Both contributions were made as part of the MERKUR Initiative which provides funding to help smaller community-based good causes.

The Lighthouse Pantry is a food club which was established to help families and individuals reduce their weekly food costs, and keep more money in their household to cover other bills or needs. It was formally opened in March 2019 by Lighthouse Project patron, the actor and screenwriter Steve Coogan.

Andrew Bell explained: “The Pantry is a membership-based initiative which applies some eligibility and usage conditions in order to ensure that it makes the most impact. It is not a replacement for food shopping, but a way of helping families to save money on their weekly food costs in order to leave more to spend on other household bills. The weekly costs are just £3.50 for ten items plus four free items of fruit or veg and the average retail value of a weekly visit is £25+ depending on the stock that’s available. The food primarily comes from supermarket surplus and the team at Regal was delighted to be able to lend its support in the lead-up to Christmas.”

He added: “Of course businesses exist in order to make a profit but I think what MERKUR UK and Regal have shown is that it is possible to achieve that primary objective at the same time as reaching out to the community and making a difference. It’s about being a good corporate citizen and helping those in society who are facing financial hardship.”

The MERKUR Initiative supported good causes which are nominated by team members, have included an animal sanctuary, an organisation that provides entertainment for children while they are in hospital, hospices in Milton Keynes, Newark, Birmingham and Preston, a group delivering support for people suffering from severe mental illness, a homelessness organisation that provides emergency temporary accommodation, as well as a recent donation to the Gurkha Welfare Trust sufficient to pay the Welfare Pension for a Gurkha veteran or their widow for almost six months.