Senior management from Kraft have agreed to meet with a newly established community group from Bournville set up to ensure the takeover of Cadbury by Kraft is a positive development for the Bournville community.

‘Bournville Community Group’ has been created under the chairmanship of Reverend Paul Clarke, a former Cadbury worker who now leads the Pavilion Christian Community. The group met last month to debate the extent to which the community should “roll out the red carpet” to Kraft to ensure that “support for the local community is maintained or further enhanced; and to maximise the chances of Kraft seeing their investment in Bournville in its widest context and thereby maximising the chances of securing local jobs into the long term.”

Bournville Village Trust, local residents groups, schools and churches have joined the group and Rev Clarke confirmed to us that Kraft have agreed to meet them in the near future.

Ideas discussed about how to best greet Kraft include designating the month of June as a ‘Red Carpet Month’ with a series of activities aimed at reflecting the special nature and position that the Bournville community has with the Cadbury factory. Events would include:

• A tour of the Village open to Kraft Management and other members of Kraft’s staff.
• A Cadbury World tour.
• Senior staff from Kraft to be guests of honour at the Bournville Village Festival on 26 June 2010
• Invitation to Bournville Infants school centenary which is also attended by the Duke of Gloucester
• A presentation of Bournville past, present and future

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The group felt that Cadbury had not made the most of the heritage of the Company and its link to Bournville. There is a desire to involve Birmingham Chamber of Commerce in their actions as Chamber head Jerry Blackett has spoken about the need to “welcome Kraft to the West Midlands team”

pic: Rob Warde