Sainsbury’s, Argos, Habitat and Nectar customers have collectively donated over £1.5 million to Comic Relief and Children in Need in the past two weeks – a sum Sainsbury’s will match pound for pound.
This amazing contribution from customers and colleagues means that a minimum of £3,112,056 will be donated to vital emergency support for vulnerable people in the UK when the joint appeal to comes to an end on 1st May.
Sainsbury’s today issues a huge thank you to all customers and colleagues for their generous donations to date, and encourages people to continue to give where they can – pledging to match every penny to help as many people as possible.
Donations will not only provide vital emergency support to ensure those in need are safe, warm and fed, but will keep them connected in order to combat isolation and loneliness. This includes vulnerable children and young people, people who are homeless or living in extreme poverty, women and families at risk of domestic abuse, and those struggling with mental health problems.
Those who still wish to donate are encouraged to do so until the end of next week at tills in-store by rounding up their bill to £1, £5, £10 or £15 on manned checkouts or by adding £1, £2, £5 or £10 donations to their basket on self-service checkouts.
Customers shopping for groceries online or on the Habitat website can donate by adding a donation of £1, £2, £5 or £10 to their online delivery basket before checking out. Alternatively, people can donate directly online at www.sainsburys.co.uk and www.argos.co.uk by following the links to ‘The Big Night In’ or by giving their Nectar card points through the Nectar app or website to the value of £2.50, £5 or £10.
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 displayed in what continues to be a challenging time. We’re proud to match the £1.5 million already raised in-store and online, bringing the total donated to Comic Relief and BBC Children in Need to over £3 million. We will continue accepting donations from those who are able to contribute until 1st May and we’ll go on matching these donations pound for pound.”
Ruth Davison, Chief Executive at Comic Relief, said: “We would like to say a huge thank you to Sainsbury’s customers for their generosity over the past two weeks. We're so grateful for their continued support at a time when many face financial strain brought on by the virus. Even a little goes a long way and this rings even more true with the help of Sainsbury’s matching every donation.
“This fundraising appeal will help our charity partners continue their vital work at a time when vulnerable people need our support more than ever. The money raised will allow us to keep vulnerable people safe, warm and fed. It will also be put towards helping 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.
Examples of some of the organisations that will help distribute funding and support to local community projects are the heart of this crisis include; Buttle UK supporting young people and children ;Rosa Women’s Fund who will distribute funding to local women’s organisations and specialist Black & Asian minority ethnic women’s services.
A portion of the money raised will help Mind UK get funding out to already overstretched community mental health charities, whilst Age UK will support their network of 130+ local organisations to provide critical practical and emotional support to isolated older people. Money will also go to NHS Charities Together to support NHS staff and their families deal with the trauma of working on the frontline.
Other charity partners and organisations that will benefit from the appeal include: Refugee Action, British Red Cross, Crisis and Women’s Aid Federations in England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland, amongst others.
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