News / 4th November 2026
MORE THAN 400 CORPORATE VOLUNTEERS ROLL UP THEIR SLEEVES TO ENHANCE BELFAST’S LINEN QUARTER
XX November 2026: Since 2024, more than 400 employees from across Belfast’s Linen Quarter have traded their desks for planters, paintbrushes and litter pickers, as part of LQ BID’s corporate volunteering initiatives. Almost half of the total volunteers turned out in 2026 alone, with 196 participants from across the business community partaking in events aimed at making the district and wider city a cleaner, safer and more vibrant destination.
The surge in engagement follows the launch of ‘Love Linen Quarter’, a new initiative designed to offer business members greater flexibility to participate, meet their ESG targets and give back to the district and wider community. The scheme, which enables member businesses to request their own volunteering day funded and organised by LQ BID, saw 11 organisations participate since its launch in April, mobilising nearly 100 employees. The activities supported vital community work, with flagship events including essential conservation at the Colin Glen River, district-wide planting initiatives, and gardening at the nearby Arellian Nursery School.
The new initiative comes alongside the BID’s bi-annual Safe and Clean Week, which always includes a large-scale volunteer event. The conclusion of the recent Autumn Safe and Clean Week saw local businesses partake in litter picking and planting with the collective participation pushing the total volunteer figures past the 400 milestone since LQ BID’s volunteering efforts began.
Safe and Clean Week continues to reinforce LQ BID’s long-term commitment to a cleaner, greener, and safer city centre. Alongside the environmental cleanup, the week
included an SOS Bus NI information session. This complements LQ BID’s wider safety investments, which includes a funded, dedicated police officer who provides direct engagement, training, and advice to members.
Charlotte Irvine, Finance and Contracts Manager at LQ BID, said, “The launch of Love Linen Quarter this year proved to be a major success, giving our members a flexible way to make a real difference to the district. Our investment in facilitating these corporate volunteering days has seen an incredible turnout from local businesses eager to roll up their sleeves and give back to the community in different ways whether that’s painting, planting or litter picking.
“When combined with our Safe and Clean Weeks which have been running each April and October since 2024, we have now seen over 400 volunteers take part from our member organisations. Reaching this milestone demonstrates the success of the initiatives in enabling business members to connect with local causes, allowing employees to collaborate, and help our community thrive.”
Chris McCracken, Managing Director at LQ BID said, “Our Safe and Clean Weeks continue to showcase the collective effort of our members to give back to their community, and the introduction of Love Linen Quarter deepens that commitment. It has transformed corporate social responsibility from a seasonal target or calendar event into an everyday culture, driving long-term civic pride and providing a greater opportunity for our business community to play a hands-on role in shaping a more sustainable and vibrant district.”
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