COVID-19: Nestlé supports pandemic with financial donations
Furthering its support within the UK and Ireland, Nestlé provides further financial donations and additional help for the hospitality industry.
In the fight to develop a COVID-19 vaccine Nestlé has contributed US$1.03m to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), who is playing an important role in funding and speeding up the development of possible COVID-19 vaccines.
In addition the company is providing separate donations to the Red Cross and pet charities, as well as the hospitality industry.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has created a lot of pain and hardship in communities around the world. A safe and effective vaccine will be needed to return to normality. That is why it was important to us to get on board when CEPI issued their call. We hope others will join us and support this important mission,” commented Mark Schneider, CEO of Nestlé.
In a separate donation, Nestlé is providing US$10.3mn to the International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) around the world. Which will provide the British Red Cross receiving US$188,783 and the Irish Red Cross roughly US$65,457 to support local relief efforts. The company is also matching the donations of its employees on a 1:1 basis.
“I am proud to work for Nestlé here in the UK and Ireland as we adapt and work to help those who need it in this unprecedented time,” commented Stefano Agostini, CEO of Nestlé in the UK and Ireland. “The Red Cross is doing vital work and I am pleased that we are able to make this donation to support their activities in communities across the UK and Ireland. Now is the time, more than ever, for businesses like Nestlé to step up the support for those hardest hit.
We will continue that support through product donations, encouraging our employees to volunteer, matching employee donations, in addition to our corporate financial contribution. Across Nestlé, our teams are working hard to maintain the supply of food and drink and, in all of our communities, we will continue to play our part in the collective response to this global crisis.”
The hospitality industry
With the majority of restaurants, café and hotels still closed in the UK and Ireland, Nestlé Professional, Nespresso Professional and Nestlé Waters are supporting the hospitality industry via its new ‘Always Open For You’ initiative, which is aimed at the out-of-home and hospitality industry.
All three will extend and offer flexible payment terms, as well as suspend rental fees on coffee machines in addition to bespoke support for their most vulnerable customers.
Also under this initiative, brands such as San Pellegrino and Acqua Panna are supporting the world’s 50 best restaurants, in addition to Perrier supporting the world’s 50 best bars, to help bars and restaurants as they look to reopen.
In addition to these global initiatives, Nestle is also supporting local ones too including:
- Free Garden Gourmet burgers to several NHS and key workers sites
- Free coffees for NHS staff from Nescafé Azera machines in Co-op stores (Southampton)
- Tom Kerridge’s Meals from Marlow, providing bottles of water and over 1,000 meals a day for key workers and vulnerable people (Buckinghamshire)
- The Open Kitchens scheme where over 25 kitchens have provided over 83,000 free meals to people who are struggling, so far
- Nestlé Professional has also donated a range of products for Meals for Marlow and Open Kitchens
“Our out-of-home customers have been hit very hard by the current pandemic. We want to support our fellow chefs, restaurateurs and caterers by letting them know that we are always open for them. We are also looking at additional ways we can support businesses once they begin to reopen in the coming weeks and months,” commented Katya Simmons, BEO for Nestlé Professional.
The pet industry
Nestlé Purina, is also helping to ensure that pets are not forgotten in the crisis, donating US$60,890 each to Cats Protection, Canine Partners, the RSPCA and UA$21,811 to the DSPCA in Ireland.
The donations are to support charities struggling with the loss of their usual income while they still provide ongoing care for animals.
Other donations
Other donations from Nestlé are also being made in the form of food and drink to NHS hospitals, ambulance services, care homes and food banks. Donating more than US$4.86mn in products to food banks, the NHS and other key workers in the UK and Ireland, while maintaining its supply to the nation with food and drink.
To find out more about how Nestle is supporting pandemic efforts globally, . Or to find out more about its support in the UK and Ireland, .
SEE ALSO:
- COVID-19: six imperatives for banks in Europe — McKinsey
- COVID-19: NHS adopts cloud-based digital workforce
- COVID-19: eight safe & successful relaunch actions — McKinsey
- Read the latest edition of Business Chief EMEA edition, here
For more information on business topics in Europe, Middle East and Africa please take a look at the latest edition of Business Chief EMEA.
