Drax Foundation, which is part of renewable energy company Drax Group, has donated £90,000 to three projects near to Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire.
The Foundation supports education and skills development for non-profit organisations and social enterprises in the regions where it operates and runs two grant cycles a year. This announcement is part of a total of £323,000 that makes up the first round of grants that have been awarded across the UK, US and Canada since the Foundation was launched in March 2023.
Shona King, Drax Head of Community, said: “We are passionate about giving back to the communities we operate in and earlier this year we launched the Drax Foundation as part of an exciting new chapter in how we deliver positive social impact. We are pleased to announce that nearly 45% of our initial £323,000 grant awards will support six STEM projects in the UK, half of which will support programmes here in Yorkshire.”
Of the total, almost £90,000 has been split between three different organisations in Yorkshire and the Humber;
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NYBEP (North Yorkshire Business and Education Partnership) who work with schools and businesses to develop STEM programmes
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Don Catchment Rivers Trust which offers Community-led conservation and nature-based STEM education for children
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Toranj Tuition, a Hull-based organisation established to stimulate social mobility and to facilitate equal opportunities for adults and children through educational programmes.
Pedram Saeid from Toranj Tuition said: “We provide science workshops and STEM mentoring sessions for children from minority ethnic communities or low-income British households. Funding from the Drax Foundation will enable us to continue and expand these programmes by offering trips and practical experiments as part of the programme which will make science engaging and enjoyable and inspire children to take an interest in science.”
Rebecca McCleary, Partnership Manager at NYBEP, said: “Our mission is to nurture talent for successful futures by upskilling and identifying opportunities for young people in their local area. With this funding from the Drax Foundation we plan to launch a new programme at schools in Yorkshire which will focus on bringing STEM to life, improving employability, and also encouraging girls into STEM subjects.”
Alex Liversidge, Project Development Assistant at Don Catchment Rivers Trust, said: “The Trust’s mission is to allow our rivers to THRIVE. Positive change ensures our rivers and their wildlife are better valued and protected into the future. Funding from the Drax Foundation helps us achieve this by allowing the Trust to engage communities through activities such as river clean-ups, Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) removal days, ‘River Guardian’ educational sessions for children, guided walks and events to celebrate our volunteers.”
Drax Foundation funds initiatives that support education and skills development in Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM), as well as those that improve green spaces and enhance biodiversity within local communities. Funding is available for organisations ranging from smaller community-led projects to larger grants of £50,000 for established non-profit organisations.
Priority is given to organisations that deliver programmes for under-served and under-represented groups, advance gender equality and support indigenous communities.
Organisations and initiatives that meet Drax’s funding and selection criteria are encouraged to visit www.drax.com/community to learn more about the Foundation and submit an initial expression of interest.
The Drax Foundation is a donor advised fund administered by the Charities Trust (an independently registered charity with the UK Charity Commission, charity no. 327489)
