“A flourishing mind needs an environment that teaches children not what to think, but how to think.”
- Captain Chandran MBE OBE
Chitra Chandran (Our CEO)
My father recognised that young people are the future and that investing in them creates benefits that last, not just for them, but for the wider community too.
Almost thirty years on, young people are growing up under very different pressures, with a profound impact on their mental health and wellbeing. We know that helping a young person realise their potential takes more than academic support. They need confidence, resilience and, importantly, trusted adults who believe in them.
Our mission is to empower the next generation through holistic, sustained support. We believe in depth over scale, walking alongside young people for five to ten years, from primary school through to higher education. That long-term relationship gives them the support and stability to thrive and fulfil their potential.
It is a privilege to continue my father’s legacy. With our passionate team and incredible community behind us, we are committed to changing the lives of many more young people in the years ahead.
Captain Chandran MBE OBE (Our Founder)
Captain Chandran MBE OBE founded the Chandran Foundation in 1997, driven by a powerful belief that a young person’s future should never be defined by their circumstances.
After serving in the Sri Lankan army, he moved to the UK and built a career in social housing, ultimately leading Presentation Housing Association. Through that work, he saw first hand the inequality of opportunity facing children and young people.
What he saw was not a lack of potential, but a lack of access to the opportunities that could help them fulfil it.
He created the Chandran Foundation in response: to help level the playing field and give young people the support, opportunity and belief they need to realise their potential.
Almost thirty years later, that founding purpose remains at the heart of the Foundation. His legacy lives on in every young person we support and in our continuing belief that investing in young people can transform lives, families and communities.