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 commits to contribute 0.5% of its profits before tax to the local community each year 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 15% 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 and UK National Parks Charity Foundation. Our official partners are Stop. Breathe. Think, Little Green Sock Project and Empower Salford Youth Zone. To find out how the Foundation has supported the work of our partners, watch the video below.
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. 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. 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.
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. The AJ Bell Futures Foundation donation funds the Future Pathways programme, which provides transformative support to students aged 13 – 17. Further activity includes 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.
Registered charity number: 1118525.
UK National Parks Charity Foundation
The UK National Parks Charity Foundation was established to help support the work of UK’s 15 National Parks. Alongside National Parks Partnerships and National Park authorities, the Foundation’s priorities are to support delivery of projects that improve, protect or enhance the National Parks, programmes that connect people and communities with the National Parks and activities that promote the enjoyment and understanding of the National Parks. Our partnership aims to enable 150,000 young people each year to benefit from free access to National Parks. A key element of this initiative is the launch of the AJ Bell Futures Foundation Travel Fund, which will help remove cost barriers for approximately 3,700 young people annually by funding travel to these locations.
Registered charity number: 1182566.
Stop. Breathe. Think
Stop. Breathe. Think is a free-to-access mental health service, providing children and young people access to 1-2-1 virtual counselling without wait times across the UK. Stop. Breathe. Think. counsellors are trained to support any young person who’d like to talk, through short-term intervention therapy. Funding from the AJ Bell Futures Foundation specifically funds counselling to children and young people across the North West.
Registered charity number: 1206068
Little Green Sock Project
No child should go without the essentials they need to be safe, healthy and able to thrive. Little Green Sock Project works with professionals to prevent the harm caused by child poverty by getting vital items to families early, when it matters most. By providing both new and pre-loved equipment and clothing through trusted referral pathways, they ease the pressure on families facing impossible choices, strengthen early support, and help give children the best possible start in life. Through reuse and community kindness, they are not only meeting urgent need today, but helping to shape brighter futures for children tomorrow.
Registered charity number: 1200145
EMPOWER: Salford Youth Zone
Empower Youth Zones is the award-winning youth work charity that operates Hideout Youth Zone in Gorton and Salford Youth Zone in Pendleton. EMPOWER supports young people aged 8 -19 or up to 25 with additional needs, providing them with Somewhere Safe To Go, Something Positive To Do and Someone Trusted to Talk To. Operating in some of the most deprived neighbourhoods across Salford and Manchester, their work is focused on supporting young people to build brighter futures by offering access to opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach such as sports, music and baking, ultimately providing them with the opportunity to make friends, develop news skills and unlock their potential.
Registered charity number: 1179712
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:
- Liz Carrington
- Charlie Musson
- Ryan Hughes
- Thomas Clay
- Sarah Hyde
Details are publicly available on the Register of Charities – registered charity number: 1204667.
