# Sainsbury’s & Argos launch shelf labelling scheme to encourage food bank donations

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2018/11/29/sainsburys-argos-launch-shelf-labelling-scheme-encourage-food-bank-donations/
- Published: 2018-11-29T08:00:55+00:00
- Author: Melanie May

**Sainsbury’s and Argos have launched an on-shelf labelling scheme to encourage 
people to donate food and toys in the run up to Christmas, with a group of National
Citizen Service (NCS) graduates playing a major role in its creation.**

The ‘Help to Brighten a Million Christmases’ campaign hopes to encourage one million
food and toy donations in stores across the UK, and expands on [Sainsbury’s](https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/)
year-round food bank scheme. It will be run in partnership with thousands of charity
partners across the UK, to distribute the items to local communities in time for
Christmas.

Priority items include tinned meat, fish, vegetables and fruit, pasta sauces, pasta,
instant coffee, tea, milk (UHT or powdered), and long life fruit juice, with new
toys for children between the ages of 0-16 being collected at Argos.

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The [NCS](https://www.ncsyes.co.uk/) graduates from Exeter invented on-shelf labels
to highlight priority products for donation after spotting that customers were noticing
the food bank donation bins after finishing their shop when it was too late to purchase
products for donation. As part of a social action project organised through the 
NCS programme this summer, the 13 teenagers created a dedicated shelf edge label
to remind customers during their shop. After successfully pitching the idea to store
manager, Sarah Spurling, in Sainsbury’s Exeter, the labels were implemented in store
and donations tripled as a result.

Sainsbury’s and Argos have worked closely with the teenagers to develop the idea
and the labels will now be rolled out nationally to all Sainsbury’s stores across
the UK. The labels will remain in these stores as a permanent fixture, with Argos
customers able to donate toys in store until 16 December as part of the campaign.

Claudine Blamey, Sainsbury’s Group Head of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability,
said:

>   “We’re excited to be working together as a Group to expand Sainsbury’s food 
> donation programme and to launch Argos’ toy donation programme. We are committed
> to making a positive difference in local communities and we hope our customers
> get on board to help brighten the lives of those less fortunate in the community
> “
> It’s been brilliant to work with NCS graduates to permanently roll out their fantastic
> label initiative to all our stores and help reach our target of one million donations.”

Mark Richardson, manager of Exeter foodbank, said:

>  “Teenagers these days often have an unfair reputation for being unengaged with
> the world around them, so it’s great to see young people being empowered by programmes
> like NCS to go out into their communities and make a difference.
>  “The results
> of this initiative go to show that sometimes you just need a new mind on an old
> problem, sometimes the most simple ideas have the greatest impact. This campaign
> has already had fantastic results locally, and I’m excited to see how it can benefit
> food banks and their clients across the UK.”

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