Sol Retail celebrates eight years of support and £500,000 of donations to The Lewis Foundation

These generous contributions have been used in 136,613 of the charity’s care packs, which are gifted to cancer patients in over 17 hospitals, and are also sold in The Lewis Foundation’s two outlet stores.

Having worked with the charity since 2016, Barry Tong, CEO of Sol Retail, was a co-founder of the Surplus Stock Appeal, launched in 2023 by The Lewis Foundation and Sol Retail, to encourage businesses to donate surplus or unsold stock. The appeal has gained strong support from businesses across the region, highlighting how companies can make a real difference to their community. As well, it has helped The Lewis Foundation to build a sustainable revenue stream, which means the charity isn’t solely reliant on fundraising activities and financial donations.

Lorraine Lewis, co-founder and CEO of The Lewis Foundation, said: "Sol Retail’s generosity is truly inspiring. Not only does the business donate an extraordinary number of products to us, but the team helps us in a whole host of ways, be that volunteering in our warehouse or providing us with business advice. Sol Retail’s ongoing support has a tremendous impact on the lives of so many people and we hope this inspires other businesses to join our Surplus Stock Appeal and help us bring comfort to more cancer patients across the region."

Barry Tong said: "We’ve been honoured to work alongside The Lewis Foundation since 2016 and are privileged to be able to support the incredible work they do in any way we can. We would encourage other businesses with surplus stock to consider donating what they can to The Lewis Foundation -even the smallest of donations has the potential to make a real impact.”

Sol Retail and The Lewis Foundation invite businesses of all sizes to participate in the Surplus Stock Appeal, which provides companies with an opportunity to make a difference while reducing waste, diverting products from landfill. From personal care products to everyday essentials, every donation helps the foundation reach more patients in 17 hospitals across the region.