LQ BID LAUNCHES YEAR ROUND VOLUNTEERING INITIATIVE AS ITS SAFE AND CLEAN WEEK RETURNS

Love Linen Quarter offers LQ BID’s 300 members the opportunity to engage in meaningful environmental and community projects all year round

Love Linen Quarter is a new year-round corporate volunteering initiative designed to offer business members flexibility and support in volunteering, meeting ESG targets and giving back to local communities.

Fully funded by the BID, the programme has a range of volunteering projects scheduled for member organisations to take part in, including Live Here Love Here’s Big Spring Clean on Earth Day, April 22. This builds on the Linen Quarter’s previous partnership with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful (KNIB) in 2024 and 2025 and will be the sixth volunteer day to date.

Throughout the year, LQ BID will offer businesses flexible corporate volunteer days for teams of up to fifteen employees. These sessions are designed to work around the organisations and take care of the logistics involved in ESG activities. Chicago-based CME Group is the first company to sign up to a bespoke volunteering day and will participate in litter picking and planting on April 29^th.

The Love Linen Quarter programme will be complemented by a series of larger events throughout the year, aimed at making our district and the wider city cleaner and safer. In June, efforts will be directed to supporting biodiversity and green space management at the Belfast Hills. In August, members will have the opportunity to participate in a marine-themed event, as part of Live Here Love Here’s Healthy Oceans, Healthy Minds campaign. As the darker evenings approach, SOS NI will host LQ BID’s volunteers and provide an insight into the work they do to make our streets safer for those in the city at night.

Charlotte Irvine, Finance and Contracts Manager at LQ BID, said: “Love Linen Quarter was born out of our members expressing their desire to get involved in projects throughout the year, not just in our April and October events. The response to our six volunteer events to date has been fantastic, so we are delighted to offer further investment and flexibility in this area. Our corporate days will consist of litter picking, planting and other public realm enhancements that we believe will make this area cleaner and more vibrant. We have strong partnerships with KNIB and the local community, as well as a team of trusted contractors to deliver this. Linen Quarter is home to over 300 organisations, including hotels, public sector, charities and professional services. Our volunteer days see employees from a range of sectors taking part and connecting with LQ colleagues.’’

The launch of Love Linen Quarter coincides with the return of LQ BID’s bi-annual Safe and Clean Week, which enhances LQ BID’s commitment to creating a cleaner, greener, and safer city centre. LQ BID funds a dedicated policing service, providing direct engagement, training and advice to all members. LQ’s Streetbeat officer and the wider PSNI team will be out in the district, delivering training and deploying a drugs dog. In addition, LQ’s clean team will be providing an enhanced service, including power washing, weeding and graffiti removal at key hospitality venues. They will also action any requests from members. Members can also avail of safety alarms and further information regarding safety in the district.

Chris McCracken, Managing Director at LQ BID, said: “Safe and Clean Week has become an important event in our events calendar, showcasing the collective effort that goes into maintaining a district that is safe, attractive, and enjoyable for everyone. This year, we’re proud to build on that foundation with the launch of Love Linen Quarter – a programme that enables our business community to play an even more active role in shaping the district’s future.

“By offering meaningful volunteering opportunities throughout the year, we’re strengthening the connection our members have to the Linen Quarter by giving them the opportunity to have a greater sense of ownership in its continued development. Their support will directly enhance the district’s environment, support community partnership, and contribute to wellbeing of the employees and residents based here. The more people who get involved, the greater the impact we can have.”

For more information and to get involved contact charlotte@linenquarter.org