The BGF Foundation don’t just fund, they get hands-on. Over the past month, team members across BGF have stepped in, using their Social Impact Days to offer focused help to some of the BGF Foundation’s newest charity partners.
News
BGF Foundation provides pro bono support to new charity partners
Hear how team members across BGF have been supporting some of the BGF Foundation’s newest charity partners: Access Sport, JET and ThinkForward.
8 October 2025
“Pairing funding with targeted expertise is how we help partners move faster, spend less, and reach more young people. I’m proud of how colleagues across BGF are using their Social Impact Days to deliver focused, timeboxed support with tangible outcomes.”
Charlotte Moses Rains
COO at BGF Foundation
COO at BGF Foundation
Access Sport: independent digital review, freeing up budget for impact
BGF Foundation charity partner Access Sport asked the team for an external view on digital efficiency (chiefly SharePoint) to explore whether costs could come down. Adam Cox, BGF IT Manager, joined a working session with the charity and its IT provider. Adam highlighted simple fixes and costly duplication trends, mapping next steps that the team could implement immediately.
Adam has a decade of experience in Microsoft services and has previously delivered a nearly 25% reduction in IT costs in previous roles. The same mindset guided his session with Access Sport: lower costs and raise confidence, so more of every pound reaches programmes.
“It’s incredibly useful to have independent reviews like this; we left with practical changes to reduce costs, which is really important for us in the current economic environment.”
Tom Dixon
Director of Fundraising & Communications at Access Sport
Director of Fundraising & Communications at Access Sport
Jon Egging Trust: making AI useful, safe and affordable for charities
Digital transformation cropped up elsewhere too. Fellow BGF Foundation charity partner Jon Egging Trust (JET) wanted to adopt artificial intelligence (AI), but needed some initial direction and confidence. The Foundation introduced JET to BGF’s Head of Digital, Simon Steward, who’s experienced in helping the BGF business portfolio to navigate digital change. After learning how JET operates, Simon advised on which AI tools and applications best fit their needs, and how to use them safely.
Charities face the same budgetary and sustainability pressures as for-profit organisations, so Simon connected JET with specialists in BGF’s network who could help scope cost-effective data warehouse solutions. The emphasis remained on value: making smarter use of what they already have, adding only what earns its keep, and keeping the path to future growth open. JET left with clear direction, confidence on safe adoption, and another door opened.
“The session with Simon was spot on. We’ve already trialled tools that boost efficiency, with a pragmatic path for what comes next. Really looking forward to the development of this partnership, as we can already see the approach in practice.”
Fi Collins
Director of Communications and Fundraising at JET
Director of Communications and Fundraising at JET
ThinkForward: building relationships and scaling sustainably
ThinkForward, another new BGF Foundation partner, supports around 1,500 young people each year. It does so through evidence-based, intensive coaching that helps these young people to stay in education and move into work. As ThinkForward look to expand their reach, the challenge now is how to scale their impact, helping more young people into meaningful jobs, without compromising on quality.
Think Forward’s CEO, Deputy CEO and Business Development Manager joined the BGF Foundation, alongside BGF Portfolio and Investment team members (Adam Huckerby, James Archer and Matt Simcox), to discuss this question. ThinkForward walked the team through their programmes: what’s working, what’s challenging, and why employer engagement is the bridge that matters most. In exchange, we shared insights into what boards value, growing opportunities for collaboration, and how to build relationships with employers.
“After spending time with the ThinkForward team, we left energised by their commitment to building strong employer partnerships and hope that we can add practical value, through our networks and market perspective, that helps open new doors for young people.”
James Archer
Portfolio at BGF
Portfolio at BGF
ThinkForward, BGF and BGF Foundation working session
What ties these stories together isn’t volume; it’s impact. One Social Impact Day, used well, can save charities money, unlock new opportunities for growth, or de-risk a decision that would otherwise sit on a to-do list for months. Effective pro bono support works because it’s tailored to the needs of each charity, which is exactly what the BGF Foundation aims to do.
Want to hear more stories like these? Subscribe for updates here or email the BGF Foundation team at info@bgffoundation.org.uk.
