Two charities receive £10,000 grants through the Cheffins Next Generation Fund to support young people’s mental health.
These landmark grants bring Cheffins’ total community investment through their partnership with Cambridgeshire Community Foundation to over £110,000, as part of its £200,000 pledge in the firm’s 200th anniversary year.
The Cheffins Next Generation Fund was created specifically for the company's 200th anniversary year, focusing on young people's mental health and wellbeing across the region
The fund was made possible entirely through the dedication and determination of nine Cheffins team members who took on the Cambridge Half Marathon earlier this year. The runners, drawn from across the business, set themselves an ambitious target of raising £20,000 specifically to create this anniversary fund. Their successful fundraising efforts have enabled these two significant grants, turning their personal achievements into vital support for young people across Cambridgeshire.
Through the fund, Embrace CVOC (Child Victims of Crime) and Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre will each receive £10,000 to provide specialist trauma-informed counselling and emotional support to children and young people who have experienced serious crime.
Embrace CVOC (Child Victims of Crime) will use their grant to provide trauma-informed emotional support and specialist counselling to children who are victims of serious crime in Cambridgeshire. The organisation will offer up to 10 weekly sessions per child, helping them recover from trauma, supporting their mental wellbeing, and reducing future re-victimisation.
Last year, Embrace saw a 38% increase in demand for their services. The charity supported 3,316 young survivors of crime in 2024, helping children who had experienced sexual abuse, domestic violence, physical assault or who had lost a loved one to homicide.
Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre’s grant will help them deliver sessions of specialist survivor-centred counselling with their specialist young person's counsellor. The £10,000 grant will enable over 200 counselling sessions for approximately 15 young survivors across Cambridgeshire.
These funds are vital to help the Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre continue to meet an increasing demand for its services, having seen referrals for children under 12 nearly triple in 2023-24.
Suzi Jackson, Head of Business Services at Cheffins, said:
“This year, our focus has been on supporting the mental wellbeing of young people across the region. With 200 years of heritage behind us since Cheffins was founded in 1825, we felt it was important to make a meaningful contribution to the next generation and those who will carry our community forward in the years to come.
Our anniversary year has seen an incredible fundraising effort with huge amounts to be given to local charities. These two organisations in particular truly reflect the kind of impactful initiatives we set out to support. They each do vital work, and we’re confident that these £10,000 grants will help make a real difference.
We’re also immensely proud of our staff, who have taken part in hundreds of charitable activities throughout the year.”
Combined with over £90,000 distributed through their Cheffins Grassroots Endowed Fund since 2005, the partnership with Cambridgeshire Community Foundation has now supported over 90 local initiatives with over £110,000 in total funding.
Michael O'Toole, Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire Community Foundation, said:
"Cheffins have chosen to mark their remarkable 200th anniversary by investing in the mental health and wellbeing of young people who have experienced unimaginable trauma.
Both Embrace CVOC and Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre provide specialist, life-changing support.
Our 20-year partnership with Cheffins demonstrates how businesses can create sustained, meaningful impact. From their Grassroots Endowed Fund supporting a wide range of local causes to this focused investment in young people, Cheffins exemplifies how a responsible business can effectively support their local community."
The Cheffins Next Generation Fund was a one-time funding opportunity created specifically for the company's 200th anniversary year. Grants were awarded in November 2025.
However, the Cheffins Grassroots Endowed Fund will continue to support other local charity and community projects. The next round of applications will open on 2nd February 2026, with a deadline of 1st May 2026. To find out more and apply, visit www.cambscf.org.uk/funds/cheffins