Stop Hunger Report 2025 - Flipbook - Page 5
Stop Hunger
Annual Report 2025
5
Introduction
Having been a Trustee of Sodexo’s Stop Hunger
Foundation since 2017, I am honoured to step
into the role of Chair as we celebrate our 20th
anniversary.
from our
Chair
Since 2005, this employee-led charity has
supported an incredible 10,936,666 people in
the UK and Ireland by raising £10,339,637
in donations and spending 54,345 hours
volunteering. While we are proud of these
numbers, we are even more proud of the
relationships that power them, because our
charity partnerships are far from transactional.
What may have started with grant-giving
often transforms into multifaceted, multi-year
agreements involving layers of hands-on or
skills-based volunteering delivered with genuine
enthusiasm. And at every stage, we have evolved
this support dynamically and sensitively to meet
our partners’ changing needs.
This evolution re昀氀ects the persistence and
complexity of food insecurity, an issue driven by
overlapping challenges like economic pressures,
rising costs, housing instability and inconsistent
access to support. More than 50% of our work
is now focused on tackling these root causes
by improving social mobility and empowering
women. Research shows that women often
prioritise investing resources in their families and
communities, so targeting our support in this way
helps us to build resilience and maximise
the bene昀椀ts.
To bring added energy and experience to
this mission, we have this year welcomed our
昀椀rst Patron, the renowned chef and lifelong
campaigner Asma Khan. We have also extended
our ambitions, aiming to bene昀椀t 12.5m people by
2030 as we deliver the ‘Places’ pathway of Sodexo’s
Social Impact Pledge*.
As we look back with pride and ahead with
renewed vigour, I would like to highlight the work
of our previous chair, Gareth John. Through 13
years of leadership, he has evolved our strategy
beyond food aid and maximised our impact by
engaging the full Sodexo ecosystem. Starting with
individual colleagues, then business units, then
supply partners and clients, he has helped to build
a powerful coalition of skilled and committed
people who are supporting communities
in meaningful, long-lasting ways. Gareth’s
contribution has been transformative, and on
behalf of the Foundation I extend our heartfelt
thanks.
I also want to thank our Trustees, Sodexo’s Stop
Hunger Lead Charity Champions, our charity
partners, our supply partners and clients, and
anyone who has supported the Foundation so far.
Together, we can turn the smallest amounts of
time and money into something truly life changing.
Patrick Forbes
Chair of the Trustees
*This is a cumulative target from 2014 to 2030 and links to the Sodexo’s Social Impact Pledge’.
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