KPMG Foundation

The Foundation is an independent body, created in 2001 with the aim of creating and improving education and social projects for the disadvantaged and under privileged.

The Trustees have chosen to target four specific groups of disadvantaged:

• refugees
• young offenders
• children and young people who have been in care
• children and young people with dyslexia/literacy difficulties

Young people with literacy difficulties forms the basis of the 'Every Child a Reader' campaign.

Although the Foundation in funded by KPMG UK with a capital sum of £10m the body exists entirely independently.

The Foundation has a Board of Trustees. The Charity Commission insist that the number of external trustees must always, at a minimum, be the same as the number of internal trustees. The KPMG Board decided that the internal trustees should comprise of at least one staff member.

The current board of trustees are:

John Griffith-Jones (Chairman)
Joined KPMG in 1975 and made Partner in 1987 and acted as a mid market M&A practitioner and government advisor on privatisations and PFI before running the function in the UK and Chairing the European network. Various overseas client projects in, inter alia, the US, Sweden, Bahrain, Greece and Hong Kong. Then four years as CEO of the UK firm Chairman and Senior Partner of the UK firm from 1st October 2006.

Gerry Acher CBE LVO
Gerry was a member of the Board of KPMG and the Senior Partner of its London office until 31 December 2001.

He is Chairman of BPB plc Audit Committee, non executive director of Camelot Group, Deputy Chairman of London First, a member of the London Resilience Forum, a member of the DTI committee, a member of the DTI/DEFRA Advisory Committee for Business and the Environment and chairs their Company Reporting Working Party. He is a Trustee, Member of Council and Senior Treasurer of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA).

He is also Vice-Chairman of Motability, the charity which helps disabled people become mobile. He is Chairman of Awards for Young Musicians, a charity set up to provide financial assistance to young musicians between the age of five and eighteen.

Sir John Cassels CB
Sir John CB was a career civil servant. He was Director of the Manpower Services Commission 1975-81 and second permanent secretary of the Management and Personnel Office. He later became Director General of the National Economic Development Office (1983/1988). He wrote a book entitled "Britain's Real Skill Shortage - and what should be done about it" (published 1990) and was chairman of UK Skills (1990 - 2000).

Sir John was Director of the independent National Commission on Education, whose main report, "Learning to Succeed" was published in 1993; a follow-up report, published in 2003, appraised progress over the last 10 years and proposed new areas of work.

Sir John was Chairman of the Modern Apprenticeship Advisory Committee appointed in 2001 to report how to develop the apprenticeship system. He has since acted as special adviser to the Task Force set up by the government to help in developing apprenticeships.

Chris Hayes
Chris Hayes' career includes experience as an academic, work in the steel and foundry industries, as a civil servant, an international management consultant and as a company chairman.

He was chairman of the Prospect Centre, a strategic management consultancy whose clients included major companies and public service organisations in the UK, Germany, France, Belgium, Italy and Sweden, the USA and Singapore.

He has served in various capacities on a number of bodies: as a deputy chief executive of the Manpower Services Commission, member of the European Commission's Committee on Vocational Training, senior consultant to OECD, vice president of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, member of the quality assessment committee of the Higher Education Funding Council for England, chair of governors of Kingsway FE College, member of the board of Community Industry and association commissioner of the National Commission on Education (NCE).

Most recently he was a specialist adviser to the House of Commons Select Committee on Education and Skills.

Helena Kennedy QC
Helena is a criminal practitioner, having acted in many leading British cases including the Brighton Bombing Trial and the Guildford Four Appeal. She is Chair of the Human Genetics Commission and a member of the World Bank Institute's External Advisory Council. She is the President of the School of Oriental and African Studies and was recently appointed to the board of the British Museum.

Dr Ashley Steel
Dr Ashley Steel graduated with a PhD in Management from Henley at the age of 25 when she then joined KPMG as a trainee adviser. At KPMG Ashley has undertaken a wide range of roles including leading KPMG's services to global technology and media companies, assisting national governments undertake privatisation, and conducting strategy and efficiency reviews for numerous public and private sector organisations. She has worked in over 35 countries including spending over two years based in South Bay California.
On returning to the UK in 2003 Ashley became UK and Global Chair - Transport and was appointed to the UK Board. In 2006 Ashley's responsibilities were extended and she now heads the firm's Infrastructure and Government practice. She is also a member of the Board Sub Group for Diversity, Board sponsor for sexual orientation and for Corporate Social Responsibility.

Neil Sherlock - Partner Public Affairs
Neil is a partner of public affairs at KPMG. He joined KPMG in 1985 as an economist and then worked in a variety of roles including heading up the office of the Chairman, KPMG International.

A selection of projects funded by the KPMG Foundation:

Reading Recovery National Network - Every Child a Reader

In 2006 The Foundation commissioned a report 'The Long term Cost of Literacy Difficulties' which examined the social and economic consequences brought about by the continued disadvantages faced by many children. The report notes that the costs to the UK due to widespread literacy difficulties could be as high as £2.05bn therefore early intervention for individuals is essential. A 'Reading Recovery' programme for those young children with low literacy could prevent 79% from literacy failure and the save the public purse up to £1.62bn. The report also noted that widespread literacy difficulties would lead to an increased burden on the education and special needs support services as well as leading to increased risks of young people becoming involved with the criminal justice system.

The report can be downloaded from the Foundation's website here: http://www.kpmg.co.uk/about/foundation/index.cfm

The Frank Buttle Trust - By Degrees: From Care to University

A five year action research project commission by the Frank Buttle Trust and based at the Thomas Coram Research Unit at the Institute of Education, Unversity of London. The project financially assisted young people moving from care to higher education and researched the kind of support they require to complete their courses successfully.

Background:
There is a massive gap between the attainment of children looked after by local authorities and their peers, even compared with other disadvantaged groups. Only 8 percent achieve five or more GCSE subjects at grades A*-C - that national figure is 53 percent.

Outcome:
The results of the Research Project have been disseminated with the objective of ensuring more children in care are able to access and sustain higher education.

The Refugee Council - Inclusive Secondary Schools Project

Commenced in 2005, this project aims to raise the educational attainment of refugee pupils at Key stage 3 and 4 (ages 11-16) by increasing participation of parents, carers and community organisations.
The purpose of the research is to assess current practice with a view to supporting schools and LEAs to develop refugee inclusion strategies, and to inform them about the needs and expectations of refugee parents.

For further information on the KPMG Foundation, contact Jo Clunie on 0207 311 4733 or e-mail kpmgfoundation@kpmg.co.uk