By 2025 Marks & Spencer hopes to support 1000 communities and help ten million people live happier, healthier lives. The ten communities the British multinational retailer is currently in discussions with are in the UK.

M&S will work with local councils and charity partners to support communities to deliver positive, measurable change. It will initially be piloted in ten communities over the next two years, when the retailer will try out a range of actions designed to tackle the issues that matter most to communities – such as unemployment, skill shortages, loneliness, poverty, and mental health and wellbeing. Successful initiatives will be rolled out to a further 100 locations by 2023 and learnings will be shared with 1,000 locations by 2025.

Marks & Spencer has been at the forefront of social change for 133 years and is determined to play a leading role in the years ahead by taking positive action to enable customers and communities to live happier, healthier lifestyles. Another of Marks & Spencer’s aims is to be a zero waste business.

Marks & Spencer has 268 franchise stores in 34 markets and an established joint venture in Greece as well as India. It also trades online in 21 markets reaching customers through its fully localised owned and operated websites via established marketplaces.