ALDI is calling on parents in Oxfordshire to apply for a Back-to-School Fund as part of its new initiative to support families with the cost of everyday essentials. 

As part of the fund, parents can apply for £100 Aldi vouchers throughout September to help out with the costs of everyday essentials following the back-to-school period.

This comes as around three quarters (73 per cent) of parents admit they worry about covering the costs of the start of the academic year.

The supermarket is also donating £20,000 to causes focused on supporting children, including schools and nurseries in Oxfordshire via community giving platform Neighbourly, to help provide essentials to those families that need it most.

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There are nine Aldi supermarkets in Oxfordshire, including two in Oxford. 

It comes as research from the UK’s fourth largest supermarket with over 1000 stores across the UK revealed that parents spend just over £100 per child during the back-to-school period, on the likes of new shoes, pencil cases and lunchboxes.

Research also shows that parents are spending around £23 a week on average throughout the school year on packed lunches and £90 on after school clubs or extra-curricular activities.

Liz Fox, national sustainability director at Aldi UK said: “We know the back-to-school period can be a real pinch point for family finances, especially after having to contend with keeping the kids entertained during the summer school holidays.

Aldi on Botley Road in Oxford

“As the UK’s lowest-priced supermarket, we’re committed to doing whatever we can to support parents in making their money go further and that’s why we’re giving parents an extra helping hand via our Back-to-School Fund this September.

“We’re giving our customers the chance to apply for vouchers to help parents cover the cost of packed lunches and other essentials that they’ll need to stock up on throughout the school year.”

Aldi has a long-standing partnership with Neighbourly, which it says is part of its commitment to make fresh, healthy food accessible for everyone. 

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Shoppers who wish to support local charities can do so through community donation points in Aldi stores.

Steve Butterworth, Neighbourly CEO, said: “We support many thousands of good causes across the UK that directly support families, and this additional funding from Aldi will provide a vital lifeline for them to cover the cost of essentials for the parents and children who need it most.”

Parents who want to apply for Aldi’s Back-to-School Fund should email AldiBTSFund@citypress.co.uk by September 30, with 100 people chosen throughout the month to receive a £100 voucher.