Corporate Friends Scheme
The Trust’s Fellowship Programme brings young leaders from emerging democracies to the UK for an intensive five week programme. The Fellows learn about and work in the institutions of British democracy. They meet and engage with leading figures from the world of politics and business. Their task is to acquire skills and knowledge that they can use when they return home in their different fields. Their experience is one of learning and teaching both each other and the UK practitioners and academics that they meet.
UK businesses need stable, predictable and transparent environments in which to work. By reaching the next generation of leaders the Trust aims to spread the values of British democracy to emerging democracies and states in transition. To support and expand our work the Trust has launched a Corporate Friends Scheme. Companies interested in supporting our work or doing business in the countries in which we operate are signing up to sponsor the Trust for a three year period. Some companies are sponsoring all the Fellows from a particular country which costs approximately £30,000 per Fellow and others are committing to £10,000 per annum to generally support the Trust. So far the following companies have signed up to the scheme: BP, Royal Bank of Scotland, BMI, KPMG, Clifford Chance, and Renaissance Capital.
If your organisation would like to become a Corporate Friend of the John Smith Memorial Trust or if you know of anyone that we might approach, then please contact the Trust’s Director Brian Brivati on Brian.Brivati@JohnSmithTrust.org.
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“I am responsible for evaluating the John Smith Fellowship for effectiveness, impact, and value for money. I do this in consultation with the British Embassies in all the seven countries, and with the External Relations Directorate of the European Commission, prior to making recommendations to Ministers. At the review last year I can say that without exception the feedback from those sources was entirely positive about the importance of the programme and the impact that John Smith Fellows make in their respective countries."
Joan Borley, Ministry of Justice
“BP considers itself a guest in Azerbaijan. We have been there for over fifteen years. We will be there for a good few decades to come. Understanding that country is very important to us as a business. The Trust gives us the opportunity to talk to people who can provide a different perspective from the ones that we are quite familiar with in our day to day business. And what struck me when I met the Fellows for the first time was that they gave me and BP this fantastic opportunity to hear from people who were open minded, creative, intelligent, very forward looking, very passionate about their country and to hear from someone outside of our company, from outside of the oil business about some of the challenges that Azerbaijan faces.”
Clare Bebbington, BP