Lidl becomes first national supermarket to introduce Pennies microdonations at till
Melanie May | 30 January 2025 | News
Shoppers at Lidl will have the option to make a microdonation to NSPCC at the till for a six-week fundraising campaign.
The move follows a successful regional trial of Pennies and will allow customers to donate up to 30p per transaction at the card reader. Lidl is starting to roll the technology out now, with all its stores set to have it in place by mid-February until the middle of March.
The initiative complements Lidl’s existing in-store cash donation tins for NSPCC.
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Longstanding partnership
Lidl recently extended its partnership with the charity by five years, and aims to raise £5 million by 2030 to support the NSPCC’s Childline service.
Lidl’s fundraising will focus on supporting children who seek help during the night. Over the next five years, its donations will enable Childline’s Twilight team to double its reach, helping support over 100,000 children and young people who contact them when they need someone to talk to.
Lidl has already raised £10 million for the NSPCC since the partnership began in 2017, supporting the ‘Speak out. Stay safe.’ programme, which educated 1 million children on recognising abuse and seeking help, as well as 24/7 access to Childline.
Last year, its fundraising for the charity included:
- Colleague-led fundraising, such as bake sales, dress-up events, and sports challenges
- Donating £150,000 from sales of Lidl’s Christmas bouquets, cards, jumpers, and festive clothing Raising £10,000 through sales of Deluxe Bouquets in May
- In October: partnering with Crayola and Hunter Price International to launch an activity set featuring Childline contact details, donating £1 per item sold
- Sponsoring NSPCC’s presence at Pride events nationwide and donating proceeds from product sales at The Baby Show, Royal Highland Show, and music festivals such as Tramlines and Victorious
- For the third consecutive year, Lidl also served as the retail sponsor for NSPCC’s Childhood Day, enabling customers to donate at in-store cash points.
- Additionally, on 7 and 8 June, Lidl contributed £1 to the NSPCC for every £10 spent by customers using the Lidl Plus app
Ryan McDonnell, CEO at Lidl GB, said:
“We are delighted to be extending our partnership with the NSPCC and to give voice to the amazing work they do to ensure that children across the country have the support they need. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our colleagues and customers, we’ve managed to raise an astonishing £10 million for the NSPCC to date, but we want that figure to keep growing. So, by bringing Pennies into our stores, we’re offering our customers a simple way to contribute to causes that matter, turning small donations into a significant collective impact.”
Chris Sherwood, CEO of the NSPCC, added:
“We are thrilled that Lidl will be supporting the NSPCC for another five years with an extraordinary goal of raising £5 million in the same period. We look forward to continuing to work together on new projects and ways of fundraising, including the Pennies initiative, which sees customers being able to make micro-donations at the till.
“The partnership with Lidl has brought significant benefits right across the NSPCC, helping us reach the children we’re here to support. Thanks to Lidl, we’ve been able to promote Childline through Lidl’s national marketing campaigns, raise vital funds through creative colleague fundraising, and celebrate Pride at local events. Funds from the Lidl partnership have supported our essential services, such as Childline, which provides impartial support to all children in the UK. We cannot wait to see what the next five years brings.”
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.