Europe, the Middle East and Africa

The Foundation has developed the Macquarie LEADS programme which brings together all of its Leadership, Education, Advancement, Development and Support activities involving staff as volunteers.

East London Business Alliance (UK)

The Foundation is a member of the East London Business Alliance which acts as a channel for business skills and experience to contribute to the social regeneration of East London.

Its projects include:

• Hackney Schools Mentoring Programme

  Macquarie has been actively involved with the Hackney Schools' Mentoring programme since 2003. The programme links 14 and 15-year-old school students in Hackney with Macquarie staff. Objectives include increasing students' self-confidence, providing experience of the working world, improving academic performance and raising aspirations.

  Macquarie Executive Director Jonathon Rourke said "Participating in the Hackney Schools Mentoring Programme gives me the chance to meet young people from diverse backgrounds and support their career development. Working with them gives me insight into the next generation which is both enjoyable and inspirational."

• Macquarie Uni-Guide

  Macquarie Uni-Guide is a two-year programme offered to sixth form students, providing them with guidance and advice about higher education. From 2010-2012 Macquarie's London staff are working with 15 students from Cardinal Pole School to prepare them for university. These students are typically from disadvantaged backgrounds and are often the first in their family to attend tertiary education. Topics range from choosing the right uni and course, understanding the application process and surviving the first year.

• Macquarie Business Club

  The Business Club targets Hackney-based graduates and undergraduates studying at local universities. Macquarie staff host Business Club 'employability events' focusing on skills employers expect from graduates. The sessions allow for the graduates to learn, discuss and network while the volunteers pass on skills and advice.

• Macquarie Real Apprentice Scheme

  Between 2007-2010, more than 100 Macquarie staff worked on the Macquarie Real Apprentice Scheme, providing employability training for young people from East London. The Macquarie volunteers shared their expertise in interactive sessions such as mock interviews and resume workshops resulting in 89 young people going on to full-time employment.

Big Buddy Reading Programme

The Foundation has long encouraged childhood literacy through its Big Buddy reading programmes in Australia, North America and Asia. The 'Little Buddies' (students) who take part are identified as requiring extra assistance with their reading and comprehension and are matched with two Macquarie 'Big Buddies'. Each week one of these Big Buddies attends the reading session at the school. The basis of the programme is to not only assist students with their reading skills but also to foster a love of books and reading.

In London, the Big Buddy Reading Programme launched in 2008 and since then has been working with Year 6 students (11 to 12 years) from Mandeville Primary School in Hackney. This borough has one of the lowest literacy rates in the country and over 80 staff have been involved in reading with students each year to help build their confidence and reading ability. A marked improvement has been seen in the reading ability of the students who participate in the Big Buddy scheme.

The Prince's Trust

The Macquarie Group Foundation has established a partnership with The Prince's Trust Business Programme, providing support for young business entrepreneurs to overcome barriers and realise their potential. Training, mentoring and financial assistance are provided to 14 to 30-year-olds. Macquarie staff are involved by acting as business mentors for young people, with efforts focusing on those who have struggled at school, been in care, or are long-term unemployed.

Reach Out Soccer School

Once a week Macquarie's London staff attend the Soccer School homework club organised by mentoring charity Reach Out! Staff help Year 9 students for an hour with maths and English homework before the students go on to train for Football Association Level 1 accreditation and/or have a game of football with their peers.

Macquarie believes it has a responsibility to work for the betterment of the communities in which it operates and has recognised that capacity building is just as important in the not-for-profit sector as it is for business. It has supported the sector's sustainability through a number of initiatives, with workshops, board placements, and consulting programmes staples of Macquarie's global commitment.

In 2009 Macquarie launched its community resourcing (CoRe) programme to enable staff to share their skills with local charities in Islington. Staff from Macquarie's London office have been matched with four charities to help them develop their IT, business and financial planning, marketing and communications and governance and operations. This is a unique capacity-building initiative delivered in partnership with the Cripplegate Foundation - an independent grant-making charity in the London office's local borough - and Charities Aid Foundation.

Board placement

Not-for-profit service, particularly board service, is an important way for Macquarie senior executives to support the community through the contribution of time and expertise. To this end, the Macquarie Group Foundation assists senior executives in finding successful placements on not-for-profit boards.

In Ireland, one of these boards is the Irish Inspire Foundation. The Inspire Foundation is established in Australia, USA and Ireland and, through its ReachOut.org website, provides access to mental health and wellbeing help to millions of young people. Macquarie's involvement with Inspire in Ireland includes chairing the Irish Inspire Foundation and fundraising support.

The Foundation actively supports Macquarie staff pursuing their own community interests and passions. This results in a range of local not-for-profits benefiting from staff's volunteering and fundraising assistance. Under its staff donation support policy, the Foundation supports staff donations to and fundraising for various charities, which significantly increases each contribution to the organisations staff support.

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation

JDRF is the world's largest charitable supporter of type 1 diabetes research and Macquarie is one of its cornerstone global partners. In the UK, Macquarie is the Spin to Cure Diabetes' principal supporter. Since 2009 over 250 Macquarie staff have been involved in Spin events held in London, Leeds, Bristol, Birmingham and Aberdeen.

Staff have raised over £15,000 and participated in other fundraising events such as the JDRF Cycle - London to Paris, the London Marathon and JDRF walks. Macquarie chairs the JDRF Corporate Leadership Group which is committed to building corporate fundraising support for the organisation.

Oxfam

A key fundraising event for Oxfam, the Oxfam Trailwalker is enthusiastically supported by Macquarie staff in Europe, Asia and Australia. Over the past three years (2009-2011), Macquarie staff in the UK have raised more than £50,000 for Oxfam. In 2010 Macquarie won the Trailwalker Best Group Fundraisers and Best Company Fundraisers awards. In 2011 one Macquarie team ranked second overall as Best Corporate Fundraising Team.

Movember

A global initiative designed to raise money for men's health, Movember has catalyzed Macquarie staff fundraising around the world. Since 2009, Macquarie's offices around the world have raised more than £1.2 million for male cancer research by growing moustaches for money.

In-kind support

Each year Macquarie staff buy Christmas presents for local London-based charities such as Solace Women's Aid and Noah's Ark Hospice and throughout the year run suit and clothing collections for organisations such as Dress for Success and the East London Business Alliance.

Macquarie staff are also involved in regular donation drives such as Jeans for Genes, British Legion Poppy Appeal and disaster relief such as the British Red Cross Pakistan Flood appeal. All funds raised are matched by the Macquarie Group Foundation.

Graduate Volunteer Network

The Graduate Volunteer Network (GVN) is made up of Macquarie's yearly intake of new graduate staff. The GVN volunteers with, and fundraises for, a different local charity it chooses each year. The London GVN was launched in 2009 and since then has fundraised for the Ivy Street Children's Centre in Hoxton to build a new outdoor playground; raised money and given time to renovate the outdoor space at Hackney-based youth counseling charity Off Centre and raised money for the children's charity Life 4 Children. The graduates also share their skills with local schools, working to raise the aspirations and confidence of young people. Since 2010, each graduate cohort has worked with the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School in Islington, most recently engaging Year 9 students in the Macquarie Junior Apprentice program.

Streetwise Opera

Streetwise Opera UK  aims to give homeless people a voice. Using music as a tool for building confidence and social networks, Streetwise Opera helps them gain opportunities to further their personal development. The Macquarie Group Foundation became the organisation's first corporate partner, committing funding for its Streetwise Live programme of workshops and small performances and its Annual Productions including My Secret Heart (2008) and Fables - A Film Opera (2010). These performances give participants the opportunity to star alongside industry professionals. Macquarie staff have participated in workshops, volunteered at events and worked with their design agency to help redevelop the Streetwise Opera brand.

Macquarie National Table Cricket Tournament

The Lord's Taverners  provides support to a wide range of children with physical disabilities through events focused on cricket and has partnered with Macquarie in the UK to establish The Macquarie National Table cricket competition. This provides children with disabilities to enjoy and compete in a modified form of cricket. Macquarie staff also volunteer at various events during the heats and finals of the competition.

Caritas

Macquarie has provided support funding to the Caritas - Sprungbrett youth project, a Rhein-Main-Jobcenter project in cooperation with Caritas Frankfurt which helps unemployed youth find their way into the job market. The project offers workshops and individual help to unemployed people under 25 to prepare them for a new job. Caritas' social workers also provide support, helping with debts, addiction and permanent accommodation.

Oper Frankfurt

In 2009 Macquarie's Frankfurt office supported Oper Frankfurt, one of the world's foremost opera companies. The partnership included supporting the exciting "Opera on the Move" ("Oper Unterwegs") series which introduces school children to world class opera. Seven performers from Oper Frankfurt toured primary schools located in the Rhine-Main area. At each performance 300 children enjoyed an opera experience. Since its foundation in 2006, the Opera on the Move programme has enabled thousands of children to experience opera. Children were also invited to a special children's performance in the foyer of the Frankfurt Opera House.