Over the years, I’ve worked with Coleraine BID on several projects aimed at helping local businesses grow. I believed in the mission — collaboration, support, and shared progress.
That belief was formalised in signed partnership agreements.
These weren’t handshakes or vague understandings — they were written contracts, approved by the BID Board, and voted for by members as part of the official Business Plan.
Every step was above board.
Every commitment was documented.
Every deliverable was agreed.
The paperwork exists — I’ve signed it, they’ve signed it, and it was approved through the proper channels.
I can’t publish the agreements because they’re confidential, but let me be clear: they exist.
When Formal Doesn’t Mean Secure
You assume that when something is formally approved — when it’s in writing, reviewed by a board, and backed by member votes — that it means something.
That it’s binding.
That it’s trustworthy.
That it’s binding.
That it’s trustworthy.
But in practice, I learned that formality doesn’t guarantee follow-through.
Even with everything signed and sealed, things changed when leadership shifted. Communication broke down. Payments stalled. Promises faded.
The agreements stayed on paper — but the commitment behind them disappeared.
The Lesson
Working with Coleraine BID taught me something simple but costly:
A signature doesn’t mean stability if the culture behind it isn’t consistent.
A signature doesn’t mean stability if the culture behind it isn’t consistent.
You can have all the documentation in the world — but if respect, integrity, and accountability aren’t part of the organisation, none of it matters.
The agreements were real.
The approvals were real.
The votes were real.
The follow-through wasn’t.