Charitable Activities

In 2014 Graphite Capital established a £1 million charitable fund in association with the children and youth charity, Buttle UK. The charity was established by Frank Buttle in 1953 to help children and young people across the UK whose safety, health or development are at serious risk. Buttle makes small grants, based on individual need, to provide practical solutions that give children and young people a fighting chance in life. A grant can range from buying a bed or clothes for a job interview, to funding a college course or training opportunity.

Buttle supported over 35,000 children and young people last year from a variety of circumstances, ranging from children coming from homes experiencing domestic violence to young people coming out of prison and needing help to start again.

One of the largest, most vulnerable groups are estranged young adults from the ages of 16-20 who do not have the support of parents or carers and are often not the main focus of charitable activity. 

The Graphite Capital Bursary Fund has focused specifically on helping this group, providing over £0.5 million of grants to over 600 estranged young people to help them back into employment, education or training while establishing their new home.   The Bursary Fund has attracted further donations from Graphite fundraising activities and also grants from external charitable trusts.  As a result, the Bursary Fund still has £0.7m to spend on supporting  estranged young people in the years to come.

 

Sustainable Investment

We are committed to integrating sound management of ESG factors into all aspects of our business, working to avoid or minimise negative impacts while we maximise positive impacts and outcomes for society, the environment and the economy.

Our sustainable investment approach is highly complementary to our overall value creation and underpins both social and financial returns.

Our Commitments

  • To integrate ESG factors into the lifecycle of each of our investments, using defined processes and systems to ensure a consistent approach
  • To take account of the perspectives and priorities of our stakeholders in making investment and business decisions
  • To equip our team with the tools, guidance and confidence to be advocates for sustainable business practices within our investments, as well as our wider business community
  • To actively engage with our portfolio management teams to promote and support active ESG management and the adoption of relevant standards and good practice
  • To stimulate action on climate change related impacts on and by our investments, including risks and opportunities inherent in the transition to ‘net zero’ and a low carbon economy
  • To further other universal sustainable business initiatives, such as diversity & inclusion and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, across our investments
  • To promote the highest standards of governance, business ethics and compliance, both within our direct undertakings and those of our investments
  • To keep our business practices aligned to the Principles of Responsible Investment and other important global sustainability frameworks, notably the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact