European financial services group Societe Generale has announced a three-year fundraising charity partnership with Shelter to support the GROW (Getting Real Opportunities of Work) traineeship programme. This staff-selected strategic charity partnership is an integral part of Societe Generale’s corporate social responsibility programme (CSR) across the UK.
By supporting the GROW programme, Societe Generale will fund fifteen 12-month paid work placements for people who have overcome the hardship of homelessness, and now want to help others to do the same. Through mentoring and specialist housing advice, these trainees will help other homeless people to rebuild their own lives.
Societe Generale’s fundraising and support will expand Shelter’s existing GROW programme, which to date has successfully supported 60 traineeships, with more than 90% of participants having moved onto further employment or education.
Supporting Societe Generale’s CSR strategy
Societe Generale’s UK charity partnership forms the fundraising element of its UK CSR strategy, which focuses on inclusion through employability and education. The Bank’s CSR programme is benchmarked against the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and aligned with its priority to contribute to the positive transformation of economies and societies, centring on skills development to increase employment opportunities in the banking sector and beyond.
Following over 70 applications from charitable projects across the UK, Shelter’s GROW programme was selected by staff at Societe Generale in the UK, who felt that the project could have the potential to make real impact and provide lasting benefits for people who have lived through homelessness.
Christophe Lattuada, CEO, SG London Branch and UK Chief Country Officer, commented:
“At Societe Generale we firmly believe that everyone should have equal access to career opportunities in an environment which supports and encourages individuals to reach their full potential. We are therefore proud to be supporting Shelter’s GROW traineeship programme, which strongly aligns with our own CSR values and initiatives. Together with Shelter, we are committed to helping people who have been homeless with the opportunity of a new career, and in turn providing a platform to help re-build their lives.”
Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said:
“With the generous support of Societe Generale we can expand our incredibly successful GROW trainee programme and provide paid employment opportunities to even more people. These fantastic traineeships enable people with lived experience of homelessness to use their experiences to support others in the same position and inspire change, while growing their own skills and confidence. We cannot wait to welcome more people on board.”
Societe Generale’s previous charity partner was CLIC Sargent, which was a three-year partnership helping young people with cancer to thrive through supporting their educational and employment
