Corporate Responsibility

Building Better Futures

For its centenary year, Balfour Beatty has set up a charitable trust fund to help focus the whole Group’s energies in support of disadvantaged young people. Called “Building Better Futures”, the fund’s aim is to provide appropriate financial assistance to a wide range of projects and programmes, designed by experts to help young people advance in life.

In the UK, we are working with the Prince’s Trust and Action for Children. The Prince’s Trust operates a range of programmes to assist young people in need of help. We are supporting the “Community Cash Award” initiative, whereby disadvantaged young people living in deprived communities are granted funds to put their own good ideas to improve their community into action, and in so doing increase their own motivation and sense of self-worth. More on the Community Cash Award can be found in our case studies section.

Action for Children provides a wide range of services to children in need. Our efforts are being focussed on providing disability learning centres, initially, at five of the organisation’s existing children’s centres, throughout the UK. Mentally and physically disabled children, who are often denied the important developmental opportunities provided by interactive play, will have special play areas and facilities built and installed to help them develop and learn.

Outside the UK, through its international subsidiaries and joint ventures, Balfour Beatty will be funding programmes and causes appropriate to local need. Specific opportunities in the US and Hong Kong are in the process of being identified.

Balfour Beatty hopes, through a combination of corporate funds and money raised by its employees, to deliver up to £500,000 in 2009 to support these causes. One of many of these projects - supplying the Stoneside Family Support Centre with play equipment - is described in our case studies.