VINCI is continuing efforts to strengthen the communities around its businesses in the UK with a new round of funding and practical support for 36 local charities and projects.

The VINCI Group is driven by a vocation to improve daily life and mobility for all – and that is not limited to the infrastructure and facilities it designs, finances, builds, and operates. The company also aims to foster social progress by supporting charitable projects that improve access to training, employment, housing, healthcare, mobility, and leisure activities for society’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged.

In the UK, specifically, VINCI businesses contribute to the VINCI UK Foundation, which has assisted over 200 charities and community projects with almost £1.4 million in grants and practical support from VINCI employees, since it was established in 2016.

This year, the VINCI UK Foundation has awarded a total of £173,166 in grants – ranging from £3,000 to £15,000 – to 36 local charitable projects across the UK.

The donations will fund or contribute to the purchase or upgrade of transport, equipment, and facilities to aid the charities in their efforts to alleviate social exclusion and strengthen communities. In addition, each project is sponsored by at least one VINCI employee who will offer their time and skills over a 12-month period.

Ruth Ottley, head coordinator for the VINCI UK Foundation, says: “At VINCI we are committed to bringing about positive change and the grants and sponsorships offered through the VINCI UK Foundation provide an immediate and practical way for us to make a difference to communities. The charities we support have a truly transformational impact on people’s lives at a local level and many of them have a personal meaning to our sponsors, so it is a both a pleasure and privilege to assist the incredible work they do.”

Among this year’s chosen charities are:

• Bilston People’s Centre — £3,050 for kitchen refurbishment
  
  Sponsored by VINCI Facilities, the Bilston People’s Centre is a community centre dedicated to delivering social action projects and activities that help to better the lives of people in the local community. The £3,050 granted by the VINCI UK Foundation will pay for the range cooker, associated refurbishment, and installation cost for a new kitchen. The centre uses the kitchen to bring the community together, mainly with social eating projects that build community cohesion and improve overall wellbeing through increased social connections.
  
  www.bilstonpeoplescentre.excelchurch.org.uk

• Doorstep Library — £3,000 for books and equipment
  
  Sponsored by Bachy Soletanche, Doorstep Library transforms the lives of children living in the poorest estates in London, who are struggling to read, whose parents or guardians cannot help, and have limited access to books. Volunteers arrive in pairs with books for children and read to them or with them in their homes for as long as it takes to build trust and a foundation for enthusiastic reading. The £3,000 VINCI UK Foundation grant will pay for books and volunteer equipment, while Bachy Soletanche will offer project management advice and support the voluntary activities.
  
  www.doorsteplibrary.org.uk

• Methodist Prison Chaplaincy and Heath Care Group — £5,400 for white goods
  
  Sponsored by Belfast International Airport, this project aims to support women leaving prison or female asylum seekers obtaining refugee status in Northern Ireland to find and secure tenancies, as well as providing white goods. The £5,400 VINCI UK Foundation grant will go towards white goods to help within their new tenancies.
  
  irishmethodist.org

• Phoenix Supported Housing — £5,000 for IT equipment
  
  Sponsored by Freyssinet, Phoenix Supported Housing is a Wolverhampton-based charity that provides accommodation for people experiencing temporary or ongoing issues in a harmful environment, along with educational and social support services to help them improve their situation. The £5,000 VINCI UK Foundation grant will purchase IT equipment for the new Phoenix Educational Hub, where residents can develop skills needed to secure suitable employment, while Freyssinet will offer further skills development and training opportunities.
  
  www.phoenix-housing.com

• Stripey Stork — £6,455 for warehouse upgrades
  
  Sponsored by VINCI Building, Stripey Stork supports vulnerable families across Surrey by gathering and rehoming new and pre-loved items for babies and children. The £6,455 VINCI UK Foundation grant will help Stripey Stork meet increased demand for its services by funding several upgrades to its warehouse, including a new washing machine to make sure items are clean and safe.
  
  www.stripeystork.org.uk

• The Disabled Sailors Association (DSA) — £6,800 towards a new dinghy
  
  Sponsored by VINCI Energies UK & RoI, The Disabled Sailors Association (DSA) enables people of all ages and disabilities to sail in wheelchair accessible boats in Portsmouth and Spain. The £6,800 VINCI UK Foundation grant will go towards a new dinghy, specially designed by the DSA that will not sink or capsize, facilitating greater safety on the water.
  
  disabledsailing.org

• Ultra Education — £5,000 for Youth Business Fair places and IT software
  
  Sponsored by VINCI Construction Grands Projets, Ultra Education is a BME-led organisation dedicated to developing the entrepreneurial mindset and skills of more than 2,500 marginalised young people across London each year, so they are empowered to thrive, innovate, and make a difference in their lives and communities. As well as new IT software, the £5,000 VINCI UK Foundation grant will pay for 40 young people to attend a Youth Business Fair at Wembley Stadium, where they can promote their ideas, increase their confidence and presentation skills, and make valuable contacts.
  
  ultra.education

• Walton Lea Partnership — £6,800 towards a new van
  
  Sponsored by NUVIA UK, the Walton Lea Partnership offers training and work experience for vulnerable people with learning difficulties in the Warrington area, helping them to develop practical and essential life skills, boost their confidence, and improve their employability. The £6,800 VINCI UK Foundation grant will go towards a new van to pick up donations and deliver the bikes repaired and furniture upcycled by Walton Lea’s learners. Nuvia will also offer HR advice and practical assistance on site.
  
  www.waltonlea.org.uk

ABOUT VINCI UK Foundation

The original VINCI Foundation was established in France in May 2002. Since then it has supported more than 2,500 charitable projects, each receiving an average grant of £10,000 and the support of up to four employees. The Foundation distributes more than £3.3 million globally to good causes every year.

The VINCI UK Foundation was launched in early 2016 with the specific goal of promoting social cohesion and fighting exclusion and isolation in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, by combining the skills of VINCI staff with financial assistance to be a long term partner for the community.

Businesses contributing to the VINCI UK Foundation are VINCI Concessions, VINCI Energies UK & RoI, VINCI Construction UK, VINCI Construction Grands Projets, Belfast International Airport, Bachy Soletanche, Freyssinet, Gatwick Airport and NUVIA UK.