The Entertainer Pennies Contributions Hit £4m for UK Children’s Hospitals

We’re over the moon to announce that, through our partnership with micro-donation charity Pennies, The Entertainer has managed to raise a whopping £4million for leading UK children’s hospitals!

Working with a Pennies, all across our 150+ store estate, customers can round up their cashless purchases to the nearest pound to support UK registered charities. The first retailer to work with Pennies, customers have been able to donate via our stores since 2011.

Now, we’ve hit the major milestone where we we’ve managed to contribute £1million, through your donations, for each of the four leading children’s hospitals we support in the UK, including Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool and Bristol Royal Hospital.

A Massive Thank You to You All

Andrew Murphy OBE, Group Chief Executive Officer of The Entertainer, said: “We’re incredibly proud to have reached this significant milestone, which is a testament to the generosity of our customers and the value of our partnership with Pennies.

“We’d like to thank our customers for making so many micro-donations over the past 15 years, helping these four, hugely valued hospitals do life-changing work to support children and their families. Our partnership with Pennies demonstrates the power of small, everyday donations in making a massive and meaningful difference.”

Alison Hutchinson CBE, Chief Executive Officer of Pennies, added: “As Pennies’ pioneering partner in retail, we are delighted to celebrate this incredible milestone with The Entertainer and its customers. Raising £4 million through millions of micro-donations, helping to fund vital care and bring moments of play, comfort and joy to children in hospital is a remarkable achievement.

“Thank you to The Entertainer team and to every customer who presses ‘Yes’ – together, you’re helping ensure every child can experience the power of play, even during the toughest times. The Entertainer has also catalysed many more retailers to join the Pennies movement so a huge thank you for your leadership and belief in the role micro-donations can play as a force for good in society.”

What Our Charity Partners Said

Fiona Ashcroft, CEO Alder Hey Children’s Charity:

We are incredibly grateful to The Entertainer and its customers for helping to reach this remarkable milestone. Partnerships like this create real and lasting impact for children and

families both here in our local communities and for the thousands of children from across the UK who come to Alder Hey for specialist care every year. Every donation, no matter how small, helps us provide life-changing experiences, pioneering equipment and vital support that brings comfort, hope and moments of magic to children during some of the most difficult times in their lives. The Entertainer’s long-standing commitment is a wonderful example of how valued corporate partnerships can make a meaningful difference – helping us create brighter days, precious memories and extraordinary care for children and families when they need it most.”

Helen Miles, head of partnerships and major donors at Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, said:

“One of the many areas The Entertainer has helped support is with play. Play is serious business at our hospital, as we believe children who are happy and relaxed, cope better with their treatment and recovery, compared to those who are more anxious. That’s why we’re so grateful to The Entertainer. Pennies is an incredible initiative and to have had its support for so many years now – amounting to such a phenomenal figure – means the world. The donations customers make helps us bring joy, fun and distraction to hundreds of children every single day.”

Helen Haskell, Head of Fundraising, The Grand Appeal, Bristol Children’s Hospital Charity:

“It’s hard to emphasise how much of a difference The Entertainer’s fundraising has made to the patients and families supported by The Grand Appeal. It’s helped fund cutting-edge equipment and research; vital distractions like music, art and play; and home-from-home accommodation for parents. £1 million isn’t only an incredible milestone; it’s been transformative for Bristol Children’s Hospital. Thanks to The Entertainer’s amazing customers, small change has made a big difference to sick children and their families from across the whole of the South West and South Wales”.

Sarah Bissell, Deputy Director of Relationship Fundraising at GOSH Charity, said:

“We are so incredibly grateful to the Entertainer and Pennies for raising more than one million pounds for GOSH Charity, which will help provide invaluable support for seriously ill children and their families who are facing some of the most rare and complex conditions.

“At GOSH Charity, we are committed to giving seriously ill children the best chance, and the best childhood possible. This is proof that no act of kindness is too small to make a lasting difference, and we are so thankful to every single one of The Entertainer’s customers who have contributed towards this incredible milestone.”

Thank you to everyone who has made this possible and we look forward to raising even more in the future! For more information about Pennies please visit: pennies.org.uk

Read our disclaimers.