In Belfast, the need for food banks increased by 128% between 2016 and 2021. Visit Belfast works directly with business event organizers to support local food banks in the city. Conferences and meetings, which bring hundreds of visitors to the city, offer an opportunity for hosts to give back. Many prioritize leaving a meaningful legacy, focusing their impact on the most vulnerable in the community.
Visit Belfast’s “Changing the Menu. For Good” initiative encourages event venues, caterers and event organizers to raise money to fight food insecurity within the city. Event organizers can support local food banks and residents experiencing homelessness in a variety of ways: by donating the equivalent cost of a fourth meal course, contributing a proportion of catering costs, rounding up delegate or catering fees or by making a direct donation. Some venues have used the program as inspiration to enhance their own policies. For example, reducing food waste by serving whole fruit instead of cut fruit means that leftover produce has a longer shelf life and is easier to donate.
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Initiatives like "Changing the Menu. For Good" showcase how events can go beyond business, actively supporting local communities and reducing waste. Such programs set a powerful example of integrating social responsibility into the event industry.
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Some venues have even used this program as inspiration to enhance their own policies, such as reducing food waste by serving whole fruit instead of cut fruit, which extends the shelf life and makes it easier to donate leftovers.
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@peter_karanga Serving whole fruit instead of cut fruit reduces waste and ensures leftovers can be donated, aligning with sustainability and community care efforts.
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Dear Destination Think Your climate love has received over 50 agrees! We have reached out to Visit Belfast by email and requested a response. I will keep you updated on any progress! To reach more people and increase the chance of a response, click the Share button above to share the review on your social accounts. For every new member that joins We Don't Have Time from your network, we will plant a tree and attribute it to you! /Adam, We Don't Have Time
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Great to see events actively supporting local communities and addressing food insecurity!👏💚
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@gorffly_mokua It’s inspiring to see events leveraging their impact to tackle food insecurity and uplift local communities effectively.
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Conferences and meetings, which bring hundreds of visitors to the city, offer an opportunity for hosts to give back. Many prioritize leaving a meaningful legacy, focusing their impact on the most vulnerable in the community.
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@kelvin_thuranira_kaberia Events that draw large crowds are an excellent opportunity to create meaningful change by supporting vulnerable communities and leaving a lasting positive legacy.
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Wow..there is a lot that we can do for our planet..it doesn't matter how small it may seem.. Change will surely be realized sooner .
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@jane_wangui True! Every kind act counts!!💚
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Small changes, can make a big difference for those in need
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@dickson_mutai Indeed, every change counts!
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Big events have the potential to reduce waste and benefit local communities by implementing sustainable practices such as recycling, composting, and supporting local vendors. This can create a positive impact on the environment and contribute to the economic growth of the community.