Latest Press Release
HRH The Prince of Wales visits flood-hit Cornwall
19th November 2010
HRH The Prince of Wales, President of Business in the Community (BITC), will today meet with residents and businesses in the towns of Lostwithiel and St. Blazey that have been affected by flooding.
He will be joined by members of BITC who, at The Prince of Wales’s request, have formed a Business Emergency Recovery Group to provide support to businesses following natural disasters. The network was convened after a similar delegation visited Cumbria in the immediate aftermath of the Cockermouth floods in November 2009. At that time The Prince of Wales saw firsthand the positive impact businesses were having in helping the local community and smaller businesses to recover after the event. The network also includes senior representatives from the Environment Agency and Natural England.
Accompanying him on the visit are Steve Wood, MD, Ecclesiastical Insurance and The Prince's Ambassador for the South West; Larry File, Brand Communications Manager, Ginsters and The Prince's Countryside Fund; John Varley, board member, Environment Agency; Jo Le Poidevin, Regional Director, Business in the Community.
The Prince of Wales will also hold a meeting with local residents, business and councillors to talk about plans for the recovery of the area.
Jo Le Poidevin, Regional Director, Business in the Community, said: “Recognising the important facilitating role businesses can play, The Prince of Wales has established this network of BITC’s members and partners with the aim of achieving quick and co-ordinated mobilisation of recovery support. The intention of the network is to work behind the scenes with local businesses to support them to continue trading during the immediate aftermath and work with them to get back on their feet in the longer term.”
The network will call upon the expertise and influence of a small group of leaders to:
- Quickly identify blockages which hinder business and local community getting back on their feet after an emergency and help remove these blockages to facilitate rapid recovery;
- Harness the power of BITC’s wider membership and wider stakeholder network in supporting local businesses and communities to achieve long-term, sustainable recovery;
- Provide advice and guidance, based on experience, to help businesses better prepare for and recover from emergencies in the future.