UK-based supermarket Sainsbury’s and Comic Relief have announced a major partnership aimed at tackling child food poverty in the country, particularly during the often-challenging school holiday periods.
The two organisations will collaborate to deliver more than one million meals to children facing food insecurity.
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Specifically, a £2.5m ($3.24m) investment will be channelled into supporting organisations on the ground, including Feeding Britain, The Bread and Butter Thing, and London Community Foundations.
These charities will use the funds to provide nutritious meals and enriching activities for children throughout the mid-year school break.
Additionally, the partnership will establish five new year-round food club hubs to address long-term food insecurity and support families beyond the holiday period.
According to Sainsbury’s, 900,000 English children struggle with food poverty despite not qualifying for free school meals.
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By GlobalDataEven those who receive them go without year-round support, as the government’s programme only covers four out of six school holiday weeks.
Research by the Department of Education also shows a concerning trend: children from low-income households are more likely to experience a “holiday gap” during school breaks.
This means they have fewer opportunities to participate in organised activities, face potential health issues due to lack of proper nutrition and exercise, and may experience social isolation.
To rally public support, Sainsbury’s is launching a series of in-store initiatives throughout this month.
Customers can contribute by purchasing selected fruits and vegetables, with 25p from each sale donated to Comic Relief.
Moreover, Mars Food is pledging £100,000 from Dolmio product sales to the cause.
Customers can also make direct donations at store checkouts or online.
As part of the campaign, Sainsbury’s is offering free childrens’ meals in its cafés from 15 July to 3 September with the purchase of an adult hot meal.
This initiative is expected to provide approximately 18,000 meals to UK children.
“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,” said Ruth Cranston, director of Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability at Sainsbury’s.
“In total this spring and summer, we will have committed to donating over £4.2m 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.”
The collaboration marks the 25th anniversary of Sainsbury’s and Comic Relief’s partnership, a testament to their enduring commitment to supporting communities across the UK.
To date, Sainsbury’s says it has raised more than £170m for Comic Relief.
