Sainsbury’s thanks customers, colleagues and partners as over £4.1 million donation is made to Comic Relief and BBC Children in Need

Sainsbury’s thanks customers, colleagues and partners as over £4.1 million donation is made to Comic Relief and BBC Children in Need

05 May 2020

Sainsbury’s, Argos, Habitat and Nectar customers raised £1,939,593 over three weeks for the charities, all of which was matched pound for pound.

Sainsbury’s, Argos, Habitat and Nectar customers collectively raised over £1.9 million to Comic Relief and BBC Children in Need over the past three weeks – a sum Sainsbury’s has matched pound for pound.

This amazing contribution from customers, colleagues and partners means that a grand total of over £4.1 million* has been donated towards vital emergency support for vulnerable people in the UK through the retailers’ joint appeal, which ran from 9th April to 1st May.

The supermarket is also donating over 750,000 brand new items for men, women and children** from its Tu clothing range towards local communities and charities via Comic Relief and Sainsbury’s existing charity network. This significant donation, will provide thousands of vulnerable people of all ages with warm, clean and dry clothes.

Sainsbury’s today issues a huge thank you to all customers, colleagues and partners for their generous donations, which will provide vital frontline support to people who need it most through this crisis - making sure people are safe from harm, mentally healthy and with access to food, warmth and shelter; as well as helping people stay connected to tackle isolation.

This includes vulnerable children and young people, people who are homeless or living in poverty, women and families at risk of domestic abuse, and those struggling with mental health problems at this time.

Sainsbury’s has been a longstanding partner of Comic Relief, having raised more than £130 million for the charity over the past 21 years. The supermarket is proud to support the appeal as part of its ongoing work to feed the nation and support the communities it serves.

Mike Coupe, Chief Executive Officer at Sainsbury’s, said: “We’re incredibly thankful for the donations from our customers and colleagues and are overwhelmed by the generosity that has been displayed during this time. We’re proud to have matched donations raised in-store and online, bringing the total donated to Comic Relief and BBC Children in Need to over £4.1 million. The money raised will go towards helping vulnerable people and make a truly important difference to their lives.”

Ruth Davison, Chief Executive at Comic Relief, said: “I would like to say a huge thank you to Sainsbury’s customers for their generosity. We're so grateful for their continued support during this unprecedented time. Every donation goes a long way and this rings even more true with the help of Sainsbury’s matching every donation.

“This fundraising appeal will help vulnerable people stay safe, warm and fed. It will also help people who are struggling with their mental health and those at risk of domestic abuse.”

Frontline UK charities and projects who are facing unprecedented demand for their services as a result of Covid-19 will receive funding from Comic Relief and BBC Children in Need. This includes small grassroots projects at the heart of the Covid-19 response, to larger organisations that have national reach across the UK. Funding will be given to charities responding to the immediate impact of the crisis as well as those providing support in the medium or longer term.

As well as supporting the joint appeal, Sainsbury’s has also invested in a number of initiatives to help those most in need in the local community, including a £3m donation to FareShare and donating vital storage infrastructure to Company Shop Group.

Sainsbury’s has also extended its listings of The Big Issue to over 1,300 stores***, providing temporary support to vendors who are currently unable to sell on the streets.

The supermarket also signed the C-19 Business pledge, a government backed initiative to harness the power of business as a force for good during the pandemic, with the potential to help millions of employees nationwide.

To learn more about Sainsbury’s partnership with Comic Relief and BBC Children in Need, and to keep up to date on the latest Covid-19 measures, please visit https://www.sainsburys.co.uk

*Fig includes funds raised by Sainsbury’s colleagues, customers and partners with Sainsbury’s matching customer and colleague donations pound for pound

**750,000 units includes 450,000 womenswear items, 220,000 childrenswear items and 75,000 menswear items

***1,384 Sainsbury’s stores nationwide