This Christmas, M&S Food is putting charity firmly at its heart. In a year when charity funding has declined almost 25%, M&S Food is proud to donate £10,000 to Swansea-based charity project, Matthew’s House, an initiative of the Hill Church Charity, in recognition of the volunteering efforts of local colleague Suzy Mayhew as part of an overall £2 million donation to good causes for its very special Christmas campaign.

A sign at the front of the store has been unveiled, highlighting Suzy and Matthew’s House’s brilliant work to all customers shopping at M&S Mumbles this Christmas

As well as shining a light on a number of important charities as chosen by nine world-famous actors including Dame Helen Mirren, Dame Julie Walters, Olivia Colman and Tom Hardy, who have added their unmistakable voices to nine brand new Christmas food ads, M&S Food has selected 10 colleagues from across the UK who are its most active charity volunteers, with donations of £10,000 going towards the colleagues’ chosen charities. Suzy Mayhew, Customer Assistant, who works keeping the in store bakery at M&S Mumbles fully stocked with fresh bread and baked goods, has been chosen by M&S Food for her dedication to the Matthew’s House project.

The £10,000 donation will go towards providing hot meals, dignity packs and information brochures to those in need in and around Swansea, as well as to purchase Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for over 100 volunteers.  Suzy has volunteered for Matthew’s House for over three years, officially volunteering for the charity two days a week. However, she lends a hand whenever she can and makes an impressive 150 portions of cake every Wednesday for the charity!

Suzy Mayhew, at M&S Mumbles told us…..

“I am thrilled to have been selected by M&S Food to donate £10,000 to my chosen charity. At M&S we’re proud of the role we play in our local community and it’s fantastic we can donate a monumental amount, especially during these unprecedented times. 2020 has been a difficult year for all of us and we are thrilled to support our brilliant charity partner which help up to 100 vulnerable people in Swansea per day.” 

Thom Lynch is the project manager at Matthew’s House, he told us….

“Local charities are coming under immense pressure and need support now more than ever during these times. This generous donation from M&S has been an amazing uplift to our volunteers. It is a huge relief as the donation has allowed us to remain focused on supporting people who need us rather than worrying about money. We also want to make Christmas extra special this year, so some of the funding will go towards Christmas meals and gifts. This year our annual fundraisers, such as the sleep out, have not been able to go ahead, so it’s amazing to see the phenomenal support given to us by Suzy Mayhew and the whole team at M&S Mumbles.”

In early 2017 the first initiative of Matthew’s House was launched – Matt’s Cafe. The concept was simple. Intercept perfectly edible food destined for bins by local supermarkets and businesses, and turn it in to delicious ‘home-cooked’ style meals available to all, but particularly those who are homeless or vulnerable. It would be run by volunteers and funded on a pay-as-you-feel basis.

SOUTH WALES LIFE featured the work of Matthew’s house earlier this year. To read that feature, go here. MATT’S

Hannah Jenkins, Store Manager at M&S Mumbles said…..

“We are very proud of the incredible charity work Suzy Mayhew has done over the years and I am thrilled M&S Food has chosen to donate £10,000 to the Matthew’s House project. The work Matthew’s House does in our local community is incredibly important and we are delighted to have been able to support them during these times.”

The store has had quite a time since opening in January 2019. No sonner had they celebrated their first birthday than they were thrown into the middle of the pandemic and all the challenges that brought our retailers and local businesses.

In total, the Christmas advertising campaign will donate £1 million to good causes and as part of M&S’s long-term commitment to doing good.  An additional £1million will also be donated across a diverse range of charities including Shelter, Together for Short Lives and the 35 Sparks charities that M&S supports.  Also this Christmas, every time a Sparks customer shops at M&S in-store or online at M&S.com, M&S will donate to their selected charity, from a range of 35 different causes. Through Sparks, M&S has donated £7.3 million since 2015.

To see the first ad, with Olivia Colman go here ADVERT and take a look at our special feature on MUMBLES.