About Groundwork
We take practical action to create a fair and green future in which people, places, and nature thrive.
Groundwork is a federation of independent charities, called Groundwork Trusts, working under a common brand to a single federation strategy. A national organisation, Groundwork UK, supports the activities of Groundwork Trusts by running programmes, initiatives and campaigns that generate national resources for local delivery and support improvements in quality and impact.
We support local communities and businesses to build capacity and resilience as this is vital if we are to tackle hardship, achieve a just transition to net-zero and help nature recover in a way that reduces inequality and leads to better work and healthier, happier lives.
What this means in practice is: helping people get jobs and supporting the growth of the green economy; reducing the waste of energy, food and water; creating and maintaining biodiverse, accessible green spaces; supporting businesses to be more successful and responsible; and empowering communities to take action to improve their health and wellbeing and the local and global environment.
The way we work:
- connects people with each other, with opportunity and with nature
- builds knowledge and confidence so that people feel more in control of their future
- delivers social, economic and environmental outcomes in an integrated way.
Why our work is important
2.5 million +
the number of people not working due to long-term sickness has been rising since 2019 and now stands at more than 2.5 million.
Over 6.5 million
households experiencing fuel poverty with 21.5% of excess winter deaths attributable to cold homes.
Nearly 3 million
people in the UK used a food bank in the last year and 40% of people report feeling worried about being able to afford food.
2.8 million
people in the UK do not have any publicly accessible green space within a 10-minute walk of their home.
40%
of people from ethnic minority backgrounds live in the most greenspace-deprived areas, compared to 14% of white
people.
1 million +
adults and nearly three-quarters of a million children in the UK live in neighbourhoods where air pollution is double recommended levels.
40%
of adults in the UK report feeling anxious about the environment and globally 60% of children and young people say they are extremely or very worried about climate change.
The change that we deliver
We work with people who are facing multiple challenges and in places that are lacking social infrastructure and economic opportunities. Many of the places we prioritise are also increasingly vulnerable to extreme weather events.
We have four decades’ experience of building partnerships to address these challenges in three connected ways.
Our Impact
Our impact report highlights the ways we have delivered on our mission to create better places, improve people’s prospects and promote greener choices.
Find out more about our impact and read our 2024 Impact Report: