The impact
Johnson Matthey has committed to investing at least £1 million every year in community engagement to address the needs of their local communities and fund their flagship programme Science and Me across hundreds of sites around the world.
Their global volunteering programme entitles employees two paid volunteering days a year, aiming to achieve 6,000 days of corporate volunteering a year by 2030. Their match funding programme also doubles the money that staff raise for charity up to £1,000 a year per employee.
Despite the pandemic, Johnson Matthey was able to run its first set of projects online in 2020, connecting with young people. These included volunteer activities in which colleagues connected with students through online chat forums to answer their science questions and developed science activity packs for disadvantaged children to use at home.
They also provided mentoring and skills and careers talks for young people around the world. Throughout the year, over 200 employees took part in their online activities and they reached more than 1,500 students. They will continue to run virtual events to supplement face-to-face activities, as they’ve proved highly effective.
Johnson Matthey’s Virtual Work Experience Week won them Best Online External Event Award at the 2020 Covid Comms Awards. During the week, more than 100 UK students worked online, completing team and individual activities set and run by more than 45 employees, including their Chief Executive.
Still in its early stages, the grant programme is yet to realise its long-term impact, but will aim to see £500,000 in its first year alone being put towards key community projects improving access to science education. So far ten grants have been awarded, with several more in the decision stage.