LIDL LAUNCHES ‘GOOD TO GIVE’ TRUSTMARK – AN INDUSTRY FIRST TO DIVERSIFY FOOD DONATIONS

9th June 2022: Lidl GB has today announced the launch of an industry first - its ‘Good to Give’ trustmark, an initiative designed to diversify and increase food donations in Great Britain and help the rising numbers of people relying on food banks to get the varied diet they need.

From Thursday 9^th June, shoppers looking to donate to food banks can find the Good to Give trustmark on shelves across all Lidl GB stores. The signage will highlight carefully selected long-life items that offer a greater variety of nutritional benefits and which can be dropped at food donation points located past the checkouts in Lidl stores.  The items will then be collected regularly by local food banks and community projects.

This intervention comes in response to the cost of living crisis, with over 9 in 10 charities believing that it will have a significant impact on their organisation and the communities that they serve*. The ‘trustmark’ was developed by Lidl in consultation with Neighbourly - a platform that connects surplus food with local good causes – after 87% of charities reported needing a greater range of food types to be donated to help those in need have a healthy, balanced diet**.

Through the partnership with Neighbourly, Lidl has identified 30 food items that are ‘Good to Give’, modelled on the NHS Eatwell Guide. The products selected include tinned fruit, lentils, mackerel, noodles, and brown rice.

The launch is an industry first and forms part of Lidl’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that good food is accessible to everyone, especially at a time of financial uncertainty.

Ryan McDonnell, Chief Executive Officer at Lidl GB, said: “At Lidl, we’re committed to making good food accessible to everyone and now, more than ever, it’s important that we stay true to this.

“We’ve been listening to feedback from our charity partners on how we can best support them at this time. Through these conversations it became clear we can play a leading role in helping those relying on food banks to maintain a more nutritious, balanced diet by encouraging our customers to donate a little differently.

“We hope that more retailers will adopt the ‘Trustmark’ so that we can work together as an industry to help more people access the balanced and nutritious diet that they need.”

Steve Butterworth, CEO at Neighbourly, added, “"Through our work with local charities and good causes, supported by our latest community insights surveys, we can see how the cost of living crisis is causing steep rises in demand for food banks and front-line services. This is only going to increase in the coming months. With the launch of this new initiative, Lidl is demonstrating that they are truly committed to finding innovative ways to support their customers and local communities.”

Alongside the trustmark, Lidl has launched its £500,000 ‘Lidl Community Fund’ to support of its UK network of 1,300 charities coordinated by Neighbourly. Organisations within Lidl’s network can apply on a quarterly basis for investment in refurbishment of food preparation or food serving areas, improvement of food storage capabilities and direct access to food products.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

The ‘Good to Give’ trustmark will be indicated on product price tickets and in-store signage (including shelves and posters) from Thursday 9^th June. The initiative will be trialled for an initial six months.

*This research was conducted by Neighbourly in March 2022, with 1,200 Local Good Causes in the UK and Ireland responding. Local Good Causes refers to food banks, community centres, homeless charities, religious organisations, community volunteer groups, youth charities, disability charities, family centres, primary schools, community shops, supported accommodation, elderly care, mental health groups, soup kitchens, hospices and more.

**This research was conducted by Neighbourly in March 2021, with 1,126 Local Good Causes in the UK and Ireland responding. It followed a July 2020 survey by Neighbourly revealing the most critically-needed food items in the face of rising demand for food banks, the results of which are reflected in the full list of Good to Give items.

The Eatwell Guide shows how much of what we eat overall should come from each food group to achieve a healthy, balanced diet: The Eatwell Guide - NHS (www.nhs.uk)

For more information, please contact: lidl@wearetheromans.com

About Lidl GB

Since establishing itself in Great Britain in 1994, Lidl GB has experienced continuous growth and today has over 27,500 employees, over 920 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. The supermarket, which has more than 360,000 employees globally, currently operates approximately 11,900 stores and more than 200 warehouses and distribution centres in 31 countries.

The 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, which operates worldwide as a retail group, generated a turnover of €132.3 billion in the financial year 2021.

For more information about Lidl GB visit https://corporate.lidl.co.uk/