Stanhope launches drive to help London’s most vulnerable

Recent News
20 April 2021
We are very proud to announce the launch of The Stanhope Foundation, a new charity arm focused on increasing employability among vulnerable and young people in London, so they can find hope and pride through meaningful employment.
Partnering with three charities – Maggie’s, St Mungo’s and The Prince’s Trust, the Foundation will raise money for gainful employment initiatives, whilst also offering pro bono advisory work, and volunteering opportunities. The Foundation is pledging a six-figure annual donation to charity partners per annum.
The Foundation is our direct response to the severe impact the pandemic has had on vulnerable members in the communities in which it works, such as young people, those fighting life-limiting illnesses such as cancer and those experiencing homelessness:
Crisis of our young people
  • The pandemic left young people all over the UK in freefall with four times higher unemployment levels than other demographics. For many young people, the future was already uncertain. Now, having missed out on vital education, training and job opportunities, millions are at risk of being left behind and 55% of young people say the crisis has made them fearful for the future.
Unemployment and cancer
  • Due to Covid-19, screening programmes were paused, and GP referrals have reduced by 75%. With a huge backlog of patients waiting on diagnostic tests, the impact could be huge. Around 900,000 people of working age living with cancer in the UK and 47% had to give up work or change their roles as a result of their diagnosis. Yet, working plays a vital role in recovery by giving employees a sense of normality and purpose, rebuilding their self-esteem and providing a focus outside of cancer.
Working to survive
  • One of the most significant barriers to a sustainable recovery from homelessness is securing stable employment. Without intensive employment support it is anticipated that the number of people becoming homeless in London and regionally will continue to rise, and the pandemic has accelerated these statistics. In a recent survey of 1,949 people in St Mungo’s services, 62% said they wanted a job, but only 8% were employed.
David Camp, CEO of Stanhope PLC said:
“For over 3 decades, Stanhope has developed and created places and spaces in London to allow communities to work, live, grow and thrive. The pandemic has had an absolutely devastating effect on these communities, especially when it comes to employment and we need to support them as much as we can, particularly those who are most at risk.
“The launch of the Stanhope Foundation is a major milestone for us. It is formalising what we’ve already been doing internally for a number of years, and we are hoping that our clients, partners and other stakeholders will be inspired to join us on our mission to unlock the amazing opportunities that charities such as St Mungo’s, Maggie’s and The Prince’s Trust can provide.
“We are passionate about being hands on and targeted in our approach. The core of our work is to create successful communities, so it is our responsibility to ensure we do all that we can to support the people who live in the places we create and give them a future to look forward to.”
The funds raised by The Stanhope Foundation will go directly towards the employment-focused areas of the chosen charities, working with Maggie’s on their Back to Work programme for cancer patients; with The Prince’s Trust on skills development and employability programmes; and with St Mungo’s on the charity’s Recovery College initiative.
Dame Laura Lee, Maggie’s Chief Executive said:
“We are delighted to be partnering with The Stanhope Foundation. Cancer diagnosis and treatment comes with many complex mental and physical barriers which can make navigating a return to work overwhelming and complicated. Add to this the devastating impact of COVID-19, shielding, furlough and loss of employment and this journey becomes even more difficult. Thanks to The Stanhope Foundation we will be able to help people with cancer overcome these barriers and support them to make the return to work as smooth as we possibly can.”
Jonathan Townsend, UK Chief Executive of youth charity, The Prince’s Trust, said:
“Young people are bearing the worst of the unemployment crisis and many are losing hope for their futures. Now, more than ever, they need support to upskill and find work, so that they can avoid long-term unemployment and play an active role in the recovery of our economy. Our partnership with the Stanhope Foundation means we will be able to provide more young Londoners with the opportunities they so desperately need to improve their prospects and move into work.”
Steve Douglas CBE, St Mungo’s Chief Executive said:
“St Mungo’s is delighted to work with Stanhope and the Stanhope Foundation to help provide meaningful employment opportunities for our clients. Our partnership will be focused on supporting St Mungo’s Recovery College – a comprehensive programme which helps our clients with personal development, building fundamental life skills, training and securing employment - which has been established with the generous support of a number of partners. We know that sustainable employment is an important step toward recovering from homelessness and have seen the positive life-changing effects it can have. This collaboration with the Stanhope Foundation will help to support this vitally important work.”
The Foundation will be running events throughout the year and has launched with ‘Journey for Jobs’, a fundraising initiative where Stanhope employees are tasked to walk, run, swim, row or cycle as many miles as possible. For each mile, £1 is donated to the charities by Stanhope and over £9,300 has been raised so far. A similar initiative is being organised to start in May with teams from across the industry taking part.
While the company has a long history of encouraging staff to volunteer their time and skills, the Stanhope Foundation will help focus our charitable initiatives on ensuring that all Londoners have the skills and support to find meaningful employment, something that is currently not always universally accessible.
The Stanhope Foundation has so far secured six lead partners who are aligned with its cause and purpose. All are long-term partners of Stanhope and will be active participants in the Foundation’s programme of pro bono initiatives and events as it evolves.
Their generous contributions will be used to directly support the selected charity’s employment programmes. So far, these partners include:
- McAlpine
- Keltbray
- Morrisroe Group
- Hare
- Lonsdale
- T Clarke
- Savills
- Make (support)
- AHMM (support)
- Knight Frank (support)
- Gardner and co (support)
- Macfarlanes (support)
- CRE (support)
- dn&co (support)
More recent news
All news
This website uses optional analytics cookies to analyse our website traffic. View our cookie policy