Introducing: The Big Yellow Foundation

Charity work sits at the core of the Big Yellow business model, whether that is through allocating storage spaces to local charities, or through the tireless, passionate fundraising work of our staff. But we’ve always considered the bigger picture; the role we could play in giving more to the community – being able to change the lives of more people.

As such, we are delighted to announce the launch of The Big Yellow Foundation, our commitment and pledge to help vulnerable people lead brighter lives.

The Charities

Underpinning the foundation is our commitment to creating meaningful partnerships with charities who we believe can make a real difference in today’s society. We have selected a group of charities who all share the same goal: supporting those who need a second chance and a helping hand to help get their lives back on the right track. Some of these groups are often forgotten about and include: refugees, ex-service personnel, ex-offenders and individuals with disabilities.

Bounce Back focus on helping ex-offenders break the cycle of re-offending by bridging the gap between prison and full-time employment. With their focus on training in construction, we’ve had Bounce Back painters helping with the construction of our new Guildford Central centre, a relationship we hope to continue to foster. St Giles Trust too support ex-offenders but also extensively work with predominantly young people to stop them getting into a life of crime in the first place. We also hope to help ex-service personnel through our partnership with Hire a Hero.

Another cause incredibly close to Big Yellow is helping those disabilities, both physical disabilities and learning disabilities. The charities the foundation have begun partnerships with are The Down’s Syndrome Association and the Back Up Trust. These charities use different ways, but work towards one common goal: helping to build confidence and independence into the lives of those with disabilities, from helping them gain employment, to offering a support network.

The long-term mission

The Big Yellow Foundation is being rolled out across all of our stores. We want to make a real difference through the combination of work experience, customer fundraising and volunteering.

Stay tuned for further updates concerning the work of the Big Yellow Foundation and future announcements by keeping an eye on our blog and social media sites or by asking the store teams about it the next time you pop in.