Bank of Ireland launches Begin Together Awards in Northern Ireland

The Awards will bring business and community groups together to support local recovery and rebuilding as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted and people get back to work. The initiative will be fast-tracked to provide funding to winning towns by the beginning of October and directly assist their COVID-19 recovery.

There are 21 monetary prizes available across 10 categories with an overall winner receiving £45,000 and the title of ‘Most Enterprising Town’. There is also a prize of £18,000 for the winner of the ‘Rising Star’ award.

Speaking at the launch, Ian McLaughlin, CEO Retail UK, Bank of Ireland UK, said: “I am delighted we are launching the Begin Together Awards in Northern Ireland. Our experience has shown that incredible things can be achieved when communities, business groups and local authorities come together to meet their own challenges and make their own opportunities. This year, COVID-19 has presented the biggest challenge to our physical, mental and financial wellbeing in living memory, which makes that ‘can-do’ enterprising spirit more important than ever.

“We have seen the tremendous challenges local business owners have faced and are still facing across Northern Ireland because of the pandemic. Through the lockdown, Bank of Ireland took immediate steps to support our customers and now, as we move towards recovery, we are focussed on practical initiatives that can help the local economy to ‘reboot’. Through the Bank of Ireland Begin Together Awards we are supporting businesses and communities across the island of Ireland as they restart and get back on their feet.”

Reflecting the challenge that communities and businesses currently face because of the pandemic, there are three special Covid-response awards:

Local Town Promotion Initiative -. A marketing or promotional campaign designed to help kick start the local economy.

Local Community Enterprise Initiative - A local enterprise initiative established specifically to ease the impact of Covid-19 or one that repurposed itself during the pandemic and was ready to begin operation on the easing of restrictions.

Local Business and Community Response Initiative – A joint initiative by local businesses and the community to manage the impact of COVID-19 through lockdown and beyond as towns start to reopen.

The Begin Together Awards are part of a £2.5 million investment Bank of Ireland is making in the ‘Begin Together’ initiative, a three year campaign, launched in Northern Ireland in February to improve the financial, physical and mental wellbeing of Ireland’s communities while supporting the underlying local economies.

Begin Together is an all-island initiative with three strands – the Begin Together Fund, the Begin Together Awards and Begin Together Colleagues. Each strand has a specific purpose and combined will deliver a significant positive impact on communities across Ireland.

The closing date for Begin Together Award entries is August 24. For more information on the awards and for application forms, please visit bankofireland.com/begintogetherawards

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