Bentley makes a difference by  investing in community schemes 

across the country

• Bentley continues to invest in important community causes in 2023
• Schemes around Bentley headquarters in Crewe and across the UK supported more than 320 charitable donations and projects, a 150 per cent increase to the previous year  
• Newly established Advancing Life Chances strategy is guiding Bentley to expand its community investment footprint 

(Crewe, 18 December 2023) Bentley has successfully ended another year of community investment that forms an important element of Bentley’s ground-breaking Beyond100 strategy. In 2023, Bentley supported more than 320 charitable donations and projects across all regions of the UK, a 150 per cent increase to the previous year. The projects have been carefully selected, to improve people’s access to services, empower and improve the quality of life, and support a better future. Local examples include Chance Changing Lives, Crewe Wishing Well, Motherwell, Cheshire Young Carers, Pure Insight, Visyon, and Hope Café. 

Bentley’s community investment team has been supporting initiatives around Crewe for many years. In 2023, they have continued to work with the Cheshire Community Foundation (CCF) through the established CCF Crewe Fund and the Bentley Advancing Life Chances Crewe Fund.  In 2023, a new bespoke programme has been launched in collaboration with CCF called, the Bentley Crisis Fund. Meanwhile, the new, UK wide Advancing Life Chances (ALC) investment programme developed in partnership with the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), has allowed Bentley to expand its community investment footprint even further afield to all corners of the UK.

The Bentley community investment projects and their success in 2023 at a glance: 

Advancing Life Chances Small Grants program

For charities and non-profit organisations across the UK, Bentley runs a small grants programme providing donations of up to £500 to support charitable organisations working with vulnerable, disadvantaged or under-represented communities. This year 200 charities and community groups are being supported. The charitable organisations supported, identified that the total projected reach of the projects would be over 27,000 people.

Advancing Life Chances Crewe Fund 

For Charities and non-profit organisations in Crewe, Bentley has set up a projects fund in partnership with the CCF. In the 2023 grant round, Bentley supported 10 projects for a 12 month period with a projected 7,565 people who will benefit from the support in the local area. For the 2022 funding round, the completed projects supported 2,407 people across Crewe. One example of impact is ‘Pennysmart’, a debt management charity, who supported 119 households in Crewe with a total of £232,836 of debt managed. 

Bentley Crisis Fund (supported through the Bentley Forever Crewe Endowment Fund) 

Bentley’s  first endowment fund set up through CCF. It is an invested fund which generates income to be used for grant making. This fund will remain in place for the benefit of Crewe for eternity. In 2023, 82 individuals have benefitted from support distributed through four local charities in Crewe. 

CCF Crewe Fund 

A group fund, established off the back of Bentley’s Covid Impact Fund in 2021.  Bentley supports this fund alongside other Crewe businesses, to collate funding to support community projects. In 2023 the fund has supported nine charities, with projected beneficiaries numbers of 2,342 people. 

Fundraising Support 

In addition, Bentley continued to offer different community investment initiatives in 2023 for charitable organisations and colleagues, like Factory Tours, Goody Bags, Match Funding, Payroll Giving; that benefit the community, by generating funds from fundraising events or facilitating donations for charities. 

Sally Hepton, Director of Government Relations and Sustainable Luxury at Bentley Motors, said:

“Crewe is Bentley’s home.  It is important to us that we take an active part in our local community whether volunteering or through community investment.  Our Advancing Life Chances programmes are targeted at tackling current needs and are delivering change for people in Crewe where and when they need it. I am pleased we are now able to augment this impactful local approach and can now help advance life chances in communities nationwide.”

Michael McDermott, Senior Advisor Government Relations and Sustainable Luxury Bentley Motors, added: “Bentley’s new ALC programme was designed with the help of the Charities Aid Foundation, allowing us to design a strategy to improve Bentley’s investment potential, targeting the areas that needed help the most. We are looking forward to seeing how ALC will help people across the country in 2024.”

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