Sainsbury’s will donate £2.5m towards providing free meals for millions of children, with the aim of tackling summer “holiday hunger”.
The donation will help to fund food hubs across the UK run by Sainsbury’s charity partners Feeding Britain, The Bread & Butter Thing and London Community Foundation. It would provide an estimated one million free meals, Sainsbury’s said.
In addition, Sainsbury’s will top up the cash donation, by giving 25p from the sale of select fruit & veg lines from now until 23 July. Mars, as major supplier to the supermarket, will donate a further £100,000 raised from sales of its Dolmio brand in Sainsbury’s stores.
Customers will also be able to donate through purchases in store, and via Nectar.
The campaign is the latest fundraising event of Sainsbury’s ongoing Nourish the Nation charity programme with Comic Relief.
Sainsbury’s has worked with Comic Relief since 1999. However, two years ago the decision was made to shift the focus of the charity partnership to strategically focus on addressing the issue of food poverty and access to food, Sainsbury’s director of corporate responsibility & sustainability Ruth Cranston told The Grocer.
“We’re a food business predominantly, and certainly when you look at where the biggest issues that are affecting communities right now, it’s just awful,” Cranston said. She added that Sainsbury’s was hoping that more of its supply base would come on board for future initiatives.
Comic Relief distributes the money as grants to different projects aimed at improving access to food.
The money raised during the summer campaign will provide continuous food clubs for 52 weeks of the year. It adds to £1.7m raised during a spring campaign, which would help to fund the foundation of five more food club hubs this summer, Cranston said.
Alongside the campaign, Sainsbury’s will also provide free meals for children in its in-store cafés between 15 July and 3 September.
“We know that the school holidays are a difficult time for many families, especially for children who aren’t eligible for free school meals,” Cranston said.
“This is where our Nourish the Nation programme comes into play, with the aim of turning the school holiday experience from one of surviving to thriving.
“Working with Comic Relief, we’re able to provide nourishing meals and activities throughout the school holidays. The work of the organisations we’re funding will be transformative to the lives of so many families across the country, ensuring that children return to school well-fed and ready to learn.”
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