Social / Oakley: Society and communities
Society and communities at Oakley
Partnership and collaboration remain central to Oakley’s culture, and our approach to philanthropy continues to reflect these values. We believe that creating positive social impact goes hand in hand with fostering employee engagement and strengthening the communities in which we operate. Our philanthropic programme combines long-term charitable partnerships with local initiatives and, increasingly, hands-on volunteering opportunities that enable our people to contribute their time, skills and experience.
Governance and approach
Oakley’s Philanthropy Committee continues to provide coordination and oversight of charitable and volunteering initiatives across the firm. Comprising employees from across offices and functions, the Committee meets regularly and reports to senior leadership, ensuring that our activities remain aligned with Oakley’s values, strategic priorities and the interests of our people.
Our overarching values and approach to community engagement remain unchanged. However, during 2025 we saw a deliberate evolution in our programme, with a greater emphasis on creating meaningful volunteering opportunities alongside our established model of corporate giving and employee-led fundraising.
Corporate giving and fundraising
In 2025, Oakley donated to charitable causes across our offices. These contributions supported a broad range of organisations, reflecting both our long-standing partnerships and locally relevant causes championed by our teams.
Our annual global fundraising initiative, Miles in March, continued to be a cornerstone of our philanthropic calendar. Employees across the firm once again came together to run, walk, cycle and swim in support of our chosen causes, reinforcing a shared sense of purpose while promoting wellbeing and teamwork across geographies.
Oakley’s long-term charity partners:
War Child
A specialist charity delivering life-changing services and support for children affected by conflict.
Groundbreaker Talents
Providing young women in Uganda from underprivileged communities with education in software and technology, enabling careers in the digital sector.
Study Access Alliance
Offering full scholarships for online university degrees to individuals across African countries who would otherwise be unable to afford higher education.
Across the year, Oakley supported charities including:
London
Bookmark Reading
Impetus
Soup Kitchen London
Munich
Teestube Komm
Bunte Münchner Kindl
Milan
Sightsavers
Operation Smile
Luxembourg
Tricentenaire
The American Women’s Club of Luxembourg
Dress for Success
Toutes à l’École
Students@Heart
Volunteering and employee engagement
Alongside financial contributions, 2025 marked a shift towards expanding structured volunteering opportunities across the firm. While volunteering has long been part of Oakley’s philanthropic culture, this year we placed greater emphasis on initiatives that allow employees to engage directly with communities and charities, sharing time, skills and expertise.
London
In London, the Philanthropy Committee hosted a half-day skills-based volunteering event in partnership with Impetus and Ada, the National College for Digital Skills. Held at Oakley’s offices, the event welcomed more than ten students aged 16–17 from disadvantaged backgrounds. Participants took part in a mini investment challenge designed to introduce them to technology investing, alongside discussions with Oakley professionals about careers in investment and digital services. The session concluded with a networking lunch, enabling students to engage informally with Partners, Directors, Managers and Associates from the Investment Team, as well as representatives from Portfolio, Sustainability and HR. The initiative reflects Oakley’s commitment to social mobility and to broadening access to careers in the digital and technology sectors.
In addition, in 2025 Oakley launched a series of soup kitchen volunteering days in London. Employees from across departments volunteered in groups of six to eight people, supporting meal preparation and service for vulnerable members of the local community. Two volunteering days were held during the year, with plans already in place to continue and expand this initiative in 2026.
Milan
In Milan, volunteering activity complemented the office’s ongoing charitable support. In partnership with Operation Smile, the Milan office hosted an interactive empathy workshop, providing employees with insight into the organisation’s work and the lived experiences of individuals affected by cleft conditions. In addition, members of the Milan team participated in two soup kitchen volunteering days at a local organisation, contributing practical support while strengthening team connection and shared purpose.
While similar initiatives are taking place across other Oakley offices, these examples illustrate how volunteering is becoming an increasingly important element of our broader philanthropic programme.