OVO Gives Back
OVO Gives Back is our way of helping create sustainable communities in the places we live and work. Each year, we create new partnerships to help support a number of local charitable causes, providing 1000s of volunteering hours and £100,000 of funding.
Meet our 2020/21 OVO Gives Back partners and see what they’re doing with our grants...
Dunfermline Food Bank
will support the distribution team to ensure they can continue to provide local vulnerable groups with food and essential items.
The Matthew Tree Project
are installing a kitchen in their premise so they can turn surplus perishable food into nutritious, healthy meals and reduce food waste.
Beam
will crowdfund immediate support for vulnerable young people in London and help them find secure, stable employment.
Greenspace Scotland
will work in collaboration with youth groups, co-creating a pilot project that focuses on local actions to achieve net zero targets – including climate resilience and renewable energy.
Square Food Foundation
is fighting food poverty, reducing inequality and improving people’s health through free cookery workshops – helping families to create nutritious meals.
Rowlands
have created ‘Radio Rowlands’ to keep young people throughout the Scottish borders connected. This will also provide opportunities for valuable work experience.
Caring in Bristol
are supporting isolated young homeless individuals in Bristol and will develop their youth homelessness services to include early intervention-support.
£500k+
invested in local charities since 2016
23
partners supported across 4 locations
6,600+
hours of local volunteering
Our previous OVO Gives Back partners...
OVO Gives Back has been making a difference in our local communities since 2016. Funding inspiring projects like these.

Off the Record
offered mental health support to young people aged 11 to 25 by delivering weekly hubs that were overseen by peer navigators.

Clean up Bristol Harbour
ran litter picking events in and around the waterways of Bristol whilst also working to create an education programme to deliver to plastic-fighting kids.

British Lung Foundation
continued to fight the public health crisis caused by air pollution by using the information gathered from setting up air pollution monitors to influence and inform local policy.

Action for Conservation
worked hand in hand with some of our biggest nature fans here at OVO to help school students create planet-friendly projects.

Avon Gorge and Downs Wildlife Project
enabled some of Bristol’s most deprived and vulnerable groups to explore and learn about the wildlife of the Downs.

City to Sea
helped make Bristol the UK’s leading ‘Refill’ city, by signing up 500+ new refill stations across the city and inspiring people to live a life with less plastic.

Hackney Pirates
worked with 180 local children from less advantaged backgrounds, inspiring them to write, direct and animate their own film, to develop the children’s literacy skills and confidence.

Help Bristol's Homeless
converted two shipping containers into homes for two young people currently sleeping rough on the streets of Bristol; helping them towards independence.

Avon Wildlife Trust
extended the opening hours of ‘Feed Bristol’ – a fantastic community food-growing project in Stapleton.

Centrepoint
launched its OVO Digital Arts scheme to engage young people who missed out on formal education.

Windmill Hill City Farm
revamped its play area to make it even more engaging and exciting for local kids.

Young Bristol
launched a new intergenerational project, to promote greater understanding and respect between people of all ages.

1625 Independent People
supported a one-to-one peer mentoring scheme for homeless people aged 16-25.

Depaul
helped open the doors of a new ‘Day Stop’ centre in London for young homeless people in crisis.

Forest of Avon Trust
trained people to undertake conservation work in their local area to improve Bristol’s woodland.

St Werburghs City Farm
engaged and inspired 500 disadvantaged children and young people with outdoor activities.
Avon Wildlife Trust
“OVO has provided some great support. It has been particularly helpful for us to have that extra assistance on weekends at events – that’s something we don’t normally get from corporate groups. I’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who has been involved over the year – it has been lovely to welcome so many new faces to Feed Bristol.”
Centrepoint
“Being an OVO Gives Back charity for 2017/18 has had a brilliant impact on the lives of homeless young people. Our young people often struggle to follow their career dreams due to a lack of access to specialist education, training and facilities. Through the OVO Digital Arts Programme they have been given this access which has not only greatly enhanced their CVs but inspired them to follow their dreams in the creative industries.”
Forest of Avon Trust
“I really welcome the OVO Foundation’s support for small local charities like the Forest of Avon Trust (where funding makes the greatest difference). I am particularly impressed by the commitment that all at OVO have shown to us as a nominated charity, including volunteering and additional fundraising. Overall, the company’s approach is to be commended.”
Windmill Hill City Farm
“Being an OVO Gives Back charity has allowed us to provide exciting activities at the farm, new play equipment and let us meet some inspirational OVO staff and volunteers whose energy has provided great improvements to the farm. It’s been a fantastic year and we think it’s an amazing and generous way for OVO to give back to the community.”
St Werburghs City Farm
“The OVO Gives Back initiative has been extremely positive – in fact the best grant/charity partnership that I have ever experienced. The grant has enabled us to develop and grow activities for disadvantaged children and young people. From being chosen by people that live and work in the community, to receiving ongoing support in terms of volunteers and fundraising initiatives. OVO Gives Back has been incredible. We cannot thank you enough for your support.”
Action for Conservation
“The support we received from the OVO Foundation has enabled us to reach young people living in disadvantaged urban communities and give them the skills to plan and deliver projects to improve their communities and support wildlife on their doorsteps. Through their grant, the Foundation has invested in the next generation of environmentalists and amplified the youth voice for nature.”