As the summer holidays draw to a close, more than a million Irish children will be going back to school in the coming weeks.
But the new term brings fresh fears for families, with struggling parents worrying about how they will feed their children and fuel their bodies and minds this school year.
For the children in these households, lack of food and nutrients will not only be leaving them hungry, but at risk of experiencing other developmental issues in areas such as physical health, mental health, education and social wellbeing.
With so many families struggling, Heinz Beanz and Barnardos have teamed up for a second time to bring back its limited-edition three-pack of ‘Heinz Meanz Meals’ cans, helping support their work with children living in disadvantaged areas across Ireland.
Giving its iconic Beanz packaging a special makeover, fans of the breakfast staple can pick up a pack from stores nationwide from today.
For every pack purchased, Heinz will be making a donation to Barnardos Breakfast Clubs. The children’s charity provides nutritious breakfast food, such as Heinz No Added Sugar Beanz which are naturally high in protein and fibre, to selected Barnardos centres across Ireland.
The donation comes as part of a partnership between Heinz and Barnardos, with the two companies working together since 2020.
Elaine McCague, Head of Heinz Ireland (Interim), said; “Our founder, Henry J. Heinz, believed that heart power is stronger than horsepower. Today, his beliefs and values live on, as we continue to help support families in time of need, just like he would want us to.
“We’re passionate about continuing to support the great work of Barnardos in Ireland. We’re delighted to release once again our limited-edition ‘Heinz Meanz Mealz’ three-packs so we can together help fill thousands of little tummies at a time when it is much needed. It’s partnerships like this that will help us achieve our mission to provide 1.5 billion meals to people in need globally by 2025.”
Mary Gamble, Director of Marketing, Fundraising and Communications at Barnardos, said; “We are delighted to be partnering with Heinz once again and are grateful for their support for our work with vulnerable children. We share a joint ambition to drive long lasting change for some of the most disadvantaged families in Ireland.”
Last year, Barnardos supported over 20,000 children and families, of which Heinz helped, by providing 5,000 meals to the children’s charity.
With the ambition to help even more families this year, TV presenter and podcaster, Vogue Williams, is joining the meals mission as an ambassador for this partnership, shining a spotlight on and raising further awareness of this all-important issue.
The Mum of three who has a following of more than 1 million people on Instagram, many of whom are parents themselves, will see her new role not only inspire those in a position to help to take action, but let less-fortunate parents know support is there from services such as Barnardos.
Speaking about the ambassadorship, Vogue Williams said; “I can’t imagine the worry that many families must be going through. No one should be unsure when or where their next meal is coming from, especially children.
“Working with Heinz and Barnardos, together, we hope to not only raise awareness of this growing issue taking place on our doorstep, but to also highlight that a small, tangible act – such as buying a pack of Heinz Beanz – can have a big impact and help support those most vulnerable in the community.”
NEW three-packs of ‘Heinz Meanz Mealz’ Beanz are available from major retailers such as Dunnes, Tesco, SuperValu and Aldi now, as well as convenience stores. RRP €3.59. Prices are at the sole discretion of the retailer.
