11 August

How Businesses Can Have a Lasting Impact with City Giving Day

City Giving Day, our annual celebration of philanthropy bringing together the City community, is fast approaching. For City businesses, this is a chance to show your social impact, engage colleagues and raise funds for your chosen charities - while celebrating the positive difference YOU make every day.

From fundraising and volunteering to skills-sharing and creating meaningful experiences for young people, participating businesses have found a range of creative ways to bring colleagues together and make a difference on City Giving Day.

To help spark #CGD2026 plans, or to simply those yet to sign up this year, we’ve pulled together some of our most inspiring activities from City Giving Days past.

Lloyds Banking Group: Bringing colleagues together through action

For Lloyds Banking Group, City Giving Day has become an opportunity to combine fundraising, volunteering and colleague engagement.

One of its most memorable initiatives was its annual branch relay race in 2021, connecting Lloyds Bank and Halifax branches across the City of London. Employees took to the streets to run between different City locations, raising funds for charitable causes while bringing colleagues together in a very visible celebration of giving. It even received the runner-up for “Most Visible” event at the annual City Giving Day awards.

But the impact goes beyond a single event. Lloyds Banking Group has used City Giving Day as a platform to showcase its volunteering programmes and charitable partnerships, including its support for organisations such as Mental Health UK. It’s also supported ‘Skills Builder’ activities, helping bring skills development to children and young people.

As Isik from Refugee Action Kingston reflected at a Lloyds Bank Foundation and City Giving Day event in 2021, volunteering can be a ‘two-way street’: colleagues give their time while also gaining new perspectives that they can bring back into their working lives. 

Standard Chartered: Turning celebration into opportunity

For Standard Chartered, City Giving Day is a platform to celebrate community impact, engage colleagues and shine a light on the organisations and initiatives creating change.

A key part of its work has been its support for Futuremakers, Standard Chartered’s global initiative focused on helping young people develop the skills and opportunities they need to improve their prospects. Over the years, City Giving Day has provided opportunities to showcase this work and bring people together around a shared purpose.

In 2022, Standard Chartered celebrated a Futuremakers graduation event, recognising the achievements of participants and highlighting the importance of investing in young people. Then, in 2024, an Entrepreneurs Market provided another opportunity to celebrate enterprise, community and the potential of individuals to create positive change.

For Standard Chartered, one of the strengths of City Giving Day is its accessibility. Businesses do not necessarily need a large budget or an elaborate programme to get involved. Simple actions — such as colleagues wearing red to show their support — can help create visibility and start conversations.

The LEGO Group: Creating moments of connection

Sometimes, creating lasting impact starts with something as simple as giving children the opportunity to play, explore and imagine. At City Giving Day 2025, The LEGO Group brought its creativity and play-based approach by hosting a play session with children from Harbinger Primary School, attended by the Lady Mayoress.

These three businesses demonstrate that there is no single way to ‘do’ City Giving Day. Once the day ends, you might have inspired a colleague to continue volunteering, or provided a young person will skills to achieve meaningful employment or inspired another business to commit to a CSR activity.

It is your opportunity to bring your colleagues together and show how your business is contributing to sustained social impact for the City community and beyond. 

Find out more about City Giving Day and how your business can get involved