Touchwood hosts UK’s first charity donation vending machines

This festive period, Touchwood Solihull recently invited visitors to donate to charitable causes, as the first UK destination to install charity donation vending machines.

Delivered by Light the World, the vending machines helped to raise much needed funds for a number of local, national and international charities.

The machines stocked donation cards from seven charities, ranging in value from £3 to £400. Kind-hearted shoppers were invited to donate what they can, with the ability to decide exactly where their charitable contribution is spent. Donation cards featured a range of items including clothing, food, livestock and educational supplies.

Touchwood’s Charity of the Year, Little Hearts Matter, is one of the involved charities, alongside FareShare, Jesuit Refugee Service, ShelterBox, Muslim Aid, The Felix project, and iDE.

Based in Birmingham, Little Hearts Matter is a national charity that provides help and support to families with children experiencing single ventricle heart condition – half a working heart – through sharing information and resources.

Donations will make a huge difference for the young people and families that Little Hearts Matter works with. Gifts include a Smiley Face Balloon, which pops out of the box and is delivered straight to a child’s hospital bed following open-heart surgery.

Light the World machines are being brought to the UK by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as part of their annual Christmas initiative. Every penny gifted through the machines will be going to the chosen cause.

Lucy Burnett, marketing manager at Touchwood, said: “The Light the World project has seen great success internationally, and we were delighted to host the charity’s first UK vending machines here at Touchwood.

“Charity donations are especially important at Christmas time, and this is a fantastic opportunity to donate to a variety of causes close to the hearts of those in Solihull and beyond. We welcome the local community to make a difference in whatever way they’re able to.”

Kirsty Moreton, city lead for the Light the World Project in the West Midlands, added: “We are so delighted to have been able to bring the Light the World Machines to the UK this year and grateful for the fantastic support of Touchwood Shopping Centre – making Solihull the first place to host them.

“The response of the public to this novel way of giving has been amazing. They are enjoying the interactive and personal element of selecting not only which charity to help but also which specific product to donate, confident in the knowledge that 100% of their donation does to the charity of their choice. Families are bringing their children to visit the machines to start a new holiday tradition of giving to others.”

To find out more about Touchwood, visit the website.

Pictured: People donating to Light the World vending machine at Touchwood