Mitie Foundation celebrates 10th anniversary

• This month marks the 10th anniversary of the Mitie Foundation, the independent charity focussed on providing varied life opportunities for disadvantaged groups

• The Mitie Foundation is recognising the continuing success of its programmes, Ready2Work and Giving Back

• Through the foundation, colleagues have been giving back to their local communities, completing over 106,800 hours of volunteering

The Mitie Foundation is celebrating its 10th anniversary, having spent the last decade supporting disadvantaged groups in overcoming barriers to employment. The Foundation also supports the communities in which Mitie colleagues live and work, primarily through its two major programmes, Ready2Work and Giving Back. The charity is funded by Mitie, but operates independently, with a separate board and management structure.

Ready2Work is the Mitie Foundation’s award-winning work experience programme, which aims to break down barriers for people who may face difficulties securing employment. Among these are individuals who are long term unemployed, disabled or who have learning difficulties, veterans, ex-offenders, and young people. Through the programme, Mitie offers this diverse range of individuals the opportunity to gain work experience across Mitie and within its customer contracts. The course, run over eight weeks, is designed to help candidates to upskill and build confidence in a supportive environment. To date, over 550 candidates have completed the Ready2Work programme, with almost three quarters (70%) going on to secure employment immediately after completing the course.

Giving Back is the Mitie Foundation’s volunteering programme, designed to help the communities in which Mitie colleagues live and work. Mitie provides each salaried colleague with an annual paid volunteering day and to date, over 106,800 volunteering hours have been completed. Going forward, the Mitie Foundation has pledged to increase its annual employee volunteering hours to 16,000 a year, by Financial Year 2025.

As well as the core Ready2Work and Giving Back programmes, there are several other initiatives that the Foundation has delivered over the past 10 years. These include the Big Mitie Spring Clean, which is now in its third year, and saw Mitie deliver 3,000 volunteering hours and collect over 1,500 bags of rubbish in 2022 alone. Other initiatives include a 12-month student mentorship programme for young people from lower-income backgrounds and business challenge days to help people with perceived barriers to employment showcase their abilities to prospective employers outside of interview scenarios.

The Mitie Foundation has received industry recognition through several award wins since its formation. These included a recent silver placing at the UK Social Mobility Awards (SOMOs) in the ‘Community Programme of the Year’ category for the Giving Back scheme in 2022, and a win in the ‘Driving Social Inclusion in the Workplace’ at the Employers Network for Equality and Inclusion (ENEI) Awards for the Ready2Work programme in 2021.

Mollie Green, Head of the Mitie Foundation, said:

“We’re extremely proud of the work the Mitie Foundation has done over the last 10 years. Its initiatives make a real difference to our colleagues and their communities, through the thousands of volunteering hours completed, the employment opportunities our Ready2Work programme has provided to disadvantaged groups, and much more. This wouldn’t be possible without our incredible colleagues and we’re looking forward to the next 10 years of building brighter futures, creating meaningful employment for those facing barriers and continuing to give back to our local communities.”