-100 days of global fundraising will culminate on the UN’s Universal Children’s Day-
Marks & Spencer (M&S) will today launch a brand new international partnership to help UNICEF transform the lives of vulnerable children across the world by providing life changing education. From today, employees and customers at M&S’s 420 international stores can take part in the retailer’s dedicated 100 days of fundraising, raising money for UNICEF, the world’s leading children’s organisation.
The fundraising will take place in over 50 international markets, from Paris to Shanghai, with the aim of raising a total of $1million in the first year of the partnership. It is the first time M&S has embarked on a global fundraising challenge and will help M&S to engage with its international employees and customers on Plan A, M&S’s eco and ethical programme which aims to make M&S the world’s most sustainable major retailer by 2015.
The new international partnership builds on an already successful collaboration with the UK National Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK), where M&S makes a donation of 50p for every £1 saved from hanger recycling in the UK. In 2012, M&S recycled 161m UK hangers and to date the partnership has raised more than £1.5million. M&S aims to raise at least £1.9million for UNICEF UK by 2014, in addition to the $1million sum through its global initiative.*
Jan Heere, M&S’s Director International, said: “Being the world’s leading children’s organisation, UNICEF already has a special place in the hearts of our employees and customers internationally and we believe our global fundraising challenge will take their engagement to another level. We’re very proud of our new international partnership which will support UNICEF in transforming the lives of the world’s poorest children through education.
“Our international business is growing rapidly and we want our partnership with UNICEF to grow in the same way.”
David Bull, UNICEF UK Executive Director, added: “We are extremely excited about M&S staff and customers across the world collaborating with UNICEF to help us to change the lives of children. The money raised by this global fundraising initiative will help us provide education to children, helping them to develop their talents and abilities to the full.”
More than 57 million children, the majority of them girls, are still denied their right to go to school. Poor teaching facilities, or poverty, deny many other children the opportunity to fulfil their potential. Money raised through the international partnership will help UNICEF to change this. The 100 days of fundraising will culminate on the UN’s Universal Children’s Day on 20th November 2013.
Fundraising activities will vary in each market. For example, in Hong Kong employees are holding a sponsored walk whilst in India employees will hold book and food sales.
-Ends-
For further information, please contact:
Emma Johnson, M&S International Corporate PR, +44 (0)20 8718 1980
Georgina Thompson, media and communications manager UNICEF UK +44 (0)20 7357 6210 / [email protected]
Notes to Editors:
*The money raised by the UK M&S and UNICEF partnership funds a critical new project in two locations within the Mymensingh and Dhaka regions of Bangladesh, providing all the basics children need for a better future, such as clean water, education and healthcare.
About Marks & Spencer
- Marks & Spencer is one of the UK’s leading retailers. M&S sells high quality, great value clothing and home products as well as outstanding quality food. 20 million customers visit its UK stores each week and has over 82,000 employees across the UK and 53 territories globally.
- Marks & Spencer was founded over 129 years ago and currently has over 760 UK stores and over 430 international stores across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
- The fundraising challenge is in line with M&S’s ethical and environmental programme Plan A which aims to make M&S the world’s most sustainable major retailer by 2015. Launched in 2007 and extended in March 2010, it takes a holistic approach to sustainability focusing on involving customers, engaging all areas of the business and tackling issues such as climate change, waste, raw materials, health and being a fair partner.
- For more information please visit http://corporate.marksandspencer.com
About UNICEF
UNICEF is the world’s leading organisation working for children and their rights in more than 190 countries. As champion of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF works to help every child realise their full potential. Together with our partners, UNICEF delivers health care, nutrition, education and protection to children in urgent need, while working with governments to ensure they deliver on their promise to protect and promote the rights of every child. UNICEF relies entirely on voluntary donations from individuals, governments, institutions and corporations, and is not funded by the UN budget. For more information, please visit www.unicef.org
2013 Charity & Community