27th March 2025
We're proud to represent and support our local community. In our centenary year, our commitment to supporting the local community has been stronger than ever.
We support great local causes through five key building blocks: the Vernon Charitable Foundation, which provides grants of up to £5,000 for registered charities; Community Stars, which offers smaller donations of up to £650 to grassroots organisations and social enterprises; staff volunteering days; sponsorship of community events; and investment in financial education programs delivered with WizeUp.
Over the last 10 years, we've continuously donated to local charities and non-profits. Through our Community Stars program, we've been committed to supporting a wide range of non-profits doing incredible work in our community. In 2024, the program contributed £12,000 to 40 grassroots organisations. By offering donations, Community Stars helps local organisations continue their work, whether it’s going towards resources, organising events, or creating more opportunities for local people. Community Stars reflects the Vernon's deep commitment to giving back to the community a celebrating those who support it.
To mark our exciting centenary in 2024, we announced the creation of the Vernon Charitable Foundation, which has more than £100,000 in the fund to support local charities doing great work in Greater Manchester and Cheshire. Through grants, the Foundation supports local charities providing public benefit in Stockport, Cheshire and Greater Manchester, focused on the prevention and relief of poverty and community development. In 2024, the Vernon Charitable Foundation donated over £60,000 to local charities in Greater Manchester and Cheshire.
We believe that financial education is a vital life skill, and numerous studies indicate that it can enhance well-being and better prepare students to manage their finances as adults. That's why we've partnered with WizeUp, a charity that delivers financial education to high schools. So far, we have partnered with eight local high schools including Stockport Academy, Poynton, and Audenshaw, benefiting 240 students aged 15 and older.
Wizeup delivers workshops in life skills to students from year 10 to postgraduate. They teach lessons on financial awareness, CV writing, interview techniques, and debt management, along with many others. Their consultants have over 30 years of experience in financial markets and mainstream education. They visit schools, sixth form colleges and universities to deliver financial education workshops to students of all ages.
Alongside our charitable giving, we're proud to sponsor local people and groups. Whether this be through our longstanding support of the Poynton Brass Band, or our more recent support of Together Trust's Together Festival, we believe it's important we support exceptional local people and causes.
Our longest standing sponsorship, reaching back over 25 years, is with Poynton Brass Band. Founded in the early 19th century, the band first started within the Poynton coal mining community supported by mine owners, the Vernon family. The band’s association with the Vernon name and our own strong presence in Poynton provided a natural bond and since 1988 the Vernon has helped safeguard the continued existence of the band by providing sponsorship and uniforms.
The embodiment of our sponsorships is our mascot, Vernon Bear. A massive part of our history, he attends many of our sponsors’ events and makes sure we are always well represented.
We're proud to support our local community and have sponsorship partnerships that help our local community and organisations.
We take pride in helping in our local community whenever we can. All colleagues are given two paid days a year as part of our Community Volunteering programme. This allows our team to help worthy causes and be involved in the local community. In our centenary year, our colleagues volunteered for a combined 563 hours for local charities and non-profits, increasing our volunteering by 200 hours in 2024. Overall, we supported 17 different organisations throughout the year.
The Vernon would not exist without our local community - that's why it's one of our priorities to care for it. Whether that be through investing in local high streets, empowering local people to achieve their financial goals, or by supporting local charities and non-profits. We're passionate about building a better future. Together, we're greater!