Giving something back: Empowering communities and driving positive change

At SmartestEnergy, one of our priorities for our ESG sustainability ambition is to engage our people in our vision to empower a greener generation and deliver a better future for all. Charity and community volunteering are an important part of achieving this goal.

Through our ‘giving something back’ initiative, we encourage our employees worldwide to contribute to their local communities, no matter how large or small the effort.

In 2024, our newly established Social Sustainability Taskforce introduced new charity and volunteering guidelines to drive activities aligned with our sustainability priorities across our global companies, including:

• Mitigating climate change
• Promoting renewable energy
• Fostering diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)
• Developing future science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills
• Delivering social impact for local communities

These initiatives not only benefit the communities we serve but also create a positive environment for our employees. They foster team spirit, enhance wellbeing, and promote sustainable, greener choices. Over the past year, our global teams have demonstrated their commitment through a variety of impactful activities.

Environmental efforts

Our employees actively participate in environmental volunteering, contributing to conservation efforts, improving local environments, and supporting our communities.

In the UK, we nurtured local growth at ActivGardens, where employees engaged in weeding, planting seeds, and harvesting vegetables, fostering a deeper connection with nature. We also partnered with the Worthing Business Improvement District, dedicating a day to revitalise the local area through activities like weeding, clearing, and painting, all driven by our shared commitment to making a tangible difference.

Meanwhile, in Australia, we took part in Clean Up Australia Day, working together to create cleaner, greener spaces around our offices and contribute to a more sustainable environment.

Getting active for a cause

Beyond environmental efforts, many of our employees took on physical challenges, getting their bodies moving and hearts pumping to raise funds for important causes.

In Australia, employees participated in Steptember, walking 10,000 steps a day for 30 days to raise funds for the Cerebral Palsy Alliance. The team embraced the challenge with enthusiasm, engaging in some friendly competition to meet their step goals, collectively walking over 5,346,000 steps.

We also supported Movember, raising awareness and funds for mental health, suicide prevention, and cancer research through running, walking, and growing moustaches.

In the UK, employees tackled muddy obstacle courses in the Whole Hog Race and Muddy Run Race for Life, raising funds for EACH, a local children’s hospice, and Cancer Research. Together, our team ran a total of 131.2 miles across these events!

Supporting local communities

Our employees also like to give back close to home and support our local communities.

In the US, despite the challenges of a mostly remote workforce, employees united over the holidays to donate food, gifts and essential items to people in need through the Salvation Army and McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Centre.

In the UK, we collaborated with the local Suffolk Libraries, supporting their ‘Make a Difference with a Daisy’ campaign, a fundraising initiative dedicated to improving the local libraries and the support they provide for vulnerable individuals.

Empowering & educating future generations

Building on our volunteering and charitable efforts, we are dedicated to fostering a global community of renewable energy champions. One way we bring this vision to life is through educational outreach.

Over the past year, employees led school talks on renewable energy, environmental stewardship, and STEM skills. In 2024, two members of our sales team visited a primary school in Essex to help launch their Eco Week, inspiring students through engaging assemblies on sustainability.

And we kicked off 2025 with a collaboration with the East London Business Alliance (ELBA), welcoming 30 students from a local all-girls school to our office for an inspiring day of career insights and hands-on activities in renewable energy. It was a great opportunity to ignite curiosity, expand career aspirations, and showcase the diverse pathways into the industry.

 

By sharing these stories, we aim to inspire even greater participation year-on-year, empowering our global workforce to make meaningful local community contributions. We believe that small actions lead to big change, and through volunteering, fundraising, and community engagement, our employees are making a lasting impact—and we’re just getting started.