In addition to critical issues such as climate change and responsible investing, we care about people and societal issues and our role in supporting the community.

Through the Wesleyan Foundation, we've donated over £5.9 million to more than 800 charities, community groups and social enterprises, benefitting thousands of people across the UK. This includes:

  • £100,000 to 48 hardworking charities through our Winter of Giving fund.
  • £80,000 to Little Chicks Life Lessons, an educational programme supporting primary schools.
  • £25,000 to Doctors in Distress to help them launch weekly support groups for medical professionals struggling with their mental health.
  • £35,000 to Your Trust Charity to boost the children's ward at Midland Metropolitan University Hospital.
  • £100,000 to Aston University to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds pursue careers in medicine and healthcare.

What's happening in 2023/24:

All Wesleyan employees get two volunteering days each year to support a charitable organisation of their choosing. In 2023, we put together two volunteering initiatives open to all: 

  • The Big Wesleyan Clean Up: Through canal and beach cleans, Wesleyan employees are fighting to beat plastic pollution.
  • Wesleyan Sports Tour: Employees and their friends and families will be walking 18 miles to raise funds for the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation.

We're also 'LEAP'ing forward with the use of Lived Experience. We're hosting 5 Lived Experience Advisory Panels, where adults and young people with lived experience of using public/charity services will help us to make the best use of our community and citizenship work, both as a business and through the Wesleyan Foundation.

We will be working with individuals who have lived experience of learning disabilities, autism, domestic abuse, mental health issues and living in areas with high levels of deprivation.

Our past initiatives:

  • We launched MicroTyco in Birmingham, an entrepreneurial training programme for schools that fosters creative thinking, resourcefulness and team work as well as helping pupils to develop financial literacy, communication, leadership, project management and networking skills.
  • We partnered with Governors for Schools programme to provide between 10-12 volunteer School Governors to schools across the Midlands.
  • We supported the Social Mobility Network and The Girls Network.
  • We worked with Suited for Success, collecting lightly used business wear.
  • We partnered with the Trussell Trust to collect food for the North Birmingham Food Bank.
  • We participated in the Homelessness Task Force in Birmingham.

Our work with Envision

Envision partners businesses with schools whose students experience high levels of deprivation. Their mission is to help encourage social mobility with the belief that students could go on to work in a similar field.

In the 2022-2023 school year, we worked with Holyhead School for two 12-week cohorts. During that time, volunteers from Wesleyan offered their help as business mentors for the students. 

Through the Wesleyan Foundation, we donated £1000 to Holyhead School for the students to create a wellbeing room. The wellbeing room will provide a safe haven for students to go to when they’re feeling anxious or in need of support. It’ll feature a range of sensory activities and music players to help students relax and de-stress.

We’ll be continuing to support the Envision project until August 2025.