Chartwells Launches partnership with Dame Kelly Holmes Trust
Chartwells, Compass Group UK & Ireland’s specialist provider of catering to the education sector, is delighted to announce a charity partnership with the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust, the prestigious UK youth sports charity, supporting 11-25 year olds. Together the two organisations will endeavor to support the children and young people they work with, to help them develop confidence, resilience and self-esteem.
The Dame Kelly Holmes Trust trains former world-class athletes to deliver personal, social and emotional development programmes. Through dedicated mentoring, young people's outlook and prospects increase, which enables them to move into employment, become leaders, achieve in education and improve their wellbeing.
As the partnership launches during the coronavirus outbreak, Chartwells and the charity are working together to support young adults, children and their families during this difficult time. They have launched 'Food on Track', a food and nutrition pack which includes over 12 quick, easy and healthy recipes, plus advice around the kitchen. With home schooling currently underway Chartwells is also on hand with its 'Super Yummy Kitchen' home-cooking videos.
In the longer term, the partnership will see further activity focused on nutrition, wellbeing and mental health take place in schools, where the sharing of resources will benefit children and young people. The partnership will also see Chartwells undertake a series of fundraising initiatives for the charity.
Chartwells is now supporting the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust with its participation in the 2.6 challenge. The initiative started the day the London Marathon would have taken place (26th April 2020) and acknowledges the coronavirus pandemic has had a significant impact on UK charities, with the cancellation of thousands of fundraising events. Chartwells is asking its people to use food to write out 2.6 and share images of their creations.
Charlie Brown, Managing Director Chartwells said: “We take our responsibility of catering for today’s children and young adults really seriously, but we want to do much more to support them and give them the best start in life. We will be working hard with the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust to give people a real understanding of health, nutrition and wellbeing and we hope this goes some way to achieving confidence, resilience and self-esteem.”
Dame Kelly Holmes said: “We are really pleased to announce this partnership with Chartwells. The wellbeing of young people is at the heart of the work of the Trust and nutrition, alongside physical and mental health, is crucial to ensuring young people thrive. The values of the Trust align perfectly with Chartwells and I am excited to see how this partnership can grow over the year ahead.”
For more information on the 2.6 challenge - www.twopointsixchallenge.co.uk and Dame Kelly Holmes Trust - www.damekellyholmestrust.org
Chartwells is the leading school food provider in the UK serving over 2000 schools. During the coronavirus crisis the team have kept the majority of school kitchens open for hot food feeding key worker children, and have also been providing nutritious packed lunches or home hampers for those entitled to free school meals.
