Co-op, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) and Special Olympics Great Britain have relaunched their ‘Meals that Matter’ fundraising and awareness campaign, encouraging customers to support inclusive sports by purchasing participating Co-op meal deals in-store or online.
Running until 9 December, the campaign features two limited-time meal deals with images of five Special Olympics GB athletes who have transformed their lives through the charity’s sporting programmes.
The initiative follows an earlier campaign this year that raised £32,000 and drove a 63% increase in athlete sign-ups. Special Olympics GB supports over 12,666 athletes across 27 sports, backed by nearly 6,000 volunteers.
The campaign includes Makaton symbols in-store, making it one of the first major UK retail campaigns to incorporate this inclusive communication programme. Makaton uses speech, signs and symbols to support understanding and expression, helping people with communication difficulties connect with others and participate more fully in everyday life. Promotional materials feature across participating stores and online.
Stephanie Gott, a medal-winning Special Olympics GB figure skater, said: “Being part of Special Olympics GB has given me confidence I never thought I’d have. I was bullied at school for being different, but when I found skating, everything changed – I feel free on the ice. Seeing this campaign grow and come back for a second time means so much to me, because it shows people really do care about inclusion.”
