Communities
Incubating talent and inspiring young people
Ours is a spirited culture. What excites us most is knowing that our activities are changing things for the better. Looked at from outside, payment systems may seem a dry topic, but they have a big impact in the wider world. It's not just about the technology, but the effect it has on people.
We know from experience that it takes passion and commitment to bring about change. Enthusiasm is infectious - it shifts hearts and minds.
Young people have that in spades. That's why, in the work we do with communities we put a lot of emphasis on youth.
We don't just provide funds. We offer young people a framework for getting things done. We act as an incubator for talented people with passion, determination and the will to succeed.
We're also extremely selective.
We recently helped two inspirational young people with uncommon ambition. In both cases we saw we could make a real difference.
In 2009 Mike Perham became the youngest-ever round the world yachtsman. In 2010 Bonita Norris was the youngest British woman to reach the summit of Everest. We supported their endeavours.
Now we're working with both to inspire a new generation by arranging talks in schools and media appearances. We're sponsoring their school tours. We've also created an online wall where students are encouraged to post their own dreams.
We're nurturing imagination and raising expectations in other ways. We've commissioned paintings from artists at Watford Mencap for our London headquarters. In India, we've equipped a school library. In Yorkshire, we sponsor the Young People of the Year Award. At all our sites we have relationships with local charities supported by our network of CSR champions.