Tesco’s donation to Children’s Hospital Pyjamas

What’s better than a gift of comfort? For thousands of children in hospitals across England and Wales, that’s exactly what Children’s Hospital Pyjamas provides: brand-new, cosy pyjamas, replacing hospital gowns with something soft and reassuring.

The story behind the charity

Children’s Hospital Pyjamas was founded in 2010 by Charmaine Green, who knows at first hand the power of a thoughtful gift. When her daughter was in hospital, a scooter donated by another family brought her unexpected joy during a tough time. Inspired, Charmaine wanted to share that kindness. For three years, she donated toys to hospitals, but soon realised a more practical need for many: pyjamas.

Every year since, new pyjamas are donated to a growing list of hospitals, hospices and women’s refuges across England and Wales. Every pair of pyjamas tells a child that someone out there is looking out for them.

Tesco joins the movement!

When we spotted the Children’s Hospital Pyjamas charity’s latest donation appeal on social media, we knew just who to call: Tesco. A former donor through A Good Thing, Tesco had donated its surplus items before. Mark Phipps, Facilities Manager, found us on LinkedIn, and after his smooth first donation, he didn’t hesitate to help out again. Alongside pyjamas, Tesco has generously donated homeware items and stationery to charities in need.

 This time, Tesco contributed a box of new pyjamas that were originally heading for internal sales to the supermarket’s employees. These garments, often created for fabric-testing, are usually sold internally to raise funds for charity, but Mark decided these particular pairs should go directly where they were needed most.

 Mark was so impressed by the smooth process that he shared his experience with both Tesco’s communications department and with Olio, a community-based app that shares our sustainability aims!

A record—breaking year

Thanks to Tesco’s donation, Children’s Hospital Pyjamas received a big boost to its pre-Christmas campaign! Donations like these helped the charity deliver an astonishing 22,129 pairs of pyjamas to children this year alone. That’s 1,071 pairs more than in 2023.

 A recipient of Children’s Hospital Pyjamas, Grace, said:

 "Thank you so much for my PJs! I love them, it was a lovely surprise when I got back down to the ward after my operation!"

 This year, the charity has even expanded its reach to 40 new hospitals. From hospitals in rural Wales to a children’s hospital in Leeds, the charity is growing its community every year.

 Inspired by Tesco’s response, A Good Thing has launched a new platform feature that we’re calling ‘Charity Needs’. For the moment, businesses in London and Hampshire can see exactly what items local charities need, streamlining the donation process for more targeted donations. In to 2025, we hope to roll this feature out to the whole of the UK.

Take a look to see how you can help charities near you! Meaningful donations have never been easier.

If you’re part of a business that wants to do good, A Good Thing makes it easy! Sign up here to make 2025 a year of good deeds!