Contactless payment provides 7,500 meals for kids in just six weeks
A charity’s contactless donation scheme has proved to be a huge success as it registered 1,500 taps in six weeks.
Lunchbox – a payment system that enables those buying lunch to make a small donation to Mary’s Meals – has paid for 7,500 meals for needy children already.
Tapping the terminal makes a 30p donation to the Scotland-based school feeding charity, which provides a daily nutritious meal to more than 1.1 million children in their place of education.
By reaching out to youngsters with a daily school meal, Mary’s Meals not only combats the effects of chronic hunger experienced by many of the world’s poorest children but encourages them to come to school and gain an education that can help them escape poverty in the future.
It’s wonderful that our work is being reflected in this new form of charitable giving
Lunchbox’s fantastic results come at a time when charity contactless donations are increasing in popularity.
James Wood of Earnest Labs, which developed the system, said: “It’s great to see this technology working and being appreciated by the users. When developing Lunchbox we saw a few early adopter examples, but no solid results so it’s great to prove to charities contactless donations can work for them.”
Current statistics show that 80% of people in the UK already donate to charity regularly, and the Lunchbox initiative aims to facilitate spontaneous generosity in a no-pressure environment. By placing the Lunchbox terminal at the point of sale, vendors make it easy for customers to donate.
Lunchboxes are currently being used in partner vendors Reynolds, Ethos, Mortimers Café and Lantana Cafe in London and Lynwood Cafe, Oxfordshire.
Alan Brown, executive director of Mary’s Meals UK, said: “We are very excited about this innovative use of technology and we are delighted with Lunchbox’s success which is already transforming the lives of thousands of children.
“Mary’s Meals has a very simple vision – to provide children with a daily meal in school. It’s wonderful that the effective simplicity of our work is being reflected in this new form of charitable giving.”
Lunchbox is now planning to roll out in more shops.
