Although the upsides to lockdown have been few and far between, one is that people have become experts with online communication platforms like Zoom. This has had a massive, positive impact on the growth of our BITA Global Forum. Whereas once we would have faced an uphill struggle to make people realise that the initiative was viable without face-to-face meetings, we are now expanding our forum to include even more people and nations.

The Forum was first set up as a platform to discuss the issues and potential solutions that are at the forefront of national conversations – plastic pollution and mental health. Although it started small with the UK, Ireland, Isle of Man and the USA represented, it has now expanded to include people from Australia, UAE, Israel, Poland, Germany and Tunisia. As I write this, we are speaking to new people in the Algarve, among others. Our Ambassadors are engaged and enthusiastic and are keen to not restrict their participation to the Global Forum. Therefore, many of them have agreed to be Ambassadors for BITA International, spreading the work and ethos of BITA to new territories. Plastic pollution and mental health have no boarders, they are issues that affect us all, and ones that we need to address as individuals, organisations, and nations.

There are no simple solutions, but by working with passionate individuals with a wealth of experience in various industries, we hope to promote new technology, green solutions, and awareness to help make small, incremental changes. Every journey starts with a single step. One thing that never changes is that good businesses adhere to best practice, an awareness of their people, and to embody generosity of spirit. People want to belong to something good and to do good. Now more than ever, people have reassessed what they are doing and how they operate and are finding that BITA resonates with them.

Paul Whitnell, President, British and Irish Trade Alliance

For more information please visit www.bita.ie

Or email Paul on paulw@bita.ie, or Laura, BITA’s operations manager laura@bita.ie