Pennies appoints Martin Newman to champion everyday giving

Pennies has appointed Martin Newman as its official ambassador as the charity increases its efforts to embed micro-donations into everyday consumer experiences.

Martin Newman, known as the "Consumer Champion," brings over forty years of leadership experience across global consumer brands including Burberry, Intersport, and Harrods. He will be supporting Pennies as the organisation seeks to encourage more retailers and businesses to integrate micro-donations into their customer journeys, with the aim of making charitable giving a routine aspect of shopping.

Since its inception, Pennies has facilitated more than 262 million micro-donations, raising over GBP £63 million to benefit more than 1,070 charities in the UK, Republic of Ireland, and beyond.

Martin Newman's role as ambassador is expected to bolster awareness of micro-donations within the retail and broader consumer sectors, promoting the practice as part of a customer-centric, purpose-driven approach to business.

"Micro-donations are a powerful way to enable everyday generosity at the point of purchase, empowering consumers and helping brands connect more meaningfully with their customers. I am proud to support Pennies in their mission to make giving simple, inclusive, and part of everyday life. Together, we can encourage more businesses to put purpose at the heart of their customer experience, while unlocking vital income for charities large and small," Martin Newman commented.

"Martin has long been a supporter of Pennies and we are thrilled to formally welcome him as our ambassador. His expertise, reputation, and alignment with our mission will help amplify our efforts to put micro-donations at the heart of everyday transactions, giving people affordable ways to give and enabling businesses to demonstrate authentic social purpose," Alison Hutchinson CBE, CEO of Pennies, said, expressing her enthusiasm about the appointment.

Pennies continues to expand its reach in 2025, establishing new partnerships with well-known brands. Among the new partners are Lidl GB, which will make Pennies available across all UK stores during several campaigns throughout the year as part of their customer donation programme.

Iceland Foods has begun offering micro-donations in stores nationwide, broadening opportunities for children and adults alike to donate small sums during their typical shopping experience. Debenhams Group is also incorporating micro-donations for customers shopping online across its brands from March.

In addition to expanding retail partnerships, Pennies has brought on new members to its advisory boards, drawing from a variety of high-profile businesses. Will Hawkley, Partner and Global Sector Head at KPMG, has joined the Hospitality and Leisure Advisory Board. Damian Burns, General Manager Global at Kindred, Marc Fryer, Head of UK Revenue & Growth at Stripe, and Suzanne Steele, Vice President and Managing Director, UK&I, Middle East and Africa at Adobe, have all joined the Payments and Technology Advisory Board.

These new advisors are expected to provide guidance as Pennies aims to make micro-donations accessible to an even broader base of consumers and support businesses in demonstrating social responsibility through everyday transactions.