Local Initiatives

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Community volunteering is important at Capgemini in terms of both encouraging and supporting our employees to play an active part in local communities.

As a company we fund and sponsor a vast range of organisations and activities under our ‘Skills for the future’ initiative, aimed at using our skills and capabilities to help others develop their skills for a brighter future. This ranges from funding, to time available for volunteering, to pro bono work.  It is our way of contributing to the communities where we work, both as a company and as individuals.  Our aim was to help 2,007 people by 2007, which we greatly exceeded! We estimate that in 2006 we helped approximately 5,500 people. 

Here are just a few highlights of this activity:

Princes Trust at CapgeminiPrince’s Trust

Capgemini are a significant sponsor of the Prince’s Trust and works with them in a number of ways, with an extensive team of over 120 people and our involvement includes a network of personal and business mentors, pro bono work directly for the Prince’s Trust, committee member of the Technology Leaders Group and significant fundraising through sponsored challenges.

Recently a team of 40 people undertook a gruelling challenge across the Sahara or Costa Rica and raised over £130,000 for the trust – which will help over 100 young people make a fresh start in life.

Telford Football Club

Telford is home to Capgemini’s largest UK client work - the Aspire project. With over 2,500 employees in Telford, Capgemini is the largest private employer in the region. We have taken an active role in the local community, helping an estimated 2000 people, with an early sponsorship of the local football club AFC Telford United, which had been facing financial difficulties.  Since July 2004, we have helped turn around the fortunes of the football club, created opportunities for coaching for youngsters and been part of developing a new Learning centre.

In 2006 we were awarded the Chamber of Commerce Shropshire Star Business Award for ‘Best Business in the Community’. The award recognises our long term relationship with AFC Telford United as well as with the local council, local charities and the people who live around Telford.   We also raised over £20,000 for local charities.

Rotherham Rugby Club

For the last four and a half years Capgemini has provided funding, business experience and our time to support Rotherham Rugby Club’s community programme which focuses on sport, health and learning. Rotherham RC is a division 1 club, and our support has helped them provide programmes for almost 3000 children a year. The programmes are all free and include: rugby coaching for juniors, reading partnerships and additional help for numeracy, healthy lifestyles, army training, family day programmes and programmes for children in care.

In August 2006, the new learning facility was opened by Princess Anne. Kevin Tomlinson, head of European Outsourcing was a guest, alongside other partners of the club such as the council, NHS and the police. The achievements of the community programme are widely recognised in Rotherham, and Capgemini’s support is hugely appreciated by the club

Plan UK 

We are working with the charity organisation Plan UK to rebuild a primary school in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, destroyed by the Tsunami of December 2004. Capgemini’s offices around the world are contributing to the funds required for rebuilding, including Capgemini UK staff who raised £117,000 (€169,000). The school has since re-opened and Jean Ward, who is a Vice President from Capgemini in the UK attended the official re-opening ceremony of the Banda Aceh primary school on the 18 July 2006.

Teach First

A teacher working with one of our consultants noted

Teach First takes top graduates and gives them both teaching experience and leadership training. Capgemini sponsors this charity and takes on several teachers as Interns every year, giving them the opportunity to learn new business skills as well as supporting careers events and other focused seminars about business.       

A Time to Read

Capgemini volunteers across the country go to local schools on a Friday lunch time to help the children with their reading.

 “The children actually volunteer to read, and can’t wait for their turn. We have always worked very closely with the head teacher… who reports that we do make a big difference…” (Neil Blackett, Capgemini UK) 

Working Links

Working Links is a public/private/voluntary partnership between The Shareholder Executive, Manpower, Capgemini and Mission Australia that helps people in some of Britain’s most disadvantaged communities to get back to work.

Since 2000 we’ve helped more than 76,000 people find a job - see www.workinglinks.co.uk for more details