We aim to make a difference to communities through economic contribution, investment, education programmes and partnerships. In 2012 we invested £206 million in communities around the world.

Discover more about our programmes

In the UK where we work with leading charities Help for Heroes, Crisis, Scope and WellChild.

In the USA where we target child health and community wellbeing as a supporter of the Children’s Health Fund and the North Carolina Prevention Partners.

In Europe we work with our employees and non-government organisations (NGOs) to increase healthcare and health infrastructure. Examples of our European community partnerships include work to improve the health status of Roma communities in Central and Eastern Europe, supporting a home nursing programme for children with cancer in Greece, and funding the Barretstown Camp in Ireland which provides therapeutic recreation for sick young people.

Across the world we invest in programmes that increase access to health and wellbeing and improve outcomes for whole communities. Our flagship hygiene programme PHASE integrates handwashing and oral health training into community education initiatives and has reached over 1.5 million children worldwide. In the Least Developed Countries we reinvest 20% of any profit we make to build healthcare infrastructure. We maximise the benefits of our community investment by working in partnership with NGOs and by selecting projects that enable us to use our expertise and resources. As well as benefiting communities, our investment strengthens our business by improving our reputation, boosting employee morale and helping us build relationships with a range of stakeholders.

Our philosophy is to target support on selected health and educational programmes that are innovative, sustainable and produce tangible results. The programmes we support share our vision of enhancing healthcare, and where possible they offer opportunities to involve GSK employees in assisting communities where we do business.

Humanitarian support

Our medicines can play a vital role in humanitarian relief efforts in disaster zones. We work in partnership with non-profit organisations and relief charities during times of emergency to donate our products where they are needed, according to World Health Organization guidelines. The amount of products donated depends on demand, but we have provided antibiotics and basic medicines to disasters including the Japanese and Haiti earthquakes and the Pakistan floods.