Foundation partners with AI consultancy to help local charities adopt artificial intelligence safely and effectively.

Cheshire, UK – October 2025 – Cheshire Community Foundation, one of the region's leading grant-makers, today announces a strategic partnership with Cheshire-based consultancy Insightful AI. AI specialist Ben Sefton will join as the Foundation's Chief AI Officer on a pro-bono basis, making it one of the first UK Community Foundations to appoint dedicated AI leadership.

The collaboration will help the Foundation adopt AI responsibly, then extending support to the hundreds of voluntary sector organisations (VSOs) across Cheshire and Warrington. Through tailored training programmes and practical frameworks, local charities will learn to use AI tools safely, saving time and resources they can redirect toward their core missions of supporting vulnerable families, protecting the environment, and strengthening communities.

"We're building frameworks that smaller charities can adapt themselves," said Ben Sefton, Co-founder of Insightful AI and Chief AI Officer at Cheshire Community Foundation. "By embedding ethics and governance from the start, we can help the sector harness AI's potential while maintaining the trust communities expect from their local charities."

Mel Sproston, Chief Executive of Cheshire Community Foundation, said: " As investment flows into the North West's tech sector, Community Foundations are uniquely placed to maximise community benefit. This partnership strengthens our capability to adopt AI safely and extends that expertise across the voluntary sector. We're excited to bridge the gap between tech innovation and community impact."

The partnership combines the Foundation's deep community knowledge with Insightful AI's expertise in responsible innovation. All initiatives will follow a governance-first approach with comprehensive risk management and compliance frameworks. Training programmes will begin rolling out in 2026 following initial pilots.