Faith in Families is celebrating a powerful Nando’s partnership that has already created jobs, food support and practical help for people across Swansea Bay.
The partnership began when Tom Lucking, DtRT Project Manager at Nando’s, heard about our Inspiring Futures project, which supports people to build confidence, gain skills and move closer to work.
Tom got in touch ahead of the opening of the new Nando’s Fforestfach Retail Park restaurant. He wanted to explore how Nando’s could work with Faith in Families and support local communities.
What started as a conversation about employability soon became something much bigger.
A Nando’s Partnership Built Around Opportunity
Through this Nando’s partnership, five local young people took part in a tailored employability programme with Faith in Families thanks to Expert LMS.
They completed accredited training in Food Hygiene and Customer Service. This gave them practical knowledge, but it also helped build their confidence before applying for work.
After the training, all five young people were referred to Nando’s as potential candidates. Two attended the recruitment day and successfully secured jobs at the new Fforestfach Retail Park restaurant.
For Faith in Families, this was a proper full-circle moment.
Our team recently visited Nando’s Fforestfach Retail Park for a dry run event before the restaurant officially opened. It was amazing to see the two new team members already doing incredible work, welcomed by Ross Williams, Partner Patrão at Nando’s Fforestfach Retail Park, and the wider team.
Seeing Confidence Grow
Suzanne Baker, Community Impact Manager at Faith in Families, said:
“Seeing the two team members thriving at Nando’s was such a powerful moment. This is exactly what Inspiring Futures is about, helping people recognise their own strengths, build confidence and take real steps towards work and independence.This partnership has already made a difference, not just through jobs, but through food support, practical help and genuine community connection. Nando’s saw the work we were doing and asked, ‘How can we help?’ That is what strong partnerships look like.”
That question, “How can we help?”, opened the door to far more than employment.
As Tom learned more about Faith in Families, he was keen to explore other ways Nando’s could support our work. Through the partnership, we were introduced to an organisation that enabled us to receive surplus food donations from Nando’s via FareShare.
These donations are already helping us provide meals for families experiencing hardship. They also support children accessing our services and create special moments during community activities and adult learner celebrations.
More Than One Restaurant Opening
Nando’s also helped improve facilities at Teilo’s Community Cwtch.
Contractors involved in building the new restaurant supported practical improvements, while Nando’s also donated a new freezer. This means we can safely store chicken received through FareShare collections and make the most of every donation.
Ross Williams, Partner Patrão at Nando’s Fforestfach Retail Park, said:
“Opening a new restaurant is always exciting, but being able to create opportunities for local people makes it even more meaningful.Working with Faith in Families has shown us the difference that the right support, training and encouragement can make. The two new team members who joined us through Inspiring Futures have already brought so much positivity, and it has been brilliant to see them growing in confidence.For us, this partnership is about more than recruitment. It is about being part of the community, supporting local people and making sure our new restaurant opens with real local connection at its heart.”
Inspiring Futures in Action
Inspiring Futures is about helping people take the next step.
For some people, that means gaining a qualification. For others, it means writing a CV, preparing for an interview or finding the confidence to apply for work.
Everyone’s journey is different, so support looks different too.
Natasha Cardone, Inspiring Futures Lead at Faith in Families, said:
“This has been such a positive partnership. The young people involved gained recognised training, support and real interview opportunities. For two of them to then secure jobs is a fantastic outcome.Employment is about so much more than income. It gives people confidence, structure, experience and future aspirations. That can change how someone sees themselves and what they believe is possible.”
This is why partnerships like this matter.
They create chances.
They open doors.
They help people see what they are capable of.
Strong Partnerships Create Stronger Communities
At Faith in Families, we support children, families and people across Swansea Bay through our Community Cwtches, Brighter Futures, Inspiring Futures and Multibank Cymru.
We provide practical support, emotional support and opportunities that help people feel supported, connected and able to move forward.
This Nando’s partnership shows what can happen when a business looks beyond one moment and invests in the community around it.
It has already helped young people move into work, brought food support into our communities, improved our facilities and created a relationship that can keep growing.
Cherrie Bija, CEO of Faith in Families, said:
“Partnerships like this are incredibly important because they create real opportunities. Nando’s came to us wanting to make a difference, and that openness has already helped local people move into work, helped families access food support and strengthened the community services we provide.At Faith in Families, we believe nobody should have to face life’s toughest moments alone. When businesses, charities and communities work together, we can create practical change that lasts.”
Thank You Nando’s
We want to say a huge thanks to Tom Lucking, Ross Williams and the whole Nando’s Fforestfach Retail Park team.
Thanks for believing in our work. Thanks for investing in local people. And thanks for seeing the bigger picture.
Together, Faith in Families and Nando’s are not just opening doors to employment.
We are helping build brighter futures for individuals, families and communities across Swansea Bay.
Training Support From Expert LMS
The employability programme was also strengthened by support from Expert LMS, who provided access to the Food Hygiene course completed by the learners.
Expert LMS already supports Faith in Families by giving our teams, volunteers and learners free access to its learning platform and training resources. This means people connected to Faith in Families can build skills, gain confidence and access learning that supports future opportunities.
For the young people involved in the Nando’s partnership, this training was an important step. It helped them feel more prepared, more confident and more ready to enter a real workplace.
It also shows how powerful partnership can be when different organisations each bring something valuable. Faith in Families provided support and encouragement, Expert LMS helped provide the training, and Nando’s created the employment opportunity.
Together, that support helped turn learning into real jobs and brighter futures.
Helen Bowden, Managing Director of Expert LMS, said:
“Expert LMS has always been focused on enabling people to grow, learn and achieve their potential. We are proud to support the vital work that Faith in Families does in Swansea and beyond.By offering free access to our platform, we can play a part in equipping both staff and learners with the tools they need to succeed. It is fantastic to see that training helping create real opportunities for local young people.”
Get Involved
Could your business support Faith in Families too?
There are so many ways to help, from volunteering and fundraising to employment pathways, food support, donated goods and corporate partnerships.
Find out more through our corporate partnerships page and help us create more opportunities for people across Swansea Bay.
Because when businesses and communities work together, real change happens.
