In 2020 you can buy a smartphone that will unlock itself at the sight of your face, you can buy self-driving cars and virtual reality gaming devices and even purchase Alexa the robot to satisfy your every musical whim. Yet despite us living in the 5th richest country in the world, we face the grim reality of entire communities of people having to turn to charity to simply feed their families.
In the UK, more than 14 million people are living in poverty, including 4.5 million children. 2020 has been a year like no other – while the coronavirus has impacted many people’s health, it’s devastated even more families' livelihoods. Across the nation everyone is in the same storm, but we’re all in different boats. More than a third of those in deep poverty – meaning their income is at least 50% below the official breadline – say that they have had their hours or pay reduced as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.
This is not right.
As part of our Infinite Purpose (to help create a healthier, greener, more empowered world), we believe as a business we have a duty to help. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it has exposed the power of standing together in the face of adversity.
That’s why we’ve teamed up with the Trussell Trust, a charity which supports a nationwide network of food banks. We’re helping them to provide emergency food and support to people locked in the cycle of poverty.
We believe that no one should be forced to turn to charity because they can’t afford food. That’s why the Trussell Trust brings together the experiences of over 1,200 food banks in their network and communities, to challenge the structural economic issues that trap people in poverty, and campaign for change to end the need for food banks in the UK.
50 per cent of the profits of our Little Cracker of Joy Helping Hands Collection goes directly to the Trussell Trust. We initially created this duo as a gift to NHS workers during lockdown, to thank them for all that they do. Now these hand care heroes, which are carefully formulated to keep hands clean (our Keep It Clean hand sanitiser, featuring our signature lemon myrtle scent, kills 99.9% of germs) and soft, are available to everyone in the UK. We want to give everyone the opportunity to take the issue of UK poverty into their own hands.
So far with this collection, we've raised over £50,000 for the Trussell Trust. Our partnership has helped thousands of families facing financial hardship gain the vital support they need. Food banks in the Trussell Trust network are distributing one emergency food parcel every nine seconds, so there’s much more to be done. Just like the Trussell Trust, we have a vision for a country without the need for food banks.
We're all appreciating the little things this year, and every gift helps take us a little step closer to easing food poverty in the UK. Thank you so much for your support.
If you’d like to get involved further with the Trussell Trust, click here to see how you can help by giving your voice, money or time, to help build a hunger-free future.