Marks & Spencer has today pledged to raise £25m for charities focusing on cancer, heart disease, mental health issues and dementia by 2025, as part of a new programme.
According to a statement released by M&S, the retailer has today launched its new sustainability plan – Plan A 2025, which it says will “support 1,000 communities, help 10 million people live happier, healthier lives” and would convert the entire organisation “into a zero-waste business” by 2025.
As part of this plan, M&S have pledged to raise £25m for various charities tackling a multitude of issues, including cancer, heart disease, mental health problems, loneliness and dementia.
Broad range of charities
A spokeswoman for M&S said that charities including Breast Cancer Now, Macmillan Cancer Support and Frazzled Cafe will benefit from the £25m figure, as well as "others yet to be announced".
M&S has also said it will “enter into a new collaboration” with Oxfam GB over the next three years. The partnership will “focus on the UK and India to develop a deeper understanding of the connection between sourcing practices and human rights impacts”.
Oxfam will compile an independent report, while M&S will “develop a programme of actions and report annually on progress” from next year.
M&S staff have also pledged to complete “one million hours of work-time community volunteering” as part of the new programme.
Steve Rowe, chief executive of M&S, said: “Marks & Spencer has been at the forefront of social change for 133 years and we’re determined to play a leading role in the years ahead.
“Plan A 2025 will help us build a sustainable future by helping our customers live healthier lives, supporting the communities they live in and we source from and looking after the planet we all share.
“We believe we can engage all of our 32 million customers, 85,000 colleagues and 200,000 shareholders in the plan that becomes a mass voice for sustainable change.”
M&S to provide £1m for Power to Change
As part of the new programme, Marks & Spencer has entered into a partnership with lottery-backed community funder Power to Change. The collaboration will “provide up to £1m to community businesses” and will also offer local businesses in seven locations “access to skills and mentoring” programmes.
Power to Change will help M&S to deliver its pilot programme in Birmingham, Liverpool, Rochdale, Bradford, Norwich, Middlesbrough and Newham, and will be on top of the £3m investment already made in these areas by Power to Change. M&S will also be launching pilots in three other seperate locations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
In Fundraising Magazine
Power to Change will also work with M&S to “identify needs in different parts of the country, support the growth of community business, and drive local economic change”.
Vidhya Alakeson, chief executive of Power to Change, said: “We are extremely proud to team up with M&S and invest in making communities even stronger and more resilient."
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