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Launch of Mission to a Million: Forward Together – sees ��ҹ�糡 further expand and enhance its industry leading social mobility initiative to support a million people by 2030

��ҹ�糡 UK & Ireland, the UK’s largest food and support services firm, is proud to announce the success of its Mission to a Million campaign. Since the launch of Our Social Promise in 2021, the programme has supported over 500,000 people, both within and outside the organisation, enhancing employment opportunities and changing lives through job creation, education, training, and community engagement. 

Successes since launch include:

• Opening Xcelerate with Edgbaston – a dedicated community skills and learning hub, where over 3,500 people have benefited from training and upskilling in all aspects of hospitality.
• Launching ��ҹ�糡’ pioneering Social Partner Hub, to help those who struggle to find work, into employment. Over 1,000 people have been supported with CV and interview training and over 270 long-term unemployed, young unemployed, and those with disabilities have secured jobs in ��ҹ�糡.
• Training 600 brilliant apprentices at any one time, at various ages and stages of their career, supporting their career goals and aspirations.
• Teaching over 250 14–16-year-olds through ��ҹ�糡’ innovative Junior Chef Academies, providing children with culinary skills and helping to build their confidence.
• Engaging with over 98,000 young people and families providing food, nutrition, wellbeing and sustainability workshops through the inspiring Beyond the Chartwells Kitchen programme in the past year.
• Changing the lives of young adults who have a learning disability or autism spectrum condition, through 12-month supported internships, to help them into work.

Building on this success, ��ҹ�糡 UK & Ireland is committed to further evolving its mission to make an even greater impact. Building on the lessons it has learnt over the past 4 years, the company is expanding its flagship social mobility programme with the launch of ‘Mission to a Million: Forward Together’. With improving socio-economic outcomes as the guiding principle there are four key areas of focus:

1. Get In: Expanding access to opportunities by offering 1,000 apprenticeships annually and partnering with schools, charities, and local communities. This initiative aims to build pathways for diverse talent and provide jobs and skills development.
2. Get On: Implementing targeted initiatives such as its Six Signature Skills Programmes, which create focus areas for development training within ��ҹ�糡. Alongside further building on the success of Xcelerate, with regional training centres, to equip future leaders with the skills to thrive. Plus, mentoring initiatives will empower colleagues from all backgrounds to advance their careers.
3. Get Supported: Continuing to advocate for the Real Living Wage and providing extensive employee assistance programmes, including wellbeing, mental health, and financial assistance. The company is committed to ensuring that every employee is treated with fairness and respect.
4. Get Involved: Empowering over 55,000 colleagues to volunteer their time in support of good causes. Our teams will also promote health and nutrition for young people and families through initiatives such as Beyond the Chartwells Kitchen and Junior Chef Academy.

Commenting on the programme, Sophie Smith, Chief People Officer, ��ҹ�糡 UK & Ireland said:

“Supporting over 500,000 people in the past four years fills us with pride and motivates us to keep making a real difference. During that time we have learnt so much and now is the ideal time to enhance our programme further, to ensure we are doing all that we can to continue to improve the outcomes from people both within and outside our organisation.

“By embedding socio-economic outcomes into all our programmes, as well as leveraging our scale, we are able to support tens of thousands of people every year, whether it’s through learning and development, upskilling, providing work or work experience, as well as supporting local initiatives in the communities in which we work.”