Cambridge Management Consulting tops £1m in charity giving

Cambridge Management Consulting has passed £1 million in charitable giving and published its first Impact Report, covering donations made since the business was founded in 2015.

The consulting firm gives at least 10% of profits and at least 1% of staff time and expertise to charitable causes. It also keeps 1% of its equity in reserve for charitable use in the event of an equity event.

Last year, Cambridge Management Consulting donated and pledged more than £200,000 and contributed 290 volunteer days across the business. It valued the combined financial support and staff time at more than £600,000.

The business employs more than 200 consultants across more than 25 countries and territories. Founded in Cambridge by Executive Chairman Tim Passingham, it has since expanded with offices or legal entities in Cambridge, London, New York, Paris, Dubai, Singapore and Helsinki.

Its charitable activity is organised around what it calls the Five Charitable Cs: children and young people, conservation and sustainability, cancer, communications, and the Cambridge community. The report outlines a mix of direct funding, staff fundraising and pro bono project work for charities.

Examples include support for Cambridge City FC Girls U12 Youth team, Surf for Lives in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and the British Exploring Society, which runs expeditions for young people. A team led by Passingham also raised more than £60,000 for the British Exploring Society in one weekend, beating a £50,000 target.

Pro bono work

Beyond donations, the consultancy has provided technology and operational support to several organisations. Last year it built a website for the National Bereavement Care Pathway, a core programme of child bereavement charity Sands that is being rolled out across the NHS in the UK.

It also developed iOS and Android apps for Storybook Dads, a charity that helps imprisoned parents record bedtime stories for their children. In another contribution, the firm provided office space to Britten Sinfonia, a chamber orchestra and charity based in Cambridge.

The report also highlights ties with Pembroke College, Cambridge, through a corporate partnership intended to strengthen links between business and academia. Passingham was inducted as a William Pitt Fellow in 2022 and was recognised as Pembroke College's Volunteer of the Year in 2025.

The company is better known in the market for consulting assignments in digital infrastructure, telecoms and transformation. Recent commercial projects include a three-to-five-year innovation strategy for Thames Freeport, support for BP's rollout of Pulse electric charging stations, a strategic outline for a submarine cable system in the Turks & Caicos Islands, and advice to the Falkland Islands on licensing Starlink and telecoms strategy.

It has also worked on the £6.1 billion Silicon Sands digital campus and data centre development at the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone for Blackpool Council. It has held a platinum ranking in telecommunications from Consultancy.uk for four consecutive years.

Leadership comments

Passingham said the charitable model was built into the business from the outset.

"When we started the business in 2015, it was paramount to make giving back a central part of everything we do. This is imprinted in our company values, and it makes me immensely proud, as a purpose-led business, to share our social impact over the past year.

We accept that the world around us is facing unprecedented challenges and threats, which makes doing good and doing good business not just harder but also more important than ever. In this environment, 'impact' can't just be a nice slogan; it has to exist in hearts and minds and be something concrete that we can measure. If we have the ability to help, we should - and we will.

We help our clients have a better impact on the world by bringing world-class expertise to complex challenges from digital infrastructure and transformation to procurement, delivery oversight and sustainability. But we also realise that impact starts at home, and we match the impact we deliver through our work with our commitment to charitable causes," said Tim Passingham, Executive Chairman, Cambridge Management Consulting.

Sands said the consultancy's support included both financial backing and digital project work, and that the website helped one of its main programmes.

"Cambridge Management Consulting has kindly supported Sands both financially and with pro bono assistance, for example building us a new website for the National Bereavement Care Pathway, which is being rolled out across the NHS in the UK. We are deeply grateful for their support in our mission to reduce the number of babies dying and ensure that, when a baby does die, anyone affected gets the support and care they need," said Clea Harmer, Chief Executive Officer, Sands.

The British Exploring Society said the consultancy's support had widened access to its programmes for young people from lower-income and care-experienced backgrounds.

"Through its support for our programmes, Cambridge Management Consulting is removing the barriers to participation, helping young people from different backgrounds share, learn from one another and benefit from each other's strengths. For many young people, their adventure with our charity is a significant challenge and a huge step forward. Last year, more than 40% came from households earning under £23,000, and more than 20% were care-experienced," said Wilson-Fletcher.