GOLD
Community Homestay Network – Rewriting Nepal’s Tourism Story Through Community Voices
CHN is a Nepali social enterprise that developed and champions a community tourism model placing the empowerment of women and youth, safeguarding of Indigenous culture and shared economic benefit from tourism at its heart. In 2025, CHN worked with 51 communities across Nepal, engaging 408 households, through a revenue-sharing system rooted in local ownership and leadership. Since 2018, women’s participation has grown by 381%, from 180 to 865 entrepreneurs. Additionally, 4104 travellers from 52 countries have been able to experience the powerful travel experience of a two-way exchange with local people.
To address visibility gaps for lesser-known destinations historically excluded from Nepal’s tourism supply chain, we expanded Community Connect, hosting 40 media and travel agents in Bhada, Bardiya, Hemjakot, Narchyang, Bungamati, Kirtipur, Dhankuta, and Janakpur. This generated 70+ international media features, amplifying community voices globally. CHN continues to position tourism as a tool for inclusive, resilient, community-owned development in Nepal.
SILVER
Swarovski Foundation & Village Enterprise – From Subsistence to Sustainability
Since 2024, Village Enterprise and the Swarovski Foundation have partnered in Busia, Kenya – a marginalised and climate-vulnerable region – to help families permanently escape extreme poverty. Using a structured poverty graduation model combining business training, seed capital, mentorship, and community-led savings groups. The partnership has already supported 327 families on a sustained pathway out of extreme poverty, reaching 2,126 indirect beneficiaries.
Results from this first cohort exceeded all targets: 90% of participants surpassed the $2.15/day (2024 levels) international poverty line, average household savings rose by 3,766%, and annual per capita consumption increased by 305%. Women represent 82% of participants.
The current phase will support a further 555 entrepreneurs, including 444 women, launching 185 climate-resilient businesses and 12 financial and entrepreneurial education groups. Beyond direct impact, the project is simultaneously refining Village Enterprise’s own digital ‘SPRINT’ model for poverty alleviation across Africa and broader sector adoption.
BRONZE
Buddhist Tzu Chi Charity Foundation – Connecting Hearts and Healthcare: Specialized Mobile Dental Action
In collaboration with the Tijuana Health Department, TIMA (Taiwan & USA), and community volunteers, the Tzu Chi Foundation launched a Special Needs Dental Shared Care Initiative in Tijuana, Mexico. The program serves patients with cerebral palsy, autism, bedridden status, or respiratory instability—groups often excluded from dental care due to mobility issues or “technical refusal.” By bringing mobile dental equipment directly to campuses, shelters, special education schools, and patients’ homes, the team completed an initial 119 treatments and extended care to 365 patient visits. Furthermore, the initiative trained 74 local Mexican doctors and interns and established a digital filing, 90-day follow-up, and local empowerment mechanism, effectively bridging the critical gap in oral healthcare for the most vulnerable.
BRONZE
Barclays & Unreasonable Group – Unreasonable Impact
Unreasonable Impact is a decade-long partnership between Barclays and Unreasonable Group that supports 410 high-growth ventures globally, helping them scale and address global issues by offering a network, resources and mentorship – including coaching by Barclays colleagues.
The ventures are pursuing solutions across a range of industries from food and agriculture to energy and manufacturing. And, to date, have collectively raised over $18bn in financing and employ more than 33,000 people.
Strategically aligned to Barclays’ Citizenship focus on helping businesses grow and create jobs, the partnership is enabling ventures to scale new technologies that can support local economies and boost energy security. Crucially, it does so through a partnership structure that is creative and durable: curated venture selection plus an ecosystem of support embedded across Barclays’ businesses, with an enduring community that compounds impact over time.
ONE-TO-WATCH
JCDecaux, InFocus and The Community Heartbeat Trust – Life Saving Communication Hubs: Defibrillator
When someone suffers a cardiac arrest, survival depends on immediate action. In 2025, JCDecaux UK installed its 350th public access defibrillator within our Communication Hubs, embedding life saving equipment directly into everyday streets across 35 UK cities. In partnership with local authorities and the Community Heartbeat Trust, we have transformed advertising funded infrastructure into a network of accessible, maintained emergency response points in high footfall locations. Each unit is inspected, supported and integrated into our national maintenance programme, ensuring reliability when it matters most. Local launches and awareness activity help communities feel confident to act. These hubs also provide connectivity and public information, strengthening resilience and inclusion. This initiative demonstrates how private sector infrastructure can deliver profound public benefit. It is not simply street furniture. It is civic infrastructure designed with humanity at its heart.