Met Office launches search for new Charity Partner

The Met Office has officially opened the application process for its next corporate charity partner, inviting charities and non-profit organisations to express their interest in forming a 3 year charity partnership with the UK’s national weather service.

Applications are now open and will close on Friday 13 June 2025.

Every 3 years, the Met Office selects a new official charity partner through a comprehensive selection process, which includes input from its employees. The current partnership with The Wildlife Trusts, established in 2022, is set to end later this year.

The initiative forms a core part of the Met Office’s values and social responsibility efforts. “Having a corporate charity partner is integral to the Met Office's mission and values,” the organisation stated. “Our corporate charity partnerships enhance our role as a responsible organisation and strengthen our connection with the community.”

In addition to fundraising, the selected charity partner will benefit from broader opportunities from the charity partnership. These include visibility through Met Office social media channels, complimentary ad space on its website, and potential joint research projects.

Past charity partners have included high-profile charities such as Surfers Against Sewage, the RNLI, WaterAid, and ShelterBox. Each charity partnership has fostered impactful initiatives and public engagement.

To mark the end of its current charity partnership, the Met Office recently held a tree planting ceremony with The Wildlife Trusts, celebrating a successful collaboration that exceeded the initial fundraising goal of £20,000.

“Our goal is to establish a mutually beneficial relationship with the selected charity, one that aligns with our values and helps amplify the charity’s mission,” the Met Office added.

Charities interested in applying can find more information and submit their expression of interest via the Met Office website.

Applications

As part of your application, in no more than 500 words the Met Office would like you to tell us:?

• what the aims and values are of your charity?

• how you will make your charity relevant to Met Office employees wherever they work?

• the benefits to both parties of us both working together

• if you are a charity partner of any other organisations

• how you meet some of our Corporate Objectives and align with Met Office Values?

• how you have a national or international presence or reach or tell the Met Office how you will engage with employees wherever they work.

What happens next?

Once applications have closed, the Met Office will contact you to let you know if you have successfully made it onto their shortlist of charities. All shortlisted charities will be informed at the end of June 2025 and invited to an internal event at our Exeter HQ on Wednesday 2 July 2025.

At this event, each charity will have the opportunity to talk to Met Office staff and fundraise. Although the Met Office encourage everyone to send a representative in person to this event, the Met Office will also invite each charity to create a short 5-minute video that they can share with their staff to explain why they should vote for you (this can be done virtually).

The Met Office staff vote will run from 7-25 July 2025, and the Met Office will contact each of the charities to notify you if you have been successful or not after the vote has closed. All charities will be notified in early August 2025. For the successful charity, the Met Office would expect to officially begin the charity partnership in September 2025.