Iceland Foods is hailing a milestone in its “first of its kind” charity partnership with suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (Calm).

The Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation (IFCF) has raised more than £1.4m for the charity over its two-year partnership.

The money were raised via fundraising, awareness campaigns in and out of store, and a £300,000 donation straight to the charity.

The donation helped to fund the launch of Calm’s support helpline, as well as the creation of its free “care kit”, mental health first-aid course.

Iceland has also worked  to “break the stigma” of discussing mental health by raising awareness in its stores, launching its PoS and messages to stores in February 2024, directing shoppers to Calm’s mental health support services under its #breaktheice campaign.

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Additionally, the supermarket has helped to fund Calm’s “missed birthdays” campaign, which highlighted the impact of youth suicide.

On 7 September, 30 of the retailer’s staff members are set to take part in the Great North Run in Newcastle, to raise further money before World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September.

Iceland Foods CEO Tarsem Dhaliwal said: “Suicide is one of the greatest public health challenges of our time, and at IFCF we are determined to play our part in changing that.

“Our partnership with Calm is about more than raising money – it’s about raising awareness, breaking down stigma, and giving people the confidence to have crucial discussions with their families and friends.”

The news comes as independent charity the Asda Foundation announces a £1.25m investment in 79 community projects across the UK.

The investment is aimed at “revitalising local spaces where people connect, access vital services and build stronger communities”.

Last week, Aldi also pledged £350,000 to charity Teenage Cancer Trust to give staff at the organisation’s head office further training.