Bridging the digital and creative divide with the launch of the Adobe UK Community Fund

At Adobe, we believe in the power of community to create positive change. We know that creativity has the power to uplift communities, and technology can transform lives, yet not everyone has the same access to opportunities to aid self-expression. Our purpose-driven mission, Creativity for All, reflects our deep commitment to empowering everyone to be creative, irrespective of what makes them uniquely themselves or the skill level they have.

Today, we proudly launch the Adobe UK Community Fund, facilitated by the Adobe Foundation with a commitment to driving positive change in London and Berkshire, home to many of Adobe’s 1,400-strong UK workforce.

Sparking creativity across communities

The Adobe UK Community Fund seeks to support digital and creative inclusion for communities with lower rates of digital access, focusing on initiatives that positively impact the social inclusion of residents who are deaf or living with a disability. This support is rooted in our Adobe for All belief that people are more creative, innovative, and successful when they feel included.

The deep expertise and partnership that nonprofit organisations bring in advancing equity and inclusion is critical to this progress. That's why the Adobe Foundation is partnering with the London Community Foundation and Berkshire Community Foundation to make sure that we are learning from the community, engaging leaders across the region, and are able provide as many people as possible with access to new skills and opportunities.

Through the Adobe UK Community Fund, 19 non-profit organisations have been selected to receive grants that enable community access to opportunities and resources needed to connect, create, and succeed in this digital age. The total grant provided of over £650,000 will be further supported by Adobe employee engagement, volunteering, advocacy, and product donations, including Adobe Express Premium.

In Berkshire, where Adobe recently opened a new office in Reading, seven organisations have been selected through the Berkshire Community Foundation to address the needs of people who are deaf or are living with a disability, as well as children, women, and global majority residents. Adobe’s London office is located in Islington which, at 16.3 percent, is the London borough with the highest prevalence of people living with a disability. The Adobe Foundation and The London Community Foundation, supported by Inclusion London, selected 12 non-profits with a history of serving local communities and would benefit from our support.

One of the nonprofits being supported is Learning to Work, which bridges the gap between education and employment for children and young people, particularly from under-served communities, by providing a range of events and activities that develop essential workplace skills. Through the grant from the Adobe UK Community Fund, the Berkshire-based nonprofit will be able to prepare even more young people for the world of work through career guidance, work experience, and employer-led events and activities.

Boosting production skills in Croydon and home visits for residents of Haringey with visual impairments

Croydon-based Club Soda, a nonprofit receiving a grant from The London Community Foundation, empowers individuals with learning disabilities by providing creative opportunities and digital media training.

North of the river, funding awarded to the Middlesex Association for the Blind will empower people in Haringey and Enfield with visual impairments to access crucial online services through bespoke training. With so many goods and services offered on a digital-first or digital-only basis, this training programme boosts the ability of people with visual impairments to live independently and tackles digital isolation.

Funding was prioritised for Deaf and Disabled People's Organisations (DDPOs), organisations where at least half of the board and/or staff comprise people who are deaf or living with a disability. Disability Action Haringey is one such organisation and their funding will enable communities to co-design creative social activities that bring together deaf, disabled, and non-disabled locals.

A local implementation of a global commitment

The launch of the Adobe UK Community Fund reflects a broader global commitment to fostering community prosperity, with a focus on initiatives that are locally relevant and tailored to the unique needs of each community.

Providing nonprofits with the resources they need to maximise their impact through our people, products, and philanthropy is part of our responsibility, and these partnerships help accelerate social change. This commitment ties back to our overarching goal of fostering social equity and advancing digital literacy worldwide.

The Adobe Foundation actively supports initiatives addressing immediate community needs, such as homelessness and food security in San Jose, California, and digital skilling in India, where a significant amount of our workforce resides. Uplifting the communities where our employees work and live is a long-standing part of our global mission, and expanding the Adobe UK Community Fund is a perfect example of how we we’re doing that.

Organisations funded by the Adobe UK Community Fund

All 19 charities supported as part of The Adobe UK Community Fund are:

London

• Angel Shed Theatre Company
• Artbox London
• Ab Phab Youth Club
• Bexley Snap
• Club Soda
• Disability Action
• Empowering Deaf Society
• Hackney People First
• Hear Us
• Intercultural Roots for Public Health
• Middlesex Association for the Blind
• Toucan Employment

Berkshire

• Home-Start Berkshire East
• Learning to Work
• Re:Charge R&R
• Rivertime Boat Trust
• Thames Hospice
• The Dash Charity
• Windsor Christian Action