The Springboard Charity & Springboard UK

What The Springboard Charity & Springboard UK does

The Springboard Charity & Springboard UK is a UK-registered hospitality charity founded in 1990 (registered charity numbers 1045411 in England, Wales & Northern Ireland and SC040506 in Scotland; Springboard UK Ltd, company no. 2502511, is a wholly owned trading subsidiary). The charity's core function is moving people — particularly long-term unemployed, care leavers, those at risk of offending, and young people aged 12-24 — into hospitality, leisure and tourism careers through a vertically integrated pipeline: FutureChef schools competitions (12-16 year olds, 27th year in 2026, ~29,000 pupils annually), employability programmes (Diageo Learning for Life, Barclays Destination Hospitality, Digital Hospitality Academy, Savoy Educational Trust-funded variants), guaranteed employer interviews, and up to 12 months of post-employment aftercare. Each year Springboard supports over 140,000 people, delivers 200,000+ hospitality skills, and helps 5,000+ individuals into work, with an 86% 12-month hospitality retention rate.

The technology stack is a non-AI, web-based ecosystem: the CareerScope online portal (jobs, training resources, candidate profiles at careerscope.uk.net), the Digital Hospitality Academy (40+ e-learning modules, live webinars, 1-2-1 mentoring, accessible 24/7 — launched in 2020 in response to COVID-19), the FLOW online training platform, the FutureChef Digital Academy with a virtual mark-book for teachers, and the self-service Ambassador Portal, all integrated with Salesforce CRM, Stripe and PayPal for payments, Jotform for lead capture, and JustGiving for fundraising. The platform is UK-wide with delivery hubs in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool, Leicester, Edinburgh, Sheffield, Cardiff, Newport, Fife, Inverness, Dundee, Dumfries and Forth Valley, plus digital reach into the Republic of Ireland and Wales.

Springboard is funded by a diversified mix of corporate patronage (Diageo, Barclays, Hilton, IHG, Sodexo, BaxterStorey, CH&Co, Compass, Savoy Educational Trust, Nestlé Professional, Bidfood, Caterer.com, HIT Training), restricted grants (Hilton Effect Foundation 2020 and 2021 multi-year grants; Kickstart and JobStart government schemes; a $113,317 Gallaher Trust grant in September 2025), individual giving (Friend of Springboard at £20/month or £200/year), one-off donations and Gift Aid, in-venue guest donations via the Just1More campaign, and signature fundraising events (Virtual Race, London Hospitality Festival Bungee Jump, Awards for Excellence gala). The charity is supported by a ~2,000-strong volunteer Ambassador network and governed by a board chaired by Allister Richards (COO of CH&Co), with CEO Chris Gamm transitioning to Kelly Johnstone in late 2025 and five new trustees joining in December 2025.

Name

The Springboard Charity & Springboard UK

Legal name

The Springboard Charity

Website

https://springboard.uk.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Springboard Charity & Springboard UK is a 1990-founded UK hospitality charity that helps unemployed, disadvantaged and young people into hospitality, leisure and tourism careers through schools programmes, free employability training, guaranteed employer interviews and 12-month aftercare, funded by major hospitality operators including Diageo, Hilton and Barclays.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospitality employability and workforce development services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Portfolio, Capstone & Project-Based Program Support (EDAMAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits (BPAGADAL), Youth Adventure Camps & Summer Programs (THAAAOAB), Entrepreneurship, Startup Incubation & Pitch Programs (EDAMAKAK)

Keywords

• Hospitality employability training
• Workforce development programmes
• Youth careers education
• Hospitality recruitment services
• Charity skills training

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Just1More Guest Donation Campaign: National fundraising programme where hospitality businesses invite guests to add an optional £1 donation to their bill, donate £1 from a featured item, or run a limited-time campaign. All funds are passed directly to The Springboard Charity to support employability training.
2. Friend of Springboard Recurring Donations: Individual giving programme offering annual or monthly donations at £20/month or a £200/year upfront payment in exchange for matched beneficiary updates and impact reporting.
3. Corporate Patronage and Business Partnership Fees: Recurring and project-based funding from corporate patrons and business partners (e.g., Diageo, Hilton, Barclays, Savoy Educational Trust, IHG, Sodexo, BaxterStorey, CH&Co, Bidfood, Caterer.com, Nestlé Professional) who fund employability programmes, awards sponsorship and programme delivery.
4. One-off Donations and Stripe-based Giving: Public donations accepted via Stripe payments page with Gift Aid option, suggested donation tiers of £5, £10, £25, £50, £75, £100, £200 and custom amounts; also joint donations to Springboard and Hospitality Action.
5. Fundraising Events and Sponsored Challenges: Revenue generated through fundraising events including the Springboard Virtual Race (individual £10, group £2 tickets), the London Hospitality Festival Bungee Jump (£80 registration fee plus £1,000 pledge), Awards for Excellence galas, and JustGiving-linked individual/team fundraisers.
6. Grant Funding: Restricted grants received from foundations such as the Hilton Effect Foundation (multi-year) and from government schemes such as Kickstart and JobStart to deliver employability training.
7. Event Sponsorship: Sponsorship packages for flagship events such as the Virtual Race and Awards for Excellence, sold to hospitality suppliers and operators (e.g., CH&CO as headline sponsor of the Virtual Race 2026; Bidfood as awards sponsor).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Springboard Charity delivers free employability training, careers education and recruitment support to disadvantaged young people and jobseekers targeting the UK hospitality industry. Its core offerings include the Diageo Learning for Life and Barclays Destination Hospitality programmes, the Digital Hospitality Academy, the FutureChef schools competition, and the CareerScope jobs/training portal, all delivered in partnership with major hospitality employers who guarantee interviews to graduates.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Springboard FutureChef: The charity's flagship schools-based culinary competition and educational programme for young people aged 12-16, running in its 27th year in 2026.
• Springboard CareerScope
• Just1More
• Diageo Learning for Life

Products and services

• Springboard CareerScope

Quantifiable outcome

• 86% of trainees who secure employment remain in hospitality after 12 months
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, flagship and minor.

• SodexocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Sodexo is a Springboard corporate patron, employer of L4L graduates, headline sponsor of the 2026 Virtual Race Stadium Sprint, headline sponsor of the Technology and Innovation Award at Springboard Awards for Excellence 2026, and FutureChef sponsor. Michael Taylor (Learning & Development Manager, Sodexo South East England) is a Springboard Ambassador Champion.
• Kevin Campbell FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 November 2025New partnership announced in November 2025 to co-develop a programme called 'Beyond the Game' that supports young people at risk of being left behind (including young footballers transitioning out of club academies) to build careers in hospitality, particularly sports and leisure catering. The Foundation is led by Lorna Campbell, sister of Kevin Campbell. Engagement already received from the PFA and several Premier League clubs.
• DiageoflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 September 2025Diageo is Springboard's longest-standing and most strategic partner. Through the Diageo Learning for Life (L4L) programme, Springboard has trained 5,500+ people since 2014 and 8,000+ graduates since launch. The partnership was renewed for a further three years in September 2025, with plans to introduce new digital courses and utilise Diageo's £73 million Guinness Open Gate Brewery in Covent Garden (250 new jobs) as a training hub. Diageo is also headline sponsor of the Springboard Awards categories (Career Development Award).
• BarclaysflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Barclays funds and co-develops two of Springboard's flagship employability programmes: Barclays: Digital Destination Hospitality (2-week digital UK-wide training) and Barclays: Destination Hospitality (3–5 week courses in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow, Liverpool, Leicester, Edinburgh, Sheffield, Cardiff, Newport, Fife, Inverness, Dundee). Barclays also partners with Springboard via Barclays LifeSkills on the Evening Standard's Skill Up, Step Up initiative.
• HiltonflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Hilton is a long-standing corporate partner supporting Springboard's FutureChef and Ambassador programmes, providing Hilton Effect Foundation grants in 2020 and 2021, and employing the largest number of Diageo Learning for Life graduates in 2025. Hilton's UK SVP Stephen Cassidy sits on the Hilton Effect Foundation board. Multiple Hilton properties partner on placements and FutureChef activity.
• BaxterStoreycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBaxterStorey is a Springboard corporate patron, official partner, sponsor of the Springboard Ambassador of the Year Award at the Springboard Awards for Excellence, and 2026 Apprentice/Workplace Learning category winner. BaxterStorey chef Peter Thompson mentored FutureChef 2026 champion Kate Skinner.
• CH&CocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCH&Co is a Springboard corporate patron, sponsor of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award at the Awards for Excellence, and the headline sponsor of the 2026 Springboard Virtual Race – The Stadium Sprint. CH&Co's COO Allister Richards is Chair of the Springboard Board of Trustees. CH&Co also hired Springboard graduate Youssef Shamar.
• Savoy Educational TrustflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSavoy Educational Trust is a Springboard funder and employer of the Destination Hospitality programme (London, Liverpool, Sheffield, Fife), headline sponsor of FutureChef, and was awarded the 2026 Springboard Partner of the Year Award. CEO Julia Sibley won the 2022 Chris Beaumont Outstanding Contribution Award.
• Annandale & Nithsdale Community Benefit Company Foundation ScotlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunder of the Introduction to Hospitality programme in Dumfries, providing 2-day interactive training including practical training, venue visits and employability skills for unemployed individuals.
• Compass GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompass Group is a Springboard corporate patron and sponsor, shortlisted for the 2026 Apprenticeship Programme Award and the 2022 Best Kickstart Employer award. Compass Group employees participate in Springboard programmes and act as Kickstart employers.
• IHG Hotels & ResortscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIHG is a Springboard corporate patron, shortlisted for the 2026 Best Recruitment Initiative Award, Hospitality Careers Champion Award and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award, won the 2026 Hospitality Careers Champion Award, and is a FutureChef sponsor via IHG Hotels & Resorts.
• Hand Picked HotelscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHand Picked Hotels is a Springboard corporate patron and sponsor of the Employee Health & Wellbeing Award at the 2026 Awards for Excellence.
• BidfoodcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBidfood is a Springboard corporate patron, headline sponsor of the Virtual Race, and headline sponsor of the Chris Beaumont Outstanding Contribution Award at the 2026 Awards for Excellence.
• Caterer.comcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaterer.com is a Springboard corporate patron and headline sponsor of the Best Recruitment Initiative Award at the Springboard Awards for Excellence.
• Nestlé ProfessionalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNestlé Professional is a Springboard corporate patron and headline sponsor of the Hospitality Careers Champion Award at the Springboard Awards for Excellence.
• HIT TrainingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHIT Training is a Springboard corporate patron and headline sponsor of the Apprenticeship Programme Award at the Springboard Awards for Excellence.
• The Wolseley Hospitality GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Wolseley Hospitality Group is a Springboard partner employer; Simon Wedlock, Senior Recruitment Manager, publicly endorsed the partnership. The Group also sponsors the Springboard FutureChef programme.
• 5 Hertford StreetcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner5 Hertford Street is a Springboard corporate patron and headline sponsor of the Community Engagement Award at the 2026 Awards for Excellence.
• HarricoreTechnology or IntegrationSpringboard partnered with Harri's Hospitality Unite portal (backed by UKHospitality, the Youth Group and Scottish Tourism Alliance) as a Kickstart gateway employer, providing a free jobs board for hospitality businesses recruiting Kickstart candidates and a visible listing for JobCentre coaches.
• Evening Standard and The Independent (Barclays LifeSkills)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerSpringboard was one of up to five charity partners in the Evening Standard and The Independent's 'Skill Up, Step Up' campaign (with Barclays LifeSkills), supporting disadvantaged, unemployed young Londoners with 3–6 week employability training programmes in hospitality, leisure and tourism.
• Noble RotminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNoble Rot is a launch partner for the Just1More campaign, adding a discretionary £1 contribution to each bill at Noble Rot Soho in support of Springboard's mission.
• Lucky VoiceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLucky Voice is a launch supporter of the Just1More campaign.
• MademinorGTM or Marketing PartnerMade is a Springboard supporter and sponsor of the 2026 Springboard Virtual Race – The Stadium Sprint.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Harri: Hospitality workforce technology platform behind the Hospitality Unite jobs marketplace, a Springboard integration partner. Comparable as a tech-forward emerging player that provides hospitality recruitment and workforce-management infrastructure overlapping with Springboard's CareerScope job-board offering.
• Youth Employment UK: UK charity campaigning on youth employment and tracking employer Kickstart performance. Comparable because it operates in Springboard's target beneficiary demographic (16–25 year olds) and tracks many of the same employer programmes, though broader and policy-focused rather than training-delivery focused.

Broad incumbents

• The Prince's Trust: Large UK youth charity supporting disadvantaged young people into employment, education and training. Comparable as a much larger incumbent operating in the same employability/training space with deeper funding and brand reach, though broader in scope (not hospitality-specific).
• City & Guilds: Major UK vocational qualification awarding body whose Customer Service qualifications Springboard's programmes deliver. Comparable as a broad incumbent that supplies the certification infrastructure underlying Springboard's employability outcomes, with overlapping employer relationships in the hospitality sector.
• UKHospitality: The umbrella trade association representing the UK hospitality sector. Directly comparable as the industry body backing Harri's Hospitality Unite platform (a Springboard partner) and the same employers (Diageo, Hilton, IHG, Sodexo) that fund Springboard's programmes.

Direct peers

• Movement to Work: Coalition of UK employers committed to youth employability. Springboard is a long-standing Movement to Work member and Partner of the Year (2020, 2023). Both operate youth employability training programmes with the same target demographic and rely on similar employer-co-funded delivery models.
• HIT Training: UK hospitality apprenticeship and vocational training provider, Springboard corporate patron and Apprenticeship Award sponsor. Directly comparable because it delivers the same hospitality-specific vocational training and apprenticeship pathways Springboard's employability programmes aim to feed into.
• People 1st (UKHospitality Workforce): UK hospitality workforce skills and standards body, now part of UKHospitality. Comparable because both organisations focus on building the UK's hospitality talent pipeline, workforce qualifications and employer-led training standards, addressing the same labour shortage problem Springboard solves.
• Hospitality Action: UK hospitality charity providing welfare, wellbeing and career support to hospitality workers. Closest direct peer to Springboard — both are registered UK charities serving the same employer ecosystem and even share a joint donation product. Operates overlapping support, financial hardship grants and mental health services rather than employability training.

Regional players

• Compass Group Foundation: Corporate foundation of Compass Group, a Springboard corporate patron. Comparable as a parallel employer-led employability initiative within the UK hospitality contract-catering space, representing both a partner and a potential programme substitute for Springboard's training delivery.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Springboard_UK
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/springboarduk
• Facebookfacebook.com/springboardukcharity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/springboarduk
• Instagraminstagram.com/Springboard_UK

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Springboard Charity & Springboard UK