Shop Direct launches search for next £600,000 charity partner

Shop Direct, which operates online retailers Very.co.uk and Littlewoods.com, is inviting organisations that invest in children’s future development to submit their £600,000 digital ideas to become its next charity partner.

The business will support the chosen partner for two years from late 2019. To be considered, charities should have an existing presence in at least one of Shop Direct’s key locations of the North West, East Midlands and London.

Applicants are asked to submit a proposal for a project linked to the long-term goals of the charity, for which Shop Direct will aim to raise £600,000 over two years. The project must have digital at its core, to enable the business to donate time and expertise as well as fundraising support.

Shop Direct has raised more than £1.25m for its charity partners since 2015, including £600,000 for The Booth Centre, Manchester and The Whitechapel Centre, Liverpool. These funds are being used to improve digital inclusion and employment opportunities for people affected by homelessness, social exclusion and housing poverty in the North West.

Previous charity partners include Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, for which £210,000 was raised to support the creation and development of a world-first digital app. A further £440,000 was raised to enable Wirral-based Claire House Children’s Hospice to get its new, digitally-equipped Liverpool hospice off the ground.

Sarah Willet, chief people officer at Shop Direct, said: “Our colleagues have shown great pride and enthusiasm for supporting our charity partners, as the huge amount raised in the last four years shows. We can’t wait to use our fundraising ideas and digital expertise to help our next charity partner make the greatest possible difference for the young people whose development it supports.”

The deadline for applications is Tuesday 10 September. Charities will be shortlisted later that month, with the final project voted for by Shop Direct colleagues. To view the criteria in full and apply, charities should visit: https://www.shopdirect.com/charity_applications/.

 ENDS

 CONTACT INFORMATION

 Media enquiries

 Shop Direct

Ashley Muldoon           07523 044 507

Dave Lafferty                07552 283 266

About Shop Direct

 As the UK’s largest integrated pureplay digital retailer and financial services provider, Shop Directhas annual sales of £1.96 billion.

Later this year, we will rebrand to The Very Group as part of plans to bring our name and identity in line with our largest and fastest growing retail brand Very.co.uk.

Our other brands are Littlewoods.comand LittlewoodsIreland.ie. We receive an average of more than 1.4 million website visits every day, with 74% of online sales completed on mobile devices.

We exist to make good things easily accessible to more people. With our multi-category range of famous brands, market-leading technology and data capabilities and unique financial services products offering flexible ways to pay, we’re well placed to deliver on that promise.

We sell more than 1,800 famous brands, including big name labels and our own exclusive brands. We have four million customers and deliver 49 million products every year. Our free click-and-collect service, CollectPlus, delivers to 7,000 stores across the country, increasing ease and convenience for customers.

For more information on Shop Direct, visit www.shopdirect.comor follow us on Twitter at @ShopDirect.