Wates Giving is a programme of the Wates Family Enterprise Trust, a charity independent of the Wates Group. It provides grants for the communities where the Group works and backs the causes that Wates people and the Wates Family support.

In 2017, the Trust spent £1.25m on charitable activities to support 231 causes across the UK. Awards were made to a range of innovative projects, such as supporting Twycross Zoo in its ambition to be a leader in sustainability and feasibility work for a planned joint pilot project with St Mungo’s to use space on Wates building sites to accommodate the homeless and then help them back into work.

Organisations helping those afflicted by particular tragedy in the year were also granted funds; the Kensington & Chelsea Foundation for its work following the Grenfell Tower fire and Manchester Children’s Hospital and We Love Manchester in the aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing.

RESHAPING TOMORROW

Wates Giving funds initiatives that deliver a clear public benefit linked to the Group’s sustainability plan, Reshaping Tomorrow. Programmes include Building Futures, that over 10 years has helped over 1,200 people on the path back to employment; Seeing is Believing, which promotes the growth of Social Enterprises and the school engagement scheme, Build Yourself, which also ran the industry’s first ever summer camp aimed at inspiring disadvantaged young people into the construction industry.

During Reshaping Tomorrow Week in June, Wates Giving awarded £23,000 to a number of the 90-plus local community and charitable organisations for which Wates people across the UK volunteered over 7,500 hours of their time.

Wates Giving also continued to support The Prince’s Trust, the Group’s Charity of the Year, contributing almost £65,000 to the total of £82,000 raised.

EXCEPTIONAL YEAR FOR EMPLOYEE PROJECTS

2017 was another record breaking year for employee schemes, with more Wates people involved and more money raised than ever before. In total, 162 awards involving 292 Wates people were made and over £337,000 donated to the many charities supported by employees with £148,000 of that from Wates Giving. Wates people fundraised by running, cycling, baking, abseiling, swimming, raffling, climbing Kilimanjaro and sky-diving to name but a few.

The numbers involved in team events, especially for The Prince’s Trust, grew significantly, perhaps encouraged by the doubling of the maximum contribution per person by Wates Giving from £250 to £500.

Wates Giving also backs volunteering through grants to Wates people who generously provide time and energy to the causes they believe in. Awards were granted to over 30 people in a wide range of voluntary roles including youth sports coaches, club secretaries, charity treasurers, trustees and mentors for young people.

The Sports Scholarship scheme made one award to promising triple-jumper Eloise Harvey and former recipient Kyle Edmund has just become the UK’s No.1 male tennis player.

Wates Giving continued to support the Give As You Earn scheme, boosting employees’ personal giving through regular donations. In 2017, almost £16,000 was awarded to a wide variety of charities through this scheme.

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS AND ON

During 2018, Wates Giving will celebrate its 10th anniversary and is planning to mark the occasion later in the year. The Wates Family has also, during 2017, reviewed the strategic direction of the Wates Family Enterprise Trust to ensure it continues to support the Family vision to be a ‘force for good’ for the next 10 years.

“Wates Giving is a crucial part of our approach to being responsible business owners, supporting our Family vision to be a ‘force for good.’ Through this charitable programme, we can catalyse the passion of Wates people to make a visible difference to those places in which we all live, work and build. 2017 was another record year for supporting the personal causes of Wates people. It is a real testament to the commitment of Wates employees that the amount donated to charities through them since Wates Giving was launched 10 years ago, is now over £1m.”