“We are very happy with this collaboration. It is an extra treat for children for whom it is not a given to receive something,” says Hans Spekman, director of the Youth Education Fund. Donating products is not the only option for Lidl customers, by the way. During the campaign period, they can also donate their bottle deposits at Lidl to this Dutch foundation. Princess Laurentien is enthusiastic about the initiative: “This campaign comes from both necessity and the heart.”

The Youth Education Fund helps increase the development opportunities of schoolchildren growing up in poverty. Through 325 schools so far, more than 80,000 children are reached. Applications to the fund are submitted through the primary school, because that is where the children’s talents and intellectual abilities are known. The teacher knows better than anyone what is needed. When a lack of money is an obstacle to development, the school can appeal to the Youth Education Fund.