Building meaningful business partnerships – Case study: Red Hen Project

Jennifer Rutter from the Red Hen Project, a grassroots charity in Cambridge that provides support  to children aged 0-12 and their families, spoke to a member of Support Cambridgeshire’s development team about the charity’s experience of working with businesses.

Over the past three years, the Red Hen Project has evolved its approach to engaging businesses—from one-off donations to building long-term, meaningful partnerships.

Initially, engagement was limited. However, through strong relationships—particularly with the Cambridge Fruit Company—Red Hen unlocked the potential of working flexibly with businesses. As Jen explained:

it’s moved away from the transactional donations … really building genuine relationships.

Their approach has been organic and relationship-led:

• Partnerships often start small (a conversation, event, or volunteering day)
• Trust and mutual understanding are built over time
• Relationships naturally grow into deeper collaboration.

A key example of this journey is the partnership with Cambridge University Press and Assessment (CUP&A) where they are CUP&A’s charity of the year.  This has now developed into a multi-year relationship, demonstrating the value of sustained engagement rather than short-term activity.

Red Hen takes a thoughtful approach to selecting and developing partnerships, focusing on fit, shared values, and mutual benefit rather than scale alone. As Jennifer put it:

You have to think, am I going to be able to work with this company and this person?

Key considerations include:

• Whether the organisation’s values align with Red Hen’s
• Whether the relationship feels collaborative and positive
• Whether expectations on both sides can be realistically met.

Rather than a one-size-fits-all model, Red Hen creates different types of relationships, including:

• Relationships not bound by any timeframe, with a sense of permanence, such as with Cambridge Fruit Company and The Bradfield Centre
• Long-term “partnership of the year” collaborations (e.g. CUP&A, which has extended into a third year)
• Ongoing but lighter-touch relationships with multiple businesses
• One-off or seasonal engagement opportunities.

They also carefully manage capacity. As a smaller charity, they recognise they cannot sustain too many intensive partnerships at once, so they prioritise depth over volume while making sure they can, in Jen’s words:

clearly demonstrate the impact we’re having locally.

Red Hen offers a range of volunteering opportunities to suit different business needs, ensuring accessibility and meaningful impact.

Fundraising and Events

For example, CUP&A supported Red Hen via:

• a fire walk event which they hosted providing the space and facilities
• by volunteering to collect donations at the Cambridge Beer Festival
• by running raffles, auctions, and craft activities
• running a comedy night at the Cambridge University Press bookshop, which also sold the Red Hen charity calendar.

These activities often combine fundraising with team building and awareness raising.

Skilled Volunteering

Businesses provide professional expertise that the charity would otherwise struggle to access:

• Marketing and communications support
• Digital campaign input
• HR advice
• Strategic planning
• Facilitation support for trustee subcommittees.

This type of volunteering is highly valued and enables long-term organisational development. As Jen noted:

• All of this is really, really valuable.

Team Volunteering

Practical, hands-on opportunities linked to key times of year:

• Preparing Easter activity packs for families
• Supporting summer community events and outdoor play activities
• Collecting and organising school supplies in September
• Sorting and preparing Christmas gifts.

These activities are designed to be engaging, flexible, and directly linked to community needs.

Mentoring, & Coaching and Trustees

Red Hen has benefited from:

• Coaching for staff, which has been described as “worth its weight in gold”
• Recruitment of trustees from business backgrounds, bringing skills and networks
• Mentoring relationships that strengthen leadership and governance.

These contributions not only support the charity but also offer valuable development opportunities for business employees.

Innovation and Collaboration

Through its partnership with CUP&A, Red Hen has been able to pilot new ideas, including:

• Delivering online parenting courses to employees
• Expanding their reach and developing confidence in digital delivery
• Exploring potential future income streams.

This demonstrates how partnerships can go beyond volunteering to enable innovation and growth, rooted in what Jen described as:

A real, mutual respect for one another.

Red Hen value and recognise the value their partnerships bring.

They do this in simple but effective ways:

• Thanking individuals personally whenever possible
• Providing regular updates on how support has made a difference
• Sharing stories from families and frontline staff
• Inviting volunteers to visit activities and see the impact first-hand.

For example, Red Hen regularly visits CUP&A on-site, creating informal opportunities to:

• Thank staff face-to-face
• Share updates
• Maintain visibility within the organisation.

They also use social media (with permission) to publicly recognise contributions and raise awareness.

Importantly, recognition doesn’t rely on formal reporting—it is often personal, visible and relational. As Jen said:

It doesn’t have to be all singing and dancing, just popping in and having a coffee and catching up with people.

Tips to create successful voluntary/business partnerships

1.  Build relationships, not transactions 

Start small and allow partnerships to grow over time. A single conversation can evolve into a long-term collaboration.

2.  Focus on mutual benefit

Recognise that businesses are not just helping charities—charities also provide value through:

• Employee wellbeing and engagement
• Skills development
• Purpose and connection to community.

3.  Charities need to be clear about their needs

Clearly communicate:

• What support is helpful, and what is not
• When it is needed
• What impact it will have.

This helps businesses engage in meaningful ways, especially when charities are, as Jen put it:

Clear about what support is genuinely helpful.

4.  Offer flexible opportunities

Provide a range of options—volunteering, skills-based support, fundraising—to suit different business interests and capacities.

5.  Show impact regularly

Keep businesses engaged by demonstrating the difference they are making—this can be simple, timely, and personal.

6.  Invest in long-term partnerships

The experience with CUP&A shows that extending partnerships beyond one year:

Builds momentum

Deepens engagement

Enables larger, more ambitious outcomes.

7.  Embrace openness and trust

Strong partnerships rely on honest communication, flexibility, and mutual respect.

8.  Stay visible and connected

Regular touchpoints—visits, updates, informal conversations—help maintain engagement and uncover new opportunities.

Red Hen’s experience shows that successful corporate volunteering is not about scale, but about relationships, trust, and shared purpose.

Their partnership with CUP&A demonstrates how businesses and charities can move beyond transactional support to create lasting, impactful collaboration—benefiting communities, employees, and organisations alike.