Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation celebrates Enactus’ ‘Outstanding Contribution of a Coach Award’ for Ian Gribben
April 15, 2024
The Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation and Sodexo UK & Ireland are delighted to announce that Ian Gribben, Account Director, Universities at Sodexo, has been awarded the title of ‘Enactus Outstanding Contribution of a Coach’ in recognition of his exceptional contribution to the Chance for Change initiative.
This award highlights Ian's profound commitment to making a positive social impact through his role as lead charity champion between Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation and Enactus UK & Ireland.
Enactus UK and Ireland is a social action charity that works with academics and business leaders to support over 4,000 students each year to use business and innovation to create a more sustainable world for us all.
Stop Hunger’s partnership with Enactus UK and Ireland began in 2019 and has received £37,000 of funding to date. The collaboration focuses on empowering students delivering innovative projects to support the most vulnerable in our communities.
Charlie Lea, Head of Partnerships and Engagement at Enactus UK & Ireland, said:
The Outstanding Contribution of a Coach Award was established to honour volunteers who support their team, champion Enactus within their organisation, embody the Enactus values, and of course support the entire Enactus UK & Ireland programme and mission.
Ian has shown an unmatched level of dedication.
He demonstrates profound care and passion for the students and beneficiaries, and the cause itself.
Despite his extraordinary efforts, he remains incredibly humble. His outstanding contribution cannot be overstated, as he truly embodies the transformative impact our volunteers and partner organisations can make.
The Chance for Change project, an Enactus initiative led by students from Aston University, aims to combat food insecurity and empower women through innovative solutions. A key achievement of this project is the Global Recipe Book 2.0, a unique collection that celebrates the culinary heritage of refugees and international students.
Enactus Aston, with their Chance for Change project, won last year’s Stop Hunger Action for Impact Dragon’s Den competition organised by Enactus. Thanks to Ian’s expertise and dedication, the team was able to maximise its impact. Ian’s support and mentorship have been crucial to the project's success, helping to bring the recipes to life, which he helped to incorporate into the recent Stop Hunger Foundation Dinner. Through Ian’s support, one of the beneficiaries cooked on the evening and took part in a panel session, and he also ensured that the recipe books were available for guests to purchase which raised funds for Enactus.
Ian Gribben added:
I am honoured to be recognised with this award. The Chance for Change project has been a remarkable journey, and seeing the tangible impact of our collaborative efforts is incredibly rewarding.
This recognition reinforces our commitment to continue supporting initiatives that drive meaningful change in our communities.
Ian's role in facilitating the partnership between Sodexo and the student team has opened up opportunities within the wider business, directly benefiting the project's beneficiaries and reinforcing Sodexo's commitment to community engagement. He also engaged with Coventry University, a Sodexo client, to sell dishes from the recipe book on menus at a pop-up restaurant.
Laura Brimacombe, Trustee of the Stop Hunger Foundation, added:
The Stop Hunger Foundation is deeply committed to making a significant difference through meaningful volunteering, and Ian’s award as ‘Enactus Outstanding Contribution of a Coach’ is a shining testament to this commitment.
His recognition is a celebration of the impactful change we can achieve when committed individuals lend their time, expertise and passion to causes that matter.
We are incredibly proud of Ian’s accomplishments and his contribution to the Foundation.
The Stop Hunger Foundation is supporting Enactus’ £75,000 multiyear grant. This year again, the Foundation supported the Action for Impact Dragon’s Den challenge where the best five teams from across the UK and Ireland put forward their best business cases and competed for £5,000 to tackle food insecurity with the support of 23 Sodexo volunteers. This year, Enactus Southampton won the competition with their Woky Bowl project. The other universities that competed were Enactus Birmingham City University, Enactus King’s College London, Enactus University of Limerick and Technological University Dublin.
Sodexo is the founding partner of the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, a UK registered charity. In the UK & Ireland, the Foundation’s mission is to act sustainably to fight food insecurity and its root causes. and its work complements Sodexo's Social Impact pledge.
Thanks to the financial support of Sodexo, 100% of the donations made to Stop Hunger go directly to financing activities and sustainable solutions for disadvantaged communities to exit food insecurity.
The Foundation's work contributes to Sodexo’s global corporate responsibility commitment, Better Tomorrow 2025 which aligns to the Sustainable Development Goals designed by the UN to make the world a fairer and more equal place.