Britvic Plc and Diabetes UK are delighted today to announce a new three-year, £500,000 partnership.
Diabetes UK and Britvic Plc will be working together to actively support those living with and at risk of diabetes. We will help Britvic employees to reduce their risk of Type 2 diabetes, and support children with Type 1 diabetes and their families so that they thrive at school. Together, we will work to achieve Diabetes UK’s vision of a world where diabetes can do no harm and help families live healthier and happier everyday lives.
The partnership’s focus will be twofold:
- Supporting Diabetes UK children’s programmes:
Through a combination of corporate donation and employee fundraising, Britvic will aim to raise £500,000 to directly improve the lives of children and families affected by diabetes, helping to ensure children with Type 1 diabetes can get the most out of every part of school life. The funding will be invested in Diabetes UK’s Make the Grade school packs and in increasing the number of schools achieving Diabetes UK’s Good Diabetes Care in Schools award. Britvic will be the sole corporate funder for these activities.
- Supporting Britvic employees:
At Britvic, prioritising health and employee wellbeing is a critical part of the company culture and embedded in the company’s sustainability strategy. Diabetes is the fastest growing health threat facing our country today, with 4.6m people living with the condition. Through this partnership, Diabetes UK will be working closely with Britvic’s 2,000 employees based in GB. Diabetes UK will help them and their families understand how to live healthier lives and so reduce their risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, as well as supporting those employees who live with Type 1 diabetes.
Employees at Britvic will also be encouraged to support Diabetes UK’s cause, by volunteering and raising money through a number of different activities to support the vital work Diabetes UK does. Giving back to communities is embedded in Britvic life, with each GB employee given three paid volunteering days a year to give back during working hours as well as the company match funding donations up to £250 per employee. This will be in addition to the corporate support that Britvic is giving directly to Diabetes UK.
Chris Askew, Chief Executive of Diabetes UK said: “We are delighted to announce our new three-year partnership with Britvic today. Together, Diabetes UK and Britvic will work to achieve Diabetes UK’s vision of a world where diabetes can do no harm.
“Through a unique, two-pronged approach, our ambitious new partnership will not only improve the lives of children and families living with and affected by Type 1 diabetes, it will also support our wide-reaching work to prevent Type 2 diabetes.
“We look forward to working alongside Britvic’s workforce to promote, amplify and expand the reach of our vital work, and to inspire people across the UK to help us achieve our shared goal of improving the lives of people with diabetes.”
Simon Litherland is Chief Executive at Britvic. He said: “We are proud to have the opportunity to partner with Diabetes UK and support the vital work they are doing in communities all over the UK. We share Diabetes UK’s commitment to making it easier for people to make healthier choices and to providing a healthy inclusive workplace where every colleague can thrive.
“There are an estimated 4.6 million people living with diabetes in the UK today. By working in partnership with Diabetes UK and helping to raise funds, we can support Diabetes UK’s vital work to help those living with diabetes and support our own employees to know their risk.”
Britvic has a long history of prioritising health. The company started out in the 1930s as the British Vitamin Products Company and was established to use soft drinks to bring an affordable source of vitamins to the people of Britain. That focus on health continues today. Britvic’s purpose is to make life’s everyday moments more enjoyable and part of doing that is by helping consumers make healthier choices through making drinks that taste great AND are better for you.
94% of Britvic’s owned brands (72% total portfolio including PepsiCo brands) in GB are no/low sugar and are below or exempt from the soft drinks industry levy (SDIL). This is because of bold decisions taken years ago to cut sugar and focus innovation on low/no sugar drinks to help consumers make healthier choices.
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