Member Article

Shaftesbury contributed over £1m to the community in 2020/21

Shaftesbury has announced it contributed over £1m to community groups and initiatives in the 2020/21 financial year. In total, Shaftesbury aided 24 in-kind projects and contributed or donated to 38 schemes or organisations, 20 of which specifically support young people.

The contributions, which comprise of £483,300 in cash, £480,000 in-kind and £137,500 in other support, helped initiatives in education (14%), health (19%), arts and culture (23%) and social welfare (26%). The remaining 18% went to other causes.

Shaftesbury’s support is administered by its Community Investment Committee (CIC), an internal group responsible for overseeing the company’s community investment initiatives. The focus for the CIC is supporting young people and local communities of Westminster and Camden, which reflects Shaftesbury’s corporate objectives and priorities.

Consistent with this, key beneficiaries included the Young Westminster Foundation, the Young Camden Foundation, Soho Parish School, St Clement Danes Primary School on Drury Lane, The London Chinese Community Centre, and The Covent Garden Community Centre. In total, 1,129 young people were supported by Shaftesbury through its financial and in-kind contributions during the financial year. Examples of the programmes supported include:

Supporting Young Westminster Foundation’s Brighter Futures Fund, which in turn provided help to the Westbourne Park Family Centre’s ‘Skills for Life’ programme that works with people aged 8 to 21. In addition, a grant was awarded to the Avenues Youth Project’s ‘Freestyle Friday’ programme for 13 to 18-year olds. Shaftesbury has pledged its support for a further two years. Supporting Young Camden Foundation’s Young People’s Heads Up Mental Health Fund, the aim of which is to tackle the emerging need to support the mental wellbeing of children and young people in Camden. In total, Shaftesbury has committed to support the fund over three years. A grant was provided to the Chinese Community Centre’s Summer Youth Programme. The contribution helped restart a summer youth project and youth club. In addition, Shaftesbury has paid for a part-time advisory worker for the last eight years. In 2020 to 2021, the advice service handled 1,570 cases, securing over £360,000 in benefits for clients.

Commenting on Shaftesbury’s support, Phil Barron, CEO of the Young Westminster Foundation, said: “Shaftesbury’s continued support of the Foundation is invaluable. It enables our organisation to provide meaningful assistance to the community, particularly among young people, where the focus is improving their life chances through the provision of equal opportunities.”

Shaftesbury’s community support is administered by its Community Investment Committee (CIC). Andrew Price, Property Director at Shaftesbury and Chair of the CIC, added: “As a long-term property owner committed to the West End, we have a responsibility to ensure the communities of which we are part of thrive. To do so means playing an active role, not only through financial support, but by providing time and other resources, as well as utilising our contacts and relationships inorder to help.

“We are very proud to have worked with many great organisations to support many invidividuals, families and groups. Doing so means so much to everyone that works at Shaftesbury, and we will continue to prioritise supporting these organisations over the coming years.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Claire Cowan .