Cadent Foundation Community Fund

Case study Funding boost for Liverpool and Wirral children’s charities

• Alfie’s Squad, a Liverpool-based charity for children bereaved by suicide, receives boost to its plans to expand into new areas of the North West.
• Claire House, a Wirral hospice for seriously ill and terminally ill children, says it can help ‘more families than ever’ after also been selected for support.
• New ‘Cadent Foundation Community Fund’ enables 1,100 employees of major North West employer Cadent to help charities on their doorstep

Merseyside charity Alfie’s Squad, which supports children bereaved by suicide, and Claire House, a Wirral hospice caring for seriously and terminally-ill children, are two of the three beneficiaries of a big local employer’s new Community Fund.

The two charities initially receive £6,700 each, an equal share of a £20,000 start-up pot for Cadent Foundation Community Fund – with the promise of more to follow.

Cadent manages the North West’s gas distribution network and its 24/7 year-round gas emergency response service. It asked its 1,100 employees in the region to nominate and then vote for which charities would benefit from the new fund.

The third charity they chose is Jolly Josh, a Rochdale-based charity supporting children living with complex needs and physical disabilities.

Alfie Fitzsimmons, 15, formed Alfie’s Squad when he was eight, a year after his dad died by suicide. The funding boost comes at an important time, as the group looks to expand its services into new areas, across the North West and beyond.

Alfie said: “It makes me feel really happy that such a large company recognises the work we are doing, helping children who have lost a loved one to suicide.

“I am so grateful to hear that Cadent will be supporting Alfie’s Squad as one of their charity partners.”

David Pastor, CEO of Claire House, said: “We’re so grateful that the Cadent Foundation Community Fund will help us support more families than ever before this year.

“Having met some of the generous Cadent staff at the hospice already, we’re excited to work together with the community fund, raising much needed funds to provide the best possible care and support to our families.”

Ranjit Blythe, Managing Director of the Cadent Foundation, said: “Earlier this year, employees at Cadent were asked to nominate their favourite charity, a local charity they could support through the year, through fundraising as well as volunteering.

“We wanted our employees to choose local charities that meant something to them and are important to their local community.

“Each network has a starting pot of £20,000, to split among their chosen charities. Employees will then fundraise additional money for their charities – and earn a bonus from the Cadent Foundation at the end of the financial year.”

About the Cadent Foundation

The Cadent Foundation was established in July 2019 with Cadent committing one per cent of annual post tax profits each year to the Foundation. Our aim is to help households find sustainable solutions to fuel poverty and ensure people are safe and warm in their homes. We work with charitable organisations to help households improve their financial wellbeing and become more energy efficient through advice, support and practical measures.

The funds of the Cadent Foundation are administered by Charities Trust (Charity Registration No: 327489) who will manage the grant giving and ensure that all grants donated by the Cadent Foundation are only used to further charitable purposes for the public benefit.

https://cadentgas.com/cadent-foundation

Case study Charities across the East of England receive £5,000 boosts from Cadent employees Support Charity

• Amber’s Army, Finnbar’s Force, Butterfly Effect Wellbeing and The Nest Farms chosen as Cadent’s local charities of the year
• The charities receive a share of a new £20,000 fund
• Cadent employees will continue to fundraise throughout the year to boost initial donation

Following the launch of the new Cadent Foundation Community Fund, colleagues at the UK’s largest Gas Distribution Network have chosen to support four charities based in the East of England.

Norfolk based charities Amber’s Army and Finnbar’s Force, along with Butterfly Effect Wellbeing in Essex, and The Nest Farms in Suffolk have been named as the four beneficiaries of a big local employer’s new Community Fund.

As part of the new Cadent Foundation Community Fund launch, over 850 employees from Cadent, which manages the East of England’s gas distribution, were asked to nominate a local charity they wanted to help fundraise for throughout the year, with the chosen charities also benefitting from an initial share of a £20,000 pot of money.

All the chosen charities benefit from an initial donation of £5,000, then Cadent employees will continue to fundraise for these charities throughout the year, increasing the funding pot and volunteering for the charities too.

Ranjit Blythe, Managing Director of the Cadent Foundation explained: “Earlier this year, employees at Cadent were asked to nominate their favourite charity, a local charity they could support throughout the year, through fundraising as well as volunteering. We wanted our employees to choose local charities that meant something to them and are important to their local community.

“Each regional network will get a starting pot of £20,000 to split amongst their chosen charities. Employees can then fundraise additional money for their charities and earn a bonus from the Foundation at the end of the financial year.”

Amber’s Army was established to support families who have a child with a terminal cancer diagnosis, in memory of Amber Sheehy who passed away after years of fighting cancer – just an hour before her 9th birthday.

Amber’s Army was created to fulfil some of the most important aspects Amber’s parents encountered during Amber’s fight. ‘Creating Rainbows in the darkest of days’ was the intent of the charity, working with families to create lifelong memory making experiences for time when memories are all they have left, providing emotional support, and signposting families to other means of support.

Jon Sheehy, from Amber’s Army said: “Amber’s Army utilises all donations to help support the ethos of the charity with the costliest element being the creation of memory making experiences. ‘Creating Rainbows in the darkest of days’ is what Amber’s Army provides to families by providing multiple bespoke and unique experiences that include the ‘whole’ family and vary from family to family. Each experience is created from feedback from parents, siblings, the poorly child and wider family to ensure that we can create a memory that will live in the family’s thoughts when the child leaves them as moments of smiles, laughter and love.”

Finnbar’s Force was set up in 2017 after the loss of Finnbar Cork to a brain tumour in August 2016, just five months after he was diagnosed. The charity provides support to families with children under 18 who have been diagnosed with brain tumours and childhood cancers in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire.

The Finnbar’s Force Family Centre – known as The Den - will help bring families of children with brain tumours and childhood cancers together, so they are able to receive both peer to peer and outside support. It will help meet the practical needs of those struggling with the cost-of-living crisis by hosting regular workshops, support groups, and events that bring families, caregivers, and community members together

Tristan Cork, CEO of Finnbar’s Force, added: "Finnbar’s Force are incredibly grateful to be selected as a beneficiary of the 2024 Cadent Foundation Community Fund. This generous support will help us develop and deliver our programmes to reach. more families facing childhood cancer, providing them with essential resources and access to practical and emotional support during their most challenging times"

Butterfly Effect Wellbeing is a non-judgmental charitable organisation which helps support people with mental illness and suicidal ideation. It is here to help, listen, guide and signpost. While it is not clinically qualified, all staff and volunteers are trained in mental health first aid and suicidal awareness and are able to help guide people and keep them safe for now.

Butterfly Effect Wellbeing, which many will recognise from its appearance on BBC’s DIY SOS last December, helps support people while they wait for other services to fill that much needed gap. There are lots of groups and activities daily at the centre to join in with and the kettle is always on for those who want a cup of tea and a chat.

Angela Hannibal, Trustee at Butterfly Effect Wellbeing, said: "We are so grateful to be chosen as one of Cadent’s supported charities. We are mainly self-funded and rely on the good will of our supporters and local companies. Without this support we could not continue the good work we do at the bungalow, to support those with mental ill health and suicidal thoughts."

The Nest Farms is a charity responding to the overwhelming demand for mental health support for young people in Suffolk. The Nest offers day placements to teenagers and young adults up to the age of 25. Young people will be involved in all aspects of running the farm, gaining new skills, increasing in confidence, and spending vital time away from the pressures of everyday life.

Frankie Nixon, Operations Co-Ordinator for The Nest Farms said: “It's such an amazing opportunity for The Nest farms to be included in Cadent’s community fund. Every day at The Nest we are reminded of the epidemic of mental health facing young people both because of the challenging times we are facing in society, but also because of the Covid Pandemic.

“Through the unique and essential support and service that we offer young people in East Anglia, we can get more young people back into full time education and equipped with the tools needed to face life’s challenges. We are so grateful for all Cadent’s support and hope we can work together long into the future.”