# Making a Difference Locally passes £20 million raised for local causes

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2026/07/07/making-a-difference-locally-passes-20-million-raised-for-local-causes/
- Published: 2026-07-07T10:58:14+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Making a Difference Locally, the registered charity of Co-op Wholesale, has raised
£20 million for local charities, community groups and good causes across the UK 
since it launched in 2008.**

The charity, familiar to shoppers in Nisa and other Co-op Wholesale partner stores,
raises funds through sales of Co-op own-brand products, with a percentage of each
purchase going into a virtual fund for retailers to donate. In-store collection 
tins and clothing banks add to the total. Stores then donate their funds to a charity
or good cause of their choice within a 10-mile radius, keeping the money in the 
local community.

Over more than 18 years the charity has made over 25,000 donations, supporting more
than 11,000 community groups, projects and small charities. Causes funded range 
across mental wellbeing, LGBTQ+ inclusion, sport and social activities, food poverty,
and health and social care.

## Advertisement

 [⌊Posthub advert. You create the campaign. We'll handle the postal journey. Get started at post-hub.co.uk.⌉](https://fundraising.co.uk/ads/posthub-20261007-300x250/)

## Retail fundraising at local scale

The milestone is a reminder that point-of-sale fundraising through independent retailers
can accumulate substantial sums, £20 million in this case, from a mechanism built
into everyday shopping rather than from direct asks.

**Anthony Furnell**, Head of Retail Operations for NP Group, one of the retail partners,
gave an example of the funding at work:

“Through projects like the Number 1 Coffee Shop friendship group, we’ve seen isolated
individuals, including those navigating an early-onset dementia diagnosis, find 
a vital lifeline and a community that feels like family.”

**Kate Carroll**, Social Value Lead at Co-op Wholesale, said:

“In the current climate, the importance of supporting small charities and community
causes is greater than ever. We remain committed to working with our partners to
continue making a positive impact and building towards our next fundraising milestone.”

Given that the majority of UK charities are small, a local donation from a nearby
store can represent significant unrestricted income for the organisations that receive
it.

More information about the charity, and how local causes benefit, is [available from Nisa](https://nisalocally.co.uk/community)
and you can read [past coverage of Making a Difference Locally here](https://fundraising.co.uk/tag/making-a-difference-locally/).

 * **[UK companies take to the Web](https://fundraising.co.uk/1997/02/10/uk-companies-take-web/)**(
   10 February 1997)
 * **[Charity to benefit from Cat in the Hat anniversary](https://fundraising.co.uk/1997/03/01/charity-benefit-cat-hat-anniversary/)**(
   1 March 1997)
 * **[Free corporate support training in Birmingham](https://fundraising.co.uk/2003/04/08/free-corporate-support-training-birmingham/)**(
   8 April 2003)