Standard Chartered has been part of the local Jersey community for over 45 years and maintains the view that its success during that time is intrinsically tied to the welfare of the Island.
The Bank’s brand promise here for good means that the team is committed and spends time connecting with local charities and the wider community to make a positive impact. A great example of this is the three fully paid Employee Volunteering days that colleagues are encouraged by the Bank to each use helping local charitable causes they care about every year.
One of the main events that the Jersey team organises annually to give back to the local community is the Standard Chartered Jersey Marathon. This year, the Marathon celebrates its twentieth anniversary and promises to be even bigger and better than previous ones.
The Marathon uses the power of sport to bring the community together, encourage health and wellbeing as well as raising vital funds for local charities. Nearly 2,000 runners took part in 2024, raising and donating generously to charities on the Island and further afield. A small army of Standard Chartered employees gave up their time volunteering in the Marathon Village and Registration Tents right through to the Command Centre and two of the Relay Stations.
The Bank continues to support and encourage the event organisers to introduce new sustainability measures every year, in a bid to minimise the environmental impact and maximise the social impact of the Marathon. Last year saw the introduction of a new trainer drop-off initiative. Eighty pairs of trainers were donated at the end of the race, and these have since been handed out, with the help of two fantastic local charities – Acorn Enterprises and Jersey Shelter Trust Fundraising – to those most in need on the Island.
It is certainly a marathon to remember. From coastal paths to leafy valleys and country lanes – the running event on Sunday 5 October has it all. The race, which is split into three categories, Marathon, Relay Race (five or two person) and Marathon Mile, has established itself as a race not to miss on the sporting calendar. Runners of all ages and abilities are welcome, with many travelling from abroad. Over the years, professional athletes from Africa and France have taken home the winning prize for crossing the finishing line in first place. Registration is now open for the 2025 event and anyone can enter here.
Henry Baye, Chief Executive Officer, Standard Chartered Jersey, explained: “We take our corporate citizenship as seriously as our core business and see ourselves not just as a bank but, as an integral part of the Jersey community.”
Another recent community initiative by Standard Chartered Jersey included helping to clean up parts of Jersey’s prime coastal areas, through a new partnership between the Bank and local charity Littlefeet Environmental. Throughout September 2024, over 70 employee volunteers took part in a series of beach clean events at Long Beach in Grouville, Ouaisne Bay in St Brelade, and Sands in St Ouen, in collaboration with the St Helier-based charity. During the clean-up events, the employees collected and removed more than an impressive 90kg of rubbish from across the three sites.
A Jersey-registered not for profit organisation, Littlefeet Environmental, works to combat marine and costal pollution in Jersey through beach cleaning initiatives, community involvement and innovative thinking. The charity’s aim is to provide a platform that encourages individuals and organisations to take small steps towards building a more sustainable future by thinking globally and acting locally.
Henry Baye continued: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the many charities, colleagues, individuals and community groups who work so tirelessly and do amazing things to make Jersey a kind and loving Island.”
In today’s world, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is more than just a sum of all its parts. Companies, including banks and financial institutions seek to build strong relationships with all of their stakeholders – and the wider communities they serve, is absolutely one of them.
