The history of the L&Q Foundation
We’re celebrating more than 10 years of the L&Q Foundation. Here, you’ll find a summary of our biggest achievements during that time.
An overview of our history
The L&Q Foundation was established in 2011 with the aim of bringing together all of L&Q’s social and economic activities into one place to have a bigger impact and increase our investment in communities.
The Foundation works in partnership with our residents to help their communities thrive and to improve people’s life chances in those communities by creating opportunities.
Since 2015, projects delivered through the L&Q Foundation have supported 3,984 people into paid employment and helped 4,246 sustain their tenancy, through access to financial support. More than 21,500 people have used Pound Advice, delivering £75m worth of financial gains for residents, through helping people manage their debts.
The Foundation funds a huge spectrum of projects and we want to share some of our highlights.
2011
Working with L&Q’s neighbourhood committees
Since 2011, the Foundation has collaborated with L&Q residents to design projects and initiatives, giving residents a real say in who and what we fund and telling us about local community needs.
In 2024 we launched our area-based community investment approach, delivering resources and consultations directly to residents and communities that have faced significant challenges.
2012
The Energy Save project
In 2012, we launched Energy Save – a project to help residents save on their utility bills through practical steps, energy-saving tips and advice on switching suppliers.
Since then, the Foundation has funded more than 28,000 home visits with an average saving per home of £208 per year.
You can learn more about the Energy Save project in our media centre.
Pound Advice
In 2012, Pound Advice launched and remains a flagship project helping thousands of residents maximise their income, manage debt and learn how to manage their money better.
Learn more about Pound Advice and our other financial services.
2013
Breakfast clubs launch
In response to the problem of food poverty, in 2013 we set up 15 new breakfast clubs in some of the most deprived parts of London in partnership with Greggs the baker.
You can read more about the Breakfast clubs in our media centre.
The Let’s Go To School programme
In 2013, we also launched our 'Let’s Go To School' programme which enabled more than 300 L&Q residents to get a qualification to help get a career in the education sector.
It was community-based and focused on peer support. 80% taking part went on to work in education.
2014
The Tenancy Sustainment team joins
In 2014, the Tenancy Sustainment team joined the L&Q Foundation to support our most vulnerable residents at risk of eviction.
2015
The One Goal programme
One Goal, our free summer holiday programme was launched with Charlton Athletic in 2015.
It enabled more than 11,000 young people to participate in exciting activities over their holidays. It was the largest free holiday programme in the county at the time.
You can learn more about the One Goal programme in our media centre.
2016
The Young Carers project
Our Young Carers project worked with children as young as five with caring responsibilities to help them succeed at school and improve their confidence.
It won L&Q’s ‘community project of the year' award the following year.
You can read more about the Young Carers project in our media centre.
2017
The Turlogh O’Brien scholarships programme
In 2017, we launched our Turlogh O’Brien scholarships and provided ten ambitious college students up to £17,000 each towards their education.
Learn more about the Turlogh O’Brien scholarships in our media centre.
Stonewall Housing
In 2017, the L&Q Foundation invested £180,000 in Stonewall Housing, creating a three-year strategic partnership to support the development of services for the LGBTQ+ community.
You can read more about Stonewall Housing in our media centre.
The L&Q Foundation relaunch
We relaunched the Foundation in 2018 with an investment of £250m.
You can learn more about the L&Q Foundation relaunch in our media centre.
We also launched our Place Makers Fund, which awards grants to local organisations and charities committed to changing lives and enhancing communities.
The National Youth Theatre workshops
In 2018, we also teamed up with the National Youth Theatre to offer free theatre workshops in Newham, Waltham Forest and Lewisham.
You can learn more about the National Youth Theatre workshops in our media centre.
2018
2019
Learning to Succeed
In 2019, we launched our schools programme called Learning to Succeed.
Working with secondary schools across London, it develops young people’s skills by delivering sessions focused on Science, Technology, English and Maths (STEM) and offering advice and guidance to encourage students to consider careers in housing and construction.
You can read more about Learning to Succeed in our media centre.
2020
Adapting to support residents during the coronavirus pandemic
At the beginning of 2020, we spoke to our residents to find out what is important and this helped us define our priorities.
2021
The Get Set Go! project
Our two-year £400,000 initiative with Sport England begins in 2021.
Get Set Go! is a project that links to Sport England’s Active Environments priority, aiming to increase inactivity through the co-creation of sporting projects with residents and the local community.
In 2024, Sport England continued their relationship with the Foundation with another £500,000 funding for an additional three years.
Read more about the Get Set Go! project in our media centre.
2022
Investing in our community centres
After speaking to people and groups who use the Lewington Community Centre, we started work to make sure the centre met local needs. We wanted to create more space that could be used flexibly.
In 2022, the newly refurbished centre opened with a fun day for residents.
You can read more about Lewington Community Centre in our media centre.
You can also learn about all our other community centres.
Supporting residents with the cost of living
We want to make sure our residents are supported during the rising cost of living.
We can help with money management, finding a new job, and advice on energy use and staying warm.
2023
Social Value reporting embedded in Major Works
L&Q launched a sector-leading, ambitious Major Works investment programme, several billion pounds spread across 15 years, investing in existing homes.
With this major investment came a significant opportunity to make a substantial impact through social value contributions.
The Foundation now manages the social value commitments of our Major Works investment programme, in 2023/24 delivering more than £23m worth of social value.
Area-based community investment
In September 2023 the Foundation was restructured.
The restructure enabled the Foundation to deliver social programmes using an area-based community investment approach.
This approach makes the most out of the resources available, whilst strengthening the local connections at a community level.
2024
Integration with Trafford Housing Trust’s North West Foundation
In 2024, the Trafford Housing Trust Foundation was fully integrated into the L&Q Foundation.
This integration has allowed us to increase the impact of the activities of the Foundation, and broaden the footprint of area-based community investment to L&Q residents in the north west of England.