The Big Yellow Foundation

Charity Number: 1171232

Annual Expenditure: £0.4M

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Quick Stats

Registered Charity: 1171232 (England & Wales)
Annual Income: £443,652
Annual Expenditure: £358,647
Total Raised Since 2018: Over £1 million (as of June 2023)
Number of Partner Charities: 6-7 core partners
Grant Range: Estimated £20,000 - £30,000 per partner annually
Geographic Focus: England & Wales
Founded: 2017 (officially launched February 2018)

Contact Details

Email: foundation@bigyellow.co.uk

Phone: 01276 477136

Website: https://www.bigyellow.co.uk/foundation/

Overview

The Big Yellow Foundation is the charitable arm of Big Yellow Group PLC, the UK's leading self-storage company. Registered in 2017 and officially launched in February 2018, the Foundation has raised over £1 million in its first five years. The Foundation's mission is to help vulnerable people lead brighter lives by supporting charities that assist individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds—including refugees, ex-offenders, people with disabilities, and ex-service personnel—to gain employment and reduce their dependence on benefits. The Foundation operates through a partnership model, working with a select group of carefully chosen charities rather than accepting open applications. Revenue is generated primarily through customer donations (which Big Yellow PLC matches pound-for-pound) and employee fundraising activities (matched up to £5,000 per event).

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Big Yellow Foundation operates through strategic partnerships with selected charities rather than discrete grant programs. Partnerships typically involve:

Ongoing financial grants: Regular, unrestricted funding to support core activities (example: £170,865 to Down's Syndrome Association over 6 years, averaging approximately £28,000 annually; over £22,000 annually to Supporting Wounded Veterans)
In-kind support: Free storage space donated to 160 local communities and charities
Work placement opportunities: Employment placements launched in July 2021, working with Down's Syndrome Association, Street League, and Breaking Barriers
Volunteer support: Employees encouraged to volunteer one working day per year

Application Method: Invitation only / No public application process

Current Priority Partners

The Foundation currently works with 6-7 core charity partners:

Down's Syndrome Association - Supporting people with Down's syndrome to live full and rewarding lives
Back Up Trust - Supporting people with spinal cord injuries to build confidence and independence
Street League - The UK's leading sport-for-employment charity, ending youth unemployment through sports programmes
St Giles Trust - Giving ex-offenders a second chance through practical and emotional support
Breaking Barriers - Helping refugees in London find meaningful employment through one-to-one advice, education, and training
Supporting Wounded Veterans - Supporting former UK servicemen and women (physically or mentally wounded) to move from rehabilitation to employment
Working Chance - Supporting women with criminal convictions to find employment

Priority Areas

The Foundation focuses exclusively on employment-related support for vulnerable groups:

Refugees and asylum seekers
Ex-offenders (including women with convictions)
People with learning or physical disabilities (including Down's syndrome and spinal cord injuries)
Ex-service personnel (wounded veterans)
Youth unemployment
Individuals seeking to reduce dependence on benefits through sustainable employment

What They Don't Fund

Based on their stated mission, the Foundation does not support:

Charities outside their employment-for-vulnerable-groups focus
Capital projects unrelated to employment support
General fundraising appeals
Individual grant applications
Research or academic projects
International development (UK-focused only)

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Governance and Leadership

Trustees

The Big Yellow Foundation is governed by four trustees (as of Charity Commission records):

Cheryl Hathaway - Trustee (appointed 23 January 2017)
Anthony Chenery - Trustee (appointed 23 January 2017)
Jessica Louise Pallot-Cook - Trustee (appointed 23 July 2019)

Key Points:

No trustees receive any remuneration, payments, or benefits from the charity
The Foundation benefits from 10 volunteers
Strong connection to the parent company Big Yellow Group PLC through shared leadership

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

This funder does not have a public application process.

The Big Yellow Foundation explicitly states: “The foundation will not be inviting other organisations to apply for grants from the Big Yellow Foundation, as they have selected to work with a number of partners who deliver the kind of projects they want to support.”

Partnership Model:

The Foundation works with a carefully selected group of 6-7 charity partners
Partners are chosen based on alignment with the Foundation's mission to help vulnerable people gain employment
Many partners are relatively small charities where regular funding can make a significant impact
Grants are provided as unrestricted funding to support core activities
Partnerships are long-term (example: 6+ years with Down's Syndrome Association)

How Grants Are Awarded:

Trustee discretion based on strategic alignment with the Foundation's employment-focused mission
Pre-existing relationships and connections to Big Yellow Group's operational locations
Focus on charities delivering employment support to specific vulnerable groups

Getting on Their Radar

The Big Yellow Foundation has specific mechanisms for identifying and working with charities:

Work Placement Programme: Launched in July 2021, the Foundation partners with charities to offer employment placements at Big Yellow stores. This provides a pathway for charities to demonstrate alignment with the Foundation's mission. Current work placement partners include Down's Syndrome Association, Street League, and Breaking Barriers.

Local Store Partnerships: Big Yellow forms meaningful local partnerships with charities near their storage locations across the UK. Store managers have been involved in supporting charity activities (example: Stockport and Warrington store managers ran interview skills workshops for Breaking Barriers candidates in Manchester in November 2022).

Pilot Programmes: The Foundation tested new partnerships through pilot schemes, such as offering a refugee from Breaking Barriers the chance to work at a London store location.

In-Kind Support Gateway: Big Yellow donates free storage space to 160 local communities and charities. This broader community support programme may serve as an entry point for building relationships with the Foundation.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable for public applications. Partnership decisions are made at trustee level on an ongoing basis as part of strategic planning.

Success Rates

Not applicable - the Foundation does not accept unsolicited applications.

Reapplication Policy

Not applicable - no public application process exists.

Application Success Factors

Since this funder operates on an invitation-only basis, traditional application success factors do not apply. However, for charities hoping to be considered for future partnerships, the following factors appear critical based on the Foundation's documented approach:

Mission Alignment is Paramount:

The charity must focus on employment support for vulnerable groups - this is non-negotiable
Target beneficiaries must include refugees, ex-offenders, people with disabilities, ex-service personnel, or youth facing unemployment barriers
The work must help individuals “gain employment” and “lessen their dependence on benefits” (direct quote from charitable objects)

Organizational Scale:

The Foundation has stated they work with “relatively small” charities
Organizations where “regular donation is key” and funding “can be a real challenge”
This suggests smaller to mid-sized charities are preferred over large national organizations

Practical Employment Outcomes:

Evidence of delivering tangible employment results
Programmes that provide practical support (job placement, skills training, interview preparation, work experience)
Example: Breaking Barriers' managers ran interview skills workshops; Street League uses sports programmes to end youth unemployment

Geographic Connection:

Potential for local partnerships near Big Yellow store locations across England and Wales
Ability to engage with Big Yellow employees and customers at a local level

Long-term Partnership Potential:

The Foundation seeks ongoing relationships (6+ year partnership with Down's Syndrome Association)
Regular, sustained funding model rather than one-off grants
Opportunities for multi-faceted collaboration (grants, work placements, volunteer engagement, in-kind storage support)

Openness to Collaboration:

Willingness to participate in work placement programmes
Ability to engage with employee volunteering (Big Yellow staff volunteer one day per year)
Openness to beneficiaries receiving practical support beyond funding (free storage, skills workshops, employment opportunities)

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

No public application process exists - The Big Yellow Foundation operates exclusively through invited partnerships with pre-selected charities. Do not submit unsolicited grant applications.

Employment focus is absolute - Only charities helping vulnerable people gain employment will be considered. The Foundation's charitable objects specifically state they exist to help individuals “gain employment” and “lessen dependence on benefits.”

Multi-year, unrestricted funding model - Partnerships involve regular grants (£20,000-£30,000 annually based on available examples) as unrestricted funding, allowing charities flexibility in how they use the money. This is a significant advantage over restricted project grants.

Small charity preference - The Foundation explicitly states many partners are “relatively small” organizations where “regular donation is key.” If you're a large national charity, you may not fit their model.

In-kind support is substantial - Beyond grants, the Foundation provides free storage space, work placements, employee volunteers, and practical support like skills workshops. The relationship is partnership-based, not transactional.

Work placement programme as potential entry point - If your charity supports vulnerable people seeking employment and could benefit from work placements at Big Yellow stores, this programme (launched July 2021) may offer a pathway to building a relationship with the Foundation.

Customer and employee engagement drives funding - All revenue comes from customer donations (matched by Big Yellow PLC) and employee fundraising (matched up to £5,000 per event). Partners that can engage with Big Yellow's customer base and employees may be more attractive.