As part of its business simplification programme, Poundland confirmed today its Foundation has decided to make grants of £1.2m to its three long-term partners Whizz Kidz, Make-A-Wish® UK and Tommy’s and the UK’s leading charity for children’s palliative care, Together for Short Lives who will each receive unrestricted grants of £300,000 each to support their work.
The significant Foundation grants have been made possible through the generous contribution of customers over the past 12 months through its Pennies micro-donation programme at Poundland tills, and extensive colleague and supplier fundraising.
The grants to the four charities will represent the Foundation’s concluding awards, as Poundland simplifies its community work by moving to a direct charitable relationship.
From today, long-term partner Make-A-Wish® UK become Poundland’s sole strategic charity partner. As part of this partnership, Poundland colleagues will play a key role in supporting the partnership through fundraising, volunteering, and in-store engagement—helping to make more life-changing wishes come true. Make-A-Wish® UK will also be the direct recipient of Pennies donations made in its stores as it continues to build on its highly successful micro-donation partnership.
Since being established in May 2021, the Poundland Foundation has raised over £7m, with significant grants to its charity partners and other community causes.
That includes:
– £1.3m to Make-A-Wish® to help them grant wishes for hundreds of children, including funding an entire plane of families to fly to Lapland for a magical Christmas wish
– £1.16m to Tommy’s to support projects including their Midwives Helpline and Miscarriage Support Tool
– Over £1m to Whizz Kidz to provide mobility equipment for hundreds of young people, and to fund activity programmes for young wheelchair users and their families
Additionally, the Foundation, thanks to the generosity of Poundland customers, suppliers and colleagues has also been able to provide over £600,000 to almost 900 local kids’ sports clubs via its Kits 4 Kids programme, providing new sports kit for almost 10,000 children, £100,000 to Family Action to support its FamilyLine service and £150,000 to support Trussell and its community of food banks.
“Our customers, colleagues and suppliers have been incredibly generous in their giving over the past four years through the Foundation, helping transform thousands of lives,” said Poundland managing director Barry Williams.
“And while we’re simplifying our approach in the coming years, focusing our giving and fundraising on a single direct cause, Make-A-Wish®, I want to pay tribute to the incredible support we’ve received from all our charity partners.
“Their work has inspired us. Their energy encouraged us. And their partnership motivated us to make a difference.”
Jason Suckley CEO at Make-A-Wish UK, said: “We’re so grateful to the Poundland Foundation for their incredible support over the last four years. Their latest £300,000 donation will help us grant 150 life-changing wishes for children living with critical illness across the UK. Children deserve to wish for more than a life defined by their illness and thanks to the support from Poundland Foundation we have been able to provide wishes for children and their families at a time when they need it most.
“We are absolutely thrilled to continue our special relationship as Poundland’s charity partner, building on eight years working together to make more wishes come true, sooner.”
Kath Abrahams, chief executive of Tommy’s, said: “Thanks to the Poundland Foundation’s support over the last five years, we have been able to make a difference for thousands of women and families.
“The Foundation has helped fund our Miscarriage Support Tool and midwife-run helpline – invaluable sources of expertise and comfort for those affected by pregnancy complications and baby loss.
We are hugely grateful to receive this grant of £300,000 at this point. It will mean that we can help even more families as we work to make pregnancy and birth safe for everyone, through our support services, our information and our research.
“All of us at Tommy’s would like to thank Poundland colleagues, customers and suppliers for helping us move closer to a world where fewer families face the heartbreak of baby loss”.
Sarah Pugh, CEO at Whizz Kidz, said: “On behalf of everyone at Whizz Kidz, I want to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Poundland Foundation for their incredibly generous support. Their funding has enabled us to deliver vital services such as Kidz Max days, Siblings Groups, and fun, inclusive activities that make a real difference to young wheelchair users and their families.
“With the Poundland Foundation’s help, we can empower even more young people to gain confidence, independence, and opportunities they truly deserve. We can’t thank you enough.”
Nick Carroll, chief executive of Together for Short Lives, said: “We are delighted to receive this grant from the Poundland Foundation, whose support will make a life-changing difference for children with life-limiting conditions and their families. Thanks to this generous grant, we can be there at every stage of a family’s journey – from the moment of diagnosis, through the toughest days, to bereavement and beyond. It will help us answer urgent calls from families in crisis, connect them with vital local hospice care, and provide financial assistance when it’s needed most. We are deeply grateful to Poundland Foundation for their commitment to ensuring no family faces the journey of their child’s short life alone and can instead treasure every moment they have together.”
