A popular restaurant group plans to raise enough money to allow at least 45 children to be taken on a ‘Making Memories’ day out after partnering up with a Dorset charity.

Chicken & Blues (C&B), which has restaurants in Ashley Cross and Winton, has announced MYTIME Young Carers as its nominated charity partner for 2022.

A number of fundraising activities will take place throughout the year, before the Chicken & Blues Neighbourhood Fund makes a donation to MYTIME Young Carers in December. 

As well as raising funds for the Making Memories day out, C&B team members are being given paid time off to volunteer for various MYTIME projects in 2022.

Joshua Simons, C&B’s Co-founder, said: “Since opening our first C&B restaurant in Boscombe, nearly ten years ago, it has been one of our core values to support the local community whenever possible.

“During the pandemic, we decided to set up the Chicken & Blues Neighbourhood Fund as a vehicle for this.

“With the generous donations from our business partners and patrons across Bournemouth and Poole, we were able to contribute meaningfully to frontline workers and those in need.

“This year, we thought it best to partner with one nominated charity on some focused fundraising.

“Having met with Krista [Sharp, CEO] and Penny [Day, Director of Fundraising and Communications] at MYTIME, and discussed various ideas with our teams, we are motivated to raise as much money as we can for the fund throughout 2022, which will be donated to the charity in December.”

Krista said: “We’re thrilled to have been chosen as this year’s Chicken & Blues charity partner.

“As a charity, we receive no government funding at all, so we rely on our local community to get behind us.

“C&B have made some incredible commitments to support the charity already and the partnership is sure to help raise awareness of the important work we do at MYTIME, as well as much-needed funds.

“We’re really excited to see what the year ahead has in store.” 

MYTIME offers many projects and activities to young carers to provide them with the support, friendship and opportunities that every child deserves.

They include:

• Opportunities to meet with other young carers on Making Memories days out.
• Once-in-a-lifetime stays at MYTIME’s R & R Retreat Centre on the Jurassic Coast.
• Chances to connect with other young carers through an online youth group.
• Support to schools, so that school staff can recognise and meet young carers’ needs.
• An employability programme to help young adult carers find work, training or further education.

More information about MYTIME can be found here.