Leading children’s charity, The Children’s Society and major high street restaurant chain, Chicken Cottage, are joining forces to tackle some of the urgent issues facing today’s teenagers: exploitation and unsafe spaces.

The groundbreaking partnership will:

· Deliver The Children’s Society’s Act on Exploitation programme to all Chicken Cottage head office staff and franchisees, equipping them to spot and report signs of child exploitation

· Enable Chicken Cottage locations to be ‘safe spaces’ where teenagers can eat, socialise and relax

· Launch nationwide fundraising opportunities in stores and on the Chicken Cottage app to support the vital services that The Children’s Society provides.

The collaboration will extend to cities where both organisations have deep roots, including Greater London, Greater Manchester, Newcastle, Bradford, and Leeds; and with Chicken Cottage planning to add at least 20 new shops to its portfolio this year, and open 100 stores by 2027, there will be even more opportunities to reach young people, families, and customers with important information about preventing child exploitation.

The Children’s Society partnership with Chicken Cottage intensifies the battle against child exploitation building on the proven awareness raising campaign #LookCloser, and prevention initiatives with the hotel industry training hotel staff to spot signs of trafficking and abuse.

The critical joint venture comes as the charity’s own research reveals that fewer than half of the country’s secondary school children feel safe in their own neighbourhoods after dark.

Mark Russell, CEO at The Children’s Society said: “We are delighted to be working with Chicken Cottage to create safer spaces for young people in our communities. For thirty years, Chicken Cottage has been a presence in our high street communities, providing a place for young people to eat with friends and enjoy themselves.

“Right now, thousands of children across the UK are at risk of exploitation and they need our help, which is why this partnership isn’t just about training for staff – it’s also about communities working together and stepping in. Chicken Cottage’s reach gives us the opportunity to alert thousands more people to the importance of keeping teenagers safe from exploitation.”

Speaking about their first ever national charity partnership, Azam Hanipah, Finance Director at Chicken Cottage, said: “As a company with deep roots in our communities, we believe in giving back. Partnering with The Children’s Society allows us to support vulnerable young people and drive positive change where it’s needed most.

“We look forward to working together to raise awareness and make a meaningful impact – both through our business and by engaging our customers and franchisees in this important cause. “Through this partnership, we aim to create lasting change and inspire action.”