A&O Shearman Foundation awards £131,870 to charities across Northern Ireland

Tuesday 10 February 2026

15 charities across Northern Ireland have received a share of £131,870 through the A&O Shearman Foundation, bringing the total distributed locally over the last five years to GBP452,238.

The A&O Shearman Foundation supports grass roots organisations that work to advance education, improve employment opportunities, and increase access to justice. It is funded by contributions from A&O Shearman partners worldwide and is managed locally by the Belfast Grants Committee.

“We are proud to support charities whose work aligns with our three priority areas—education, employment and access to justice—each essential to building a fairer, more equitable society. Supporting this work at a grassroots level is more important than ever as the charity sector continues to navigate a challenging funding environment.” Simon Wagstaff | Managing Director -Technology Services.

Among this year’s successful applicants are MindWise, Young Enterprise NI, and Business in the Community NI.

MindWise will use its grant to deliver mental health programmes for 11–18-year-olds at risk of dropping out of education or employment. The programmes include in-school mental health and resilience workshops designed to help students manage stress, build confidence, and stay engaged in learning.

Amy Stothers from MindWise said: “We are delighted to use the A&O Shearman funding to support five schools—selected based on identified wellbeing needs—to deliver a resilience-based wellbeing programme to over 1,000 pupils during Children’s Mental Health Week 2026. We are also excited to work with two youth clubs to train staff and young leaders in the 'Your Resilience' programme, enabling them to co-deliver a range of topical wellbeing workshops to 30+ young people aged 11–18. This support will ensure youth groups across multiple sites are resourced and equipped to support the wellbeing of young people into the future.”

Carol Fitzsimons, MBE, CEO at Young Enterprise NI added: “We are incredibly grateful to the A&O Shearman Foundation for their generous support of our QuickStart programme. This funding is vital in enabling Young Enterprise NI to deliver hands-on enterprise education to 700 young people across Northern Ireland. It will allow us to provide essential resources, including workbooks and facilitator support, so students can experience the full process of setting up and running a real business. Through QuickStart, young people gain practical skills in entrepreneurship, financial management, and teamwork—skills that not only enhance their understanding of business and the economy but also prepare them for future careers and life beyond the classroom.”

In addition to financial assistance, the firm will work with all 15 organisations to identify volunteering and pro bono opportunities, making use of the skills and expertise of more than 800 employees in Belfast. Simon Wagstaff noted: “These are the cornerstones of our social impact work and part of our responsible business agenda. It’s our ambition that everyone in the office can find something that motivates and inspires them to get involved.”

Business in the Community NI has benefitted from A&O Shearman volunteers delivering weekly literacy, numeracy and coding support through their Time to Read, Time to Code, and Time2Count programmes at Cliftonville Integrated Primary School (North Belfast), St Malachy’s Primary School (Bangor), Scoil an Droichid (South Belfast), and Strandtown Primary School (East Belfast).

Dr Lisa McIlvenna, managing director, Business in the Community stated: “Quite simply, Business in the Community NI could not provide the level of support it does for children in primary schools across Northern Ireland without the generosity of A&O Shearman.

“More than 100 primary schools welcome volunteers from a wide range of businesses every week to help Key Stage 2 children—at a critical stage in their development—with literacy, numeracy and digital skills. Our volunteers offer encouragement and mentorship to more than 500 pupils who beam with pride as their confidence and skills increase.

“Partnerships like this demonstrate the powerful impact businesses can have when they invest in young people; some of whom will ultimately become their workforce of the future.”

Tuesday 10 February 2026