The UK-based Cadbury Foundation has reflected on its wide-ranging community engagements in the wake of the organisation’s 90th anniversary last year, reports Neill Barston.

As the organisation noted, it has had notable impact during its long history across the Midlands, through a series of long-running initiatives supporting local and national charitable causes.

Significantly, in 2025, the foundation donated over £650,000 to health and wellbeing programmes, youth skills, and charities close to colleagues’ personal lives and interests, with the majority of the funds supporting over hundreds of local and national charities accessed by local communities and colleagues of Mondelez International throughout the UK and Ireland.

As the charitable body observed, the foundation had originally been set up as The Charitable Brothers Trust in 1935 in memory of George and Richard Cadbury, with the Cadbury business itself having passed its 200th anniversary back in 2024.

Notably, as its team explained, its roots lay in its creators’ belief that that supporting local communities’ benefits both society and business, as its community initiatives continue to drive forward.

Supporting Mondelez colleagues across the UK, the Your Charity Your Choice initiative gives employees the opportunity to nominate and vote for charitable causes close to their hearts. More than 800 colleagues participated in 2025, helping distribute £90,000 to 72 charities across the UK and Ireland, including Midland’s organisations, Abbie’s Army, Aston Villa Foundation and Amy and Friends.

Community actions
In Bournville, colleagues have been working with The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) to create a new food-growing space, following a winning design submitted by a member of the Research and Development team, which was part of over 1,200 volunteering hours contributed by colleagues in 2025.

Encouraging healthier lifestyles remains a key focus for the Foundation. In 2025, its Health for Life programme has now inspired 278,780 schools and communities learn about healthy eating, food growing and physical activity. More than 3,500 pupils from 50 schools also took part in the annual Health for Life Cookathon, led by Michelin-trained chef and Bromsgrove-based Poppy O’Toole.

In addition, in its 90th year, it has also donated  £90,000 to Trussell, directly supporting over 360,000 individuals requiring direct support. Between July and September 2025 alone, food banks within the Trussell community distributed more than 625,000 emergency food parcels, including more than 213,000 for children.

Furthermore, as the organisation noted, more than 16,600 young people benefited from support from the Foundation and volunteers through IGD’s employability workshops with 90% reporting an improvement in their skills and readiness for future education and employment.

Christian Woolfenden, newly appointed Chair of Trustees for The Cadbury Foundation, commented: “Joining The Cadbury Foundation as Chair of Trustees at such an exciting point in its journey is truly a privilege. For 90 years, The Cadbury Foundation has remained committed to the values that inspired its creation in Bournville, creating a lasting legacy of support for communities across the UK&I.

“The Foundation’s work reflects a long-standing belief that businesses can play a positive role beyond their commercial success, and I look forward to supporting its mission in the years ahead.”