Lidl GB pulls in almost £500,000 for NSPCC as supermarket retailer taps Pennies microdonation system

Lidl GB reports that its latest fundraising through the microdonation system, Pennies, has raised over £481,000 for the NSPCC’s Childline service. Since originally launching last year, Pennies has pulled in £1 million so far.

Lidl GB is the first supermarket to introduce Pennies nationwide, complementing existing in-store NSPCC cash donation tins. The system delivers a way for customers to donate up to 30p per transaction via the card reader at checkout.

Ryan McDonnell, CEO at Lidl GB, says: “During a visit to Childline’s offices, I was able to see first-hand the impact micro donations can make to children across the country.”

“I’d like to thank everyone who has made this possible - to our customers for their generosity and to our colleagues for continuing to champion our partnership nationwide. Thank you to all the volunteers who turn that generosity into life-changing support for children. Seeing the impact up close, I felt immensely proud of what we’re achieving together.”

Lidl GB has been a partner with the NSPCC since 2017, raising over £10 million through colleague and customer fundraising, corporate sponsorship, and events. 

Chris Sherwood, CEO at NSPCC, says: “Every day, we witness how small acts of kindness can create extraordinary change. The generosity shown through micro‑donations doesn’t just fund our work - it fuels hope for children who need it most.”

“We are deeply grateful to our partners, like Lidl GB, and to their colleagues and customers, whose unwavering commitment ensures this impact reaches communities nationwide. Together, we’re proving that when many people give a little, we can achieve something truly remarkable.”

Last year, Lidl announced a new fundraising target to raise an additional £5 million by 2030. This would help Childline’s overnight Twilight team double its reach to answer over 100,000 contacts with children and young people.

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

Microdonations will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Thursday, 15th October.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.