Corporate Social Responsibility

Ulster Hall plays a vital role in contributing towards the social and economic betterment of the city of Belfast. We are committed to conducting business with a focus on quality as well as social and environmental responsibility.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Waterfront and Ulster Hall strive to build upon our position as a responsible business for customers, visitors, partners and employees. In doing so, we undertake a number of initiatives to support corporate social responsibility.

Our HR Department attends job fairs on a regular basis, giving presentations to jobseekers on what roles we have within our venues and the skills and criteria to apply for each post. We offer employability opportunities which consist of nine placements per year, at various levels, for students and young people.

BWUH Ltd was also proud to have participated in the ‘Get Set’ Programme in association with Youth Action. This 12-week initiative was aimed at young people aged 16-24 not currently employed or in education in order for them to gain qualifications, and to get some hands-on experience on the different roles within our venues.

The company supports the “Springboard” in delivering a Summer Programme. The aim of the programme is to raise the aspirations of young people to help them better understand the relevance of their education to and experience the world of work within the hospitality sector.

Environment

Environment is one of our eight company values, and we recognise the impact that our iconic venues have in Northern Ireland. Delivering world-class business and entertainment events benefits everyone – socially, culturally and economically. As custodians of these culturally significant venues, we are committed to delivering on our present aims and objectives without compromising the ability of future generations to successfully continue this legacy. It is our goal to reduce the environmental impact of our business through the adoption and promotion of sustainability principles, providing a safe and sustainable environment for our team, clients and customers, as well as to our communities.

We continually challenge ourselves to seek ways to improve our green credentials. In 2019, we challenged ourselves to be more efficient with the energy we use; our continual improvement brought about the installation of a CHP Unit. CHP stands for ‘combined heat and power’ which is a lower carbon technology that uses waste heat in the building to reduce the CO2 emissions. This has allowed us to reduce the percentage of emissions released into the atmosphere from a staggering 62% of total energy to an unbelievable 13%.

This innovation and forward-thinking approach to the environment gives us pride in the work we carry out every day.

Charity Partner

L-R: Phil Cole, Senior Event Manager at ICC Belfast, Danielle Sheridan, Fundraising Manager at Inspire, Ruairí MacMahon, Operations Administrator at ICC Belfast, Julia Corkey, Chief Executive of ICC Belfast, Lisa McElherron, Director of Insight, Engagement and Innovation at Inspire, Tony McGuigan, Senior Hall Crew Member at ICC Belfast, Clare McCann, HR Manager at ICC Belfast and Ellen Farrell, Corporate Project Assistant at ICC Belfast.

Our chosen charity for 2024 at the Waterfront Hall, Ulster Hall and ICC Belfast is Inspire.

Inspire was selected following a company-wide call for nominations from almost 300 employees which were shortlisted before three organisations were invited to pitch to the BWUH Team Engagement Committee. The Committee focused its selection criteria on locality, alignment in organisational values and available opportunities for BWUH Ltd. to get involved with and deliver meaningful opportunities to ensure the partnership is mutually beneficial.

Lisa McElherron, Director of Insight, Engagement and Innovation at Inspire, said, “Inspire are delighted to be partnering with BWUH Ltd. Our recent polling shows that 1 in 5 people in Northern Ireland have poor/very poor mental health and 60% of people agreed that the pressures of the last few years have made them less likely to open up about their mental health as they don’t want to worry others during difficult times.

It is impressive to see an organisation like BWUH Ltd. prioritising mental health and wellbeing of their staff team but also the general public.

Formerly Belfast Waterfront, ICC Belfast is the region’s only purpose-built international convention centre. A £29.5m extension, unveiled in 2016, significantly increased the venue’s capacity and put Belfast in a position to compete globally and subsequently its opportunity to deliver a legacy for the city. The Harkin Summit which took place in 2022 saw ICC Belfast undergoing transformational change before, during and post the event to enhance its credentials as an accessible, diverse and inclusive venue. This included over 80 per cent of staff completing JAM Card training and the installation of a Changing Place in the Riverside Foyer, complete with a peninsular toilet, grab rails and a changing bench for visitors requiring additional support.