Membership Awards 2026 are open until 5 June – start your nomination now!

Find out more 🡕
Laura Mountain

Laura Mountain

Strategic Relationships Manager

“Law-rah Moun-tain” | she/her

Laura focuses on how the City & Guilds Foundation can help address some of the most pressing issues faced by society today.

She leads our overall strategy for grant-giving, advocacy, and awards, and looking at ways we can deliver the highest impact possible in partnership with those that share our purpose.

Laura is very solutions-focused, loves joining the dots and making new connections.

Laura loves spending time with friends, family (especially her toddler), reading and eating!

positivity | empathy | strategic | arranger | maximizer

The latest stories from Laura Mountain on the City & Guilds Foundation website:

City & Guilds Foundation awards £25,000 to Citizen Hub to unlock accessible volunteering and skills development

City & Guilds Foundation awards £25,000 to Citizen Hub to unlock accessible volunteering and skills development

by | 6 May 2026 | , , , ,

Citizen Hub has been awarded £25,000 from the City & Guilds Foundation to expand its work in making volunteering more accessible and strengthening community-led support in St Neots and Wimbledon. The funding will be split equally between Citizen Hub St Neots and Citizen Hub Wimbledon, supporting a 12-month programme designed to remove barriers to volunteering and create meaningful pathways into employment and community leadership. The funding will cover essential costs such as travel,...

read more
Place based skills pathways that start with trust and are leading to work – our Local Community Skills Fund

Place based skills pathways that start with trust and are leading to work – our Local Community Skills Fund

by | 30 Mar 2026 | , , , , ,

Across the UK, people who face the greatest barriers to work often live in the communities least served by mainstream skills provision. They are talented, capable and motivated, but too often held back by structural disadvantage, low confidence, disrupted education, potential trauma, caring responsibilities or simple lack of opportunity. Last year we created our Local Community Skills Fund (LCSF) to respond to this reality. We wanted to back organisations rooted in place, trusted by local...

read more
City & Guilds Foundation supports women to gain DIY skills through new housing partnership

City & Guilds Foundation supports women to gain DIY skills through new housing partnership

by | 24 Nov 2025 | , ,

City & Guilds Foundation has awarded funding to support a pilot project led by employment support social enterprise Frameworks, in partnership with Build Salford and Salix Homes, a key provider of social housing in Salford. The Women in Maintenance project has so far supported seven female social housing residents to gain home maintenance skills including carpentry, tiling and plumbing - empowering them to maintain their own homes and improving their access to paid work. Four of the...

read more
City & Guilds of London Institute secures landmark deal to strengthen its scope for increased social impact

City & Guilds of London Institute secures landmark deal to strengthen its scope for increased social impact

by | 16 Oct 2025 |

City & Guilds of London Institute (CGLI) today announces its ambition to become an innovative social investor and change maker through the proposed sale of its commercial awarding organisation and skills training activities to PeopleCert, a global leader in certification of professional and language skills. CGLI will continue to operate under its now familiar brand The City & Guilds Foundation with the ambition to play a significant part in addressing societal and skills needs of the...

read more
Co-op’s Levy Share to support UK’s first Prisoner Apprenticeship programme to address rail skill shortages and reduce reoffending

Co-op’s Levy Share to support UK’s first Prisoner Apprenticeship programme to address rail skill shortages and reduce reoffending

by | 29 Jul 2025 | , , , ,

In a first, Co-op and City & Guilds partner to address reoffending and rail skills shortages with guaranteed employment pathways. Co-op to offer a dedicated levy share service to support apprenticeships for serving prisoners who’ll go on to work in the rail sector. The Level 2 Rail Engineering operative apprenticeships will be based at HMP Highpoint in Suffolk delivering vital hands-on training for the UK rail sector. Reoffending costs the UK economy over £21bn a year—this initiative aims...

read more
City & Guilds launches new Commission to tackle surge in youth unemployment   

City & Guilds launches new Commission to tackle surge in youth unemployment   

by | 24 Mar 2025 | , , ,

City & Guilds commit £500,000 in funding to target local challenges in areas of deprivation and economic inactivity in the UK  New Transitions Commission announced to support more young people into Further Education  1 million young people are not in education, employment or training, the highest level for more than a decade  City & Guilds Foundation have established a new commission to address the high volume of youth unemployment in the UK.  The Transitions...

read more
From Princesses to prisoners: celebrating 30 years at City & Guilds with Michael Osbaldeston

From Princesses to prisoners: celebrating 30 years at City & Guilds with Michael Osbaldeston

by | 20 Mar 2025 | , ,

Today marks the 30th anniversary of our much-loved colleague Michael. You're just as likely to see him with a glass of champagne at the City’s most elegant halls as you are helping out at a community kitchen in Stockport. We are indebted to ‘MO’ for his time, generosity, and good humour. Publishing here his Friday reflections from a couple of weeks  ago to share just a tiny bit of life as the inimitable Michael Osbaldeston. Here’s to the next 30! What a week!  If there is a certain beer...

read more
New Local Community Skills Fund to empower UK communities through skills and training

New Local Community Skills Fund to empower UK communities through skills and training

by | 16 Jan 2025 | , , , ,

Grants of up to £10,000 available for UK Charities, Social Enterprises and Training Providers. City & Guilds Foundation has launched a pilot scheme to help fund initiatives designed to boost employment, skills and development in communities across the UK. As part of the Foundation’s drive to support innovative local projects, the Local Community Skills Fund aims to boost community-led initiatives which may not be eligible for funding from traditional sources. The Fund will tackle skills...

read more
Changing Lives, Changing Industries: HMP Highpoint’s groundbreaking rail training

Changing Lives, Changing Industries: HMP Highpoint’s groundbreaking rail training

by | 5 Dec 2024 | , ,

Around two weeks ago, we had the privilege of attending HMP Highpoint to see the opening of the first ever rail centre of excellence in prison, which back in 2022 we provided funding for installation of a rail track so that industry-standard training could be delivered to the men inside. We talk a lot in the City & Guilds Foundation about our role in removing barriers for people to gain skills and opportunities. But in seeing the incredible facilities – a pipe dream less than two and a...

read more
Launching City & Guilds Impact Report 2024!

Launching City & Guilds Impact Report 2024!

by | 24 Oct 2024 | , , ,

For over 145 years, City & Guilds has been committed to making a meaningful impact on society by delivering high-quality skills training that meets the demands of the times. At the heart of this mission is helping individuals gain the competencies they need to secure a job, improve their skills, and advance in their careers. Through this, we are not only changing lives but also driving growth across industries and boosting productivity. A key measure of success for us this year is looking...

read more