Share the Joy with The Pret Foundation
This Christmas, The Pret Foundation is proud to be part of Pret A Manger’s ‘Share The Joy’ campaign.
At Pret’s Paradise Street shop in Liverpool, we’re honouring Elizabeth, a volunteer at Toxteth Women’s Centre who has dedicated seven years to helping families in need, delivering Pret’s food donations and providing vital support.
In Edinburgh, at our North Bridge shop, we’re celebrating Shikha, whose work with the Milan Senior Welfare Organisation brings joy to the elderly South Asian community through cooking clubs, digital literacy sessions, and Bollywood-inspired events.
Additionally, 50p from every Pret’s Christmas Lunch sandwich and Very Merry sandwich sold is donated to The Pret Foundation to help tackle hunger, poverty, and homelessness.
Welcoming 500 more Rising Stars by 2028
We’re proud to have partnered with His Royal Highness, Prince William and The Royal Foundation’s Homewards Programme in its mission to demonstrate that together it’s possible to end homelessness.
Over the next five years, we’re committed to expanding the Rising Stars Programme by supporting 500 more people facing homelessness into jobs at UK Pret shops.
We were honoured to welcome Prince William and Homewards advocate Steven Bartlett to our Bournemouth shop to launch the partnership, giving them the chance to meet with our inspiring Rising Stars, learn about their experiences and even help serve coffee to our surprised customers.
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Reducing waste and hunger
We’ve always tried to reduce the waste from our shops. Charities, shelters and community organisations come to collect our freshly made unsold food and give it to the people who need it most. For some, it’s their only meal of the day. We do it because it’s the right thing to do.
Our partnership with Too Good to Go
We donate as much of our unsold food as possible to charities at the end of the day through The Pret Foundation. However some of our food can't be donated to charities, so to further reduce our food waste, we have partnered with Too Good to Go. Through the app, you can collect a Surprise Bag, a selection of our freshly made products at a reduced price. Additionally, 50% of proceeds from every Surprise Bag sold is donated to The Pret Foundation to help tackle homelessness.
Since working with Too Good to Go, 265,000 Pret Surprise Bags have been collected. This has avoided over 661,000 kg of CO2 emissions, equivalent to 130 flights around the world. Together, by reducing food waste, we're making a positive impact on the environment as well as supporting people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
To get started, search for your closest Pret store on the Too Good To Go app here. Reserve your bag ahead of time and pick it up in your selected shop at your scheduled time... it's that easy!
Our Rising Stars programme
Giving people an opportunity is central to The Pret Foundation’s mission. People with a criminal record or without an address find it extra hard to break the cycle of homelessness and make a new start. Our Rising Stars programme provides that opportunity. We put the person first, providing them with everything they need to get, and keep a job. From training and travel to weekly support groups, your donation supports this essential work.
Supporting charities
The Pret Foundation supports charities and projects working to help homeless people throughout the UK in communities local to Pret shops. Beyond food donation to shelters and hostels, we also support smaller charities with anything they need; from sleeping bags and kitchen equipment, to funding jobs that are crucial to keeping these much-needed organisations alive.
Shooting Stars
In 2015 we launched the Shooting Stars scheme. Each year eight of our Rising Stars take on an eight-month program of workshops and off-sites where they master additional skills to help climb the career ladder (whether that be within Pret or beyond).
More about The Pret Foundation
Find out how your donation is spent, the difference we’ve made or how to get in touch with us by visiting our FAQ page.
Ukraine Employment Programme
Since launching in spring 2022 we have placed over 350 people through the Ukraine Employment Programme, supporting them with financial aid, mental health support and English language tuition alongside job opportunities at Pret. Many have progressed into roles such as baristas, hot chefs, team leaders with some training to become assistant managers. We care deeply and welcome everyone.