LIDL DONATING FRESH FRUIT & VEG BOXES TO NHS STAFF ACROSS THE COUNTRY

Today Lidl announces it will be donating thousands of its fresh fruit and vegetable boxes to NHS staff across Great Britain in an effort to help provide frontline health workers with fresh produce. The initiative comes through the retailer’s partnership with The Royal Voluntary Service, which is committed to supporting those who need it most in hospitals and communities around the country.

The Lidl boxes will be distributed by The Royal Voluntary Service to NHS staff at hospital sites through their wholesale partner, getting fresh fruit and vegetables into the hands of frontline health workers.

Service managers at the Royal Voluntary Service sites will receive the boxes and arrange for distribution to NHS workers directly in the hospital.

Christian Härtnagel, CEO at Lidl GB, commented: “We are so grateful to the NHS and all of its staff for their hard work every day to help keep the nation safe. This is our small gesture to say thank you, and help provide NHS staff, who may not be able to get into store regularly for basic groceries, with fresh fruit and vegetables.

“We hope that through working with the Royal Voluntary service to donate these boxes to hospitals, we can help make a difference to their daily life.”

The news follows Lidl’s recent announcement that it will be rolling out its customer food donation boxes in stores nationwide, as part of its Feed it Back scheme, and donating £100,000 to its partnership with Neighbourly, to help vulnerable people and children.

ENDS

Notes to Editors

About Lidl GB

Since establishing itself in Great Britain in 1994, Lidl has experienced continuous growth and today has over 24,500 employees, 800 stores and 13 distribution centres in England, Scotland and Wales.

As part of the Schwarz retail group, Lidl is one of Europe’s leading organisations in the food retail industry. With a presence in 32 countries around the world, the supermarket, which has more than 287,000 employees globally, currently operates approximately 10,800 stores and more than 160 distribution centres in 29 countries globally. The family supermarket takes pride in providing its customers with the highest quality products at the lowest possible prices throughout Great Britain, from Kirkwall to the Isle of Wight. Social responsibility and sustainability are at the core of the company’s daily operations, with the company placing a strong emphasis on its responsibility for people, society and the environment. Lidl GB is passionate about working with British producers and sources two thirds of its products from British suppliers.

The Schwarz Group (Kaufland, Lidl) has been Europe’s largest food retailer since 2014 and generated a turnover of €104.3 billion in financial year 2018.