Columbia Threadneedle Foundation continues to support its long-term charity partners, helping them deliver vital work to improve individual lives, whilst also driving fundamental social change.
In addition, Columbia Threadneedle awarded a number of grants to support charities within the communities in which we live and work. Our employees also played an important role, dedicating their time and skills to support worthwhile causes through volunteering.
Clean Break
Clean Break delivers high quality theatre programmes in prisons and communities across the UK. With an excellent track record of working with women impacted by the criminal justice system, they address long-term issues through theatre-based activities and holistic support.
The Foundation’s grant supports Clean Break’s Members Programme. Based in their trauma-informed, women-only studios in Kentish Town, the Members Programme creates a space for women to enhance their wellbeing, develop new skills and find their voices, helping them play a more integrated role in society.
In 2024, alongside the Members Programme, Clean Break successfully delivered the following activities:
- The Trials and Passions of Unfamous Women, a new production opened at Brixton House in London, providing an opportunity for six Member Artists to participate in a professional, international production.
- The biennial three-day Members Festival: Beyond, enabled Members to gain first-hand experience producing a community arts festival.
- Nine Member Artists completed their Member Facilitator Training, equipping them with skills to carry out arts training.
Photo©EllieKurttz – The Trials and Passions of Unfamous Women
Access Sport
Access Sport places inclusion at the heart of community sport across the UK, ensuring that everyone, irrespective of their background or ability, can enjoy the benefits of sport and physical activity.
In 2024, The Foundation continued its invaluable support of Access Sport’s Growth Strategy, enabling the charity to reach even more disabled and disadvantaged children and young people.
Access Sport hosted a community day at the new court, welcoming young people with disabilities and facing disadvantages to play basketball in a safe place.
National Gallery
Columbia Threadneedle supported the National Gallery’s annual ‘Take One Picture’ learning programme and exhibition for the seventh consecutive year. For the first time, the exhibition was displayed outside the walls of the Gallery on Trafalgar Square.
Take One Picture is the National Gallery’s countrywide scheme for primary schools which uses one painting from the Gallery’s collection to inspire cross-curricular work in primary classrooms. In consultation with children, this year the selected work was Surprised! (1891) by Henri Rousseau, one of the Gallery’s top 20 most popular and visited paintings, as the source of inspiration.
This year’s programme has been the biggest yet, with 300 schools participating – a 62% increase on 2023.
The programme has been extremely successful in broadening the learning of schoolchildren by connecting art with other subjects across the curriculum, such as history and geography, making art more accessible to children and young people who have never visited an art gallery before.
Henri Rousseau, Surprised! 1891 © The National Gallery, London
Bounce Back
Bounce Back drives social mobility with the firm belief that turning around lives and reducing re-offending can be accomplished by equipping individuals who are in prison, leaving prison or at risk of offending with the skills and assurance to be ‘work-ready’.Â
Funding from the Foundation supported a Community Trainer at their hub in Kennington, providing participants from disadvantaged backgrounds with a safe, welcoming space to learn and grow. The hub offers a range of courses, including essential soft skills, such as employability, financial security and mental health and wellbeing alongside practical training in a built environment.
AT The Bus
AT The Bus provides school-based programmes of art as therapy to help improve the mental wellbeing of children and young people aged 5–18 in Oxfordshire and London.
Thanks to funding from the Foundation, the charity was able to strengthen their governance, administration and fundraising capabilities, laying the groundwork for long-term sustainable growth.
In addition, AT The Bus piloted workshops in schools in London and Oxford for young people and their families. New practical sessions were also developed to support students needing alternative provision and those at risk of exclusion.
AT The Bus published their Beattie Method manual, a creative therapeutic intervention that supports mental wellbeing, alleviates anxiety, and helps young people build their self-confidence. The charity developed an additional learning programme to increase the number of Beattie Method trainees to meet the rising demand for facilitators in the Beattie Methodology.
In September, the charity increased their provision to three new schools. AT The Bus is now in a strong position, supporting approximately 1,000 children and young people each year and working with 11 schools.
AT The Bus artwork photographed by Artur Tixiliski
Funding initiatives to drive social impact
The Foundation announced three charitable grants funded through the CT UK Social Bond Fund to support initiatives focused on employability of underrepresented groups.
Action for Race Equality
Action for Race Equality is on a mission to end racial inequality for young people aged 10-30. Funding from the Foundation supported the charity’s Graduate Connector Programme which aims to engage 200 Black, Asian and Mixed heritage London-based graduates (aged 21-30) with training as well as supporting 60 individuals into quality employment.Â
Working Chance
Working Chance is the UK’s only employment charity for women with convictions. With support from the Foundation, women have opportunities to undertake further or higher education, vocational training and qualifications, enabling them bridge gaps between their current situation and where they need to be to gain meaningful employment, in order to build lives where they can thrive.
Centre for Ageing Better
The Centre for Ageing Better tackles inequalities in ageing. Our grant supported a project to identify changes needed to help more Disabled people in their 50s and 60s to access and remain in work, amplify the voices of older workers with disabilities in policy debates on improving employment rates, and build evidence on the diverse experiences of Disabled older workers in the labour market.
Supporting our local communities
Columbia Threadneedle Investments continued to provide grants to empower the charities within the communities in which we live and work that drive social change. These include:
UK
- Youth Adventure Trust helps young people, from ages 11-16 in Swindon and Wiltshire to fulfil their potential, build resilience and lead positive lives in the future.
- Reach Inclusive Arts provides a variety of artistic opportunities for people with a range of disabilities and additional needs, throughout Swindon and Wiltshire.
- Swindon Music Trust uses music therapy to help children overcome trauma, assist children with special educational needs, support children from low-income families or children in care.
- Children’s Scrapstore provides new and used items, such as arts and crafts materials, at affordable prices, benefitting over 50,000 people in Swindon.
Spain
- A LA PAR helps children and adults with learning disabilities through sports activities at their Mountain Bike school in Madrid.
Switzerland
- Pro Juventute is dedicated to supporting the rights and needs of Swiss children and youth from disadvantaged backgrounds.
