Asma Khan, patron of the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, will chair a new Community Advisory Board strengthening the Foundation’s commitment to delivering meaningful impact for local communities across the UK and Ireland.
As the Foundation’s first patron, Asma has inspired Sodexo colleagues to support projects tackling the root causes of food insecurity, including skills development, access to resources and community empowerment. Over the past year, she has also spent time volunteering with partners such as Trussell and CoFarm, gaining first-hand insight into the immediate realities of food insecurity and the vital role communities play in shaping effective responses.
Now in her second year as patron, Asma will be deepening her commitment to the Foundation as chair of a new Community Advisory board, a natural next step in strengthening how community insight is embedded in the Foundation’s decision-making.
The board will bring together a diverse group of stakeholders, including charity partners, volunteer voices, external donors and representation from a client organisation strongly engaged with the work of the Foundation.
This marks the formalisation of an approach that has long been central to Stop Hunger’s work: listening to and working alongside communities, now strengthened through a dedicated structure to ensure these voices consistently inform strategy and funding decisions.
Asma Khan said: “When I was asked to become the first ever Patron of Sodexo’s Stop Hunger Foundation, I said yes without hesitation. We don’t hear enough about hunger in our communities, to tackle this it’s not just about feeding people, it is about changing systems.
“Our missions are aligned, so when the opportunity to be part of the new Community Advisory Board for the Foundation arose, I was eager to be part of it. The board will provide valuable perspectives shaped by lived experience, sector knowledge, and community realities, and will help ensure decisions are rooted in real community needs. In my experience of being Stop Hunger’s patron this past year, the answers already exist within communities, we just need to listen and act on them.”
Members of the board will rotate annually to ensure a diversity of perspectives from across the Foundation’s partners and stakeholders, strengthening collaboration across its ecosystem. The board will meet twice a year and operate independently from formal governance structures, with its insights feeding directly into the Foundation’s Board of Trustees to inform strategic direction and maximise impact.
Patrick Forbes, chair of the Stop Hunger Foundation and business services director for Sodexo UK & Ireland said: “Over the past year, Asma has inspired our colleagues and clients alike. Her commitment to tackling the root causes of food insecurity strongly aligns with the Foundation’s mission, and her support has been invaluable. We are pleased that Asma will continue as patron and become the chair for our new Community Advisory Board as we know her continued involvement will help ensure our work remains grounded in the needs of those we seek to support.
“Advisory boards are widely recognised as best practice for inclusive governance and stakeholder engagement, and we are confident this will provide a vital community voice and constructive challenge. Crucially, it strengthens our ability to ensure that our strategy and funding decisions are informed by those closest to the issues we are working to address.
As owner of the Darjeeling Express restaurant in London and chef advocate for the UN World Food Programme Asma brings both expertise and passion to the Foundation’s work, inspiring colleagues, clients and supply partners to engage with volunteering opportunities and supporting other charitable opportunities.
The Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, a UK-registered charity, is an employee-led initiative and a key enabler of Sodexo’s Social Impact Pledge, delivering impact for the most disadvantaged communities. Sodexo’s volunteering policy enables its employees to take three paid volunteering days each year supporting those who are most in need in our communities.
Since it was founded in 2005 the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation has supported more than 9.6 million beneficiaries through 230 charity partners across over 56 cities and regions, distributing more than £6.4 million in grants. Thanks to Sodexo’s financial support, 100% of the donations made to Stop Hunger are directed towards charitable partners.
