Local youth support charity awarded £5,000 from The Cadbury Foundation

Local youth support charity, SOFEA, has received a £5,000 donation from The Cadbury Foundation, thanks to the support of local Mondelez International employees in Uxbridge.

SOFEA, which supports young people outside mainstream education to achieve their potential, was selected by employees based at Mondelez International’s Uxbridge site, as part of The Cadbury Foundation’s annual ‘Your Charity, Your Choice’ programme.

Now in its fourteenth year, the initiative is designed to give Mondelez International employees across the UK&I the chance to give back to the communities the company operates in, inviting colleagues to put forward nominations of charities or projects that are close to their heart.

The charities, voted for by colleagues, are then selected to receive a generous grant from The Cadbury Foundation, a charitable trust set-up in recognition of company founders, George and Richard Cadbury and their investment in the welfare of their employees and wider communities.

Last year saw The Cadbury Foundation celebrate its 90th anniversary, with more than £1 million donated to support local communities since the Your Charity Your Choice programme began.

Hannah Gardner, Head of Marketing and Category Development at Mondelez International, nominated SOFEA as one of 72 across the UK&I to receive a grant, receiving support from wider colleagues at the nearby Mondelez International site in Uxbridge.

Commenting on the donation, Hannah said: “SOFEA does so much fantastic work helping young people aged 14-24 build their confidence, leadership and interpersonal skills, and I know this generous grant will have an incredibly positive impact.

“I’m delighted that my nomination was supported by my colleagues, and to know that the donation will help the charity continue to deliver its fantastic services supporting young people.

James Plunket, Director of Fundraising at SOFEA, said: “We are extremely grateful to Hannah Gardner for nominating us and to The Cadbury Foundation for this significant donation, which will help our young people gain practical skills and valuable work experience.

“At SOFEA, we believe all young people outside of mainstream education deserve opportunities to grow and succeed and, thanks to this grant, we can keep making that possible.”

As part of the foundation’s ‘Your Charity, Your Choice’ scheme, a total of £90,000 was donated to charities across the UK&I last year, continuing this ethos to support community programmes and charity partners with a focus on wellbeing, skills and passions of colleagues at Mondelez International sites nationwide.

Kelly Farrell, Community Affairs Manager at Mondelez International, added: “Our ‘Your Charity Your Choice’ scheme was set up to support important causes and charities close to our employees’ hearts, and we’re incredibly proud that for fourteen years, the programme has done exactly that.

“Since we launched Your Charity, Your Choice, The Cadbury Foundation has awarded more than £1 million to support the vital work of hundreds of charities and community programmes across the UK&I, which have been hand-selected by local employees.”

“We’re thrilled that £90,000 was donated last year, as The Cadbury Foundation celebrated its 90thanniversary and we’re delighted that, with the foundation’s support, SOFEA can continue delivering its services supporting the community, helping young people grow and develop their skills.”