Lidl has committed to providing ‘hyper-localised’ support to five million people by 2030 in a project aimed at tacking pockets of deprivation across the UK.
The first-of-its kind commitment comes after government data showed 65% of local authority areas across Britain contained at least one neighbourhood ranked among the nation’s 10% most deprived.
Food redistribution platform Neighbourly warned last month that pockets of severe deprivation – often streets away from visible affluence – were being missed by supermarkets taking a broadbrush approach to charitable efforts.
Lidl said it would target support using a nationwide deprivation mapping tool recently launched by Neighbourly, the redistribution partner used by supermarkets to get surplus food from stores to charities across the UK daily. Called Pulse, the tool uses Neighbourly’s local community insight to identify areas of acute challenge that might otherwise get overlooked for the most relevant support.
Lidl aims to target support at four areas: food insecurity, supporting local communities, improving children’s health and helping people access employment.
As well as Neighbourly, the support will be channelled through Lidl’s existing partnership with surplus food sharing app Olio, the NSPCC, and Homelessness charity Standing Tall, among others.
The initiative, called Better Futures, was announced on Thursday at the discounter’s annual ‘Lidl in Dialogue’ event in London, which brings together charity and industry representatives to discuss challenges.
“We sit at the heart of communities across the length and breadth of Great Britain,” Lidl corporate affairs director Georgina Hall said at the event. “Serving three in five households with more than 1,015 stores, we see the pressures faced first-hand. For us, supporting communities is not separate from our business strategy, it is central to how we operate.
“We know that no two neighbourhoods are the same. A one-size-fits-all approach does not work, which is why we’re committed to targeted, hyper-local action. Our new ‘Better Futures’ target to support five million people across Great Britain by 2030 represents our commitment to scaling our impact.
“Lasting change happens when businesses, charities, local organisations, and policymakers work together. By combining our national reach with local intelligence, we can bridge that gap and help our neighbourhoods thrive.”
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