Short summary
When the Just Finance Foundation (JFF) set out to develop a compelling corporate engagement offer that would meet evolving Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) expectations, it joined forces with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Pilotlight for a high-energy Impact Day.
This dual case study highlights how focused collaboration delivered practical outcomes for JFF by strengthening its ESG strategy while simultaneously providing FCA’s early career interns with meaningful, real-world development opportunities. By weaving together the charity’s ambitions and the interns’ growth, the partnership demonstrates the value of cross-sector engagement for both organisational impact and talent development.
The challenge
The Just Finance Foundation is committed to fostering financial wellbeing through early and inclusive education. Its strategy centres on equipping primary-aged children with essential financial skills via values-based programmes like LifeSavers, which has reached over 200,000 pupils since 2017.
The charity supports educators, engages families, and advocates for policy reforms to embed financial education in the national curriculum.
For the Pilotlight Impact Day, JFF brought a clear challenge:
How can a small charity design and communicate a corporate engagement offer that meets the new regulatory framework for ESG?
The goal
The aim was to enhance JFF’s employee engagement programme to better align with the social impact and community engagement sought by financial services firms under ESG commitments. JFF also needed to develop messaging and structure to pitch this refreshed offer to potential funders.
At the same time, the FCA wanted to provide its interns with a real-world opportunity to develop teamwork, collaboration and problem-solving skills, while supporting a charity making a tangible impact.
The collaboration
Pilotlight designed and facilitated a one-day programme, matching FCA interns with the leadership teams of supported charities, including JFF. Throughout the day:
- Interns engaged in Q&A sessions with charity leaders
- Teams conducted rapid research and strategy development
- Each group presented actionable recommendations by the end of the session
Pilotlight facilitators guided the process, ensuring a supportive, inclusive, and energised environment. The format encouraged creative thinking, inclusive collaboration, and mutual respect.
The outcome: For Just Finance Foundation
The charity left the day with fresh insight into ESG frameworks and partnership strategy, actionable ideas for refining its corporate engagement offer, and greater clarity and confidence in its next steps.
Just Finance Foundation is now better positioned to develop a compelling offer for financial services partners.
The outcome: For FCA
For FCA interns, this was learning in action:
- 95% of interns were satisfied with the programme, with 79% being very satisfied
- 90% reported increased confidence in building cohesive teams and establishing good client rapport under pressure
- 79% reported increased confidence in developing and delivering high-quality outputs in a tight timeframe
- 74% reported increased confidence in active listening with empathy and agreeing team roles and responsibilities
Interns also gained a stronger understanding of the charity sector and the challenges faced by charities, with 94% reporting a strong or good understanding of the sector.
Early careers impact
Unlike standard graduate or intern training, which often relies on classroom-based learning and simulations, the Impact Day offered FCA’s interns with a rare chance to apply their skills to a real-world challenge. It was a cornerstone experience, providing hands-on development that set it apart from standard programmes.
Interns left with increased confidence in teamwork, stakeholder engagement, and delivering results under pressure. They also gained hands-on experience in drafting slide decks and delivering public presentations, further building their confidence and communication skills.
The programme not only supported the Just Finance Foundation but also accelerated the professional growth of the FCA’s future talent.
Mutual learning
This wasn’t just about solving a challenge. It was about building connection. The charity gained tangible tools and insight. The business gained fresh perspective and practical experience.
Both walked away with a deeper commitment to social impact.
What Just Finance Foundation said about the Pilotlight Impact Day:
I would like to extend our gratitude to all of the dedicated participants involved in the impact day, the FCA and Pilotlight. Thanks to the efforts of everyone involved, we are now better equipped to take our offering forward. The passion and energy showed will make a significant and lasting impact on our partnerships – which are key to helping us strengthen financial education in schools across the country.
- James Woodcock, Head of Fundraising, Just Finance Foundation
What the Financial Conduct Authority said about the Pilotlight Impact Day:
The Pilotlight Impact Day was an incredibly engaging experience for our FCA interns. It was brilliant to see them dive into real world problem solving and developing innovation options and solutions with such enthusiasm.
What stood out most was how much they learned in a single day - and how well our interns were able to apply those learning in their roles.
They not only enjoyed the challenge but also gained valuable exposure to stakeholder management and managing competing priorities. The most powerful aspect for me was seeing both the interns and the charities walk away full of ideas and insights.
- Emily Goodyear, Head of Early Careers, FCA
I gained good experience in working in a team as well as presenting. My team gained good feedback of what went well and what could be improved which was useful.
-- FCA Intern
Wrap-up
This Impact Day demonstrated what’s possible when businesses and charities work side-by-side. With shared purpose and mutual respect, the Financial Conduct Authority and Just Finance Foundation created practical progress and led with insight, empathy, and ambition.