The charity is aiming to raise £80m to support those hardest hit by the pandemic.
Save the Children says it has been “bowled over” by the corporate response to its biggest-ever fundraising campaign.
The charity’s coronavirus appeal aims to raise over £80 million to help families struggling to cope with the impact of the pandemic, both in the UK and around the world.
Major businesses including Hasbro, Unilever, Lego, Wilko and Morgan Stanley have already pledged support for the campaign, enabling Save the Children to launch a raft of initiatives supporting those hardest hit by the crisis.
These initiatives include the charity’s new Emergency Grant Fund, which will ensure families in the UK have access to food vouchers, furniture, and gifts in kind, helping build home environments in which children can continue to learn and thrive.
Donations include 6,400 games and plasticine kits worth £87,000 from Hasbro and 8,000 Lego and Duplo sets from Lego, providing children with vital play materials while schools and nurseries are closed.
Unilever has partnered with the UK Government’s Department for International Development to donate £4m for initiatives improving hygiene and handwashing practices in eight countries with scarce access to water and sanitation.
Household cleaning brand SC Johnson has launched an £800,000 fund for the charity, while financial services firm Morgan Stanley has donated £300,000. Other significant donations have been received from a range of companies including insurers QBE and television station Discovery UK.
Support is also coming from celebrities including Stephen Fry, Sienna Miller and Rita Ora, who have shared readings of Scholastic stories on Instagram to raise awareness of the appeal.
Gemma Sherrington, Save the Children’s executive director of fundraising and marketing, said: “This is the biggest humanitarian challenge of our generation. That’s why we must ensure that children’s rights and needs are put front and centre of any response to the Coronavirus outbreak, both here in the UK and all over the world.
“We’ve been absolutely bowled over by the generosity of the businesses who’ve supported our appeal - both long-standing partners and new brands wanting to come on board and help us support the most vulnerable families here in the UK. With their help, we are able to make sure that children stay protected, keep learning and continue to thrive, despite the challenges they now face.”
