Community investment

By 2020, we'll have donated over £400 million to charitable causes in the decade.

We believe that business can make a positive difference to local communities through support for charitable causes.

But it's about much more than cash donations. Our stores are at the very centre of their communities and play a vital and positive role. The challenge is to bring business and the voluntary sector closer together, allowing our combined knowledge, skills and expertise to be put to good use for the benefit of all.

Our progress so far

• £25.4m contribution via Local Community Partner programme to >1,000 local and national groups
• £21.2m raised by colleagues, customers and suppliers
• 7,000 days volunteered by colleagues
• 3.2m meals donated in our FareShare Million Meal Appeal (customer donations matched by Sainsbury’s) – the UK’s biggest single-charity food drive
• Further six years support to Comic Relief announced will see >£100m raised by Sainsbury’s colleagues and customers
• £3.7m raised for the Royal British Legion by Sainsbury’s customers and colleagues in 2011 – one of biggest supporters for over 18 years

What stakeholders tell us

“We value our partnership with Sainsbury’s because it’s built on them taking a long-term, hands-on approach. This has allowed us to both understand our different agendas and come up with ways of helping feed those in need with impact, scale, innovation and sustainability. Yes, their financial support is critical but we really value the engagement with their staff and being able to tap into their expertise”

Lindsay Boswell, CEO, Fareshare