Sainsbury’s to donate over one million meals to children with Comic Relief

Sainsbury’s and Comic Relief have committed to donating over £2.5m to help children and families by providing over one million meals in the school holidays. 

The funding will help launch five new food club hubs, which will run all-year-around and provide long-term solutions to help improve families’ access to food during the holidays and beyond.

The retailer and Comic Relief are also working together to fund organisations such as Feeding Britain, The Bread and Butter Thing and London Community Foundations, who will provide healthy meals and free enriching activities for children over the summer break. 

There are currently 900,000 children in England who are experiencing food poverty but aren’t eligible for free school meals, while those who do receive them are only supported by the government’s Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme for four weeks of the six-week summer break, highlighting the pressing need for extra support.

Additionally, research by the Department of Education found that during school holiday breaks, children from low-income households are less likely to take part in organised out-of-school activities, are more likely to have “unhealthy holidays” due to lack of nutrition and physical health.

Until 23 July, the supermarket will donate 25p to Comic Relief for every purchase of selected fruit and veg, from cherry tomatoes to easy peelers and sweet peppers. Additionally, until 30 July, its supplier Mars Food will donate £100k to Comic Relief from the proceeds of all Dolmio product sales in Sainsbury’s.

Customers are also encouraged to donate what they can at tills, online or via Nectar.

Ruth Cranston, director of corporate responsibility and sustainability at Sainsbury’s, said: “We know that the school holidays are a difficult time for many families, especially for children who aren’t eligible for free school meals. 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.”

Cranston added: “In total this Spring and Summer, we will have committed to donating over £4.2m 3 to supporting children with access to nutritious food, through donations to Comic Relief. We hope that all the funding will help towards building lasting change for these children and their families.”