Company Announcements

20 May 2020

Creation of GPE Covid-19 Community Fund and contribution by Board of Directors & Executive Committee

Great Portland Estates plc ("GPE") announces that, given the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on our communities, we are establishing a Community Fund to support some of the most vulnerable people in London at this unprecedented time.

The Fund will be open to all GPE employees to contribute to and the Group will be matching contributions made by both GPE employees and Board members, up to a maximum of £250,000.

The Fund will be seeded with more than £280,000 raised through a combination of Board Director bonus reductions and fee waivers to the equivalent of at least 20% of salary or fees for 3 months, along with significant contributions from all the other GPE Executive Committee members, and Group matching.

The Fund will be allocated by the GPE Community Committee. In line with our purpose and community strategy, it will be distributed to London based charities and other not for profit organisations which are being particularly impacted by Covid-19, focused on homelessness and other vulnerable groups, mental health & wellbeing and educational initiatives. Donations will be made to support the immediate response to Covid-19 and longer term recovery.

We will also be continuing with our existing community commitments and initiatives, including raising our annual donation to Groundwork London, who work with some of London's most disadvantaged communities, to £25,000, in addition to our recently announced increase in annual donation to charity partner Centrepoint to £75,000. 

For more information, see https://www.gpe.co.uk/our-relationships/community-relationships/

Contacts:

Great Portland Estates plc                                                                    +44 (0) 20 7647 3000
Toby Courtauld, Chief Executive           
Nick Sanderson, Finance and Operations Director
Janine Cole, Director of Sustainability & Community

Finsbury Group                                                                                      +44 (0) 20 7251 3801
James Murgatroyd                                                                                                                  
Gordon Simpson