insights in these interviews are valuable to anyone with an interest in CSR and sustainability

Business Action on Employment programme exceeds 2015 targets by 24% with help from 45 companies

2015 was the year when the economic turnaround translated into a real increase in job opportunities. In 2015, our Employment Programmes as part of our Business Action on Employment supported 167 people into paid employment, 32 people more than our target of 135! Our clients include a wide range of people facing many different barriers

Volunteering opportunities with Business Action on Employment

Volunteering opportunities are available with our Business Action on Employment programme. Business in the Community is looking for volunteer guest speakers. As part of our Business Action on Employment, you could support migrants and people facing barriers, to secure valuable employment, training and education in Ireland. We are looking for HR administrators, Generalists, Managers and

Q4 Annual Members Network Meeting

Our Annual Members Network meeting was kindly hosted by Diageo in the Guinness Storehouse on the 16th December. Please find the Presentation Slides .Special thank you to our panellists Carmel Halpin, Accenture, Gerry Keating, Deloitte, Sarah Claxton, ESB and Caroline O’Connor, Gas Networks Ireland. The network meeting also heard from Dr.Rodney Irwin from the World Business Council

A&L Goodbody and the Irish Refugee Council wins ‘2015 European Award for Local Pro Bono Impact’

A&L Goodbody and the Irish Refugee Council’s Independent Law Centre were awarded the ‘2015 European Award for Local Pro Bono Impact’ by PILnet at the European Pro Bono Forum in Rome on Thursday, 12 November. The award was given in recognition of the A&L Goodbody’s innovative pro bono programme which provides essential legal services to

BITCI Impact infographic

Irish Business Leaders call for strong agreement at COP21

Media Release: Some of Ireland’s leading companies today issued a call for a robust global agreement on climate change to be signed at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris.These progressive Irish businesses want COP21 to agree a definite roadmap for global commerce, ensuring strong policy and regulatory certainty through a new agreement on

Update from Europe: Summary from Enterprise 2020 Summit

As a leading organisation within CSR Europe, BITCI was actively engaged in the Enterprise 2020 Summit which took place on 16th and 17th November in the Bozar in Brussels. The Summit was held to progress the priorities of the Enterprise 2020 Manifesto, signed in June of this year at the Milan Expo. The Manifesto is

PM Group: Helping to make the “Field of Dreams” a reality

Field of Dreams was officially launched by Down Syndrome Cork (DS Cork) at its gala dinner which was held at the Clayton Silver Springs Hotel on November 14th. Making the announcement was Simon Coveney, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Kathleen Lynch Minister for State at the Department of Health with special responsibility

Intel Unveils 2015 Women in Technology Scholars

Intel Ireland  unveiled the 2015 Women in Technology scholars at a special awards presentation held in Dublin on Wednesday November 18th. This is the fourth year of the Women in Technology program for Intel in Leixlip where the initiative was introduced following the success of the same program which has been supported by Intel in Shannon since 2006. The

eir launch first LGBT Employee Network

2015 has been a year of change for eir, Ireland’s principal provider of fixed-line and mobile telecommunications services, the company has undergone a major rebrand and in April of this year eir became a member of the GLEN Diversity Champions programme. eir recently launched their first Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) network for employees

Gas Networks Ireland Launches Our Universe Promoting Science in Primary Schools

Across the country, over 5,000 primary school students will participate in Gas Networks Ireland’s new science education programme, Our Universe .   Exploding the myth that science is difficult Gas Networks Ireland, in partnership with Junior Achievement Ireland (JAI), introduces science through practical and engaging classroom-based lessons.  Our Universe encourages primary school students to continue with science as

Report on Millennials – the link between engagement and social causes

A new report on Millennials (born since 1985), ‘The next generation workforce – the 2014 Millennial impact’ shows the link between employee engagement and involvement in volunteering and giving programmes at work.

The Commission and business leaders partner up to boost youth employment and inclusion in Europe

Today the European Commission together with companies launch the European Pact for Youth, a mutual engagement of business leaders and the EU to create a culture of business-education partnerships to improve the chances for young people of getting a job, at the Enterprise 2020 Summit .

Top tips for choosing the right community partner to make a long lasting impact

There is a large number of NGO, Community and voluntary organisations out there that need business support. The process for choosing the right organisation to support and partner with can sometimes be overwhelming for companies that want to make a positive impact in the local community.

Abbott publishes its third Ireland Citizenship Report

Abbott, one of Ireland’s largest healthcare companies with 11 local sites, has published its third citizenship report for Ireland. Abbott is a diversified, global science-based company dedicated to fulfilling the promise of human potential through better health. For more than 125 years, Abbott has focused on unlocking the power of health to help people build better lives and stronger communities,

Bord na Móna announces biggest change of land use in modern Irish history

125,000 acres to change use by 2030 Bord na Móna commits to new sustainable business across National landholding, will continue to be major employer Transition from energy peat harvesting into new businesses complete by 2030 Fuels, Horticulture businesses to continue providing existing products, including peat briquette, and extend product range using new biomass supplies. Carbon