Save the Children is the latest charity to partner with Morrisons, seeing all 451 Morrisons stores raise funds for the 'Raise a Smile' partnership in 2011/2012.

Launched on Monday, in-store promotions and wristband sales generated the first injection of funds to the appeal which will support the charity's work in its UK-based Families and Schools Together (FAST) programme. The scheme brings children and their families together in a bid to improve children's wellbeing and academic performance.

Save the Children corporate partnerships director Douglas Rouse said he was "thrilled" to be working with the superstore to raise a target £1m for FAST.

"The money we raise through this partnership will help us transform the lives of thousands of disadvantaged children across the UK," he added.

Morrisons' 2000/2011 charity partnership with Cancer Research UK generated over £2.2m. 

Morrisons chief executive Dalton Philips said: "As one of the country's biggest retailers we have an obligation to give something back to the communities in which we serve. With the help of Save the Children, our colleagues and customers, Morrisons hopes that our Raise a Smile campaign for 2011 will be even more rewarding than ever before."