We continuously strive to find new ways for our business to have a positive impact on the societal needs of those areas in which we operate and to use our resources to maximise shared value creation.
In 2003, Woolworths’ Corporate Social Investment (CSI) strategy was formalised in line with global best practice through the formation of The Woolworths Trust. We use this legal entity as a vehicle for our CSI activities and it is managed by a Board of Trustees. As part of our activities, we have partnered with Food & Trees for Africa in the EduPlant programme, which encourages schools to grow their own food in a sustainable way. We are also working to improve education outcomes in under-resourced schools through a partnership with the National Education Collaboration Trust and by providing educators with educational resources and experiential activities through the Woolworths Educational Programmes. We also ensure that no food or clothing from our business goes to waste, and donate surplus food from stores to over 1 500 charity partners. Through the MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet loyalty-linked programme, we have raised and distributed funds on behalf of our customers to over 8 000 schools and charities over the years.
To complement our food security projects, Woolworths committed R3 million in funding over three years to FoodForward. This is a partnership that will enable FoodForward to provide an additional 1.2 million meals annually to the needy through redistribution of the edible surplus food collected from producers, manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers such as Woolworths. FoodForward is an organisation that was formed in 2009. Its main aim is to recover perfectly edible food that would otherwise go to landfill, and redirect to the needy.
Country Road Group and David Jones support a range of charity partners, and work annually to support a number of causes including cancer research and prevention through David Jones Rose Clinics, Witchery’s iconic White Shirt campaign which raises funds for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (“OCRF”) and MIMCO’s collaboration with Our Watch – a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to preventing domestic violence.
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