Lidl GB has today announced the recipients of the latest round of its Community Fund, delivered in partnership with Neighbourly. More than 75 good causes across Great Britain are set to benefit from grants of up to £20,000. The grants will support a variety of deserving groups and initiatives, including food banks, Secondary schools, community volunteer groups, domestic abuse good causes, community centres and environmental organisations.
The largest grant this quarter was to Kitchen Social & Cookery Club CIC (Charity Interest Company). located on the Isle of Thanet, Kent, where 1 in 4 children are affected by poverty. Since 2020 they have delivered over 45,000 meals– but demand continues to grow.
Their barrier to meeting this demand is transportation. They applied to the Lidl Community Fund to purchase a vehicle large enough to hold each of the daily collections. They were awarded £20,000 for the much-needed van which will not only help increase the distribution of food within the area but also free up vital volunteer time to teach families healthy eating.
The Community fund supports good causes from the breadth of the country, making a significant impact more widely.
Another cause Lidl have supported this year is ReThink Food which was granted £20,000 from the Community Fund to launch a ground-breaking National School Pantry Network. ReThink Food recognise the need for food is impairing learning outcomes and concentration levels of children most in need. The fund will support schools in West Yorkshire and Liverpool set up pantries for families or create supper clubs with an ambition to roll out nationally.
The donations further strengthen the discounter’s partnership with Neighbourly, a platform that helps businesses make a positive impact in their local community. Since partnering with Neighbourly in 2017, Lidl has contributed more than 38 million meals worth of surplus food.
Matt Juden-Bloomfield, head of sustainability (CSR) at Lidl GB, said: “Our purpose is to make high quality food accessible to everyone. We’re proud to have helped these good causes and are sure their impact will help to reach so many more people. But our work doesn’t stop there, and we’d encourage any of the good causes in our Neighbourly network to get their submissions in for the next quarter of grants.”
Debra Lestrade, volunteer and cookery tutor from Kitchen Social & Cookery Club, said: “A more suitable vehicle will improve operational efficiency and allow us to re-allocate manpower to our outreach programme. We are not just feeding people; we are sharing life skills in health & wellbeing. Every meal is a step towards knowledge, confidence & empowerment.”
Nathan Atkinson, co-founder at Rethink Food, said: “This funding from the Lidl Community Fund is not just a grant, it’s a catalyst for real change. It enables us to tackle food insecurity head-on in schools and communities, while giving families choice, dignity, and support when they need it most. We’re proud to work with Lidl to launch the National School Pantry Network and take another step toward a future where no child goes hungry.”
Since launching in 2022 the Lidl Community Fund will have delivered £2million in grants by the end of FY25. It has helped good causes up and down the country to expand their impact, provide a wider range of essential food products and serve an even greater number of people from underprivileged backgrounds. From Hull Community Shop in Yorkshire, Splott Community Volunteers in Cardiff and Kidzeco in Scotland – these grants have helped to establish innovative support schemes for local communities, including warm banks, free breakfast clubs, and budget cooking classes.
