This is not just any charity partnership…M&S Food and Together for Short Lives team up to support UK children’s hospices

We are thrilled to announce an exciting new charity partnership with M&S Food. This special partnership is set to make a lasting difference to the UK’s most vulnerable and seriously ill children by raising money for the 54 children’s hospices that deliver lifeline care in the communities where M&S staff and customers live and work.

M&S Food has already set an impressive challenge – to raise £1m for Together for Short Lives this year to help children’s hospices continue to do their sterling work across the UK.

M&S Food and Together for Short Lives are celebrating their partnership launch in Children’s Hospice Week (22-28 June 2020) – a UK-wide campaign to raise awareness and vital funds for children’s hospices across the UK. Children’s Hospice Week is especially poignant this year, with hospices going above and beyond to both take the pressure off the NHS during the Coronavirus pandemic, as well as delivering urgent care to the UK’s most vulnerable and seriously ill children

Children’s hospice fundraising has been hit-hard by the pandemic, and the families they care for need their support more than ever. Social isolation has taken its toll and families are exhausted after months of providing 24/7 care for their child at home. M&S Food’s generosity could not come at a better time. It means so much that M&S Food are recognising the incredible work of our hospice heroes and giving them their backing. Every single children’s hospice will be celebrating the difference it will make to children and families. Together for Short Lives’ Patron, Simon Cowell, is right behind the partnership too, working closely with M&S Food and the charity, a cause that is very close to his heart.

Stuart Machin, CEO M&S Food said:

“I am incredibly proud to be joining forces with Together for Short Lives and welcoming them on board on as our new charity partner for M&S Food. The work that they do to support families across the UK is truly inspirational, and I am delighted that we will be playing a role in their vital work to help protect the lifeline care that children’s hospices provide – particularly at this time with so many families affected by the current pandemic.

At M&S Food we are a passionate team with a big heart and we are all excited about our new partnership. We have some big plans afoot for all our colleagues and customers to get involved in raising our target of £1 million for the charity. Together for Short Lives is one of the charities available to support via our SPARKS card and we’re looking forward to introducing lots more initiatives during the year.”