Aldi launches new partnership with two causes

Aldi is providing its surplus food to two local charities.

FirstLight Trust will use the donations from the Northway store to support military veterans in the area, while the provisions will help to maintain food supplies for elderly residents staying at Ravensworth Lodge.

These new partnerships are part of a trial between the supermarket and community engagement platform Neighbourly. So far, Aldi has paired up a total of six stores in Yorkshire with local good causes.

Each store is donating perishable items such as fresh fruit and veg, chilled products such as yoghurt and milk, and baked goods.

The trial will continue until spring, and if successful will be rolled out across Aldi’s entire store estate.

Last year the supermarket donated two million meals to charity and expects to increase this by 50% if the trial is extended to its 827 stores.

Fritz Walleczek, managing director of corporate responsibility at Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “We’re always looking for new and creative ways to increase the amount of food we are able to donate.

“This partnership is enabling us to be even more efficient in how we distribute surplus stock, while supporting a vast range of causes, across Yorkshire.

“Our aim is for fresh, healthy food to be accessible for everyone, and Neighbourly are helping us to extend this commitment beyond our affordable range of fresh products.”

Steve Butterworth, Neighbourly CEO, said “We are delighted to be partnering with Aldi on this programme and to help them realise their ambition to benefit those communities local to each and every one of their stores across the UK. Food surplus is a challenge Aldi is committed to playing its part to address.

“This approach is critical to ensure surplus food finds its way easily to the good causes supporting those communities that need it most.”

Any local charities in Scarborough looking to partner up with an Aldi store should email [email protected] to apply.