Building on decades of partnership, we’ve launched a bold new ambition to raise £30 million for Comic Relief by 2030, doubling our impact to help us to reach a total of 120 million meals donated to children and families across the UK since 2022*.
The money raised through our partnership will be donated to organisations up and down the UK who are helping children and families access good food through food clubs, after-school dinners, meals during the school holidays, and more.
No child or family should go hungry but today millions are. New research, commissioned in collaboration with Comic Relief, reveals that one in six parents say they have had to put their children to bed hungry or without enough food at least once a week in the last 12 months.
That’s why, together, we’ve launched Let’s Put Hunger to Bed - a campaign focused on surfacing the challenge that so many millions of families are facing, and how we must come together to change this.
At the heart of Let’s Put Hunger to Bed is a powerful new film, featuring a poem written by screenwriter and director Richard Curtis and voiced by Comic Relief supporter Jodie Whittaker. Inspired by the lived experiences of families across the UK and told from the perspective of a child, the poem subverts the familiar bedtime routine to surface the reality facing millions, where meals are skipped or scarce.
One of the parents who inspired the poem is Tracey, a mother of five who, despite working multiple jobs seven days a week, was unable to afford enough food and basic essentials due to rising living costs.
Tracey said: “It all began six years ago when I became a single parent to my children. I had one wage coming in and stretching to six of us in the household. I already had a full-time job, but I got a part-time job in the evening just to see me through. I couldn’t keep up with bills, I couldn’t keep up with food shopping, I started struggling.”
This meant that Tracey had to sacrifice her own meals so that her children could eat. “There would be days when I wouldn’t eat because I had to save so my children could eat proper meals. The hardest part is not being able to give your children the foods they need to flourish.”
Tracey shared how she would eat small bites of food that she was preparing for the kids to get by, or things like lemon curd sandwiches which took a toll on her wellbeing and on family life. Tracey said: “When we were going through that time of not eating properly, and not getting the nourishment that we all needed, I wouldn’t sleep properly. I was always up worrying what I could cook the next day.”
Tracey was introduced to The Bread and Butter Thing, an organisation that receives funding from Comic Relief and Sainsbury’s, by a customer at her part-time job. Operating out of local community hubs, they provide members with high-quality groceries, including fresh produce, chilled goods and pantry staples, at a fraction of the usual cost, helping people stretch their budgets and build financial resilience. She said: “When I signed up with The Bread and Butter Thing, it changed my life, it changed my kids’ lives. Now I eat at least three times a day. I can eat with my children. We can have our meals together.”
We’ve been working with Comic Relief for over 27 years and in that time, we’ve raised over £188 million for many different causes. Since 2022 we’ve been working together to support a wide range of brilliant organisations who work tirelessly to provide affordable food to people who need it most.
Funded 15 major organisations who support hundreds of local charities and projects
Over 2.4m people supported
More than £26m raised between November 2022 and February 2026
Over 60m meals donated
Hear from Comic Relief Co-founder and Honorary Life President Lenny Henry on the impact our partnership has had so far.
To find out more about the impact our donations have made to communities across the UK, you can read our impact report here:
We’re proud of the positive impact our work is having in communities across the UK.
However, food insecurity is a complex challenge, and we know we cannot solve this critical issue alone. Only by coming together, strengthening community networks and working collaboratively, will we create lasting change and work towards a future where every family has reliable access to good food, so that no child grows up hungry.
As part of the next phase of our partnership with Comic Relief, we are aiming to raise £30 million by the end of 2030, helping us double our impact so far, and to deliver 120 million meals for children and families facing hunger across the UK.
“No child should go to bed hungry, yet today this is the reality facing far too many families across the UK. Building on our decades-long partnership with Comic Relief, we’re setting a bold new ambition to change this by raising £30 million for Comic Relief by 2030, helping us to reach a total of 120 million meals donated to children and families across the UK since 2022.
“We’re stepping up our fundraising ambitions, and this summer we'll be matching every pound raised by our colleagues and customers – from our new colleague fundraising challenge to the in-store and online donations our customers can make when they shop with us. These vital funds will support Comic Relief to drive action across industry initiatives that will help improve children’s health, support families and make sure everyone has the support systems they need.
“Good food is something everyone should be able to access. We need to work harder than ever to make this a reality, which is why we are so determined that our partnership with Comic Relief helps to put childhood hunger to bed once and for all.”
Simon RobertsChief Executive of Sainsbury’s
*Sainsbury’s will match all donations made to Comic Relief instore and online between 1 July and 31 August 2026. Matching applies to monetary donations only. Donations will go to support our ambition to donate the equivalent of 120 million meals by end of 2030. Since 2022, Sainsbury’s has donated the equivalent of 60 million meals as part of its partnership with Comic Relief, and is now aiming to double that amount to donate the equivalent of 120 million meals, to be distributed by Comic Relief’s funded partners. Comic Relief is a registered charity in England & Wales (no. 326568) and Scotland (SC039730).
