Seven charities from across the Midlands have been chosen by employees at Mondelēz International sites throughout the region, to receive a donation of up to £5,000.

Guide Dogs in Birmingham, Molly Olly’s Wishes in Warwick, Scope4SEN in Derbyshire, Papyrus Prevention of Young Suicide and Friends of Herefordshire Alzheimer's & Dementia Sufferers has each been granted £5,000 from The Cadbury Foundation, whilst Birmingham-based Kingfisher Foodbank and St Anne’s Hostel each received £2,500 from the Foundation, as part of Mondelēz International’s ‘Your Charity Your Choice’ scheme.
 
Each year, the company’s employees are invited to nominate charities or projects close to their hearts, with the final shortlisted charities voted for by the wider work force.
 
Michelle Darragh, assistant visitor services manager at Cadbury World, nominated Guide Dogs for the significant donation, as part of the attraction’s ongoing fundraising efforts for the charity. With the team seeing the support and life-changing work of the charity first-hand, Michelle’s nomination received huge backing from her colleagues at Cadbury World.  
 
Molly Olly’s Wishes is a small charity supporting children with life-threatening or life-limiting illnesses, as well as their families. Georgia Evans, an operator at the Bournville-based factory, nominated the charity, which will use the donation to grant individual wishes and provide therapeutic toys and books to children and to hospitals across the UK.
 
Colleagues from the Bournville-based site also chose the charity Scope4SEN to receive a further £5,000 grant. The charity provides free telescopes and other astronomy tools and materials for special educational needs schools and hospitals throughout the country.
 
PAPYRUS (Prevention of Young Suicide) has also received a £5,000 contribution from The Cadbury Foundation. PAPYRUS aims to reduce the number of young people who take their own life by breaking down the stigma around suicide and equipping people with the skills to recognise and respond to suicidal behavior.
 
Mondelēz International’s Marlbrook-based employees chose Friends of Herefordshire Alzheimer's & Dementia Sufferers to receive the £5,000 donation. The charity provides support to people affected by dementia and Alzheimer's, as well as campaigns for change, funds and research to help find a cure.
 
A further £5,000 grant was split between Kingfisher Foodbank and St Anne’s Hostel after a voting tiebreak. The Cadbury Foundation’s donation will contribute towards distributing food and essential items to those in need across the West Midlands region; meanwhile for St Anne’s Hostel, the grant will partly fund a patio area for social events for its residents when Covid-19 restrictions lift. Kelly Farrell, community affairs manager at Mondelēz International, said:

“We’re extremely proud to be able to support the charities and projects that are important to our people through our ‘Your Charity Your Choice’ scheme.

"We’re delighted to know that with The Cadbury Foundation’s help, all of the charities can continue to provide invaluable support to local people in need.”
 
The Cadbury Foundation was set up in 1935 in recognition of Richard and George Cadbury and their investment in the welfare of their employees and the local community. Across the entire ‘Your Charity Your Choice’ campaign over £95,000 has been donated to local charities close to the hearts of its colleagues.