Helping people invest in their future is the core purpose of AJ Bell and so naturally also sits at the heart of the charitable foundation we have established.
The AJ Bell Futures Foundation, a UK registered charity, was established in 2023 to help people who have faced significant life challenges, by providing them with opportunities to build a better future through self-advancement. AJ Bell plc contributes 0.5% of its profits before tax to the Foundation annually as part of its wider Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy. In addition, AJ Bell employees are given time to volunteer for causes supported by the Foundation, to establish long-term, deep-rooted partnerships within the community. The Foundation awards approximately 10% of its annual donations to charities and organisations nominated directly by AJ Bell employees. These can be wide ranging in activity but must be aligned with the Foundation’s objective of helping people build better futures. The Foundation’s principal charity partners are currently Smart Works, IntoUniversity, Stop.Breathe.Think and the British Heart Foundation. To find out how the Foundation has supported the work of Smart Works and IntoUniversity, watch the video below:
More about Smart Works
Smart Works exists to help women build better futures by helping them find employment. Each woman referred to the service receives a one-to-one coaching session to help them prepare for job interviews, including interview coaching and an appointment with a Smart Works volunteer stylist to dress them for success. Smart Works feedback indicates that 93% of women using their service leave feeling more confident about succeeding in their interview and 72% go on to get the job. The first annual donation from the AJ Bell Futures Foundation brought forward the opening of the Manchester city-centre Smart Works centre by three months and supported additional centres opening across the UK. Further activity has included involvement in various volunteering opportunities and help with additional fundraising efforts, such as the Cycle for Smart Works initiative, to mark International Women’s Day. Our Smart Works partnership also supports AJ Bell’s Money Matters initiative, with a shared goal to help more women achieve financial independence.
Registered charity number: 1080609.
More about IntoUniversity
IntoUniversity helps young people build better futures by developing their capabilities to better equip them to gain access to further education. It provides local learning centres where young people are inspired to achieve, offering a welcoming home-from-home and a safe space to learn, explore and succeed. Each local centre offers an innovative programme that supports young people aged seven and up to realise their ambitions, achieve their academic potential, develop vital skills, and gain experience in the world of work. The AJ Bell Futures Foundation donation funded the Future Pathways programme, which provided transformative support to students aged 13 – 17. Further activity included AJ Bell providing taster sessions in the form of insight days and interactive workshops for IntoUniversity students wanting to learn more about a career in financial services. IntoUniversity supporters across the country have also taken part in the AJ Bell Great Run Series, to aid with additional fundraising.
Registered charity number: 1118525.
More about Stop.Breathe.Think.
Stop.Breathe.Think. is a game-changing youth mental health service, providing children and young people access to 1-2-1 counselling without wait times across the UK. The charity launched in November 2020 in response to Covid-19, to offer counselling to any child or young person seeking support. Stop.Breathe.Think. counsellors are trained to support young people through short-term intervention therapy, helping young people work through their barriers, no matter how big or small. Stop.Breathe.Think. is there for any young person who’d like to talk, and now, thanks to funding from AJ Bell Futures Foundation, Stop.Breathe.Think. will be providing free counselling to children and young people across the North West.
Registered charity number: 1206068.
More about British Heart Foundation
British Heart Foundation is the largest independent funder of research into heart and circulatory diseases in the UK. They fund vital research into heart diseases, stroke and vascular dementia, and their risk factors like blood pressure. The British Heart Foundation know that health is wealth – and that’s why the AJ Bell Futures Foundation is working with them to help protect more hearts throughout the nation. The Futures Foundation will support BHF’s Heart Month in February over the next two years, as well as funding the provision of 210 community defibrillators during the course of the partnership.
In support of BHF’s goal to train 10,000 people in CPR through their digital app, RevivR, in February 2024, the Futures Foundation has pledged to donate £5 for every person trained, capped at £50,000. By equipping communities with lifesaving skills, they can be prepared to help people who have a cardiac arrest in their community.
Registered charity number: 225971.
Charity Trustees
The AJ Bell Futures Foundation has five charity trustees who are responsible for ensuring the foundation operates for the public benefit. They are:
- Peter Birch
- Liz Carrington
- Charlie Musson
- Jess Dyer
- Mia Wonnacott
Details are publicly available on the Register of Charities – registered charity number: 1204667.
