Chaophraya Charity of the Quarter initiative has started with a bang!

We are on a mission to give our support to those in need. Our strategy is simple, we want to help local charities across England and Scotland who make a huge difference, not only in their city but, globally.

Our charity of the quarter initiative started mid 2021 and with a bang! In Q321, we partnered with Candlelighters – a Yorkshire based charity focussed on fighting children’s cancer. Candlelighters invest £500,000 into childhood cancer research every year. They do incredible work making advancements in the treatment of cancer, with a focus on finding cures and kinder treatments to leave children with fewer side effects.

To help do our part in making a change, we added an optional £1 donation on to each of our guests bills across all Chaophraya restaurants and other TLG owned restaurants. An incredible £169,394 was raised though the kind gesture of our customers who have made this fundraising amount so grand!

Figures from The Yorkshire Specialist Cancer Register in Children and Young People, also funded by Candlelighters, show a 10% increase in five-year survival rates for 0-18 year olds in Yorkshire for central nervous system tumours diagnosed between 2014 and 2018 compared to those between 1994 and 1998, showcasing the mighty impact that research has on the lives of children with cancer.

A cancer diagnosis is nothing short of devastation followed by a series of life changing events for every family affected. The team at Candlelighters do everything they can to provide love and care to patients and their families when they need it the most.

On Monday 4th October, our team were invited to Candlelighters HQ to see the incredible work that Candlelighters do, first-hand. We visited their community areas where afternoon teas in the city are available, siblings days and massage therapies are offered as well as having the privilege to visit the Candlelighters Cottage which provides respite for families and is a safe space for all children, parents and family members to visit. Not only is this available throughout the treatment but also afterward for any support they may need.

Over the last year or so, amidst the Coronavirus pandemic, fundraising efforts have been tough. Both the Candlelighters team and Chaophraya team we’re elated by the final figure raised in such a short period of time. We’d like to say a massive thank you to all Thai Leisure Group and Chaophraya customers who donated throughout this period making a life changing difference to children with cancer not only in Yorkshire but around the world.

Chris Salt, Partnerships Manager at Candlelighters, has said;

"The incredible amount raised by Thai Leisure Group and their patrons will make an immense difference to families and children affected by childhood cancer. We support children and families across Yorkshire in a wide range of areas, with emotional, practical, and financial support available from the point of diagnosis and for as long as is needed. We help families throughout their treatment, when staying in or visiting hospital, as well as out in communities throughout the region. The funds raised by Chaophraya and Thaikhun will help to ensure none of these families face a child’s cancer diagnosis alone.

Not only this, we invest significantly in vital research, education and training to improve the outcomes and lives of children and their families affected by childhood cancer, with far-reaching impacts across the globe. Each year we invest around half a million pounds in order to fund research to help improve early diagnosis, treatments, quality of life, and survival rates for children diagnosed with cancer. This donation from Thai Leisure Group will be instrumental in helping to fund crucial research which will help thousands of children across the UK and further afield."

One again, thank you to our guests for their support over this time and we look forward to seeing how else we can make a difference to local charities close to our hearts.