Community Fund
The Sucden Financial Community Fund
In 2023, Sucden Financial marked its 50th anniversary by establishing The Sucden Financial Community Fund, which is delivered in partnership with the East End Community Foundation (EECF) and provides funds to grassroots community groups. So far, we have raised over £70,000 to fund projects in East London.
The Fund is responding to some of the pressing challenges faced by those most vulnerable around us by addressing four areas central to our business and critical to our local communities:
- The energy crisis
- Rising food prices
- Financial literacy
- A lack of IT skills
We are using our Fund to engineer opportunities inside and outside of Sucden Financial that can positively impact our community and involve various key stakeholders.
We are doing this by connecting different groups – such as our parent company Sucden, employees, trading partners and clients – so each can contribute to making a difference in our East London communities. Volunteering opportunities and individual fundraising challenges are organised throughout the year for our stakeholders to get directly involved.
The East End Community Foundation
EECF is part of the UK Community Foundation network, is the leading charitable foundation and funder in East London, allocating grants to grassroots charities in the boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Newham, and the City of London – some of the most deprived local authorities in the UK.
EECF has raised and distributed more than £27m to support communities in East London since 1990.
Our four areas of support
The Energy Crisis
46,000 residents in London’s East End were in fuel poverty even before recent energy price increases.
Rising Food Prices
In October 2022, food prices alone rose by an annual rate of 15%, the fastest annual jump since April 1980. Rising food prices particularly affect East London, where one in two pensioners and over 50 per cent of children live in poverty.
Financial Literacy
One in five adults in the UK reported having a low financial capability, and one in two adults in the UK is in debt or scared of falling into debt.
IT Skills
More than 50,000 homes in Tower Hamlets do not have access to the internet, which consequently prevents them from benefiting from vital services and support. During lockdown, many young children could not connect with their friends online, nor could they access their schoolwork.
