Pennies is delighted to have won two awards at the Charity Times Awards 2026, with Alison Hutchinson CBE named Charity Leader of the Year and Peter Nugent named Supporting Leader of the Year, following Pennies’ shortlist in four categories.
Pears Foundation extends vital funding to Pennies
Pears Foundation has confirmed it will support fintech charity Pennies for a further two years, bringing their support for the digital charity box to over five years and £700,000 total in grants.
An independent, British family grant-maker, Pears Foundation uses £15 – 20 million of private money every year and invests it in good causes. The Foundation has generously supported Pennies core funding from its earliest days, helping to develop micro-giving as a source of sustainable, efficient funding for UK charities; harnessing the public’s generosity and facilitating a new form of grassroots philanthropy.
Alison Hutchinson CBE, Chief Executive of Pennies said; “We offer our sincere thanks to Pears Foundation for their generous ongoing support of Pennies. We are growing the micro-donation movement to benefit many UK charities by encouraging new givers and new giving.
“It is therefore vital for us to secure core funding and are hugely appreciative of the sustained financial support from grants such as this. Quite simply, Pears Foundation, and other kind donors, allow us to continue to encourage even more people to donate their small change for a big purpose.”
Trevor Pears CMG, Executive Chair of Pears Foundation, added “We are very pleased to be able to extend our support to Pennies, who are at the forefront of driving customer micro-giving – and have raised over £7 million for the charity sector since launch. We look forward to its continued growth and are excited to be part of their journey to make feel-good giving as ubiquitous an opportunity as possible.”
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Notes to Editors
For more information, please contact Rob Dyson, Head of Marketing and Communications at Pennies.
About Pennies
Pennies is the digital equivalent of the traditional charity collection box. We enable consumers to round-up their bill at participating partners – to make their pennies count for charity.
Pennies estimates that if the UK’s card holders donated 30p once a month over £150m would be raised for charity every year.
Pennies is enabled in a number of well-known brands including Domino’s Pizza, Zizzi restaurants, Topps Tiles, The Entertainer, The Fragrance Shop and Screwfix; as well as a growing number of smaller merchants.
How Pennies works
Pennies’ micro-donations are anonymous – so data-free – quick, and a choice every time. The retailer chooses the charity that its customers can support. No data is collected, and there is no follow up; it really is about dropping a few pence in a charity box – but via a debit or credit card.
Press ‘YES’ on the Chip & PIN machine in-store, or click the ‘Donate’ button online. The request is always for a few pennies (1p-99p) – either by rounding up or topping up.
Read more from Pennies.
Pennies Wins Two Awards At The Charity Times Awards 2026
Pennies is delighted to have won two awards at the Charity Times Awards 2026, with Alison Hutchinson CBE named Charity Leader of the Year and Peter Nugent named Supporting Leader of the Year, following Pennies’ shortlist in four categories.
Sector Leaders Tracy Gehlan and Matthew Price Join Pennies’ Hospitality and Leisure Advisory Board
Pennies strengthens its Hospitality and Leisure Advisory Board with the appointment of Tracy Gehlan, President, EMEA at Subway International, and Matthew Price, Regional General Manager for Uber Eats, EMEA.
The pair bring senior leadership experience from two of the world’s best-known food and delivery brands to support Pennies’ work with hospitality partners.
Pennies Shortlisted In Four Categories At The Charity Times Awards 2026
Pennies has been shortlisted in four categories at the Charity Times Awards 2026, recognising its innovation, leadership and impact in making digital giving simple and accessible.










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