Aldi has teamed up with Team GB to offer every child in the UK a chance to try an Olympic or Paralympic sport for free.
In partnership with both Team GB and ParalympicsGB, the German discounter has launched its ‘Get a Taste for Sport’ initiative, a new campaign aiming to help an estimated 20 million children stay active this summer.
From 19 June to 31 July, shoppers who spend more than £30 in store at Aldi will receive a voucher which entitles a child to a free taster session of an Olympic or Paralympic sport of their choosing.
Aldi has been a sponsor of Team GB since 2015 and ParalympicsGB since 2022, supporting every athlete with £25 in vouchers to spend in stores each month.
The launch of the initiative follows a new poll commissioned by the retailer which found that more than half (54%) of low-income parents either plan to or have already cut back on the number of sport clubs they let their children attend.
The research also revealed that three quarters (76%) are worried about being able to cope financially during the school holidays, with the cost of bills (80%) and days out for their child (75%) among the top concerns.
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“Not only do children deserve the freedom to do what they love, but the importance of sport and exercise on a child’s physical and mental wellbeing cannot be underestimated,” Team GB gymnast and three-time Olympic champion, Max Whitlock, said.
“The cost-of-living crisis is putting some parents in a position where they have to sacrifice sending their child to sports clubs and there is clearly work to be done to promote equal access to sport across the country,” Whitlock added.
Corporate responsibility director at Aldi UK, Liz Fox commented: “With Aldi’s core purpose being to ensure that access to fresh, affordable, healthy food is a right not a privilege, our ‘Get a Taste for Sport’ initiative is the perfect opportunity to bring this purpose to the forefront and extend that promise to physical activities too.
“We are excited to be working with our partners at Team GB and ParalympicsGB to bring this to life and hope to inspire millions of children across the country while supporting parents when times are hard.”
Last week, Aldi was crowned as the UK’s cheapest supermarket for a record twelve months in a row by consumer champion, Which?.
