In our second full year of operation, we are delighted to report that we have met all of the increased goals that we set for ourselves, approving 119 grants totalling over £2.1 million. Thanks to the fantastic work of our charity partners, the funding provided will directly impact over 120,000 individuals and indirectly benefit many more.
Our Funding Pillars
In terms of our funding principles, the Foundation continued to focus on charities which fit into one of our three funding pillars:
Bridging the Digital Divide
Organisations that prioritise the mitigation of the digital divide by supporting disadvantaged and vulnerable people through digital education and resources, as well as better access to computing facilities and services.
Access Charities of The Year
Charities that have been selected as The Access Group charities of the year, with specific projects or activities.
Employee-Nominated Charities
Organisations that a member of staff of The Access Group has either experienced significant support from (either for themselves or a close relative), or contributes a significant portion of their own time in supporting.
Significant Growth
All three pillars benefited from significant growth in funding this year. Thanks to the support of our dedicated team of ambassadors, the total number of employee-nominated charities benefiting from a grant this year grew to 54 from the previous year’s total of 30. It was great to see the number of applications from employees outside the UK start to take off this year as well; representing over 20% of the total.
Commercial Expansion
The expansion of The Access Group commercial business into new countries also enabled a significant expansion of our funding towards charities of the year. This year, 10 offices around the world were able to nominate a charity for a Foundation grant to fund a specific goal. This is in addition to the general fundraising activity run by Access employees in parallel.
Funding Opportunities
Our funding for bridging the digital divide projects also increased by 34%, helping disadvantaged people across an even broader range of sectors to engage with and gain opportunities from the digital world around us.
SIM Cards & Refurbished Laptops
In addition to monetary grants, we have also expanded our offering of providing data SIMs and refurbished laptops thanks to our continued partnerships with both Vodafone and The Access Group. In total, over 1000 free Vodafone sim cards were distributed to 10 charities around the UK who submitted successful applications to the Foundation. In addition, 70 refurbished laptops which were donated by the commercial group, were distributed to 11 charities for use by their beneficiaries.
