Our communities

Our people have a real passion for making a positive impact on the communities where we work.

Volunteering is at the heart of our community work, which is why we give everyone one fully paid volunteering day a year to help causes that are close to their hearts.

We’re proud of Phoenix’s partnership with the Rio Ferdinand Foundation, set up by the former footballer to create opportunities for young people to tackle inequality, achieve their personal potential and drive social change.

In 2023/24, we supported a digital leadership programme for 50 high-school girls from deprived areas of Manchester, including a day of career advice from two women in our cybersecurity team.

We have a long track record of volunteering our time and giving money in areas where we work. In doing so, we’re creating stronger communities.

Volunteering

Our people get involved in a wide range of volunteering activities. In 2023/24, people across Bytes and Phoenix volunteered more than 1,500 hours of their time.

Fundraising

Many of our employees raise money in their own time, and we support their efforts. At Bytes, we match fundraising pound for pound up to £1,000 per employee per event.

Donating

As a company, we also make financial donations to causes our people care about, including local sports clubs and schools.

Giving our time to help others

Volunteering enriches our local areas, aligns with our goal of supporting social causes and builds the reputation of our businesses. It’s also really enjoyable and rewarding for our employees and enhances their wellbeing. And because we know how much our staff like helping other people, we partner with the onHand volunteering platform to make it easier for them to find ways to do that. Among the local causes supported this way in 2023/24 was the Wetherby Foodbank, two swimming clubs – East Riding Leisure Driffield and Pocklington Dolphins – and an animal charity close to our office in Surrey.

Delivering social value

Phoenix does business almost entirely in the public sector, which comes with a commitment to deliver social value where the work is done. We take this responsibility seriously and are pleased to be able to use our skills to make a positive impact on people’s lives around the country. For example, we’ve helped build a community directory for charities in Hull, provided digital skills support for refugees who have been resettled in Lancashire, and held an event for the Sunderland and County Durham Royal Society of the Blind to demonstrate how technology can help visually impaired people. We also work with young people, including helping those from disadvantaged backgrounds explore technology.

Giving to good causes