Ordnance Survey seeks new charity partner with a focus on education and digital exclusion
Press Office
Britain’s national mapping service is looking for a charity it can join forces with to tackle issues around digital exclusion in education.
It wants to partner with a charity that works towards empowering individuals and communities across the UK that need digital education the most.
OS will bring its location intelligence and expertise to the table. In return, it would love to work with a charity that supports one or more of the following criteria:
- Access for underserved communities
- Early careers, universities, and academics
- STEM education
- the use and/or development of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
OS’s Chief People Officer, Hazel Hendley, explained OS had a long history of working in education, and wanted a charity partner to work alongside to better understand and shape what OS could offer to make it valuable in today’s modern world.
"We believe a charity partnership would be a great vehicle for addressing digital exclusion. We're open to hearing from any charity that has had experience in supporting their communities in digital inclusion within education. We'd love charities to come forward because we want to hear more from you. That’s the magic of our corporate charity partnership. We don't know what it is going to look like because the charity we partner with always brings so much to the table. We want to give charities the opportunity to get in touch and educate us about what groups we could support and where our help could be put to most use."
Nomination criteria
To apply to become OS’s next charity partner for 2026 to 2028, your charity will:
- Focus on education and digital inclusion
- Be a registered charity, CIO or CIC in the UK, and independently audited
- Be independent of state, political party, and religion
- Support communities across the UK
Hazel said: “What we offer is a fully engaged community of staff committed to wanting to give back – it’s inherent in our culture. We possess high levels of expertise across a range of digital and technology skills, which we want to use creatively and innovatively to make this charity partnership work.
“OS has a decent budget, tons of commitment and the flexibility of being a small medium-sized enterprise that’s willing to come together with a charity and craft what this future partnership can be so both gain value from it.”
Running alongside the partnership, OS’s 1,400 employees participate in volunteering days where activities are utilised to benefit the charity it’s supporting. This extends to fundraising events and opportunities to take part in a work experience programme.
It can also provide access to OS’s peer mentoring network, monthly meetings with its partnership team and promoting innovative projects both organisations collaborate on.
Successful partnership with Mental Health UK
OS has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for previous charity partnerships with Rose Road, Solent Mind, Southampton Children’s Hospital Charity, Southampton Neonatal Unit, Women’s Aid, and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
Its most recent partnership was with Mental Health UK. Between 2023 and 2025 achievements together included:
- Raising over £35k for the charity through various fundraisers
- Using OS Maps app to host the route for Mental Health UK’s flagship fundraiser the Glow Walk
- Developing digital maps showing where the impact of Mental Health UK’s services reach
- Training people at OS to become mental health champions.
"Working with OS has been invaluable for Mental Health UK. We've raised vital funds for our programmes and services, engaged staff members in important conversations, and had an awful lot of fun along the way. From the very beginning of the partnership, the people of OS have championed our cause without fault, helping us to drive change both in the workplace and within the communities that need our support most."
How to apply
Applications open on Tuesday, 4 November. Applicants will be able to view the application form on OS’s website from that date.
Sharing the latest news about OS. We can license you to use OS maps in print, online and film format. For more information and resources for journalists, bloggers and media professionals, email pressoffice@os.uk or call 023 8005 5565.
Why choose OS?
With a rich heritage that started with the first map in 1801, following advisory roles in government to digital maps of Mars, we are home to some of the best location specialists, who tackle some of the most challenging technical issues within geospatial.