Our Foundation
We are passionate about supporting the communities in which we operate. It is a vital cornerstone of our culture, based on our ingrained caring spirit and a dedication to giving back
At a glance
We have long been committed to philanthropic endeavour, building strong partnerships with charities like The Prince’s Trust which spans a period of 10 years. However, in 2021 we made things official, launching The Watches of Switzerland Group Foundation and gaining charitable status in November of that year.
The Foundation brings most of the Group’s charitable activities under one umbrella and has so far received a total of £6 million in donations from the Watches of Switzerland Group to support three pillars: the prevention or relief of poverty; the advancement of education; and the relief of those in need by reason of youth, age, ill-health, disability, financial hardship or other disadvantage.
THE PRINCE’S TRUST
The Prince’s Trust continues to be a key education partner, helping the Foundation to improve access to quality education in our communities. Since launching our Group-wide partnership in 2019, 6,240 young people have been reached, through a combination of education programmes, the Young People Relief Fund, and the launch of their brand new Education hub.
In addition to the funding from the Foundation, the Group has continued to support the Trust through its sponsorship of the Young Changemaker Award at The Prince’s Trust Awards.
CRISIS
Last year, the Foundation began its partnership with Crisis by supporting the Crisis at Christmas campaign with an initial donation of £25,000, helping Crisis support over 500 guests with somewhere safe to stay over Christmas.
In the last 12 months the Foundation has supported the funding of Crisis general services, Christmas Appeal and their Clinical Psychologists' service by donating £125,000.
THE FOODBANK PROGRAMME
Funding has enabled the Foodbank programme to have greater international reach and impact over the last year. In the UK, the Newcastle Foodbank were able to establish their first community pantry allowing service users to do a weekly shop (instead of an emergency food parcel) for as little as £5.
Leicester South Foodbank has seen a 27% increase in need compared to the last financial year. With funding, last year, it moved to a new location which also acts as the Leicester distribution centre supporting 17 other foodbanks in the area.
“Our partnership with the Foundation not only enables us to help people in their time of crisis, but also creates opportunities to sustain and develop services that make a meaningful difference to people’s lives in their time of need.”
John McCorry - Newcastle Foodbank