Tesco will donate almost a quarter of a million pounds to LGBTQ+ charities to celebrate Pride and support the LGBTQ+ community.
Tesco is a long-standing supporter of Pride and the LGBTQ+ community, and remains committed to marking the occasion for customers and colleagues despite Pride events being cancelled again this year.
Andrew Yaxley, CEO Booker and Executive Sponsor of LGBTQ+ at Tesco, said:
“We’re delighted that we’re able to help three fantastic charities again this year – who provide such valuable support to the LGBTQ+ community – as we continue working towards a safer, equal future.”
Tesco will make donations of £80,000 each to the following LGBTQ+ charities:
• The Albert Kennedy Trust (akt) – helping young LGBTQ+ people who are homeless or living in hostile conditions
• Bi Pride UK – creating spaces where people who experience attraction beyond gender can be freely visible and celebrate themselves and their identities
• Terrence Higgins Trust – the UK’s leading HIV and sexual health charity supporting people living with HIV to live well and ensuring good sexual health is a right and reality for all
Carrie Reiners, Deputy CEO at The Albert Kennedy Trust, said:
“With the donation from Tesco in 2020, akt grew its services team to meet the growing demand for help. Tesco’s continued support in 2021 will be utilised to continue to ensure that our front-line services have the capacity, skills and resources to provide emergency and long-term assistance to ensure that no young person has to choose between a safe home and being who they are.”
Ian Green, Chief Executive at Terrence Higgins Trust, said:
“Tesco’s support will make a huge difference to Terrence Higgins Trust’s life-changing work, including by helping to answer more than 5,200 calls to the charity’s THT Direct helpline – a vital support and information service on HIV and sexual health for over 20,000 people each year.”
Avi Kay, Chair of Bi Pride UK, said:
“Bi Pride UK is hugely grateful to be one of Tesco’s Pride donation recipients this year. As a small, entirely volunteer-run charity in a sector where most work is done by self or community-funded activities, a donation of this size entirely changes the landscape for us. We are delighted to be able to use this donation to secure our future and work towards new projects as well as continue our existing work.”
Celebrating the diversity of our colleagues and customers, Tesco is committed to creating an inclusive business – working with our LGBTQ+ at Tesco network to support colleagues in feeling confident to be themselves at work.
