Societe Generale UK Foundation

Bright Futures. We're Invested.

For over 150 years, Societe Generale has been the bank that empowers the people, pioneers, and entrepreneurs who drive progress. In 1994, it established an independent Societe Generale UK Foundation to extend this spirit and actively open up access to opportunity across communities.

Today, the Foundation is still driven by responsible banking – and fully invested in supporting strategic projects and partnerships that create a lifetime of returns for people and society.

We are the Societe General UK Foundation.

Here to unlock the potential our communities

Driven by responsible banking

Committed to diversifying opportunity.

Bright futures. We’re invested.

In fact, we’ve invested £6.8m over the past 10 years

Through education & employment investments…

Using the SG UK Foundation Fund to deliver grants to grassroots organisations supporting communities in East London, Richmond, Bristol and the Channel Islands.

Partnering with Street League to give young people the opportunities they need to succeed in life through the power of sport.

Partnering with ELBA to improve the capacity of the voluntary and community sector in East London through the Evolve Project.

Partnering with East End Community Foundation to support the wellbeing and employment of young people through the Life Chances Campaign.

Through complementary societal investments…

Partnering with SHAKE Climate Change to fund entrepreneurs with innovative and sustainable solutions to food and farming.

Donating to disaster responses across the UK and around the world.

And launching our new Bright Futures Fund.

Shaped by employees to support causes and benefit local and global communities.

Finally, through matched funding investments

Doubling the impact of employee fundraising and volunteering

Amplifying contributions by £2.25m over the past 10 years.

We are the Societe Generale Uk Foundation.

Bright futures. We’re invested.

How We're Investing in Bright Futures

The projects and partnerships the Foundation supports represent a portfolio of strategic investments that – like every good portfolio – is balanced, diversified, and optimised to generate positive returns for people and society.

And we also invest in a sustainable multi-asset find to help ensure our financial investments are aligned with our values and are making a positive environmental and social impact.

Where We're Invested Right Now

Our small grants fund diversifies opportunity by helping people on their journey to education and employment in communities local to Societe Generale UK offices. Delivered with the East End Community Foundation (EECF), this includes East London, Bristol, Richmond, and the Channel Islands. We’ve recently committed a further three years’ funding, bringing the total investment to over £1M since the Fund began. 

Evolve is a unique collaboration between Linklaters, UBS, Societe Generale, and the SG UK Foundation delivered by the East London Business Alliance (ELBA).

For over 11 years, our partnership has helped improve employability prospects for local residents and, more recently through Evolve, has supported the charity sector to build capacity and strengthen resilience. The Foundation delivers a third of the funding for Evolve while the Societe Generale team provides the invaluable volunteers. Find out more.

Street League uses the power of sport to give young people the opportunities they need to move into sustainable jobs, education, and training opportunities. The Foundation helps fund their East London Academy in Tower Hamlets, which supports 40+ young people every year. SG UK employee volunteers also share their skills and experience through CV sessions and mock interviews. Find out more.

Initially created by EECF to help grassroots organisations recover from the pandemic, the Life Chances collective fund creates lasting change by addressing the critical issues of wellbeing and employment for young people, digital exclusion, and pensioner poverty in East London. The Foundation is a lead funder and key supporter for the young people strand, in line with our strategic investments. Find out more.

SHAKE is a landmark project for the Foundation. It was established in 2019 with the Foundation committing £3.5M to fund an entrepreneurship programme that invests in the brightest minds and best ideas to ensure food and farming are part of the solution to climate change. It brings together cutting-edge research and technology from Rothamsted Research, Cranfield University, University College London, and the University of Hertfordshire. Find out more.

The Foundation contributes matching and direct donations to UK aid charities in response to local, national, and international disasters including the Morocco earthquake, Ukraine War, Pakistan floods, and COVID.

The Foundation also provides annual donations to winter appeals supporting vulnerable people and communities across East London and – since 2023 – in Bristol, the Channel Islands, and Gibraltar.

By matching donations, we double the impact of employee fundraising for the selected charity partners of Societe Generale UK: Shelter, Free from Domestic Abuse, Grow Ltd, and Clubhouse Gibraltar. The Foundation’s donations and matching account for around 47% of the £1M raised so far for Shelter. 

The Foundation also matches the volunteering and fundraising contributions of Societe Generale UK employees who choose to support specific local and personal causes, amplifying their positive impact.

Our Trustees

Our dedicated Board of Trustees ensure we are fulfilling our purpose to create Bright Futures:

• John Oberman Chair of the SG UK Foundation and Director of Loan Sales, Societe Generale
• Elise Sabran Trustee of the SG UK Foundation and Head of UK Governance & Conduct, Societe Generale
• Jasvant Singh Trustee of the SG UK Foundation and Head of UK Communications, Societe Generale
• Emma Steck Trustee of the SG UK Foundation and UK Head of Client Partnering, Societe Generale
 Hannah MacKenzie Trustee of the SG UK Foundation and Royal Navy Commander
• Louise Redmond Trustee of the SG UK Foundation

They volunteer their time to oversee our strategy, governance, operations, and grant making to make sure we exceed the standards required of registered charities like us.

Image of Trustee Chairman

Data Protection and Privacy Policy

SG UK Foundation collects and uses only personal information which is necessary during the course of our operations and charitable activities. For more information on this and to read our privacy notice, click here.