Marks & Spencer : M&S SAYS THANK YOU TO GENEROUS CUSTOMERS & COLLEAGUES FOR SUPPORTING NHS HEROES

• M&S customers & colleagues have been supporting NHS Charities Together in a number of ways throughout this unprecedented time-from M&S's Rainbow Sale to its bespoke charity tees
  
  
• M&S is saying a massive thank you to generous customers who have already raised nearly £3.3m for the incredible cause and is encouraging them to get involved in The Biggest Thank You Ever this Sunday
  
  
• M&S is proud to support the /together coalition and to have supported the NHS throughout this unprecedented time

This weekend, colleagues, and customers at M&S stores across the UK will be taking part in the one-off #ThankYouTogether clap to mark the 72nd birthday of the NHS, supported by the founder of the initiative and NHS England boss Sir Simon Stevens. This follows weeks of M&S colleagues from Aberdeen to Marble Arch taking part in the special claps which bought communities up and down the country together. M&S is proud to support the /together coalition that aims to bring people together and bridge divides, to help build a kinder, closer, and more connected country. /together has helped organise the big 'thank you' for the NHS' 72nd Birthday.

Ahead of the special moment M&S is today saying thank you to their customers for the generosity they have shown - having already raised nearly £3.3m for NHS Charities Together during this unprecedented time. This money will help staff, volunteers, and patients impacted by COVID-19.

How the money has been raised

At the beginning of April, M&S worked with NHS teams and its longstanding hospital partners to understand how, as a clothing and food retailer, it could best help meet some of the needs of the fantastic frontline NHS teams and the patients in their care.

M&S outlined plans to support the NHS, from providing clothes for patient packs, to implementing food deliveries to hospitals. Alongside this the team enabled NHS Charities Together as a Sparks charity and began to understand what more could be done for the charity. Momentum grew and M&S set up several major fundraising routes for NHS Charities Together which have taken off, including:

• Launching a series of 'All in This Together' T-shirts with endorsement from M&S Clothing Ambassador Holly Willoughby and M&S Food Ambassador Amanda Holden. Selected T-shirts remain available online and in-store and all profits go to NHS Charities Together
  
  
• Introducing a thank you NHS bag for life into its 560 Foodhalls-with all profits donated to NHS Charities Together-the bags were a small way customer could play their part whilst doing their weekly essential shop and limited stock remains available
  
  
• Kicking off the Rainbow Sale-a sale with a difference which started in May and will run throughout the summer in-store and online. Named in celebration of the colourful symbol that has come to represent so much to customers during this unprecedented time, M&S will donate 10% of the purchase price, excluding VAT, of all Rainbow sale items to NHS Charities Together
  
  
• Enabling customer donations to the important charity at each and every M&S till point

Whilst fundraising will continue, M&S is saying thank you to generous customers and colleagues for their support so far. In recognition of the continuing importance of local communities coming together, this week M&S has installed a fundraising display into each of its stores that sells Clothing so, as shoppers return to shop with confidence and the fundraising continues, everyone see how much they and their fellow shoppers have raised. To date the most money has been raised by shoppers at M&S Camberley (£29,000) followed by Marble Arch (£27,000), Braehead (£25,000), Lisburn (£23,000) and Handforth Dean (£22,000).

Ellie Orton, CEO of NHS Charities Together said,

'I can't thank M&S customers enough, the money you have raised is making a huge difference for the NHS staff and volunteers who have been there for all of us during the Covid crisis. I'd urge all of you to come together with friends, family and neighbours for a moment of thanks on 5 July, so we can show appreciation for everyone who has been there for others over the last few challenging months.'

Steve Rowe, CEO of M&S, said,

'During these challenging times it's been heartening to see the whole nation get behind the fantastic NHS teams we all continue to rely on and this weekend the whole M&S family will take part in the Thank You clap. A massive thanks to every single customer who has helped us fundraise for NHS Charities Together and ultimately helped provide much-needed support to staff, volunteers and patients.'

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Notes to Editors

• Further information on M&S's efforts to support the NHS throughout this unprecedented time can be found here.
  
  
• Further information on the Rainbow Sale can be found here.
  
  
• M&S is sharing the love for the Rainbow sale with its #passtheheart video featuring special appearances from our NHS heroes, Ambassadors such as Holly Willoughby and M&S colleagues and customers.
  
  
• Further information on how M&S is helping customers shop with confidence here