Maida Vale Lodge

The Springboard Charity is dedicated to supporting young people in their journey towards fulfilling careers in the hospitality industry. Springboard focuses on empowering individuals through training, mentorship and opportunities that promote personal and professional growth.

The £10,000 grant from the London Freemasons will support Springboard FutureChef, the charity’s flagship programme. It has been running for over 25 years and was designed to ignite passion and develop the skills of aspiring young chefs, Springboard FutureChef provides hands-on culinary training and a national competition, with mentorship from industry professionals and endorsements from celebrity chefs.

The charity will engage young people throughout the year in Southwark, Lewisham, Enfield, Kensington & Chelsea and across London.

The programme not only helps young people to explore their creativity in the kitchen and gain confidence in their abilities, but also opens doors to exciting career opportunities within the hospitality sector. The competition has supported 225,000 young people in the past 25 years.

This generous grant will be used to expand our outreach to schools across London, enabling us to engage with a greater number of students to participate in the FutureChef competition, FutureChef Bake Off and Culinary Careers Sessions. By reaching more schools, Springboard FutureChef will be able to nurture London talent, spark culinary passions and, ultimately, create a diverse pipeline of aspiring chefs ready to shine in the hospitality industry.

Chris Gamm, CEO of The Springboard Charity said

"We are incredibly grateful for the generous £10,000 grant to Springboard FutureChef. This support not only enables us to provide essential resources and mentorship for young aspiring chefs, but also fuels their passion and potential in the culinary world, supporting the next generation of culinary talent and ultimately enriching the hospitality industry as a whole.”

 

Paul King from London Freemasons, said:

“We love the Springboard’s FutureChef programme – both the impact in the short term in terms of cooking skills and enthusiasm in the kitchen, but also the longer term career options it opens out for the young people in London.”