Ordnance Survey seeks charity partner

Ordnance Survey (OS) is on the hunt for a charity partner to work with it over the next two years to tackle digital exclusion in education.

The UK national mapping service says it will bring its “location intelligence and expertise to the table” and wants to work with a charity with expertise in supporting digital inclusion among young people focusing on one or more of the following areas:

• Access for underserved communities
• Early careers, universities, and academics
• STEM education
• the use and/or development of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Applications will be open from 4 November.

"We believe a charity partnership would be a great vehicle for addressing digital exclusion, said OS chief people officer Hazel Hendley.

“We're open to hearing from any charity that has had experience in supporting their communities in digital inclusion within education. “

Hendley added: “We want to give charities the opportunity to get in touch and educate us about what groups we could support and where our help could be put to most use."

Previous OS partnerships have included link ups with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), Southampton Children’s Hospital, Solent Mind, Rose Road and Women’s Aid.

Its most recent two-year partnership, which came to an end this year, was with Mental Health UK.

This included raising £35,000 for the charity and using OS Maps app to host the route for the its’ Glow walk fundraising. OS Maps were also used to show the impact of the charity’s services.

In addition, OS staff were trained to become mental health champions.

"Working with OS has been invaluable for Mental Health UK,” said the charity’s head of corporate partnerships Abby Clyndes.

“We've raised vital funds for our programmes and services, engaged staff members in important conversations, and had an awful lot of fun along the way.

“From the very beginning of the partnership, the people of OS have championed our cause without fault, helping us to drive change both in the workplace and within the communities that need our support most."