Wesleyan, the Birmingham-based specialist financial services provider, is helping to change lives around the world – just by the way it buys its paper and pens.

The mutual has joined forces with WildHearts Office, a social enterprise business supplies provider that directly funds the WildHearts Foundation, which carries out a number of projects across the developing world and in the UK.

Funding Microfinance

WildHearts funds microfinance in 40 developing countries, enabling people, predominantly women, to set up small business and work their own way out of poverty.

It is estimated Wesleyan will be directly responsible for helping 1,400 people each year through its support.

A Force for Good

Kris Bryson, Partnership Development at WildHearts Group, said:

“We believe business can and must be a force for good to tackle economic injustice in the developing world and enable social mobility in the UK.

“By working in partnership with WildHearts, Wesleyan is converting essential office overheads into social investments that will transform lives locally and globally.”

Every time Wesleyan staff at its Birmingham Head Office order stationery, not only will they be supporting the microfinance project, they will also be supporting the delivery of the Micro-Tyco programme, providing entrepreneurial education to over 35,000 school children across the UK so far.

Jessica Wilkes-Reading, Wesleyan’s Corporate Responsibility Officer, said: 

“We have a wide range of CR activity, from the Wesleyan Foundation providing grants to UK charities, to sponsorship to staff volunteering days.

“But this is something different that enables to help people just by buying something every employee in every office uses every day.”

www.wesleyan.co.uk