PHILANTHROPY
“SUCCESS IN BUSINESS GOES HAND-IN-HAND WITH GIVING BACK TO SOCIETY AND COMMUNITIES.” – STEVE RIGBY
Steve chairs The Rigby Foundation, a charity set up by his parents, Sir Peter Rigby and Patricia Rigby over thirty years ago, to deliver on the family’s shared desire to give back.
The Rigby Foundation funds programmes that enable young people, regardless of their background, to access the best education possible and to have the chance of securing meaningful and sustainable employment.
As their business celebrates its 50th year in 2025, the Rigby family have decided to focus their charitable efforts to support initiatives in the West Midlands, with a particular focus on central and south Birmingham.
The majority of The Rigby Foundation’s funding is given through its Inspiring Futures programme, a ground-breaking social mobility project aimed at raising the achievements and aspirations of young people from low-income backgrounds in Birmingham.
Inspiring Futures is a £3m commitment over 3 years that pairs ten Birmingham based education partners with ten leading charities that will help students with:
Attainment in English and Maths
Essential Skills including leadership, problem solving, debating, project management
Post school destinations including further education, higher education and apprenticeships
Employability to ensure that young people are prepared for the world of work
Wellbeing with a particular focus on mental health
The project aims to help more than 1,000 pupils per year to achieve goals and aspirations that they would otherwise not have access to, and Steve and the Trustees hope that their funding of Inspiring Futures will enable young people from low income communities in Birmingham to strive and succeed in education, and to embark on sustainable and meaningful careers.
The Foundation also funds a number of bespoke projects that complement this work, listed below.
PROJECTS funded by the Rigby Foundation
The Grace Foundation exists to transform young people’s lives through holistic education. They work with schools from the inside out to support the aspirational, relational, and spiritual needs of students and their families. Their approach to education focuses on developing the whole person, enhancing student wellbeing, and improving OFSTED outcomes to help transform school communities. The Rigby Foundation are delighted to support their work.
You can find out more here: Grace Foundation
Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation (RNCSF) works with the UK's state boarding and independent schools to widen access to fully-funded bursary places for children who most need access to the opportunities these provide. This includes children from under-served communities and those with experience of the care system.
You can find out more here: Royal National Children's Springboard Foundation
Right to Succeed work with communities in areas of high deprivation because every child deserves the right to succeed, no matter where they live. They bring together residents, professionals and decision-makers to co-design a programme that is bespoke to the needs of the local community. The Rigby Foundation’s partnership will support their important work in Birmingham.
You can find out more here: Right to Succeed
The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) is an independent organisation placing social justice at the heart of British politics. It aims to help people in the most disadvantaged communities in Britain reach their full potential by influencing government policy to tackle the root causes of poverty. The Rigby Foundation has partnered with the CSJ on several research projects, using their expert findings to shape future direction. The Rigby Foundation has partnered with the CSJ on a number of research projects and has used their expert findings to shape future direction.
You can find out more here: Centre for Social Justice
