The newly created JLR Foundation has announced its first wave of charitable grants, supporting four organisations working to improve education and employment prospects for underserved young people in the North West and West Midlands.
The foundation, set up earlier this year by the luxury automotive manufacturer, aims to help children and young people overcome barriers that often lead to disengagement from education and long-term unemployment. Its first funding commitments have been awarded to Right to Succeed, OnSide Youth Zones, Get Further and DFN Project SEARCH – all selected for their proven impact in communities where rates of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET) reach nearly 15%.
Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show almost one million 16- to 24-year-olds nationwide are classed as NEET, with lack of skills, experience or training cited as a major obstacle to work. JLR’s major sites in Halewood, Solihull, Castle Bromwich and Wolverhampton sit within regions disproportionately affected.
Four charities selected for local impact
Under its first round of funding, the JLR Foundation will support:
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Right to Succeed, which delivers community-led programmes in some of England’s most deprived neighbourhoods. Funding will strengthen work in communities surrounding JLR’s Halewood and Castle Bromwich plants.
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OnSide Youth Zones, offering dedicated youth spaces and mentoring. The new partnership includes targeted support for The Way Youth Zone in Wolverhampton.
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DFN Project SEARCH, a specialist provider helping young adults with learning disabilities secure employment through employer-based internships across the West Midlands and Liverpool City Region.
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Get Further, which delivers small-group tuition to help disadvantaged students achieve key English and maths qualifications essential for further study and employment.
Laura Brown, Director of the JLR Foundation, said the selected organisations are already “delivering real change” in the communities where the company operates. “These partnerships reflect our commitment to learning, collaboration and long-term impact. Together, we will help tackle key issues that hold back young people’s life chances,” she said.
Extending JLR’s long-standing community role
JLR has committed to annual donations to the foundation, enabling sustained investment in youth-focused charities. This builds on decades of engagement in local communities, including apprenticeships, outreach programmes, volunteering and charitable contributions.
Andrea Debbane, JLR’s Chief Sustainability Officer, said the foundation allows the business to “broaden its impact and go deeper” in supporting young people. “Providing these remarkable charities with the funds they need to grow means they can change more young people’s lives,” she said.
Employees across JLR will also be encouraged to support partner charities through volunteering and fundraising initiatives. In 2024 alone, staff contributed more than 34,000 volunteering hours in the UK and raised significant funds for local causes.
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