ABOUT BRAKES

Brakes are an international supplier of food services who are committed to working with their suppliers, employees and customers to ensure they support the communities in which they operate. They have a vision to alleviate childhood poverty in the UK and we are supporting them to achieve this.

What’s the challenge?

Initial research into childhood poverty undertaken by Brakes, has identified ‘holiday hunger’ as one of the most serious issues facing children living in poverty in the UK. When children do not have access to regular, nutritious meals there may be detrimental impacts on the child’s physical and mental development which can hinder their ability to achieve their full potential. Brakes’ position in the industry and expertise in food service puts them in a unique position to help tackle this issue and provide further valuable research into this subject.

What are Brakes doing to meet the challenge?

Brakes have launched a new charitable programme called ‘Meals & More’, which engages not only the Brakes business, but also their suppliers, customers and communities in which they operate. This initiative is a way for Brakes to tackle child poverty and to help grow support for grassroots organisations running holiday clubs for children across the UK, providing free meals and activities.

How are Brakes doing this?

  • Brakes are utilising their expertise in food services to ensure that healthy, nutritious food can reach this growing network of holiday clubs. Brakes will run this distribution on a non-profit basis, maximising resource to enable the holiday clubs to grow.
  • Brakes are evaluating the programme regularly to monitor and assess the impact on key stakeholders.

"Together with Meals & More club supporters and local delivery partners, Brakes aims to provide children between 2-18 years of age with tasty, nutritious weekday meals and access to an enrichment programme that will help lift them out of poverty."

Ken McMeikan, CEO, Brakes Group

What is our role?

Brakes required a transparent solution to help facilitate charitable donations for ‘Meals & More’ from their suppliers and customers. Rather than set up a fully registered, independent charity in the first instance, we recommended Brakes open a CAF Company Fundraising Account.

This allows Brakes to easily collect donations from multiple sources into one account set up in their own name. We monitor the outcomes of fundraising initiatives and provide detailed reports to Brakes, before making donations based on their request as the account holder.

All donations to charities made from our accounts, including the CAF Company Fundraising Account follow our rigorous verification service that ensures donations are made securely and only to bona-fide organisations. Our due diligence ensures a robust process for charitable donations and manages any reputational or financial risk for the account holder; creating greater security and reassurance.

"Working with CAF gives us the reassurance and confidence that funds raised are able to be passed on securely to our selected charities. Their trusted expertise has provided us with the appropriate giving vehicle, with the transparency and rigour we need and want in the process."

Stuart Smith, UK Procurement Director, Brakes Group

Get in touch

To find out more about our work on charity partnerships, please contact us.

Employees meet about growing social impact

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