World Branding Forum

John Lewis Partnership to donate to local charities fighting child poverty

Posted: 29 Apr 2021 07:27 AM PDT

The John Lewis Partnership is donating over £1m this summer to more than 1,000 local charities and community organisations helping to end child poverty across the UK

The John Lewis Partnership has announced that it will step up efforts to help those disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, by donating over £1m this summer to more than 1,000 local charities and community organisations helping to end child poverty across the UK.

It's part of the company’s Give a Little Love programme, which aims to make a lasting difference to those in need.

A total of 2.3 million children experienced food insecurity between March and August last year, and 850,000 children reported that they or their families visited a food bank.

To help tackle this important issue, each John Lewis and Waitrose shop will be directing their regular community donations to charities in their own communities that support children in poverty. This support will run from May to July – providing vital support during the May half term and summer holidays when millions of children are at risk of being hungry.

Support will be given through donations of money, products (for example, clothing or kitchen equipment) and food donations.

The John Lewis Partnership are also proud members of Marcus Rashford's Child Food Poverty Task Force, a coalition of brands working together to end child food poverty.

Marija Rompani, Partner & Director of Ethics & Sustainability at the John Lewis Partnership, said: "No child should ever go hungry or be without basic human needs and we want to do all we can to help. By working with the many incredible charities in local communities across the country, we hope to make a real impact and help as many children as we can."

Marcus Rashford MBE, commented: “John Lewis Partnership is a valuable founding member of the Child Food Poverty Task Force and the company has strongly demonstrated their commitment to ending child food poverty across the UK since we formed. ‘Give a Little Love’ was a powerful and touching campaign over the Christmas holidays and I’m thrilled to see that campaign being built upon to guarantee more of those in need get the help they deserve. I want to take the opportunity to thank the John Lewis Partnership for their ongoing support.”

The announcement is the latest of a number of initiatives we've launched to support families in need.

In addition to the donation, Waitrose shops will continue to donate surplus food to FareShare, a food distribution charity. Since 2017, the company has donated the equivalent of more than five million meals to those in need. They also work with Kitchen Social and The Felix Project to donate stock to people facing food insecurity.

The company’s Give a Little Love campaign has already raised over £3m for long term charity partners FareShare, Home-Start and local community groups, with a further £2m pledged earlier this year by the Partnership. The John Lewis Partnership also donated nearly 5,000 items of warm clothing to Home-Start to distribute to families during winter.

In February the Partnership launched a new programme with FareShare – Farm to Family – becoming the first UK supermarket to take surplus food straight from our largest suppliers and farms to the plates of those in need.

The article John Lewis Partnership to donate to local charities fighting child poverty appeared first on World Branding Forum.

PepsiCo to improve access to soccer in underserved communities

Posted: 29 Apr 2021 02:40 AM PDT

Building upon its UEFA Champions League partnership, PepsiCo, Lay’s and Gatorade announce “Team of Champions,” supporting 11 local organisations with the gift of the game

PepsiCo, Inc. has announced “Team of Champions,” a national purpose platform building upon the company’s global UEFA Champions League partnership to provide the gift of the game to underserved communities.

The US$1M/£716K commitment over three years will make actionable investments on and off the field to help create transformational change for Hispanic and Black communities across the United States through soccer.

“Team of Champions” is supported by international soccer star Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez as he joins the PepsiCo athlete roster. In his first national effort partnering with Pepsi and Lay’s, he shares: “I’m proud to partner with Pepsi and Lay’s to bring the beautiful game to underserved communities across the country. From access to safe play, gear and equipment, to coaching and role models, ‘Team of Champions’ looks to remove barriers to the game that have become harder to move, particularly during the pandemic.”

The “Team of Champions” features a “Starting Eleven” comprised of 11 local organisations in select cities across the US, including Los Angeles, Chicago, New York City, Detroit, Washington, DC, Dallas, El Paso and Fort Lauderdale, that provide opportunities and access to the sport.

PepsiCo donations to the 11 organisations composing this year’s “Team of Champions” aim to level the playing field with apparel and equipment like cleats and balls; field access; mentoring, coaching and education; and fan experiences.

“As one of the fastest-growing and unifying sports in the United States, we saw an opportunity to leverage our largest global platform – UEFA Champions League – and the game as a force for good,” said Esperanza Teasdale, VP & GM, Hispanic Business Unit, PepsiCo Beverages North America.

“PepsiCo, along with our iconic brands Pepsi, Lay’s and Gatorade, is committed to making an impact in our Hispanic and Black communities. With ‘Team of Champions,’ we’re building upon decades of experience and commitment on and off the field to equalise access to the game and bring smiles and opportunity through soccer.”

“Team of Champions” is another step in PepsiCo’s Racial Equality Journey, which in 2020 saw the company announce commitments of more than US$570M/£408M over the next five years to lift up Black and Hispanic businesses and communities in the US to address issues of inequality and create opportunity.

“Uniting people through soccer and sharing the joy of the game is something our brands like Lay’s, Pepsi and Gatorade have been doing for years. We’re excited to strengthen our presence and impact in the game, partnering with organisations to invest in Hispanic and Black soccer clubs, programmes and businesses, with the ambition to drive long-term change and address systemic barriers in these underserved communities,” said Antonio Escalona, SVP & GM, Hispanic Business Unit, PepsiCo Foods North America.

In the lead up to the 2020-2021 UEFA Champions League final, PepsiCo will amplify community voices from the 11 organisations through a content series that will be distributed across broadcast, social and digital platforms to provide more visibility on the impact of each dollar donated.

Soccer stars and cultural influencers including Santiago Muñoz and Jonathan González will support the programme by sharing the stories behind the organisations within their home markets.

The article PepsiCo to improve access to soccer in underserved communities appeared first on World Branding Forum.

Food And Recipe Fusion

Thursday, April 29, 2021