17-07-2025
Olympian joins Co-op Special Olympics fundraising campaign
A Pembrokeshire Olympian is supporting a Co-op campaign.
Bleddyn Gibbs is backing the 'Meals That Matter' campaign, which is being delivered in partnership with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and Special Olympics Great Britain.
The campaign aims to promote inclusion and raise funds for Special Olympics GB, which provides year-round sporting opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities.
Running in Co-op stores across the UK from July 9 to August 5, the campaign will donate 25p from every sale of a special meal deal to support the charity.
The deal includes two Co-op pizzas and a four-pack of 330ml Coca-Cola Zero Sugar or Diet Coke cans for £6.
Mr Gibbs is one of five Special Olympics GB athlete ambassadors featured in the campaign.
The other ambassadors are Alex Rae, Stephanie Gott, Katie Day and Lloyd Martin.
Alex Rae, a double silver medallist in table tennis and a long-time Co-op colleague, said: "Being a part of the Special Olympics Grampian club is amazing, as is working for Co-op.
"The support and encouragement I've had has helped me build my confidence and really believe in myself.
"I'd love for more people with intellectual disabilities to have opportunities like these so they can really see what they can do."
Special Olympics GB supports more than 12,600 athletes across 27 sports, with the help of nearly 6,000 volunteers who create a supportive environment for individuals to thrive through grassroots sport.
The campaign features prominent in-store displays, including digital screens, shelf talkers, floor stickers and front-of-store takeovers, all featuring Special Olympics GB athletes and the campaign's inclusion message.
A dedicated online hub and member communications will support wider engagement.
Holly Firmin, senior community partnerships manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, said: "SOGB makes an enormous difference to the lives of athletes with intellectual disabilities and this campaign aims to raise awareness of that.
"It's about showing what's possible when everyone is given the support they need to thrive and why inclusion in everyday life, in sport and in the workplace, really does matter."
In a first for a major in-store retail campaign, 'Meals That Matter' will include Makaton symbols—part of a communication system that uses speech, signs, and symbols to support understanding and expression.
Makaton can help people with communication difficulties connect with others and participate more fully in daily life.
Coca-Cola has been a founding partner and global sponsor of Special Olympics since the movement began, and has supported Special Olympics GB since it launched in Great Britain in 1978.
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners continues this legacy through ongoing support of Special Olympics GB, promoting inclusion through funding, volunteering and unified sports and business programmes.
