An MP has met with supermarket giant Asda to hear the work they are doing across the area to support local communities and charities. Shipley MP Philip Davies met bosses at Asda’s Creating Change for Better event in Westminster where the retailer set out plans to help ease the cost of living crisis and its five year plan to invest £50 million into communities up and down the country. It comes as the company celebrated 10 years of Community Champion and Green Token Giving Schemes.
Mr Davies said: “We have a great store in Shipley town centre and I know many local groups and organisations have benefitted from its green token giving scheme and other community initiatives. I know from my time working for the company how important their customers and communities are to them. I was delighted to attend this event and hear what additional future plans they have to help shoppers, local groups, and charities through these difficult times. The commitment to invest more into our local communities and charity partners over the next five years is extremely welcome and I look forward to hearing more in the coming months about how this will benefit the Shipley constituency.” Some initiatives to ease the cost of living crisis for families already being offered include £1 meals offer for children and over 60s in Asda cafes and locking in prices on popular items, as well as a £90m investment in the launch of its Just Essentials range. The retailer has also introduced their Asda Rewards ‘pounds not points’ scheme whereby customers collect money on their shopping to be used against further purchases.
Asda’s Vice President for Central Retail Operations Jodie Tate said: “Asda’s Creating Change for Better strategy brings together all the work we do to protect the planet, encourage healthy lifestyles, and support the communities we serve. As a Trustee of the Asda Foundation, I know the business recognises the positive contribution we can make to our communities and our planet. I am proud of the impact our Champions make every day. I know our five-year plan to invest an additional £50m, into local communities and charity partners, across the UK will continue to help support those who are struggling the most in these challenging times.” Notes to editors – information from Asda Asda’s Community Champions play a major role in making a real difference across local communities, and Green Token Giving invests £1m annually into communities.
Over the past year, the Champions have volunteered over 367,000 hours of time, representing an investment of £5.5m. Asda’s Charity, the Asda Foundation, has also committed over £3.7m in grants to support over 10,000 organisations and the retailer’s 140,000 colleagues. In the past decade, Asda Champions have donated over four million hours and overseen the investment of more than £30m into communities across the UK. The Foundation, has been supporting communities for more than 30 years, investing more than £40m to date, and helping grassroots organisations make a real impact.