Rising Food Insecurity Prompts Bold £30m Meal Fundraising Target From Sainsbury's

More than one in six parents in the UK have put their children to bed hungry at least once a week and skipped meals over the past year because they could not access or afford enough food, according to new research commissioned by Comic Relief and Sainsbury’s.

The growing scale of food insecurity across the country exposed by the report has prompted Sainsbury’s to launch a £30 million fundraising push for Comic Relief, which is aimed at delivering 60 million meals by the end of 2030.

The findings reveal how 18% (more than one in six) of parents surveyed saying they had put their children to bed hungry or without enough food at least once a week in the last 12 months because they could not access or afford enough food.

Almost a third (32%) said they had skipped meals weekly so their children could eat, while 26% said they had pretended there was more food in the house than there actually was to avoid upsetting their children.

Summer Fundraising Ambitions

As part of a renewed phase of their long-running partnership, Sainsbury’s said in a press release that together with Comic Relief the duo aim to raise £30 million by 2030 to support food initiatives including food clubs, after-school meals, and school holiday programmes. 

Since 2022, the retailer said it has donated has donated the equivalent of 60 million meals as part of its partnership with Comic Relief. Sainsbury’s now aims to donate another 60 million meals over the next five years.

“No child should go to bed hungry, yet today this is the reality facing far too many families across the UK,” stressed Simon Roberts, chief executive of Sainsbury’s. 

“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.”

This summer, Sainsbury’s said it will match every pound raised through its new colleague fundraising challenge and donations from customers shopping online between 1 July and 31 August 2026.

“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,” explained Roberts.

To support the campaign, a new short film titled ‘Let’s Put Hunger to Bed’ has been released online featuring actor Jodie Whittaker narrating a poem written by Richard Curtis. 

The film draws on the experiences of families affected by food insecurity and is told from the perspective of a child facing food poverty.

“While the research shows the scale of hunger and hardship facing families across the UK, it’s incredibly important to make sure the voices of families are heard and to tell stories grounded in the reality of what’s happening in homes across the country. That’s how we can truly understand how urgent this issue is,” commented Curtis.

The campaign from Sainsbury’s comes as food insecurity continues to place pressure on low-income households, with bedtime routines increasingly becoming a source of anxiety for families struggling with rising living costs. 

Although 76% of parents surveyed described bedtime as one of the most important bonding moments with their children, the new research suggests the experience is often overshadowed by concerns about food affordability.