World of Sweets, leading wholesaler, distributor and importer of confectionery, has raised over £18,000 for charity through the sale of its charity candy cups.
World of Sweets launched a new range of Bonds of London Candy Cups, in partnership with The Honeypot Children’s Charity, with 10 pence from each sale donated to the charity.
Honeypot is a national young carers charity and supports children aged between five and 12 years through a wrap round service of respite breaks, educational breaks, Wellbeing Grants and Memory Making Days.
Each year, 4,700 disadvantaged children can enjoy breaks away from their caring responsibilities, helping to build brighter futures for the young carers and allowing the children to create happy memories they will cherish forever.
The money raised will help the charity provide essential respite breaks and ongoing support for young carers.
The Candy Cups were designed around fantastical themes, encouraging children to use their imaginations. Among them were the Bonds Teddy Bears’ Picnic Candy Cup, Bonds Pirate Adventure Candy Cup and Bonds Magical Forest Candy Cup.
“We were so excited to launch this range of Candy Cups in partnership with The Honeypot Children’s Charity,” Kathryn Hague from World of Sweets said. “We are thrilled to announce that World of Sweets has raised a total of £18,498.32 for the charity during our partnership.
“This incredible achievement has been made possible by our retail customers, who have really supported the launch and continued to repurchase the Candy Cups for their customers to enjoy and raise awareness of the amazing work Honeypot does.
“We are passionate about bringing joy into the lives of children and young people across the UK and are committed to continue supporting causes like Honeypot.
“We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to The Honeypot Children’s Charity for their incredible passion and collaboration throughout our partnership, it has been a privilege to work alongside such a committed team.”
Simmi Woodwal, chief executive of Honeypot, said: “All of us at Honeypot are immensely proud of the huge impact our partnership with World of Sweets has accomplished in the last few years. Just to put it into perspective, £18,498.32 is enough to fund 38 young carers on a respite break at one of our Honeypot Houses nestled in the countryside. This includes three days of food, activities, goodies and more.
"The beautifully designed charity candy cups have not only helped us to spread awareness of our cause to a wider audience, but have also engaged our young carers who loved the fun themes and tasty treats. Thank you to all at World of Sweets for your tireless fundraising and support of these amazing children. The impact you have made will last them a lifetime!”
National Lottery operator Allwyn is urging retailers to make the most of two mammoth footfall and sales-driving opportunities today and tomorrow.
Tonight (21 March) EuroMillions players have the chance to win an extraordinary estimated £166m jackpot. This life-changing sum could propel one lucky winner straight onto the list of The National Lottery’s biggest wins.
The gigantic draw is being supported with 'Over £160m' posters that have been rushed out to tens of thousands of stores, with the huge jackpot also being supported on in-store media screens and in above-the-line advertising – including in newspapers and on radio.
It provides a fantastic talking point for retailers, especially as a lucky winner of this amount would immediately land themselves in the realm of the rich and famous. They would be almost 18 times richer than ‘Espresso’ singer, Sabrina Carpenter, who is worth an estimated £9.25m (Celebrity Net Worth) and would also be significantly richer than England captain, Harry Kane, worth an estimated £91m (TalkSport).
A single winner would also be the third UK EuroMillions jackpot winner this year and the sixth biggest National Lottery winner of all time – not too far behind the biggest-ever UK winner, which was a £195m win from July 2022.
And if that wasn’t enough, tomorrow night (22 March) will see an £11.6m “Must Be Won” Lotto jackpot up for grabs. In a Lotto ‘Must Be Won’ draw, if the jackpot isn’t won outright by someone matching all six main numbers, then the whole amount rolls down and is shared among all the other prize tiers. This is a particularly beneficial footfall driver for retailers, as players come back into store to collect their boosted prize amounts.
“If the recent bout of spring weather hasn’t given retailers enough to smile about, this weekend’s set of bumper draws will!” said Allwyn’s Head of Retail Channels, James Dunbar. “We know when EuroMillions reaches this level, it creates lots of chatter – so presents the perfect opportunity for retailers to ask their customers if they’d like a Lucky Dip for the mega jackpot draw and to get them talking about what they’d do if they were suddenly £166m richer!
“And with a Lotto ‘Must Be Won’ draw following hot on the heels, there are plenty of reasons for players to come back in store over the coming days. It’s also worth remembering that playing any National Lottery game is more than just a chance to win; it's a way to contribute to something much bigger. Each week, players – and retailers selling tickets – help generate around £30m for National Lottery-funded Good Causes, giving everyone yet another reason to smile.”
Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I is ramping up its charity drive initiative in 2025 and has partnered with leading independent convenience retailers, wholesalers and foodservice teams to support with stock donations of its popular Lucozade Energy Blue Burst.
Following the success of last year’s Blucozade launch, SBF GB&I is offering retailers and operators the opportunity to share one of the most popular new drinks of 2024 with causes close to their hearts.
This charity drive sees over 60 retailers and 10 OOH operators sharing 112 pallets – equivalent to 177,000 drinks – with those directly in touch with their local communities to support great causes. It also ensures stock reaches these community groups in time for any upcoming spring or summer events.
These charity partnerships form part of SBF GB&I’s key company value of Giving Back to Society which is deep-rooted within Suntory’s global purpose. Since this initiative began in 2020, SBF GB&I has donated more than 260,000 drinks to worthy causes across the UK.
“I regularly work with my local community to help support ongoing initiatives,” said Julie Kaur, who owns Jules Convenience Store in Telford. “Partnering with SBF GB&I for stock donations is a fantastic way for us to further assist our charity partners.”
Louisa Newlove, Head of Sales at SBF GB&I, adds:“We always strive to support our retailers in the best way we can, recognising the value they bring to the heart of their communities. We are proud to partner with them to provide stock donations for many worthy causes, which align with our company value of giving back to society. We hope this initiative will be beneficial and timely ahead of any spring or summer events they have planned!”
Participating retailers and operators will be donating to local charities in their communities over the next few weeks.
Keep ReadingShow less
Charity donation event by West Yorkshire Nisa retailers supporting Down syndrome families
Nisa retailers have joined forces to raise an impressive £4,270 for Sunshine and Smiles, a Leeds-based charity that provides vital support for children and young people who have Down syndrome and their families.
Sunshine and Smiles was founded in 2011 as a small community support group and became an official charity in 2013. As the only dedicated Down syndrome support network in Leeds, they play a crucial role in the local community, offering essential resources and guidance to families in need.
The substantial donations were made through Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally (MADL) charity by several West Yorkshire based Nisa retailers, including Manpreet Singh Grewal, Nikul Patel, Amit Patel, Aman Barhgota, Aaron Singh Barhgota, Bhavesh Odedra, and Yathursan Sabaratnam.
"It’s fantastic to see Nisa retailers coming together to support such an important local cause,” said Kate Carroll, Head of Charity at Nisa. “Through Making a Difference Locally, retailers can directly benefit the communities they serve, and we’re proud to see these donations making a real impact."
The contributions will help Sunshine and Smiles continue their invaluable work, supporting children and young people with Down syndrome across Leeds.
World Down Syndrome Day, observed annually on March 21, is a global awareness day to raise awareness about Down syndrome and promote the rights, inclusion, and well-being of people with Down syndrome.
"Supporting Sunshine and Smiles is incredibly important to us,” said Nikul Patel, owner of Nisa Local Gateway Express in Leeds. “As a retailer embedded in the community, it's rewarding to know our contribution will help provide vital support for families in need."
Ailith Harley-Roberts, Service Delivery Manager for Sunshine and Smiles, said: “On this World Down Syndrome Day, we are incredibly grateful to the West Yorkshire-based Nisa retailers for their generous donation. Their support makes a real difference to the lives of children and young people with Down syndrome in our community, helping us continue to provide vital services, activities, and guidance for families.”
Nisa retailers raise funds for MADL through the sale of Co-op own-brand products in their stores, with a percentage of every purchase being added to their charity fund. This initiative enables Nisa partners to support a wide range of local charities and community groups, ensuring positive contributions where they matter most.
Justin King CBE, Chair of National Lottery operator Allwyn, visited Cardiff retailer, Rashid Khalid – who owns Broadway Post Office – to present him with a plaque to celebrate his store and its National Lottery players raising more than £650,000 for Good Causes to date.
This funding has helped support people and organisations in his local community, across Wales and right around the UK.
For example, just a 10-minute walk from Broadway Post Office on Adeline Street is Green Squirrel – a National Lottery-funded social enterprise that creates opportunities for greener living. In September 2024, the organisation was awarded £323,0000 in National Lottery funding to deliver its Railway Gardens project which brings the community together to learn about climate and nature.
“It’s really nice to be recognised for raising money for National Lottery projects by selling tickets in my shop,” said Khalid. “National Lottery funding makes a huge difference to local communities like mine.
“I am personally big on charity and that’s why I know how important The National Lottery is to people and communities. At my shop, we always do as much as we can to help those less fortunate in the area. During Ramadan, which is happening now, we provide fresh food to some of the local mosques for when they break their fast in the evening.”
Since the first National Lottery draw in 1994, shopkeepers like Rashid have helped raise more than £50 billion for National Lottery Good Causes. This has funded more than 650,000 individual grants across the UK – that's hundreds of projects in every UK postcode district.
Justin, a prominent figure in retail whose career spans 30 years including as former Sainsbury’s CEO, was able to impart some retailing advice to Rashid – who has been selling The National Lottery for over 24 years – and thank him for his contributions to Good Causes by selling National Lottery tickets.
Justin King commented: “When people think of The National Lottery, the first thing they probably think of is the big winners that it makes. But retailers like Rashid are critical to the success of The National Lottery and the billions of pounds it raises for Good Causes every year – funding that goes to projects in his local community and right around the UK. So, I’d like to thank him and his store’s players for the amazing role that they've played in this success story over the years.
“The National Lottery has around 2,600 committed retailers across Wales acting as its public face. Since the first National Lottery draw in November 1994, more than £2.2 billion has been invested into Good Causes in Wales, benefiting more than 74,000 arts, community, sports and heritage projects throughout the country.”
Some other projects that have been funded in Wales include: WeMindTheGap, which was recently awarded £4.9 million to support its work with disengaged young people across north Wales who have often encountered adverse childhood experiences, resulting in high levels of isolation; Wrexham-based Cariad Pet Therapy which delivers pet therapy to isolated individuals in the community and in care settings, hospitals, mental health units, schools and workplaces across South Wales; and Horizons/Gorwelion, an initiative which helps to foster new talent in the Welsh music scene thanks to The National Lottery funding.
NewstrAid, the charity dedicated to supporting individuals in the newspaper and magazine industry during times of financial and emotional hardship, is delighted to welcome InPost Newstrade as its newest corporate sponsor.
The partnership follows InPost Newstrade’s full acquisition of Menzies Distribution, a company that had been a steadfast supporter of NewstrAid for over a century.
Grant Jordan, Managing Director, InPost Newstrade said, “InPost Newstrade are delighted to continue the relationship that has been in existence with Menzies Distribution for over 100 years, ensuring that those working in our industry, past and present, continue to receive the help they need.”
For over 185 years, NewstrAid has provided essential help to those who have worked in newspaper and magazine sale and distribution, ensuring they receive much needed assistance during challenging times. In 2024 alone, the charity helped more than 1,500 people across the industry, reinforcing its vital role within the sector.
"The support of corporate sponsors like InPost Newstrade is invaluable to our work,” said Neil Jagger, CEO of NewstrAid. “The demand for our services continues to grow, and this sponsorship helps us extend our reach to even more individuals in need. We are incredibly grateful for InPost Newstrade’s commitment to supporting our work which helps hundreds of people facing hardship across the industry every year.”
For more information on how NewstrAid helps the newspaper and magazine industry or to contribute to its mission, visit www.newstraid.org.uk