Community Engagement

Delivering a positive impact

Infineum is committed to delivering a positive impact in the communities in which we are located. We aim to nurture excellent relationships with people who work and live near our sites, including emergency service providers, schools and community groups.

In line with our objectives, our Global Volunteering Standard provides an additional day’s annual leave for colleagues to support our communities by volunteering for a local charity or participating in activities to promote and encourage Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) skills in the next generation. In 2023, for the first time, we exceeded our set goal for 2025 as 28% of colleagues participated in this initiative, up from 16% in 2022.

Colleagues from Infineum China Business and  Technology Center used their volunteering day to plant trees and help run activities
for children with special needs. The first volunteering event took place in March, when a group of colleagues planted trees at the Baiyouju Ecological Farm on Chongming Island. The second event took place on China’s Children’s Day in June at Feiye Art Special Education School in Shanghai.  The event was organised by the Shanghai Jinqiao Economic and Technological Development Zone Enterprise Association, with colleagues helping to create a memorable experience for children with special needs.

Our US colleagues have supported Habitat for Humanity by volunteering to help with the construction of a new home in Summit, New Jersey, for people in need of accommodation within the local community.

The volunteer team helped to complete a modular housing unit by insulating the basement, filling in access holes in the floors and landscaping the outdoor area. Habitat for Humanity is an international charity fighting global poverty and homelessness by building homes to help families achieve strength, stability, and self-reliance.

Inspired by the “Clear Shores, Clean Waters for Singapore 2019 Campaign” organised by the Singapore Chemical Industry Council (SCIC), Infineum Singapore took the initiative in 2022 to set up its own annual beach clean-up as a commitment to environmental protection.

Revitalising our Earth with beach clean-up - Read more

Tree Planting for a Greener Planet - Read more

This year, a total of 51 colleagues from the Singapore Plant and the Business Technology Centre joined together for a morning to take part in a beach clean up activity at Pasir Ris Park and collected at total of seventy-two kilogrammes of litter, helping reduce pollution and restore the beauty of the beach. Other colleagues in Singapore took part in the OneMillionTrees movement, planting 50 trees along a stretch of road called Woodlands Road. The tree planting event, held on 20 September, was attended by nearly 60 colleagues from our Singapore Plant and Business Technology Centre. 

Our Procurement and Global Supply Planning Teams at Milton Hill, UK, volunteered for Oxford-based mental health charity, Restore.

Restore takes a holistic approach to mental health recovery and incorporates gardening activities into its recovery programmes. Our volunteers helped with maintenance work on its Elder Stubbs Allotment. The allotment grows produce for their Restore Café, which offers people with mental health difficulties the opportunity to learn catering and customer service skills.

Volunteering initiatives like this not only help organisations like Restore overcome resource limitations but also create a strong bond between businesses and the local community.

“The support of corporate partners like Infineum is so important. It’s thanks to its supporters that Restore can help people to rebuild their lives. Th­e volunteer efforts made a direct impact on a therapeutic horticulture programme that benefits over fifty people every week, supporting them towards mental health recovery. In total, Restore supports five hundred people a year through six thousand activities and coaching sessions. Two-thirds of people will leave Restore and enter employment, volunteering, or further training. Volunteers make such a positive difference to the work Restore does, in raising community awareness and helping to break down stigma around mental ill-health.”

Matt Jerwood, Restore

Promoting STEM education

STEM skills are crucial for our business capabilities and success. Our future workforce will depend on more young people being encouraged to study STEM subjects and entering STEM careers. Our schools outreach programme helps address this challenge.

Our international network of STEM ambassadors regularly 
organise engagement sessions at local schools and attend careers fairs to share their experience of careers in STEM and give advice to children of all ages. For example, Infineum’s Executive Vice President, Nicki Pickup took part in an event run by the Education Business Partnership, a not-for-profit organisation that brings together education and business in the Thames Valley, to give mock interview sessions to young people. 

Through practicing for job interviews with Nicki, students had the chance to learn the skills and knowledge they need for entry into further education, or a job interview in STEM.

Infineum UK ensures STEM success with local students - Read More

Nicki said “I was very impressed by the enthusiasm of the students. Many had very clear ambitions for their future and were keen to pursue a career in STEM where they could make a positive impact in their community. I was very glad to be involved in the exercise and help boost students’ confidence.”

Our Italian site in Vado Ligure once again opened its doors to 
local students interested in learning more about careers in STEM. The visit was part of an ‘open door’ initiative, known locally as Fabbriche Aperte Giovani. This annual event aims to inspire and encourage middle school students’ future career choices in science and innovation by providing a variety of ‘show and tell’ experiences that enable them to see first-hand what’s involved.

As a long-term supporter, Infineum Italia joined together with twenty-four other Vado local businesses and a variety of scientific associations to host the hundreds of students who take part each year. After a quick overview of Infineum’s business, the students were invited on a guided tour of the site. Andrea Villani, Vado
Plant Contact Engineer, said: “I was happy to share our passion for STEM and witness the students’ attitude and curiosity during the visit.”

Infineum Italia inspires local students interested in STEM - Read More

Infineum Japan signed a partnership agreement with local authorities in Ohta City, Tokyo, trialling educational programmes to encourage children to study STEM at seven local primary schools. As part of the partnership, a team of volunteers from our site in Tokyo visited two local schools to show pupils how STEM learnings are relevant to our daily work at Infineum. As part of the syllabus, children had the opportunity to learn the difference between water and oil in terms of viscosity, boiling point, and specific gravity through visual experiments. The team also ran an interactive session to give the children an overview of the automotive industry and an understanding of environmental problems caused by greenhouse gas emissions, explaining the crucial role additives play to reduce emissions. Pupils were asked to design sustainable cars of the future which had to be human-centric and environmentally friendly.

Driveline Technologist Hirokazu Kiuchi said:

“I was extremely impressed by the students’ presentations of their ideas on sustainable cars of the future, designed from unique perspectives with a lot of passion. On the one hand, our workshops gave pupils a chance to see things from different points of view, and on the other hand, they filled us with their fresh thoughts and ideas.”

Lubes Technologist Akihiro Kodaka said: 

“I believe STEM activities are an investment for our industry as we could influence children’s growth positively.”

STEM learning boosts interest at local school in Toyko - Read More

Colleagues in the US have dedicated their time and energy to volunteer with the Future of STEM Scholars Initiative (FOSSI), a partnership between the American Chemistry Council (ACC), American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), Chemours, and the HBCU Week Foundation, aimed at increasing the number of under-represented professionals in STEM by providing scholarships to students pursuing STEM degrees at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Infineum supports this initiative, which grants $40,000 per scholarship and connects students to leadership development, mentoring, and internship opportunities.

Inspiring Underrepresented Students in STEM with FOSSI - Read More

Helen Clear, Head of Communications, who volunteered at the event, shared her thoughts, saying,

"I was glad to take part in this initiative as I learned just how much scholarships like this can change lives. It's very humbling to be involved and to meet so many amazing people."

Charity fundraising

In addition to volunteering, our colleagues frequently organise fundraising events for local charities throughout 
the year. We are proud to play a role in supporting our communities and making a meaningful difference to the 
lives of those in need.

At our head office in Milton Hill, combined donations from Infineum and the dedicated fundraising efforts of our colleagues raised more than £85,000 for charities in 2023, with colleagues contributing over £39,500 through various fundraising activities. 
All the funds were distributed to deserving charities, each making 
a significant impact in their respective areas. HEROS, a charity that retrains ex-racehorses to offer bespoke education programmes for children with special education needs or young people who struggle in mainstream schools, received £11,000. Monies were raised through a laptop sale, a charity Chinese New Year lunch, and an Easter raffle.

Celebrating Infineum UK's charitable impact in 2023 - Read More

Wild Oxfordshire received £5,725, supporting their mission to catalyse nature recovery across the county. Infineum organised diverse fundraising activities, including a plant sale, a photography competition, and a bake-off. The ME Association, focused on post-viral fatigue syndromes, received support through a charity football match, a tombola, and a furniture sale, raising £5,767 for the vital advocacy and services they provide.

The Newman Holiday Trust, which provides holidays for over 120 children with disabilities, saw an impressive total raised of £9,845 from events such as an auction, Christmas quiz, and Christmas lunch. Other charities that received donations included Ghost Fishing, True Colours Theatre, Home Start, The Trussell Trust, SOFEA, The Didcot Powerhouse, Play2Give.