Dardan highlights the incredible work of Cambridgeshire Community Foundation

Dardan are proud to sponsor the Cambridge Community Foundation (CCF). Comprising of rural landscape and the urban centres of Peterborough and Cambridge, the County is famous for its University.

In recent years the incredible boom in high-tech business including Software, Research, and Development, Pharmaceuticals, and Biotech, has brought incredible wealth and prosperity to some areas, but unfortunately not all.

Matching generous people

As a county, Cambridge has a greater imbalance of wealth and poverty than any other UK county. CCF is the county’s charity which aims to grow local philanthropy, matching generous people and organisations with the region’s most important community causes. They do incredible work and Dardan are proud to be in partnership and support their objectives.

A crucial part of their approach is to understand the challenges and opportunities that exist. This is the purpose of Vital Signs 2021, whose goal is to ‘take the pulse’ of the community, highlighting challenges, priorities, and opportunities for action.

Poor education standards

It highlights the challenges faced by those in the most disadvantaged areas of Peterborough

Ultimately, the value of Vital Signs® is to inform the CCF funding strategy, to inspire philanthropists and to build conversations with people who, like CCF, are passionate about making a difference most effectively.

The data gives a glimpse into the challenges faced by people in Cambridge (and Peterborough) who do not live in affluent areas and therefore, possibly relates to many of their own people.

It highlights the challenges faced by those in the most disadvantaged areas of Peterborough and the Fenland, stressing the challenge of social mobility (Fenland was ranked ‘worst in the country’), poor education standards in the rural areas, paucity of public transport and that homelessness in Peterborough is 4 times greater than that of Cambridge, with the use of foodbanks doubling since 2016.

Most deprived areas

The most shocking data reveals that people living in the most deprived areas of Cambridgeshire, can expect to live 13-14 years less than other areas in the County. In 2019, data suggests that 1 in 5 of all female deaths was due to mental or behavioural disorder and that the suicide rate in the Fens and Peterborough is significantly higher than the national average. However, in South Cambridgeshire was significantly lower than the national average.

It is good to know that organisations and charities, like the CCF are doing everything they can to relieve the impact on the most deprived areas of the county. They are incredibly proud to be one of the sponsors.