Chief Marketing Officer of Sainsbury’s, Mark Given, has made the first pedal towards an inspirational mission this morning (Friday) as he sets off to cycle 120km around the Island, stopping off at every Sainsbury’s store along the way as part of Sainsbury’s ‘Moving for Meals’ partnership with Comic Relief.
As part of a partnership lasting over 27 years, the new phase ‘Moving for Meals’ will see thousands of Sainsbury’s and Argos colleagues from across the nation come together with the overarching goal of raising £30 million by 2030, allowing them to donate 120 million meals to children and families across the UK since 2022.
Powered by the statistic that 1 in 6 parents have said they have had to put their child to bed hungry or without enough food at least once a week in the last 12 months, internationally recognised marketing top dog Mark Givens has chosen the Isle of Wight as his battlefield.
Having set off from Newport’s Supermarket bright and early, Mark, who has been at Sainsbury’s for some 13 years, is off to a flying start on his mission to cycle the 120km around the Island, where he will make a pit stop at each Sainsbury’s store.
Speaking to Island Echo about why he decided to choose a location as testing as the Islands, Mark said:
“Over the summer, our colleagues across the country have been taking on a range of physical challenges to help raise money for children and families facing food insecurity.
“For my challenge, I wanted to take on something that would really push me out of my comfort zone. I’ve never cycled more than 40km before, so taking on the 120km route around the Isle of Wight in a day will definitely be a test.
“I have visited the island for family holidays many times. We love the sunshine, beaches and great local food. The island is getting famous for its beautiful cycling routes, and it gives me the opportunity to visit all our Sainsbury’s stores, meet more of our fantastic colleagues and hear about their own fundraising challenges.”
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Touching on what it means to take part in the ‘Moving for Meals’ campaign and how he hopes his efforts will better the lives of families far and wide, Mark said:
“I’ve worked at Sainsbury’s for more than a decade, and I’ve never seen colleagues get behind a fundraising campaign quite like this one. It’s been inspiring to see people across the business finding their own ways to take part and make a difference.
“The actor and director Richard Curtis, who is also one of the founders of Comic Relief, came to talk to us at our annual conference. He talked about the fact that many kids these days don’t look forward to the summer holidays anymore as they don’t get their free school meals.
“I have great memories of my summer holidays on the beach in Northern Ireland and became really emotional thinking about how many kids don’t get to experience that type of summer holiday.
“So for me, Move for Meals is about doing something about it, in this case taking on a challenging cycle ride. Knowing that the money raised will support organisations that help families access healthy food makes every training ride and every steep hill feel worthwhile.
“I’m proud to play a small part in Sainsbury’s and Comic Relief’s ambition to help create a UK where every family has access to good food and no child goes hungry.”
Having set an initial fundraising goal of £1,000, which has already been exceeded and sits at £1,615, Mark expressed how blown away he has been by the incredible response and thanked everyone who has already donated. Throughout the campaign, Sainsbury’s has pledged to match the amount of any donations made, making Mark’s current total £3,230.
Making note of the fact that 1 cycle ride won’t solve the issue itself, it was said that:
“Knowing that the money raised will help organisations supporting families across the UK gives me real motivation to get on the bike and complete the challenge.”
Touching on his personal connection to the partnership, Mark said:
“Our partnership with Comic Relief was one of the first things I worked on at Sainsbury’s 13 years ago, and I have remained close to the partnership for my whole Sainsbury’s career, so it’s great to see it evolve even further and make even more of an impact in the UK.
“My contribution is just 1 cycle ride, but Move for Meals is all about lots of people doing what they can. If my challenge encourages even a few more donations, that will help Comic Relief and Sainsbury’s reach more children and families who need support.
“That’s what will keep me motivated when the route gets tough.”
Hoping to complete the 120km route and all his stops in approximately 8 hours, Mark has encouraged passersby to show him all the love and support he is sure he will need to get through it, saying:
“I’d be so grateful for any support as I embark on my challenge.
“People can sponsor my cycle or donate in Sainsbury’s stores or online. Sainsbury’s will be matching donations to double the impact. I’m hoping the colleagues and Island residents I meet along the way will help give me the energy boost I’m sure I’ll need!”
To show Mark how well Islanders can get behind a cause which affects thousands of our own every day, you can donate here.
