Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP), Co-op and Special Olympics Great Britain (GB) are to bring Meals That Matter back, helping fund year-round sport and build visibility ahead of the 2026 National Summer Games.
For every qualifying Co-op lunchtime meal deal purchased that includes a 500ml bottle or can of Coca-Cola Original Taste, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar or Diet Coke, 5p will be donated to Special Olympics GB, helping fund year-round sports programmes for more than 12,000 athletes with an intellectual disability across England, Scotland and Wales.
Sign language Makaton’s symbols are integrated into POS materials again this summer, helping ensure the campaign is accessible to the more than 10,000 children and adults across the UK who use it to communicate.
Since launching in 2025, the Meals That Matter partnership has raised over £200k for Special Olympics GB, helping it use sport to ensure people with an intellectual disability are seen, valued and taken seriously.
The campaign will be supported by in-store materials and digital touchpoints across participating Co-ops nationwide, including front-of-store displays, digital screens and branded bays in 290 stores. There will also be a dedicated Birmingham store activation, with window and in-store displays featuring all four athletes.
The campaign features four athletes from across Great Britain - triathlete and swimmer Angus Leckonby (East Yorkshire), swimmer Taylor MacKenzie (Dundee), rhythmic gymnast Ellie‑Bea Thomas (Northampton) and table tennis player Alex Rae (Aberdeen) – whose stories sit at the heart of the campaign’s in-store creative.
More meaningful
Holly Firmin, senior community partnerships manager at CCEP, said: “Meals That Matter turns a familiar moment in retail into something more meaningful. Every qualifying meal deal helps raise funds for Special Olympics GB’s year-round work, while giving athletes greater visibility in the places people shop every day.
With the National Summer Games coming to Birmingham later this month, it’s a great moment to help more people discover the athletes and communities Special Olympics GB supports.”
Michael Williams, Senior Buying Manager at Co-op, added: “Last year’s campaign showed just how much our customers enjoy getting behind a cause that makes a real difference. It’s been fantastic to see Meals That Matter return and continue celebrating the amazing athletes at the heart of Special Olympics GB.”
Coca-Cola has been a founding partner of Special Olympics since 1968, with its commitment extending to Special Olympics GB since the movement launched in Great Britain in 1978. Today, Coca-Cola and CCEP continue that legacy through volunteering, fundraising and programmes that champion inclusion both on and off the field.
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