Sodexo’s Stop Hunger Foundation hits fundraising high with £286,000 raised at annual dinner
March 25, 2024
Sodexo’s Stop Hunger Foundation welcomed distinguished supply partners, clients, charity partners and friends to its annual event celebrating the impact of the Foundation and raising £286,000.
Held at the Amex Stadium in Brighton on Thursday evening (21 March), the evening was hosted by Sean Haley, CEO of Sodexo UK & Ireland, and a Trustee of the Stop Hunger Foundation, alongside Gareth John, Sodexo’s European Director Legal Affairs and Chair of the Foundation, and Matt Dawson, Sodexo ambassador, broadcaster, and Rugby World Cup winner.
Nearly 400 guests enjoyed a dining experience curated by Sodexo Live! which showcased sustainable and locally sourced ingredients, in collaboration with local 2013 MasterChef winner, Steven Edwards. Dishes also included a plant-based kofta canape, thai curry and petit fours from the Enactus Chance to Change project.
Above: Anamika Das (left), Head of Project Management for Enactus Aston and Amina Missi (right), Enactus beneficiary with canapes from the dinner which featured dishes from the Enactus Chance to Change project.
As well as raising funds for the Foundation through a charity auction, guests also had the opportunity to buy a copy of the ‘Chance for Change’ cookbook and hear first-hand from Amina Missi who has benefitted from the initiative, which is part of the Foundation’s partnership with Enactus to support female refugees in the UK.
Sodexo launched the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation in 2005 as a UK-registered charity and has supported more than 70 national and local charities.
During the last financial year alone, the Foundation donated more than £400,000 to 26 charities positively impacting just under 2 million people. Over 1,800 Sodexo employees also spent 7,967 hours volunteering - of which 4,332 hours were skills-based - for good causes, including Stop Hunger’s charity partners.
Last year its partnership with FareShare surpassed £1.5 million in donations, further amplifying the Foundation’s dedication to combating food insecurity.
Charity partners receiving a Stop Hunger grant in 2023 included national organisations such as FareShare, The Trussell Trust, SSAFA, Chapter One and Enactus UK, as well as regional and local charity partners including Made in Hackney and The Bread and Butter Thing.
Gareth John, European Director of Sodexo Legal Affairs and Chair of the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation said:
Sodexo’s Stop Hunger Foundation brings together people, resources and innovation to create sustainable solutions to help those grappling with food insecurity.
The Foundation aims to empower communities, particularly focusing on women who represent the biggest opportunity in eliminating hunger.
Initiatives like the ‘Chance for Change’ cookbook, are not only providing immediate support but also fostering long-term resilience and independence.
This event is a celebration of what we can achieve together and a reminder of the work that still lies ahead.
We are heartened by the incredible generosity of everyone at the event who helped raise these much-needed funds for our communities.
Sean Haley, CEO Sodexo UK & Ireland and Stop Hunger Foundation trustee added:
Sodexo’s Stop Hunger Foundation epitomises our unwavering dedication to supporting the communities where we live, work, and serve.
Social impact is the driving force behind everything we do, and our colleagues across the UK and Ireland have exemplified this spirit once again through their exceptional volunteering and fundraising efforts.
The strategic goals of the Stop Hunger Foundation, which encompass fundraising and volunteering, are integral to Sodexo's regional social value strategy.
They underscore our ethical manifesto for leading the way in improving the quality of life for society and our planet.
Stop Hunger is an employee-led Sodexo initiative active in over 73 countries around the world. Thanks to the financial support of Sodexo, donations made to Stop Hunger go directly to financing activities and sustainable solutions for disadvantaged communities to exit food insecurity.