John Lewis & Waitrose announce campaign to raise £5m for struggling families
Melanie May | 31 October 2020 | News
John Lewis & Waitrose will launch a campaign in November to raise £5 million to help FareShare and Home-Start support struggling families in the UK.
The campaign, launched in response to the current times, which have seen FareShare double the amount of food it provides since the pandemic started, will be complemented by this year’s Waitrose and John Lewis Christmas ad.
The retailers are aiming to provide support for at least 100,000 families by raising the funds for FareShare and Home-Start, whilst also shining a light on the long term need for kindness as the impact of the pandemic continues.
James Bailey, Executive Director of Waitrose & Partners, said:
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“This year has created even greater inequality in society with a catastrophic effect on some of the most vulnerable, and we are determined to play our part in addressing this. Everyone has a right to nourishment and a safe, warm home and we believe that as a Partnership, we can be an enduring force for good, which lasts well beyond Christmas. We don’t just want to talk about it, we want every customer, community and Partner to show their kindness in supporting these causes.”
The two retailers will be encouraging Partners and customers to spread kindness in their own communities both over Christmas and beyond.
Customers will be encouraged to support the campaign in one of five different ways:
- Making a charity donation, which will be matched by the retailer to the value of £2m
- Buying one of a variety of exclusive and limited edition campaign products
- Shopping in one of the two retailers’ shops and using their My JL and My Waitrose loyalty card which will trigger a donation to the two charities
- Showing kindness to someone who needs it
- Helping in their local community
To help, Waitrose and John Lewis shops will also be committing surprise acts of generosity towards their customers.
A further fund of over £1m has also been created to ensure all of the retailers’ shops will be actively partnering with FareShare and Home-start and local disadvantaged family charities in their communities.
The John Lewis Partnership has recently stated its ambition to be a different kind of business, as a force for good. This year’s Christmas campaign will embody this principle and in a campaign that will be brought to life through a variety of channels.
Peter Grigg, Chief Executive of Home-Start UK said:
“We have all seen first-hand how the pandemic is pushing families to the edge, especially those already facing challenges in their lives. Home-Start is there for families when they need us most and we have been overwhelmed by the kindness shown in our communities during the pandemic. But there is so much more to do. Working with John Lewis Partnership colleagues, customers and communities, we can reach more families and communities at this vital time. We are proud to be a partner in this exciting ambition to transform the lives of thousands of families and children this Christmas and beyond.”
Lindsay Boswell, Chief Executive at FareShare, added:
“In what has been an incredibly tough year for so many, more people than ever are turning to local charities and community groups for support because they simply can’t afford the food they need to feed their families and themselves. At FareShare, the demand for food has more than doubled as a result of the pandemic so this partnership comes at such a crucial time. We are so delighted to partner with Waitrose and John Lewis to provide support for the thousands of people in need across the UK in the run up to Christmas and over the winter months.”
Main image: A family eating food provided by FareShare
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.